Drenching, gusty thunderstorms to wander across nation through mid-September
Dry, crisp fall air will have to wait, as more summertime storms interrupt outdoor and travel plans across multiple regions.
It might seem like it makes sense to turn on your car’s emergency flashers when rain makes it hard to see, but it’s illegal in some states. Here’s why.
Despite the official start of fall being days away, Mother Nature is holding onto her summer ways, as heavy showers and storms will roam scattershot across the country over the next week, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
Millions of people spanning dozens of states, from the Four Corners region to the Great Lakes states, can be impacted by these storms in the new week. Flooding downpours, damaging wind gusts, hail and even an isolated tornado or two can occur in some of the heavier activity.
Severe storms will be mainly confined to the Plains
The strongest storms, with a potential for localized damage, look to occur early in the week across the middle of the nation, AccuWeather severe weather experts predict.
"A storm advancing into the Central states as the workweek kicks off will pose a multitude of hazards, ranging from intense downpours and hail to damaging wind gusts and tornadoes," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Glenny. "The primary corridor at risk will span from northwest Kansas to far southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin Monday afternoon and Monday night."
Prior to Monday, a small area in the Plains, mostly encompassing Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern Wyoming, will be capable of featuring a thunderstorms with strong winds and hail into Sunday night. There will also be a corridor of heavy storms extending as far north and east as Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but the primary threat here will be flooding downpours.
The most intense storms are then forecast to develop Monday afternoon and night, across an area stretching over 500 miles from the eastern Plains of Colorado to southwestern Wisconsin, including the metropolitan areas of Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.
Because of the higher risk, AccuWeather has issued a 'moderate' risk for severe weather, which covers a smaller area from southern Nebraska into western Iowa. It is in this zone where a quick tornado or two cannot be ruled out.
Flood risk increases by midweek from Kansas to Michigan
After the severity of Monday and Monday night's ebb, a more expansive zone stretching from around Wichita, Kansas, to Detroit, will experience rounds of heavy rain into the midweek periods, as the primary threat evolves from strong storms to heavy rain.
"Beginning Tuesday, rain and thunderstorms spanning from the Plains to the Great Lakes will offer enough rain to lead to localized flooding," said Glenny.
Chicago, Kansas City and Milwaukee are among the other cities expected to receive the rounds of heavy rain from Tuesday through Wednesday night, which could total several inches in some rain gauges. While the areas of heavy rain will be non-continuous and pivot north and south each day, the most consistent downpours look to occur from southeastern Nebraska to west-central Illinois, including a large swath of Iowa.
In addition to slowing travel in the region due to ponding on roadways and in low-lying areas, the downpours aren't necessarily good news for farmers. As fall harvest time getting underway over the next few weeks, soggy fields could cause problems with and delay the annual occurrence.
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There may also be just enough warmth, humidity and atmospheric energy to produce a few spotty severe thunderstorms. "A few storms will still be capable of producing small hailstones and blustery conditions, especially from eastern Kansas to southern Michigan," added Glenny.
Following a mostly quiet and even comfortable start the workweek in the East, the storminess will also expand toward the Ohio Valley, Appalachians and Atlantic Seaboard later in the week as a cold front slices into very warm, humid air.
Elsewhere: Monsoon reignites, Southeast storminess ebbs
In the interior West, a searing, multiweek heat dome led to a temporary cessation of widespread thunderstorm activity in association with the annual monsoon since late August. Through this week, that lull will come to an end as storminess expands.
For many, the rainfall will be beneficial due to drought conditions, but the daily storms can also turn feisty, producing localized flooding, damaging wind gusts, dangerous lightning and sudden dust storms. Those recreating in the region's many parks could be caught off guard by the sudden appearance of storms, which will then tend to fade with the loss of daytime heating.
Meanwhile, the Southeast, from eastern Texas to the Carolinas, which has been rife with daily thunderstorms causing flooding and gusty winds, will largely catch a break in the new week. That's not to say no storms will form, but those that do will be fewer and farther in between than in recent days.
Despite the downturn in storm activity, AccuWeather tropical experts will still be monitoring areas offshore in the eastern Gulf and southwestern Atlantic for potential storm development during the second half of September. Combined with warm waters, there may be just enough moisture and atmospheric energy to spin up a tropical storm.
On Saturday, the Atlantic basin set a record that has stood since the start of the satellite era in 1966, with no hurricanes having formed to-date.
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