A new multiday severe weather threat will move from the Plains to the Midwest and East Coast in the coming days, bringing damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. Heavy rains could also increase the risk of flooding in the water-logged Appalachians.
This latest round of storms began in the Plains and upper Midwest on Monday and early Tuesday, primarily in Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Those areas experienced wind damage, large hail, and multiple tornado reports. A line of severe storms hit Kansas this morning, with wind gusts reaching 101 mph in Wichita.
Here is a look at the most recent radar and current active alerts from the National Weather Service, showing where storms are active right now:
Tuesday: The threat shifts southward into the Central Plains, with the greatest risk of severe storms in Kansas, eastern Colorado, and northern Oklahoma. Models predict the formation of another cluster of thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system late Tuesday afternoon into the evening in the High Plains, capable of producing large to very large hail and destructive wind gusts as the system moves eastward.
Wednesday: As the surface low deepens and a cold front moves eastward, the severe threat shifts and spreads to include the Southern Plains, mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys, and the Great Lakes. The main concerns right now are severe wind gusts and large hail, but isolated tornadoes are also possible.
Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis are among the cities that may experience strong to severe thunderstorms.
Thursday: A warm, moist air mass will meet the cold front over the central Appalachians and East Coast, potentially fueling moderate instability in the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic. The Storm Prediction Center is currently predicting that damaging wind gusts will be the main threat.
Severe thunderstorms are possible in Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Flood Threat
In addition to severe weather, the active weather pattern increases the risk of flash flooding.
Thunderstorms developing well ahead of this storm system may cause additional flash flooding in the Appalachians on Tuesday, including in areas that have already been hit hard in recent days. As the cold front moves eastward on Thursday, it may bring additional locally heavy rain to this region.
In addition, the cold front may cause flash flooding in the Plains through Tuesday night, followed by flooding in parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest on Wednesday.
