Damaging hail, powerful wind gusts to target Plains into the weekend
Severe thunderstorms will shift into the Plains through the weekend, bringing threats of damaging hail and wind gusts. Lightning strikes could spark sporadic wildfires.
This time of year is well-known for being very active with severe weather in various parts of the U.S. Here’s how the AccuWeather Lightning Network™ can protect you in the event of a thunderstorm.
After severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and hail to interior portions of the Northwest Thursday, severe weather shifted into the Plains Friday and will continue into Saturday, bringing threats of damaging hail, strong wind gusts and localized wildfire danger.
On Saturday, the severe weather threat zones will stretch roughly 1,300 miles from the Big Bend region of Texas northward into the Dakotas and central Montana.
A more concentrated area of severe weather is likely in parts of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, far northeastern parts of Wyoming and far southeastern Montana.
Damaging hail and powerful wind gusts will once again be the primary hazards for Saturday. In addition, a couple of the strongest storms scattered about the Plains could produce a brief tornado.
Severe weather is expected again Sunday over the northern portions of the Plains. The threat of some severe thunderstorm activity will extend from central Montana to north-central Nebraska during the afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms will be capable of producing hail, downpours and localized damaging wind gusts.
The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust for storms on Sunday is 75 mph.
Elsewhere, a few storms near the Gulf Coast could briefly become severe this weekend, though the greater concern will be heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding.
A pocket of thunderstorms may be especially heavy in terms of rainfall from southeastern Nebraska to northern Arkansas from Sunday night to Monday.
Rain across parts of the High Plains, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming will be beneficial due to widespread drought conditions that developed earlier this winter. Some precipitation will fall as snow at higher elevations in parts of Montana and Alberta this weekend.
The added moisture may temporarily reduce wildfire danger across the region.
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