‘Ring of fire’ thunderstorms to erupt on building heat dome in central, eastern US
Rounds of thunderstorms will form a "ring of fire" around a massive dome of building heat in the central and eastern United States into next week.
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As a major heat wave builds and takes center stage in the weather from late this week to next week, groups of severe thunderstorms will erupt on the edge of the dome of hot air, AccuWeather meteorologists advise.
The storms will take on a "ring of fire" effect, erupting first over parts of the northern Plains and Midwest, followed by portions of the Northeast and finally the Southwest and central Plains.
The intense high pressure and sinking air within a heat dome make it difficult for thunderstorms to form in large numbers. However, thunderstorms tend to erupt on the edges of the heat dome, as the high pressure area is weakest in these areas, allowing columns of air to rise and form towering clouds and gusty downpours.
Storms into Thursday night
One of the first rounds of severe storms will extend from the Dakotas to Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Thursday night.
Storms in this zone will pack torrential downpours, powerful wind gusts and perhaps damaging hail.
Severe weather to ramp up Friday night
On Friday, part of the same zone will be affected by thunderstorms. As the heat dome expands northward, it will squeeze the zone of severe weather farther to the north.
"There is growing concern that a potent complex of severe thunderstorms will charge from North Dakota to northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan during Friday night," AccuWeather Meteorologist Emma Belscher said, "This threat could evolve into a concentrated, high-risk zone of severe weather."
Along with the likelihood of storms packing powerful wind gusts, significant hail and flash flooding, there may also be a few tornadoes produced by the quick-moving thunderstorm complex Friday night.
Severe weather risk continues this weekend
Additional rounds of thunderstorms, including severe weather, will pester the northern edge of the heat dome along the United States/Canada border near the Great Lakes, expanding to New England as the weekend progresses.
One such complex of severe thunderstorms is forecast to develop in parts of Ontario and Quebec on Saturday.
From there, the group of thunderstorms will roll southeastward into part of upstate New York and much of New England. From late Saturday to Saturday night. Where the storms roll through, they will hold back the heating or perhaps delay it for another day.
Strong wind gusts and torrential downpours, which can disrupt travel and outdoor plans, will be the main threats from the storms from late Saturday to Saturday night in parts of the Northeast.
If this thunderstorm complex holds together as it moves over the Atlantic, conditions next week could support the gradual development of a tropical rainstorm between Bermuda and the Carolinas.
Plains storms to return next week
"Farther west, on the opposite side of the heat dome, tropical moisture--some associated with Erick--will be drawn across New Mexico, Colorado and parts of the High Plains next week," Belscher said.
"Where a channel of moisture persists in parts of the Southwest, it could help ease drought and wildfire concerns," she added.
Both of these conditions will increase into this weekend as gusty winds and dry air sweep over the Southwest.
The core of the heat dome will tend to turn off the daily downpours and thunderstorms from much of the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic. However, as is often the case with the weather, there can be some exceptions.
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