Storms Continue to Menace a Zone from the Dakotas to the East Coast

A swath of land stretching for over 1,000 miles from the Plains states and into the Northeast will be under the threat of severe storms in the days ahead. Read on for a more detailed look at when and where the storms will fire up.

Large Area of Northern U.S. at Risk of Repeated Storms

A line of storms will continue to usher in high winds and heavy rain in a zone from the Dakotas and to the east into New England. While the bulk of the activity focused on the central portions of the U.S. early in the week, the storms will move into the Northeast by Friday.

These storm cells will generate a number of potentially concerning impacts, including gusty winds, hail, and rain capable of producing flash flooding. Storms that ignited late Tuesday persisted into Wednesday morning across South Dakota and Minnesota. Several wind gusts clocked in between 70 and 80 mph. The highest gust of 82 mph was recorded in Huron, South Dakota.

By the end of the day Wednesday, the storms were stretching from eastern Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado and into Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the northern fringe of Michigan. Once again, it was hail, rain, and high winds causing issues as the storms moved to the east.

Thursday's forecast is calling for an area of drier and cooler air to nudge the storms farther to the east and the south. This will put a zone from southwestern Kansas and to the northeast into southeastern Ontario in the line of impact. Forecasters are warning that damaging winds will be the greatest risk associated with Thursday's storm action.

There will be a number of major metro areas under the threat of Thursday's storms. Kansas City will see the storms move in by the afternoon hours, expected to linger into the evening and overnight. Despite the buildup of clouds, temperatures will still manage to hit the upper 80s before falling into the mid 70s overnight.

This particular weather maker will make its way into the western and central Great Lakes by the time the day comes to an end. Places such as Chicago will start the day on a calm note. However, rain showers could put a damper on afternoon activities in the Windy City. The evening forecast is calling for more rain showers with storms developing overnight. It will be a breezy day with winds out of the southwest at 10 to 20 mph. Highs will soar into the mid 90s before sliding to about 73 degrees after the sun goes down.

Friday's Storm Risk Shifts to the Northeast

The risk of severe thunderstorms will shift into parts of the Northeast on Friday. Similar to the pattern earlier in the week, localized strong winds will be the biggest concern. You can expect Thursday's storms to stretch along the busy Interstate 95 corridor from New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the north into the far reaches of Maine.

Some of these storms may reach the southern coastal region of New England. The major urban areas of New York City and Philadelphia may also be at risk. For example, tourists in New York City should prepare for the chance of an errant storm during the afternoon hours. The biggest weather headline of the day in the Big Apple will be the heat with the mercury forecast to hit a high of 98 degrees during the peak afternoon heating hours.

Another cluster of storms will ignite again to the west on Friday afternoon and evening. These separate areas of activity are forecast to come to life across the northeastern corner of Colorado, the Nebraska Panhandle, and eastern Wyoming. Hail and wind gusts will be what forecasters are monitoring with this area of activity.

The popular summer vacation spot of Rapid City, South Dakota, will be one of the areas at risk of seeing a pop-up thunderstorm as the temperatures inch up to the 90-degree mark. The forecast in this part of the Black Hills is also calling for overnight lows of about 64 degrees and winds out of the south at 10 to 15 mph.

The highest risk of storms to the north will happen during the evening hours. Bismarck, North Dakota, is one of the communities that should prepare for storms to come to life at dusk. Friday's forecast is predicting highs that approach the 90-degree mark, winds out of the south-southeast at 10 to 20 mph, and overnight lows that dip to about 63 degrees.

Looking Ahead to Saturday

Heading into the weekend, Saturday's primary storm chances will extend from northern and central portions of Illinois to the east into southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Although not all of these storms will carry severe impacts, you cannot rule out the threat of damaging wind gusts at times.

The weekend storms are most likely to erupt along the northern periphery of a heat dome that is anchored over the southern half of the U.S. There is good news for those tired of the extreme heat. Meteorologists are predicting that a sizable shift in the jet stream will bring in noticeably cooler and less humid air for the Midwest and the Northeast as the weekend progresses.

The flip side of the change in the jet stream is that the movement will also support the development of more storms for an area from the Dakotas and into the Great Lakes beginning on Sunday and lingering through Tuesday of next week. By the middle of next week, these storms may also reach the mid-Atlantic and up through New England.
Next week's storms will also be capable of generating winds powerful enough to bring down trees and power lines. This will be something that forecasters will continue to monitor over the weekend.

Flash Flooding Risks

It has already been a devastating summer of flash flooding events. The threat of flooding will persist over the next several days thanks to the heavy rain coming along for the ride with this unsettled weather. The repeated nature of the downpours will amplify the chance of flooding from the Midwest and to the East Coast. As is typical, urban corridors and areas along small streams will be the most susceptible to flooding.

In the short term, Thursday's highest risk of flooding will be from Minnesota and into northern Wisconsin. Some isolated pockets of Michigan's Upper Peninsula will also be under this threat. Another area of concern for flooding will be in northeastern Nebraska and to the northeast into central Ontario, Canada.

This threat will push farther to the southeast through the weekend, encompassing a large area from central Kansas and into western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the western edge of Virginia. Motorists will want to be aware of the chance of ponding on roadways and poor visibility. Storm drainage systems may also be quickly overwhelmed if the rain falls too quickly.

We will continue to monitor the threat of flash flooding and other severe impacts at the hands of these storms. Check back frequently for more information.

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