Severe Weather Looms for Dallas to Chicago
The same storm bringing a snowstorm to the Rockies and far northern Plains will stir up trouble in areas farther south on the Plains as well. Through tonight, violent thunderstorms will erupt from Dallas to Chicago.
The first of the feisty storms will erupt late this evening, menacing a thin zone from the vicinity of Kansas City to Moline, Ill.
As the evening wears on, the storms will expand to the south and east along the system's cold front. By the end of the night, the storms will rattle a swath from northeastern Texas to Illinois and Indiana.
An inch of rain could douse cities and towns in this area in a matter of hours as the storms rumble through. This could trigger flash flooding problems.
The drought-stricken southern Plains will be particularly susceptible to flooding from the thunderstorms. While rain is much needed in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, a sudden influx of rain could send water flowing over the parched earth rather than being absorbed.
Meanwhile, the storms could also generate damaging wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. Hail as large as baseballs could even pummel some locations.
Tornadoes are another potentially deadly threat from these storms.
Masked by darkness overnight, any twisters will be especially dangerous. Residents of these areas should be sure to keep a weather radio on hand, and be prepared to seek shelter if necessary.
Dallas, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Chicago are among the cities and towns at risk for one of these vicious storms through tonight.
The damaging thunderstorms will shift into the lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys on Monday, before traversing the remainder of the Southeast on Monday night. When all is said and done, this severe weather outbreak could disturb as much as a quarter of the U.S., as noted by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Mike Smith last week.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 107° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 28° | Daniel, WY |
| Precip | 2.39" | Alexandria, 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
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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