More rounds of severe storms, flooding downpours to target central US through Sunday

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

A broad area of the central United States will be at risk for violent thunderstorms and flooding downpours this weekend.

Many more communities will be at risk for severe weather than at the end of this past week, when the worst of the thunderstorms focused on South Dakota.

A brief tornado was sighted in Lyman County, South Dakota, on Friday, but there were more widespread reports of damaging winds and large hail in the state.

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"The severe threat will be more localized in nature on Saturday across the western North Central states while becoming more widespread for Sunday, mainly late afternoon into the overnight," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.

While the bulk of severe weather at the beginning of the weekend is expected to target part of the Northwest, locally damaging thunderstorms may erupt from the Black Hills of South Dakota to eastern Colorado.

On Saturday night, these storms can congeal over portions of Nebraska and Kansas and create a heightened risk for flash flooding. The ground remains soaked in this region from rounds of rainfall this past week.

An even greater risk of severe thunderstorms and flooding downpours will emerge at the end of the weekend.

"Sunday may be very active in terms of severe weather with high winds and large hail possibly taking center stage from the eastern slopes of the Rockies to much of the central and northern Plains," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Downed trees and power lines are possible as wind gusts can reach an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph.

A few tornadoes are possible in the strongest thunderstorms.

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Motorists on stretches on interstates 25, 70, 76, 80, 90 and 94 should be ready to slow down in any downpours to reduce the risk of hydroplaning.

Damaging winds and flash flooding will become the greatest concerns as the thunderstorms reach the central Plains on Sunday night.

Flooded roadways are extremely difficult to see at night, so motorists are urged to use caution.

The Interstate-80 corridor in Nebraska may be especially hit hard by heavy rainfall on Sunday night.

Farther north, a more general area of rain with some rumbles of thunder is forecast to sweep through the Dakotas during this time.

These pockets of wet weather will spread eastward on Monday, with places such as Minneapolis and Chicago expected to have a damp start to the week.

The rain will reach the Northeast by Tuesday, putting an end to its stretch of pleasant weather.

Download the free AccuWeather app to keep track of severe weather alerts in your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.