C. Plains to Upper Midwest Brace For Wild Weekend Start | WeatherBug
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C. Plains to Upper Midwest Brace For Wild Weekend Start

August 14, 2017
UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Fred Allen
Last week’s active severe weather pattern from the northern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic will spill into the first half of the weekend, especially from the central Plains to the Upper Midwest. Very large hail, high winds, and even a few tornadoes will accompany the thunderstorms from Nebraska to Michigan today.

A fast-moving but potent area of low pressure and its attached cold front will foster explosive storm development from northeastern New Mexico to eastern Minnesota this afternoon. However, the risk for particularly damaging thunderstorms will be greatest from the eastern half of Minnesota into western Wisconsin from mid-afternoon into early tonight. Here, the government’s Storm Prediction Center has maintained an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms packing hail larger than baseballs, high winds up to 75 mph and a few tornadoes.

Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth, Minn., Eau Claire, Wis., and Ironwood, Mich., are just a few cities that are included in this elevated severe weather risk zone.

A Tornado Watch is in place for northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, including Duluth, St. Cloud, and International Falls. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has also been issued for sourtheastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., and Eau Claire, Wis.

On either side of this Enhanced Risk zone, still-dangerous thunderstorms will bubble up and converge into a lengthy line as this afternoon turns into this evening and tonight from eastern Nebraska to Upper Michigan.

Cities such as Omaha, Lincoln, and Norfolk, Neb., Des Moines, Iowa, La Crosse, Wis., and Marquette, Mich., will need to keep a watchful eye to the sky for big thunderstorms carrying large hail up to golf balls, destructive winds reaching 60 to 70 mph and the possibility for a brief tornado touchdown also.

Even places from Pueblo, Colo., to Garden City, Kan., and as far east as Green Bay, Wis., could be hit by a strong thunderstorm or two capable of producing gusty winds later today into early Sunday morning.

Beyond the severe weather concerns, the thunderstorms will likely squeeze out a quick 1 to 3 inches of rain in a short time, especially across parts of eastern Nebraska and Minnesota’s Arrowhead. This could lead to urban flooding, especially in areas of poor drainage, as well as some river, stream, and creek flooding from excess runoff. Remember, if you approach a flooded roadway, it is best to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”.

Severe weather hasn’t been a stranger to the nation’s midsection and Eastern U.S. in the past week. In total, there were more than a 1,000 severe weather reports, with eastern Montana and the Dakotas to the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas being in the path of the majority of those.