Midwest poised for more severe weather, flooding downpours
Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail will target the Ohio Valley Thursday, followed by heavy rain that could trigger localized flooding from Indiana to western Pennsylvania into early Friday.
Bernie Rayno breaks down the areas most at risk.
A new round of severe thunderstorms will sweep across the Ohio Valley into Thursday night then evolve into a heavy rain event that could trigger localized flooding from Indiana to Ohio, Pennsylvania, southwestern New York and West Virginia later Thursday night into early Friday.
The severe weather threat will follow storms that packed more than 100 reports of hail and strong wind over much of the same zone Sunday. Hail the size of golf balls was reported. Wind gusts near 70 mph occurred around Columbus, Ohio.
A potent storm tracking across the northern United States late this week will drive the severe weather threat.
As this storm approaches, warmer air will surge from the Ohio Valley to the Catskills, West Virginia and the coastal Northeast, following a cold start to the week. High temperatures during Thursday afternoon climbed to 15-30 degrees above Monday and Tuesday’s highs.
A trailing cold front will trigger severe weather into Thursday night, stretching from Missouri to western Pennsylvania. The threat area includes much of Illinois, Ohio and Indiana, as well as southern Michigan and northwestern West Virginia.
The storms on Thursday evening could bring damaging wind gusts and hail, like the storms from this past Sunday. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for wind gusts is 85 mph. A few of the strongest storms could also produce brief tornadoes.
As the front sags south-southeast late Thursday night into Friday and colder air moves in, the threat will shift to flooding rain, as downpours are expected to recur in some areas.
With 1-2 inches of rain forecast and up to 3 inches possible over several hours, urban and poor-drainage flooding is anticipated.
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Small streams may also rise quickly, especially from central Illinois to western and northern Pennsylvania, the southern tier of New York and northern West Virginia.
Colder, drier air will settle in behind the rain and persist through the weekend across much of the Midwest and Northeast as the spring temperature roller coaster continues. After highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s Thursday, temperatures will drop to the 30s, 40s and near 50 Friday and Saturday in most areas.
Chicagoland pneumonia front alert for baseball Thursday afternoon
The setup is producing a classic "pneumonia front" for Chicago with a lake-assisted rapid temperature drop.
Following a high of 72 on Thursday at midday that tempted many to wear shorts and short sleeves, temperatures were plummeting during the afternoon and are on track to dip below freezing Thursday night. Those who headed out in the morning without at least a warm jacket might regret it for the local baseball season opener. It will also be chilly at least outside the stadium for the home opener in Milwaukee for the afternoon.
Fans heading to St. Louis for the season opener should dress for midsummer conditions with a record high in the mid-90s. Fans heading to Cincinnati may sneak in between morning and late-night thunderstorms. However, some who have a long drive home at night after the games could encounter severe weather.
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