Severe thunderstorm risk to persist this weekend
As part of the Midwest and Northeast catch a break from violent thunderstorms, the South Central states will remain at risk for severe weather through the weekend, AccuWeather experts say.
From Tennessee to New York, severe storms caused widespread problems on May 16.
Following significant severe weather, including tornadoes, on Thursday and Friday, potent storms this weekend will bridge the gap ahead of another severe weather outbreak early next week in portions of the central and eastern United States, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
There were at least 360 severe weather reports from Thursday, followed by more than 600 incidents of violent thunderstorms on Friday. Of these, there were at least 51 preliminary tornadoes that will be investigated in the coming days. Along with tornadoes, the storms produced wind gusts to hurricane strength (74 mph or greater) and hail to the size of baseballs and softballs.
Additional severe thunderstorms are in store for this weekend. However, many areas of the Midwest will get a break as crews work to clean up fallen trees and restore power. But while the overall intensity of the storms this weekend will likely not be as extreme as that of Thursday and Friday, some of the storms can pack a punch in some neighborhoods as they experience severe weather for the first time in a number of days.
Storms to pack a punch in New England, South, into Saturday night
On Saturday night, the greatest risk of severe thunderstorms will occur in two areas.
One zone will be in a heavily populated corridor of the Northeast from the Hudson Valley of New York to part of western New England. Thunderstorms in this area are likely to bring localized damaging wind gusts and hail ranging from the size of marbles to golf balls. Sporadic power outages can occur with the risk of some trees blocking city streets and secondary roads as well as localized urban flooding.
Metro areas at risk for severe thunderstorms in the Northeast include New York City, Albany and Syracuse, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Burlington, Vermont. The weather should be dry for the running of the 150th Preakness at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore on Saturday evening, following violent thunderstorms that blew through the city and surrounding suburbs late Friday, which resulted in extensive storm damage and even prompted a tornado warning for the city.
Farther southwest, another zone of severe weather will extend from the South Central states to part of the Southeast. Within this area, widespread severe thunderstorms are forecast from southeastern Oklahoma to north-central Texas.
Along with the likelihood of some of the storms producing large hail and wind gusts frequently reaching 60-70 mph, there is also the risk of a few tornadoes.
Major cities within this more central U.S. severe weather zone include San Antonio, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Little Rock, Arkansas.
Storms to focus on south-central US on Sunday
On Sunday, the severe weather threat will generally be focused on the central and southern Plains.
Sunday's severe weather threat will extend from central Texas, northward to northeastern Colorado and southwestern Nebraska and as far to the east as the central portions of Missouri and Arkansas.
The main threats on Sunday will be from large hail and powerful wind gusts. However, there can be a few tornadoes that spin up in the strongest storms.
Significant severe weather outbreak looms for Monday, Tuesday
As a storm pushes out from the Rockies, severe weather and the risk of tornadoes may hit a full stride over portions of the Plains and Mississippi Valley on Monday and Tuesday.
AccuWeather meteorologists believe there is the potential for a significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms that includes multiple tornadoes. Some of the tornadoes could be strong and on the ground for miles should the situation escalate to its full potential.
Where storms repeat over the hours and days in the middle of the nation, the likelihood of flash urban flooding can be followed by the flooding of small streams and significant rises on some of the secondary rivers in the region.
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