Repeated rounds of wet weather expected for the central and southern Plains this week
Multiple storms tracking across the central and southern Plains will result in wet weather for much of this week, although the repeated downpours will bring some relief to drought-stricken areas.
In the New Orleans area and surrounding regions, storms led to significant flooding on April 21, turning roads into rivers.
A pattern favoring rounds of showers and thunderstorms will bring a combination of drought relief, threats of severe weather and perhaps enough rain to aggravate flooding problems in portions of the central United States this week, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Dry weather to start the week after severe storms Sunday
A potent storm set up over the central and southern Plains last weekend, which promoted repeated rounds of thunderstorms. The associated cold front passed over the region on Easter Sunday, which sent line of severe thunderstorms eastward into the Mississippi Valley.
Behind this front, largely dry weather returned for Monday, which made for a rather pleasant first day back from work or school for millions after the Easter holiday.
The dry weather will be short-lived, however, as an active weather pattern is set to begin across the center of the nation for much of this week.
Storminess to return to the southern Plains
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Beginning Tuesday, numerous rounds of storms are expected to track out of the Rockies and across the nation this week. As a result, showers and thunderstorms will spread across a large part of the country, from Kansas and Missouri to Texas and Louisiana.
While a widespread severe weather outbreak is not expected, any thunderstorm could be strong enough to bring gusty winds and flooding downpours, particularly across Texas and Oklahoma.
The threat for large hail and damaging wind gusts is expected on Wednesday, along with the potential for a couple of tornadoes.
Showers and thunderstorms will continue to spread eastward toward the middle to end of the week, with severe weather likely to expand from the Plains to portions of the Mississippi Valley.
"Due to copious amounts of Gulf moisture flowing northward into the Lone Star State, repeated rounds of rain could impact cities such as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex later this week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski explained.
A general 1-2 inches of rain is expected across the region, with higher totals found where numerous thunderstorms occur.
Any downpours can be heavy enough to slow travel, including across interstates 10, 20, and 40, as they can reduce visibility for drivers and lead to ponding of water on roadways.
Further north and east, across Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas, the rivers and streams are running high from torrential rain over the holiday weekend. Still, some areas farther to the east along the Mississippi River are dealing with a surge of water that was initiated by historic rainfall on the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys early in the month.
Additional rain through this week can hinder any continued cleanup efforts in the region. More rain falling across this region could also lead to renewed flooding in a few locations and localized flash flooding for the first time this spring in others.
Some drought relief expected
Farther west, however, this rain will be beneficial across Kansas, Oklahoma and western and central Texas, Pydynowski added.
Much of these areas are under at least a moderate drought, with an exceptional drought, the highest of the categories, across southwestern Texas, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Total precipitation so far this year has been below the historical average for many locations across the Plains entirely, including Wichita, Kansas, and Rapid City, South Dakota.
Since Jan 1., Wichita has only picked up 3.46 inches of rain, just over half the average amount of precipitation of 6.05 inches. In Rapid City, only 1.76 inches of rain has fallen in the same amount of time, while the average is 2.91 inches.
In addition to the drought, this region has experienced numerous wildfires so far this year due to gusty winds and continued dry weather.
Repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms will soak the ground enough to help aid in containing any ongoing fires, including the Picker Flats and Last Chance fires, both located in northeastern Oklahoma.
The storminess does not look to end any time soon across the region, as more storms are expected to track through the Plains, especially farther south.
"The wet and active pattern across parts of Texas may extend into next weekend as well," Pydynowski said.
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