Rain and severe storms to roam the Midwest through mid-September
Severe thunderstorms packing damaging winds, hail and a few tornadoes will target the Plains and Midwest into early week, while heavy rain raises the flash flood risk from the central US to the East Coast.
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.
As an autumn weather pattern develops across the northern tier of the nation, warm, moisture-rich air from the Gulf and Atlantic will fuel severe thunderstorms and heavy rain from parts of the Plains to the East Coast.
Severe storms to rattle Plains, Midwest
An active jet stream will help drive storm development, while warm, moist air fuels thunderstorms from portions of the Plains to the Midwest into early week.
On Sunday, the Plains severe thunderstorm threat will shift northwestward as a potent storm emerges from Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Severe thunderstorms from eastern Colorado to much of Nebraska and South Dakota may produce damaging hail and powerful wind gusts Sunday afternoon and night. Repeated downpours may also cause localized flash flooding.
On Monday, the severe thunderstorm threat will expand eastward from Kansas and Nebraska into northwestern Missouri, much of Iowa and southern Minnesota.
"The severe storms from Sunday to Monday could have the potential to produce multiple tornadoes," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "This looks like a strong storm system with lots of jet stream energy."
The storm will also pull colder air into parts of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, the Dakotas, eastern Montana and western Minnesota.
The storm will bring chilly air and snow to the higher elevations of Idaho and Montana later this weekend. As it moves eastward, drenching rain will spread across the Dakotas, eastern Montana, western Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.
Drenching rain will spread from the southern Canadian Prairies into parts of Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin from Sunday night through Monday night.
“While the storm may cause localized flash flooding in areas that have received frequent rain this summer, it could ease drought and wildfire concerns where rain has been scarce,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. “Where rain persists, temperatures may remain in the 60s and perhaps even the 50s.”
Another round of drenching rain may develop farther south and spread from west to east from Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa to near Lake Erie during the middle of the week.
The rain over portions of southern and central Iowa to southeastern Nebraska and part of northwestern Illinois could be excessive, with several inches possible. Flash flooding is likely with the potential for some significant rises on secondary rivers in the region.
Given the much cooler air accompanying the storm, it will feel like fall for much of the central and northern parts of the Plains.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
