Damaging winds, flash flooding to roll through East before shifting to Plains
The same storm system that is bringing heavy rain and flash flooding risks to the Midwest and Northeast into next week will also be the culprit for strong to severe thunderstorms across the Appalachians and Plains.
Tornado-warned storms dumped rain and hail on Missouri as they tore through the Midwest on July 31, creating these dramatic scenes.
Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of the Appalachians into Saturday night, bringing the risks of damaging wind gusts and flash flooding. By Monday, the severe threat shifts back to northern portions of the Plains.
The greatest risk of severe weather through Saturday night extends from northern Indiana and Ohio south through the Tennessee Valley and into southern Alabama. Indianapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama, are just a few cities at risk.
Thunderstorms are expected to produce localized damaging wind gusts between 55-65 mph and flash flooding. Outdoor plans may be disrupted, and downed tree limbs and power outages can occur. A few stronger storms could also produce a brief tornado.
"The combination of flash flooding, reduced visibility from downpours and damaging wind gusts can lead to travel disruptions, both on the ground and in the air. Interstates 70, 75 and 20 are among the major routes that could be impacted," AccuWeather Meteorologist Haley Taylor said.
A few thunderstorms are also expected across the Desert Southwest through Saturday evening as the North American Monsoon continues. While widespread severe weather is not expected in this area, a few storms could produce localized damaging wind gusts and flash flooding, mainly across much of New Mexico and far southeastern Arizona.
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The severe weather threat decreases on Sunday as flooding rainfall occurs across a large portion of the eastern-third of the country. However, a few thundershowers within the broader area of rain can still produce localized damaging wind gusts, particularly from western Pennsylvania south through the mid-Atlantic and into the Florida panhandle.
Early next week, the focus for severe weather is expected to shift back west to northern portions of the Plains, where thunderstorms are expected Monday afternoon and evening.
"Another storm moving across Canada will push a cold front across the center of the nation early next week. Thunderstorms developing along the front can produce hail and damaging wind gusts across the Dakotas and Minnesota on Monday," Taylor added.
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