Severe Storms to Rumble Across Midwest Tonight
It is important to remember that lightning is a threat with any thunderstorms whether they turn severe or not.
Many major cities of the Midwest will lie in the path of potentially dangerous thunderstorms through tonight.
A storm system shifting eastward across the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest is riding the northern edge of heat, acting as the trigger for severe weather.
Very humid air hovering over the Upper Midwest will provide plenty of fuel to support the growth of dangerous thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms which ripped through this region earlier this morning produced flash flooding and several reports of wind damage. Additional storms will continue to develop with the heating of the day across Minnesota and Iowa before sliding southeastward with the upper level flow toward the Great Lakes.
Cities that will lie in the battlegrounds for severe thunderstorms through tonight include: Minneapolis, Minn., Milwaukee, Wis., Chicago, Ill., and Columbus, Ohio.
Omaha, Neb., may also be at risk tonight, while a couple of large clusters of thunderstorms are expected to be roaming from central Nebraska to the central Great Lakes.
Damaging wind gusts over 60 mph, hail larger than golf balls and flash flooding will be the most widespread impacts of the thunderstorms.
Downed trees and power outages are likely impacts of the severe thunderstorms.
The strongest thunderstorms could also spawn tornadoes. The greatest tornado threat will lie from central Minnesota to western Wisconsin, where winds will change direction rapidly with altitude, creating a twisting motion in the atmosphere.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 107° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 28° | Daniel, WY |
| Precip | 3.25" | Buffalo, MN |
WeatherWhys®
People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
This Day In Weather History
Oklahoma (1940)
Hail fell to depths of 6-8 inches near Ada. Hail drifted to 5 feet in places with the help of rain runoff.
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Severe thunderstorms produced 95-mph wind gusts and widespread damage. More than 3 inches of rain fell in less than an hour. A 29-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter drowned in their car which was found submerged in an underpass.
Rough Weather
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