Rain and severe weather risk return to the parched Midwest
While the prospect of rain across parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley is appealing for many residents, AccuWeather forecasters warn that the risk for severe weather may accompany the beneficial rainfall.
Many parts of the northeastern United States are facing drought conditions, which raises the concern for wildfires. Officials in New Jersey placed the state under a drought watch.
A storm rolling across the Plains this week will usher in a burst of much-needed rainfall to the Midwest and Ohio Valley into Friday.
"While this push of moisture will be beneficial for areas experiencing moderate to severe drought, it could also spark locally severe thunderstorms," warned AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva.
A shift in the pattern to bring a severe t-storm risk
Calm and mild weather of late will be temporarily replaced with showers and blustery thunderstorms as a storm sweeps through the region.
Showers and thunderstorms will begin to expand across the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and parts of Missouri by Thursday evening, impacting cities like Aberdeen and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Minneapolis.
The risk of downpours, hail and locally gusty winds will heighten across a corridor from far northeastern Kansas to central Iowa. Locations such as Kansas City and Des Moines and Cedar Falls, Iowa, will face some risk of disruptions from strong to severe thunderstorms.
Through Thursday night, the storm will chug eastward into the heart of the Great Lakes, spreading additional rain and showers to places such as Green Bay, Wisconsin, Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Rainfall totals are not projected to exceed an inch in most places, outside of where thunderstorms may set up to bring repeat downpours.
Any rainfall that does soak the dry soil across Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and the Great Lakes will be welcomed. Places such as Des Moines have collected less than 0.30 of an inch of rain so far this month while Kansas City and the Twin Cities have recorded only a trace of rain in October.
As the week continues, the storm will continue to shift eastward and bring additional showers to the Great Lakes and parts of the Ohio Valley on Friday. By Friday night, much of the moisture fueling the rain will taper off, leaving many Midwest states on the dry side again.
Forecasters say high pressure will return to the Midwest late Friday into Saturday on the rear flank of this late-week storm, bringing the return of mainly dry weather for the weekend.
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
