Southern High Plains to face return of severe storms
A tornado raged through the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi leaving everything in its path a wreck. The damage was able to be assessed on Apr 14, and showed just how truly powerful this natural disaster was.
The break from severe weather across the southern and central High Plains is coming to an end as violent thunderstorms will be a problem during Thursday evening.
After severe storms frequented the region during the beginning of June, the corridor from southeastern Colorado to eastern New Mexico, southwestern Kansas and western Texas has been in a fairly benign weather pattern since last week.
While a widespread severe weather outbreak is not in the cards as storms return, people in the area should make sure to keep a close eye on the weather conditions and be ready to take appropriate shelter if necessary during Thursday evening and the first part of Thursday night.
A storm system tapping into a brief return of more humid air from the Gulf of Mexico will trigger the severe thunderstorms, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston.
The storms can threaten communities along Interstate 25 from Colorado Springs, Colorado; to Santa Fe, New Mexico; before shifting eastward to Garden City, Kansas; Guymon, Oklahoma; and Amarillo, Lubbock and Midland, Texas.
A few big storms are also likely to extend farther to the north into northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and part of western Nebraska.
Damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, large hail and torrential downpours can be unleashed in any of the storms that fire up in this zone.
Such winds can down trees and power lines and kick up dust ahead of the thunderstorm's rain.
Boston said he cannot rule out the potential for an isolated tornado or two.
Frequent lightning will endanger anyone caught outdoors, making it vital to seek shelter in a building or hardtop vehicle as soon as thunder rumbles.
This past Sunday, lightning struck and killed a motorcyclist traveling on I-95 in Florida.
At the end of the week, the risk of severe storms may broaden over the Central states.
Communities from the Dakotas and north-central Minnesota to western Texas could face storms turning locally heavy and damaging on Friday.
Download the free AccuWeather app to get severe weather alerts as soon as they are issued. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
