Severe thunderstorms to rattle over 10 million in Midwest, Plains to end the week
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jul 9, 2020 11:00 AM EDT
After thunderstorms with damaging winds moved through portions of the Plains on Wednesday, meteorologists are monitoring some of the same areas through Friday. However, even more real estate will be at risk.
As a cold front slowly advances southward in the Plains and Midwest on into Thursday night, showers and thunderstorms will develop in the zone where the front meets the hot and humid air in place.
"Thunderstorms will continue to erupt across the north-central U.S. around the periphery of a sprawling dome of heat which continues to bake the central Plains," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
Storms that moved through Minnesota and Wisconsin from Thursday morning and weakened during the midday hours ramped back up as they pushed into areas farther to the south and east during Thursday afternoon and evening. The storms are forecast to rattle the Chicago and Milwaukee areas before weakening later Thursday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
A second area of storms has developed during Thursday evening in portions of western Nebraska and northeastern Colorado. This cluster of thunderstorms is expected to grow in size and move southward into Kansas. These storms may then combine with an area of thunderstorms developing overnight in southern Kansas. Unlike the thunderstorms farther north and east, the storms in the Plains will likely continue through much of the night. However, the storms in both areas will have similar threats.
"Damaging wind will be the primary concerns with these storms, but torrential downpours can lead to localized flooding," Benz said.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph is forecast.
On Friday, the threat is largely expected in locations farther north and west. Cities such as Bismarck, North Dakota, and Rapid City and Pierre, South Dakota, will be at risk of experiencing thunderstorms. In addition, these storms may present more hazards than the storms from Thursday.
A cold front will move into the northern High Plains on Friday. As an area of low pressure develops along the front, this will further aid in thunderstorm development. Initially, thunderstorms are expected in an isolated nature in eastern Montana during the early afternoon hours. When the storms first form, a threat for hail will exist, some of which could be large.
As the thunderstorms expand in coverage, a line is expected to develop and move across the Dakotas during the later afternoon and evening hours. At that point, localized flash flooding and damaging winds gusts will become the primary threats. With the storms developing into an organized line, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 80 mph is expected. Later Friday night, the storms are likely to turn southward into Nebraska.
A severe threat may develop from Nebraska southward into Kansas and Oklahoma on Saturday.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Severe thunderstorms to rattle over 10 million in Midwest, Plains to end the week
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jul 9, 2020 11:00 AM EDT
After thunderstorms with damaging winds moved through portions of the Plains on Wednesday, meteorologists are monitoring some of the same areas through Friday. However, even more real estate will be at risk.
As a cold front slowly advances southward in the Plains and Midwest on into Thursday night, showers and thunderstorms will develop in the zone where the front meets the hot and humid air in place.
"Thunderstorms will continue to erupt across the north-central U.S. around the periphery of a sprawling dome of heat which continues to bake the central Plains," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
Storms that moved through Minnesota and Wisconsin from Thursday morning and weakened during the midday hours ramped back up as they pushed into areas farther to the south and east during Thursday afternoon and evening. The storms are forecast to rattle the Chicago and Milwaukee areas before weakening later Thursday night.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
A second area of storms has developed during Thursday evening in portions of western Nebraska and northeastern Colorado. This cluster of thunderstorms is expected to grow in size and move southward into Kansas. These storms may then combine with an area of thunderstorms developing overnight in southern Kansas. Unlike the thunderstorms farther north and east, the storms in the Plains will likely continue through much of the night. However, the storms in both areas will have similar threats.
"Damaging wind will be the primary concerns with these storms, but torrential downpours can lead to localized flooding," Benz said.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph is forecast.
Related:
On Friday, the threat is largely expected in locations farther north and west. Cities such as Bismarck, North Dakota, and Rapid City and Pierre, South Dakota, will be at risk of experiencing thunderstorms. In addition, these storms may present more hazards than the storms from Thursday.
A cold front will move into the northern High Plains on Friday. As an area of low pressure develops along the front, this will further aid in thunderstorm development. Initially, thunderstorms are expected in an isolated nature in eastern Montana during the early afternoon hours. When the storms first form, a threat for hail will exist, some of which could be large.
As the thunderstorms expand in coverage, a line is expected to develop and move across the Dakotas during the later afternoon and evening hours. At that point, localized flash flooding and damaging winds gusts will become the primary threats. With the storms developing into an organized line, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 80 mph is expected. Later Friday night, the storms are likely to turn southward into Nebraska.
A severe threat may develop from Nebraska southward into Kansas and Oklahoma on Saturday.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo