Severe thunderstorms threaten central US with flooding, hail, and tornadoes through midweek
A series of severe storms will stretch from southwestern Wisconsin and western Illinois to northern Texas through midweek, bringing risks of damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.
Many states across the U.S. experienced severe weather from hail storms to tornadoes from May 26-30. Some of the most impacted states include Colorado, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia, among others.
Severe weather will focus on the central United States during the first week of June with multiple rounds of storms expected in the coming days across more than a dozen states. AccuWeather meteorologists are not anticipating a significant severe weather outbreak, but storms could disrupt daily routines, cut power and have damaging results.
A few factors will come together to generate the severe weather into midweek. A fast-moving river of air in the upper atmosphere, known as the jet stream, will begin to strengthen over the Plains. In addition, warm and humid air will be flowing northward from the Gulf, which will help to fuel the storms.
The severe risk on Tuesday will extend from southwestern Wisconsin and western Illinois southwestward to northern Texas on Tuesday. Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Dallas are among the bigger cities that could be hit by a strong thunderstorm on Tuesday.
The worst of the storms may focus on a corridor from central Oklahoma to southern Missouri.
Thunderstorms to shift east on Wednesday
Storms on Wednesday will be spread across more than 1,000 miles from Detroit through Dallas, with hail gusty winds and flash flooding being the primary threats.
"Another wave of low pressure is expected to roll out of the Rockies and into the central United States into midweek, which can keep the risk for severe weather in place across the center of the nation," said Buckingham.
Even in the absence of severe weather, the new storm will enhance rainfall. In parts of this area, the rainfall will help to alleviate a developing drought.
Meanwhile, other places such as central and southern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and Oklahoma had rainfall well above the historical average in May. For example, Springfield, Missouri, received 7.57 inches of rain. Well over half of that came in just a three-day span. Therefore, some rivers and streams may be be elevated and any excessive rain could cause localized flooding.
Storms continue to focus on central US into late week
Showers and thunderstorms will continue to progress eastward to end the week. Meanwhile, the next cold front will be moving into the Plains by this weekend, which could reignite severe weather in part of the region.
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