The stormy weather is expected to help alleviate ongoing drought but will come with several hazards, AccuWeather forecasters say.
Published Jul 13, 2023 10:21 AM EDT | Updated Jul 14, 2023 3:43 PM EDT
AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking several more thunderstorm complexes that are expected to bring high winds and hail across portions of the Plains states into the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms have been erupting with a regular cadence across the middle of the nation over the past several weeks, hitting some communities on consecutive days while sparing others altogether.
Downtown Chicago was one major metro area hit by damaging weather on Wednesday as a tornado-producing storm toppled large trees and damaged warehouses near O'Hare International Airport.
AccuWeather forecasters have all the details on the zones that will remain at the greatest risk of severe weather dangers in the coming days over the Central states. Farther east, catastrophic flooding, accompanied by damaging winds in some cases, has pummeled portions of the Northeast with more rounds of heavy rainfall and severe weather to come.
Central, southern Plains to face severe risk
"Into this weekend, [AccuWeather forecasters] are focusing on the nation’s midsection as the area where severe thunderstorms can form and wreak havoc on outdoor plans," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said.
The corridor between interstates 40 and 80 is expected to get hit by severe weather into Friday night.
It is within this zone where the large dome of heat over the Southwest will collide against a cooler air mass trying to move south from the northern United States, according to Deger.
"Waves of energy rolling through will provide the spark for the storms, which will move swiftly from southwest to northeast in multiple rounds into the weekend," Deger said.
Winds can gust to 60–70 mph on a localized level, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 90 mph possible through Friday night. Gusts of this magnitude can easily knock over trees and power lines and could pose a risk to high-profile vehicles traveling on the interstates.
Torrential downpours and large hail are also expected to be common hazards, forecasters say.
Motorists are encouraged to remain vigilant for areas of standing water on the roadways that could cause vehicles to hydroplane.
Hefty thunderstorms to continue into the weekend
Ripples of energy in the atmosphere are expected to continue to traverse the Plains states and may produce additional rounds of thunderstorms across the central and southern Plains.
While any number of these storms across the nation's midsection can turn severe over the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists say the greatest risk may lie farther to the east across part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio Valley and to the western slopes of the central and southern Appalachians.
Central US storms may help ease ongoing drought, raise flood risk
The rounds of thunderstorms could help to ease some of the ongoing severe to exceptional drought conditions that remain in place across Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.
Locations that get hit with the most persistent thunderstorms could receive 1–3 inches of rain into the weekend with localized higher amounts.
It is possible for much of that rain to occur in one to two hours, which can overwhelm storm drains, catch basins and small streams.
Some of the cities at risk for flash flooding and substantial travel delays on Saturday include Detroit, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski warned.
"The heaviest rain may erupt just east of Chicago on Saturday, but there still could be localized problems in parts of the metro area before more storms erupt farther to the west and potentially move in on Sunday," Sosnowski said.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect rounds of severe weather to persist across the Plains into late July as the southwestern U.S. heat dome shifts a bit farther to the east and thunderstorm complexes continue to ride along the northern periphery of this feature.
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