Multiday severe risk to set up across the Plains
Persistent rounds of severe thunderstorms will set up across portions of the Plains as the heat dome strengthens across the western US.
Heavy rain created hazardous road conditions in parts of Colorado as severe weather moved through the area.
Portions of the Plains will be at risk for severe weather through this week, AccuWeather meteorologists say. Hazards, including flash flooding, hail and damaging wind gusts, will all be possible in any thunderstorm that turns severe.
A building heat dome that will challenge daily record highs and increase the fire risk across portions of the western United States, and moisture surging from the Gulf will set the stage for the severe thunderstorm risk across the Plains and portions of the Rockies this week.
As the heat dome strengthens early in the week, storms will track along the northern rim of the strengthening heat dome. In turn, the risk for severe weather will focus farther north compared to Sunday.
Monday and Monday night, thunderstorms developed from Montana through eastern Colorado, bringing hail and damaging wind gusts to this region. Hail up to the size of baseballs fell over portions of eastern Colorado.
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The focus shifted eastward on Tuesday. A strong line of thunderstorms developed over northern South Dakota Tuesday evening, bringing damaging wind gusts, large hail and flooding downpours to the area. One tornado was also preliminary reported in McPherson County, South Dakota.
On Wednesday, a similar zone to Tuesday will be at risk once again as severe thunderstorms fire up from central Minnesota and South Dakota to Nebraska, Iowa and toward Kansas City, Missouri.
Looking ahead to the late week, thunderstorms will continue to parade across the northern periphery of the heat dome, extending the stretch of active weather across portions of the Plains.
On Thursday, the threat will be confined a little farther to the north than the risks from days past, though some places in North Dakota and Minnesota will have their third day of severe weather in a row.
In a corridor from Montana to northern Minnesota and southwestern Ontario, thunderstorms late in the day and overnight will pack a punch. In this zone, thunderstorms with torrential downpours can cause flash flooding as well as contain damaging wind gusts and large hail.
The severe weather parade will continue on Friday, as parts of the Plains and Midwest face yet another day of severe weather risk. On Friday, the focus will extend from the Dakotas and Minnesota south into portions of Nebraska and Iowa.
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