Severe storms to precede, accompany heat surge in central and eastern US
As the vacation and outdoor season build in the days leading up to July, severe thunderstorms will rumble over parts of the central and eastern United States.
Severe storms dropped large amounts of hail in Colorado on June 26, sending drivers fleeing under shelter.
Rounds of storms will rumble, roar and rain through portions of the eastern and central United States in the days ahead of and during a massive heat dome forecast for the end of June and the first days of July.
AccuWeather’s severe weather classification is impact-driven and differs from the Storm Prediction Center’s system, with a focus on clarity for the general public.
Storms, downpours to push from Midwest to mid-Atlantic
After a storm brought a variety of severe weather and torrential downpours from the central part of the Great Plains to the eastern Great Lakes region, a more potent storm will travel eastward across the Appalachians Saturday.
Rainfall near and north of the storm track on Saturday will be heavy and could be locally excessive, leading to flooding.
As this potent storm continues to move from the Appalachians to the upper mid-Atlantic coast, there will be drenching downpours until the storm moves out to sea.
Farther south, thunderstorms can bring a risk of hail, flooding downpours and localized damaging wind gusts from Missouri and Arkansas to southern Virginia and North Carolina.
Storms to hammer central US into next week
Farther west, the engine for thunderstorms will continue over the Plains. Enough warm, humid air will remain, combined with daytime heating and an unusually strong jet stream, to set off more thunderstorms and severe weather through the weekend.
GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
•Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
During the weekend, the bulk of the severe weather activity will focus on the northern parts of the Plains and the Midwest.
This kind of setup, with a dome of heat building to the south, can bring long-lasting complexes of severe thunderstorms that travel for hundreds of miles. In the most intense cases, derechos may develop.
The same areas facing storms on Saturday can also expect thunderstorms to rumble on Sunday into Sunday night.
A few of the most potent storms through Monday will produce tornadoes over the Central states, along with the likelihood of damaging hail, straight-line wind gusts and torrential downpours.
Storms to dive southward into the Northeast, travel across Gulf Coast states in reverse
As the heat dome builds over the Midwest next week, complexes of thunderstorms will move around its rim from the Rockies and High Plains to the northern tier of the Midwest and much of the Northeast.
The risk of derechos will continue.
Farther south, there will be complexes of thunderstorms that move from east to west from the southern Atlantic Coast to the Gulf Coast. These will have to be watched for potentially acquiring tropical characteristics.
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
