Severe Threat Tonight: Dakotas to Iowa

June 17, 2012; 6:18 PM
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This photograph of a lightning strike in Lebanon, Tenn. March 17, 2012 is courtesy of AccuWeather Facebook fan Myron B.

After a relatively quiet and pleasant start to Father's Day, strong thunderstorms are now beginning to fire across portions of the Midwest and northern Plains.

Clouds have increased through the early afternoon out ahead of a warm front sliding into the region from the west. Scattered showers and gusty thunderstorms will accompany this front as it tracks through the northern Plains and Midwest tonight and on Monday.

People who expect to be celebrating Father's Day outdoors well into the evening are advised to keep a close eye to the sky.

Thunderstorms will fire across the central and eastern Dakotas and will track towards the east-southeast into western parts of Minnesota and Iowa. Cities like Aberdeen and Sioux Falls, S.D., as well as Omaha, Neb., may be impacted.

The primary threats with these storms will be damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph as well as large hail greater than 2 inches in diameter, or the size of golf balls. Hail of this magnitude can cause damage to cars.

Additionally, tornadoes will be possible with the strongest thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. The tornado threat will diminish shortly after sunset.

During the nighttime hours, the thunderstorms will continue to prowl into Minnesota and western Wisconsin as well as central and eastern Iowa. Cities which could be impacted include Minneapolis, Minn., La Crosse, Wis. and Des Moines, Iowa.

During the overnight hours the primary threat with these storms will be gusty winds. The overall severe thunderstorm threat should gradually diminish as we head deep into the night.

Keep checking back with AccuWeather.com on your computer or mobile devices throughout the night for the latest radar imagery and severe weather updates.

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