Lightning, severe weather dangers to plague Midwest, Northeast over the holiday weekend
Rounds of showers and thunderstorms, some of which can turn severe, threaten to spoil festivities across the midwestern and northeastern United States this Memorial Day holiday weekend.
During the early afternoon of Friday, a confirmed tornado was sighted near Ipava, Illinois. Ipava is located to the southwest of Peoria.
"A new round of severe weather is expected later Saturday afternoon into the night from southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania to northern and central Ohio and Indiana and into central Illinois," Sojda said.
AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring the potential for the threat to also expand eastward to around Syracuse, New York, and southward from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis, site of this weekend's Indy 500.
"Again, all modes of severe weather will be possible in this region, but hail and damaging winds will be the main threats," Sojda said.
While the worst of the severe weather is expected around the southern Great Lakes, showers and thunderstorms can spread over New England and the mid-Atlantic Saturday afternoon and night.
Another round of thunderstorms that may ignite around Iowa and northern Missouri later Saturday may sweep across the lower Midwest states and into the mid-Atlantic Sunday into Sunday night. AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring this area for possible flash flooding and severe thunderstorms.
The good news for residents and visitors in the eastern Great Lakes and Northeast is that a sweep of dry air may suppress thunderstorm activity on Memorial Day to a narrow corridor in the upper Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic.
The upper Mississippi Valley and western Great Lakes, however, may face yet another bout of rain and thunderstorms threatening to spoil holiday festivities.
Even in the absence of severe weather, anyone with plans over this extended holiday weekend is reminded to seek shelter as soon as thunder is heard to avoid being struck by lightning.
Download the free AccuWeather app to know when thunderstorms are expected in your community. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
