Severe Storms Rumble Across the Central U.S.
Rounds of severe weather will develop across the middle of the nation through this weekend.
As a series of disturbances move through the Plains and Midwest over the next few days, rounds of severe thunderstorms are likely. Today’s focus will be on and ahead of a strengthening cold front stretched from the southern Plains into the Midwest.
The government’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk for severe weather from Texas northeastward into parts of Michigan and southern Wisconsin. Cities such as Abilene, Texas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Chicago are included in this area. There is also currently a Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for Milwaukee and its surrounding areas in southeastern Wisconsin.
Very large hail and a few strong tornadoes will be possible across parts of Texas and Oklahoma, while damaging winds and flooding rain will be possible throughout the entire risk area.
The cold front will move very little on Saturday, leading to additional severe weather concerns across portions of the southern Plains into Arkansas and southern Missouri. Here, the Storm Prediction Center has issued another Slight Risk for Saturday.
Large hail, damaging winds, and even a few tornadoes will remain possible on Saturday.
The severe weather threat will shift eastward for Sunday, with a Slight Risk already in place across parts of northeastern Texas, northern Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois.
The repeated days of storms over the same regions will also introduce the risk for flooding and flash flooding through Sunday. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches or more are likely from north-central Texas to the Middle Mississippi Valley and Indiana. Flood Watches are in place across eastern Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas, northwestern Arkansas, Missouri, and parts of central and southern Illinois.
Be sure to know the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means that all the ingredients for severe weather to take place are there, while a warning indicates that the severe weather has already formed, and you should take action to keep your friends and family safe. Be sure to stay up to date with your latest local forecasts, and check WeatherBug frequently for any alerts that may be issued.
