Severe storms to strike Plains and Midwest through the end of the week
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Aug 13, 2020 10:55 AM EDT
Residents in Ellicott City, Maryland, say flooding issues have returned to a community plagued by flooding problems in the past as storms rolled through Aug. 12.
Quiet weather that started the day Thursday across the Plains and Upper Midwest will give way to thundery conditions and severe weather by the nighttime hours.
A warm and humid air mass will be in place across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Minnesota into Thursday night. As a cold front moves eastward toward the region, showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop. With the front providing a focal point for thunderstorms, the activity is likely to continue well into the night as well.
"Most of these heavy thunderstorms will erupt into the early evening hours, but many of these storms can remain strong through the nighttime when development is typically least likely," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary.
Soon after the storm initiate, large hail will be a hazard. It then appears that the storms will quickly develop into a line during Thursday evening. At that point, while hail will still be a risk, the main concern will become locally damaging winds. Therefore, residents in locations such as Aberdeen and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and International Falls, Minnesota, will need to keep an eye to the sky and be prepared to seek shelter should skies darken or if thunder is heard.
"Those who are planning on traveling or spending time outdoors should use caution and have a backup plan set up in case storms put a damper on any pre-made arrangements," Sadvary advised.
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Late Thursday evening, as a disturbance moves out of Montana, one or two new areas of thunderstorms are expected to form in far eastern Montana. These storms will likely then move into western North Dakota after midnight and continue eastward into central North Dakota before beginning to weaken. The thunderstorms in this area are not expected to be severe, but they still could contain gusty winds, small hail and heavy rain.
The cold front will move farther eastward on Friday, and so too will the severe weather threat. In addition, the disturbance that will cause the thunderstorms in Montana on Thursday evening will catch up to the cold front. This combination will add some spin to the atmosphere.
"The greatest threats with these storms will be frequent lightning, hail, damaging wind gusts and localized flash flooding in heavy downpours, but the possibility of a few isolated tornadoes spinning cannot be ruled out," added Sadvary.
While the chance for a tornado is higher on Friday than on Thursday, the main risk of severe weather in cities such as Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota, should still be hail, local flash flooding and damaging wind gusts. Just like on Thursday, storms should congeal into a line overnight Friday night, when heavy rain and damaging winds will be the primary hazards.
The cold front will continue eastward on Saturday but at this point severe thunderstorms are expected to be less of a threat than on Thursday and Friday.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Severe storms to strike Plains and Midwest through the end of the week
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Aug 13, 2020 10:55 AM EDT
Residents in Ellicott City, Maryland, say flooding issues have returned to a community plagued by flooding problems in the past as storms rolled through Aug. 12.
Quiet weather that started the day Thursday across the Plains and Upper Midwest will give way to thundery conditions and severe weather by the nighttime hours.
A warm and humid air mass will be in place across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Minnesota into Thursday night. As a cold front moves eastward toward the region, showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop. With the front providing a focal point for thunderstorms, the activity is likely to continue well into the night as well.
"Most of these heavy thunderstorms will erupt into the early evening hours, but many of these storms can remain strong through the nighttime when development is typically least likely," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary.
Soon after the storm initiate, large hail will be a hazard. It then appears that the storms will quickly develop into a line during Thursday evening. At that point, while hail will still be a risk, the main concern will become locally damaging winds. Therefore, residents in locations such as Aberdeen and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and International Falls, Minnesota, will need to keep an eye to the sky and be prepared to seek shelter should skies darken or if thunder is heard.
"Those who are planning on traveling or spending time outdoors should use caution and have a backup plan set up in case storms put a damper on any pre-made arrangements," Sadvary advised.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Late Thursday evening, as a disturbance moves out of Montana, one or two new areas of thunderstorms are expected to form in far eastern Montana. These storms will likely then move into western North Dakota after midnight and continue eastward into central North Dakota before beginning to weaken. The thunderstorms in this area are not expected to be severe, but they still could contain gusty winds, small hail and heavy rain.
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The cold front will move farther eastward on Friday, and so too will the severe weather threat. In addition, the disturbance that will cause the thunderstorms in Montana on Thursday evening will catch up to the cold front. This combination will add some spin to the atmosphere.
"The greatest threats with these storms will be frequent lightning, hail, damaging wind gusts and localized flash flooding in heavy downpours, but the possibility of a few isolated tornadoes spinning cannot be ruled out," added Sadvary.
While the chance for a tornado is higher on Friday than on Thursday, the main risk of severe weather in cities such as Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota, should still be hail, local flash flooding and damaging wind gusts. Just like on Thursday, storms should congeal into a line overnight Friday night, when heavy rain and damaging winds will be the primary hazards.
The cold front will continue eastward on Saturday but at this point severe thunderstorms are expected to be less of a threat than on Thursday and Friday.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo