Storms to Prowl the Central and Eastern U.S. Into Next Week

Repeated rounds of storms will characterize the weekend and into early next week throughout much of the Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast. Who will be in the line of fire? Read on for all of the details of this fiery forecast.

Unsettled Pattern to Persist Through the Weekend

Heavy rain and high winds will menace a large swath of the nation through the weekend and beyond, expanding from the Great Plains and the Midwest and eventually into the northeastern corner of the U.S. The storms will fire up within the active jet stream that is riding along the northern periphery of a massive heat dome.

It has already been a chaotic week of weather for the nation's midsection and to the east. In addition to powerful winds and hail, a few isolated tornadoes have also been reported. This volatile pattern is expected to persist through Friday and the weekend.

Friday's forecast is calling for severe storms in a zone from eastern Pennsylvania and to the coastline of the mid-Atlantic and up into New England. The greatest concentration of strong storms is expected in the middle of this zone between Scranton, Pennsylvania, and to the northeast into portions of New Hampshire.

Boston will be one of the metro areas in the bullseye for storms to develop by the latter part of the day Friday. Bean Town is in store for a steamy and breezy day with a forecast high of 93 degrees and winds out of the west at 10 to 20 mph.

Another batch of storms is forecast to ignite farther to the west on Friday night. Forecasters are predicting that the atmosphere will feed on a new surge of energy in an area from northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska and to the north. Potential impacts of this weather maker include large hail, torrential rain, and locally damaging winds.

Thursday's unsettled pattern will persist on Friday for parts of the Texas Panhandle and to the north into southern Michigan and the northern edge of Ohio. Amarillo, Texas, will once again be in the crosshairs of flooding rainfall. This is a part of the Lone Star State that has already picked up rainfall amounts of up to 4 inches over the last few days.

Amarillo is expecting the threat of isolated storms into the evening hours. Temperatures will top out in the upper 80s on Friday before beginning a climb into the 90s over the weekend.

Saturday's Forecast Calls for an Elevated Threat of Flash Flooding

The weekend will kick off on a stormy note for parts of the central and eastern U.S. The Plains will find itself in the impact zone for storms ushering in hail, potent winds, and rain capable of producing flash flooding. Saturday's storms will roam over an area from northeastern Colroad to the north into central and northeastern Montana. Moving to the east, the storms will reach into the Nebraska Panhandle and the western half of the Dakotas.

A secondary zone of storms is expected on Saturday from the northeastern corner of Missouri and to the northeast into southern Michigan and the northwestern edge of Ohio. This will put a number of major cities in the Great Lakes region in the area of concern.

Chicago will wake up to dreary conditions with storms on the horizon for the afternoon hours. The thick cloud cover will keep temperatures in the low 80s for a high. The storms will dissipate in the evening hours; however, more rain showers could develop overnight as lows land at about 70 degrees.

Detroit will see the storms move into the area earlier in the day with calmer conditions expected for the afternoon. Another influx of rain showers and storms will pop up across the Motor City during the evening and overnight hours. You can expect highs in the low 80s and overnight readings that dip to the low 70s.

It will take longer for the storms to reach the eastern portion of the Great Lakes on Saturday. Get out early for outdoor activities in Buffalo, as rain and storms are on the horizon for the evening and overnight hours. Temperatures will reach the mid 80s before landing at about 72 degrees after the sun goes down on the city along the shores of Lake Erie.

While the storms are not forecast to be quite as severe in the eastern U.S., meteorologists are warning that another zone of impact will extend to the southeast. These storms will potentially bring torrential rain and high winds to Ohio, northeastern Kentucky, West Virginia, West Virginia, the western and central portions of Maryland, and southwestern and central Pennsylvania.

For example, Pittsburgh is anticipating a solid chance of storms in the overnight hours Saturday and into Sunday. It will be a warm day in the Steel City with highs that approach the 90-degree mark and lows that bounce around in the mid 70s.

Storms Push Farther East on Sunday

The line of storms will track farther to the east to bring the weekend to a close. Downburst wind gusts and flash flooding will be the most concerning impacts of the storms that expand from West Virginia and up into southwestern New England.

Air travelers using the busy hubs of New York City and Philadelphia will want to be aware of the possibility of flight delays as the storms roll through on Sunday. Motorists may also encounter travel disruptions during times of heavy rain and reduced visibility.

New York City will start the day Sunday with scattered rain showers. The threat of storms will increase as the day progresses. The arrival of a backdoor cool front will keep the mercury suppressed in the low to mid 80s before sliding into the mid 70s overnight.

Additionally, the forecast models are pointing to a good chance that severe storms could erupt over the northern Plains and into the Upper Midwest later in the day on Sunday. Some of these storm cells could reach the areas around Lake Superior and Lake Michigan by the evening and overnight hours. Wind gusts of up to 90 mph and wind-driven hail are potential impacts of these storms due to the immense energy in the atmosphere.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

More storms are on tap for the same general area that saw the action over the weekend. The early week storms could also creep deeper to the southeast on Monday and Tuesday, bringing millions more Americans into the fold.

A surge of cooler air coming down from Canada by the middle of the week will finally put a lid on more storm development. However, this movement will likely just amplify the risk of storms in areas to the south.

We will continue to monitor the chances of storms for next week and update in the days ahead. Stay tuned as the forecasting models become clearer.

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