Threat of severe thunderstorms to return to nation's midsection into the weekend
A collision between warm and cold air will lead to the development of powerful thunderstorms from the Plains to the Ohio Valley, which AccuWeather meteorologists say can bring damaging wind gusts and drenching rain.
The collision between warm and cold air will reignite the threat of severe weather across parts of the nation’s midsection into the weekend.
After flooding rainfall and hail were seen in portions of the Plains on Friday, severe weather is set to last into this weekend across a large swath of the central United States, according to AccuWeather forecasters. The storms have interrupted a much-needed lull in the active weather pattern across the middle of the country where multiple tornado outbreaks occurred in late March and early April.
The threat of severe thunderstorms packing damaging wind gusts, destructive hail and flooding downpours comes on the heels of drenching storms in the Southeast on Thursday from a separate storm system and precedes a threat later this weekend in the Northeast.
The impetus for thunderstorm development has been a wave of low pressure emerging from the Rockies that was a part of the 'storm train' impacting the Pacific Northwest since last week. Another important ingredient is the sudden return of cooler air from Canada, clashing with an air mass that has featured record warmth over the past week.
Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
The threat began late Friday across portions of Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, with dozens of severe weather reports confirmed as a line of intense storms swept through. Hail was reported in downtown Omaha, along with over 6 inches of estimated rainfall to the south of the city.
A much larger area will be at risk of severe thunderstorms on Saturday as the storm pushes into the Midwest. By the evening hours, around a dozen states stretching from Texas to Illinois are expected to experience heavy, gusty thunderstorms.
On Saturday afternoon, several reports of tennis-ball to four-inch sized hail were reported in southeastern Missouri. One of the severe storms that produced large destructive hail moved within 30 miles north of Springfield, Missouri.
"The greatest area of concern will be across the mid-Mississippi Valley by the evening hours," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva.
The magnitude of the wind packed in some thunderstorms will be enough to cause damage. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for Saturday will be 110 mph. Major cities that can experience these gusty storms include Chicago; Houston; Indianapolis; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; and St. Louis.
Many storms will also feature the threat of flash flooding from brief, heavy bouts of rain, which can threaten motorists driving through low-lying or poor-drainage areas.
The threat of tornadoes appears that it will be lower with this episode of severe weather compared to storm outbreaks earlier this month. Forecasters say this is because there is less energy available in the upper atmosphere, and winds will not be changing as much over differing levels of atmospheric height, both vital ingredients needed for a tornado outbreak. Despite that, there still can be an isolated tornado or two in some of the stronger storms.
A separate storm that has been spinning in the Southeast since earlier this week has already unleashed flash flooding and severe weather there. On Wednesday over 2 feet of rain fell in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, leading to devastating flash flooding. There were also multiple tornado warnings issued for the thunderstorm that led to the flooding.
Another round of gusty thunderstorms is expected to unfold on Sunday, covering a wide area stretching from Michigan to Florida.
Detroit, Columbus, Ohio, and Atlanta are among the cities that can experience thunderstorms with damaging winds of 50-60 mph, flooding downpours and even hail to end the weekend.
Behind the storm, much colder air streaming into the Northeast could actually lead to some snow by early next week.
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
