Severe Storms Continue to Pound the Nation's Heartland

The central U.S. will remain in the crosshairs for daily storms through at least Saturday. Some of the storm cells will creep as far as the East Coast at times. Here is a deeper dive into this unsettled forecast.

Stormy Pattern Marches on Throughout the Central U.S.

Mother Nature is not showing any grace for the central portions of the country with daily rounds of thunderstorms expected to persist well into the weekend. The threat of severe weather will increase across the Plains and the Mississippi Valley on Wednesday in a zone from the Gulf Coast and up into the Great Lakes. The warm and moisture-rich air coming up from the Gulf will meet up with a mass of cool air ejecting out of the Rockies and a powerful jet stream overhead to lay the groundwork for storm development.

The southern Plains will be at the center of the action. This part of the Plains states should expect the chance of severe weather every day through Saturday.

In the short term, severe weather will move to the east over the Midwest later in the day on Wednesday. A secondary area of storms is also expected over eastern portions of Texas at this time.

A number of major metropolitan areas will be under the threat of thunderstorm activity on Wednesday afternoon and into the evening hours. Potential impacts include damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding. Air travelers will want to be aware of the possible disruptions to flights as each wave of storms roll in.

St. Louis is one of the cities that should expect severe weather on Wednesday. The Arch City is bracing for heavy thunderstorms taking root later in the day, delivering the threat of gusty winds and small hail. The cloud cover will keep the highs in the mid 70s before falling into the mid 60s overnight. The chance of rain showers and thunderstorms will persist after the sun goes down.

The line of storms will extend as far north as Detroit by later in the day. The metro area will see a mix of sun and clouds with a greater chance of moisture and stormy weather in the late afternoon and evening hours. Rain showers will linger overnight with times of heavy rainfall possible. You can expect a high of about 86 degrees and lows that bottom out at the 60-degree mark.

Detroit is forecast to see the rain continue through the early part of the day Thursday before finally exiting the region. The cloud cover will bring down the temperatures with highs forecast to top out at the 70-degree barrier and lows slipping into the mid 50s.

Thursday's Forecast Calls for Storms to Shift Farther to the West

Thursday's primary impact zone for storms will shift to the west, encompassing parts of the Southwest and the southern Plains region from New Mexico and into West Texas. These storm cells will also migrate to the north into the southeastern corner of Colorado and western Oklahoma. Forecasters are warning that isolated tornadoes could pop up out of this system.

Flash flooding will also be a concern with Thursday's weather pattern. The forecast models indicate that the storm cells are likely to move to the east and reach as far as southwestern Missouri during the overnight hours. In addition to the flash flooding, damaging winds could also present problems.

Dodge City, Kansas, will be at the center of the action on Thursday. The southwestern corner of the Sunflower State is anticipating a rocky start to the day with scattered thunderstorms. Highs will bounce around in the mid 70s while winds clock in at 10 to 15 mph from the southeast. The threat of severe storms will move in again during the evening hours before temperatures drop to about 60 degrees.

Lubbock, Texas, will also experience the threat of unsettled weather on Thursday. The college town is forecast to see variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms that ease in the evening hours. The forecast is calling for highs of about 81 degrees, lows that slip into the upper 60s, and winds out of the southeast at 10 to 20 mph.

Another zone of storms is predicted to ignite in the Northeast on Thursday. This impact zone will extend from northern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York into Maine. The most concerning impacts of the storms in the Northeast will be powerful winds and times of heavy rain. Hail may fall from the sky but it is likely to be the size of marbles or smaller.

For example, while Albany, New York, will start the day on a calm note with mostly sunny skies, conditions will deteriorate as the day progresses. The state capital is forecast to see scattered thunderstorms coming to life in the afternoon. It will be a warm day with highs that hit 90 degrees and lows that settle in the upper 60s. Winds will be out of the south-southwest at 10 to 15 mph.

Forecast for Friday and the Weekend

Looking ahead to Friday and beyond, a front that dips to the south will put the majority of the risks across Oklahoma, the southwestern corner of Arkansas, and northern Texas. The activity will migrate into the Appalachians, bringing the usual impacts to the region. The storms to end the work week could usher in destructive hail and volatile winds in this area.

Tulsa will be in the line of fire for Friday's storms. The city in the northern part of Oklahoma is predicted to see an initial round of thunderstorms in the morning with a greater concentration of impacts in the evening and overnight hours. Storms will become more widespread and intense overnight, making it important to enable all smartphone weather notifications before going to bed. You can expect a high of about 85 degrees and lows that fall into the upper 60s in Tulsa.

Friday's line of storms could also move to the east, reaching as far as Georgia, the Carolinas, and the southern tier of Virginia. Once again, pockets of severe storms could also fire up in portions of the Northwest on Saturday.

By Sunday, the storms could drop to the south and into the Gulf Coast region. We will continue to monitor the behavior of these storm cells as the week progresses.

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