Tracking the Severe Storm Risk Across the Central U.S.

Hold on to your hats. Forecasters are warning that it is going to be a rough stretch of days from the Plains to the Great Lakes as repeated storms pummel the region. Read on for a day-by-day breakdown of what you should expect as a series of severe storms rumble over the central U.S. in the coming days.

What to Expect on Thursday and Friday

Several rounds of thunderstorms will usher in heavy rain, large hail, high winds, and the threat of tornadoes well into next week. A general 1 to 4 inches of rain will fall over the nation's heartland in the next several days. The hardest-hit areas could pick up 4 to 6 inches of rain out of this potent weather maker.

While the rain will be beneficial for areas dealing with drought, the severe weather impacts coming along for the ride could prove to be problematic. Most of the severe weather will be highly localized. However, some of the storms could become more widespread at times.

The action kicked off on Wednesday across central portions of Kansas. Thursday's threats will remain a concern for Kansas. However, the impact zone will increase in size, expanding from the Texas Panhandle to the north into southwestern Iowa and northeastern Missouri. This will put the populated Kansas City metro area in the crosshairs of the activity. The primary threats for Thursday's storms are hail and damaging winds.

Friday's risk of severe weather will center on the southern and central Plains region, stretching from eastern New Mexico and into northwestern Arkansas and south-central Missouri. Once again, the key risks associated with this activity will be hail and high winds.

Wichita will be in the bullseye of Friday's storms. The metro area in south-central Kansas will wake up to scattered thunderstorms in the morning. Highs will fall from the low 80s on Thursday to the mid 60s on Friday as the front moves through. It will also be a breezy day with winds clocking in at 10 to 20 mph from the east-northeast.