Drenching severe storm train to shift southward in eastern US on Labor Day weekend
A persistent train of thunderstorms packing damaging wind gusts and flash flooding will gradually shift southward in the eastern part of the United States and will settle over the Southeast this weekend.
Severe storms swept through the Canadian province of Ontario, bringing heavy rain, high winds and flooding on Sept. 2. In several areas, debris could be seen flying and streets were left submerged.
The parade of storms will continue across portions of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic, bringing additional rounds of severe weather and flash flooding. The rounds of storms will shift southward along the Atlantic coast and will reach some of the northeastern Gulf Coast states this weekend.
Storm after storm swept from the Great Lakes through parts of the Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic coast from Wednesday to early Friday. Some of the storms brought powerful wind gusts that knocked down trees and caused property damage.
This map shows accumulated rainfall for the 72-hour period ending on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Parts of Pennsylvania received 3 to 6 inches of rain (red), with locally higher amounts. Much of the rain fell from early Wednesday to early Thursday. (AccuWeather)
Strong thunderstorms swept through the Washington, D.C., metro area late Thursday evening, producing widespread wind gusts of 50-65 mph as they tracked from western Maryland into Delaware. Reagan National Airport, D.C., recorded a gust of 64 mph. Numerous trees and power lines were reported down across the region.
Storms to focus on Southeast, Plains states this weekend
On Saturday, the severe weather will shift farther south and encompass much of the Carolinas and southern Virginia, as well as eastern Kentucky.
Once again, the main threats will be from flash flooding and damaging wind gusts both Saturday and Sunday. To the west, there will be a separate Saturday severe weather risk from northeastern Colorado through South Dakota.
Sunday's severe weather threat will focus from the Carolinas through Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, the eastern part of Alabama and part of northern Florida.
On Labor Day, parts of northern and central Florida may be rather active with thunderstorm activity. Some of the storms could be heavy and gusty.
People heading to the beaches or boating in the Intracoastal Waterway should be on the lookout for rapidly changing weather conditions due to thunderstorms this weekend, especially from the Carolinas to Georgia and northern Florida.
Storms to return to the Plains this weekend
As pieces of energy cross the Rockies and encounter building heat farther to the east, rounds of severe weather are forecast over the northern portions of the Plains states this weekend.
On Saturday afternoon and night, severe storms packing high winds and flash flooding will extend from northeastern Colorado to North Dakota, and may extend as far east as Iowa and southern Minnesota.
On Sunday, the main threat of severe weather will extend across much of Montana and North Dakota.
Severe thunderstorms are expected to affect portions of the Dakotas, Minnesota and surrounding areas Monday into Monday night, including Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and areas near Minneapolis.
Hail, flash flooding and localized damaging wind gusts of 50-60 mph are forecast to be the primary hazards, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 70 mph.
What is causing the storms?
The storms will be fueled, in part, by the excessively humid air and the edge of the heat dome anchored over the South Central states.
As cooler, less humid air presses in from the north, the Great Lakes region and the Northeast will get a break from the storms for at least part of this weekend. The cool press will initially add intensity to the thunderstorms and downpours as it lifts warm, moist air.
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