Category: Posts EN

Tornadoes and destructive straight-line wind gusts exceeding 100 mph have slammed the Plains today. The system responsible for severe weather today isn’t going anywhere in a hurry! More high winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes are expected for Thursday.

Wednesday night’s storms will weaken into early Thursday morning, but could still produce some locally heavy rain and lightning from central Texas into the Ozarks and the Mid-Mississippi Valley. Daytime heating will help build instability by early afternoon. Upper-level winds will remain quite strong. The combination of instability and shear will lead to severe storms building by mid-afternoon.

The greatest risk for severe storms is expected from northeast Oklahoma into eastern Kansas, Missouri, southeast Iowa, and northwest Illinois. A more isolated or marginal risk of severe storms will extend down into north Texas and north and east into the Midwest. Large hail up to three inches in diameter, destructive wind gusts to 80 mph, and isolated tornadoes will occur well into Thursday night.

Severe storms are rumbling across portions of the Plains tonight, producing high winds and large hail. The system responsible for tonight’s activity will shift a bit further south for Tuesday. Additional surface instability and dynamic intensity will mean an added threat for isolated tornadoes along with hail and wind gusts!

The main threat for severe storms will be from west-central Kansas into southern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Storm coverage will be more isolated down into western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. Scattered storms will occur further northeast into the Midwest, but the severe threat with these storms is more marginal. Any of these storms will be capable of producing large hail and strong, damaging winds. A few isolated tornadoes could also occur in northern Kansas and southern Nebraska.

More severe weather is likely for Wednesday – we’ll continue to provide updates for this evolving situation!

A large, strong storm system will organize over the Rocky Mountains over the next several days. Pieces of energy will rotate out of this larger system, producing a severe storm threat for at least the next three days over parts of the Plains. Very large hail, destructive winds, and perhaps a few tornadoes will occur.

There will be a narrow corridor of sufficient instability on all three days, so the east-west extent of the severe risk will not be wide. However, within that narrow corridor, afternoon heating will produce moderate instability. Meanwhile, strong vertical wind shear will combine with the instability to produce severe cells.

The best threat for severe storms on Monday afternoon and evening will be found in Nebraska and eastern South Dakota. Look for severe storms on Tuesday afternoon and evening from western Oklahoma through Kansas to eastern Nebraska. By Wednesday, the severe risk will stretch from west-central Texas through Oklahoma and eastern Kansas.

Very large hail and high winds will accompany severe storms on all three days. Isolated tornadoes will be more of a threat for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lead picture courtesy flickr user Anthony Quintano.