A full week of dangerous weather looms over the central United States, with the possibility of multiple severe thunderstorms, destructive hail and winds, and even some tornadoes.
About a dozen states, from Texas to the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes, will face the threat of severe storms for at least one day into Friday. The threat zone changes daily depending on where a surge in jet stream energy combines with warm, moist air to cause severe thunderstorm development.
The barrage of storms will also raise concerns about flooding, especially in flooded northern Michigan and northern Wisconsin, where rivers are already swollen.
Southern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, including the Twin Cities, are in a corridor where Monday’s heaviest storms are expected to develop by late afternoon.
Hail the size of golf balls or baseballs is the biggest concern and can dent cars, crack windshields and damage roofs. The storm could also produce some tornadoes and winds strong enough to bring down trees and power lines.
The widest range of severe storms is possible on Tuesday. The storm threat zone stretches from western Texas to Oklahoma and the Great Lakes.
More than 14 million people in Chicago, Milwaukee and Des Moines, Iowa, are under a Level 3/5 risk of severe thunderstorms.
Supercell thunderstorms forming in this corridor by late afternoon could bring damaging lime-sized or larger hail. A few tornadoes may also form, potentially becoming more powerful than an EF2.
Strong winds that could cause power outages, tree damage and even uprooting are possible as the storm moves eastward through the evening across Michigan, Ohio and northern Indiana.
Another strong storm is expected on Wednesday, but remaining storms on Tuesday could impact the strength of the threat. The longer a storm lingers, the less time the sun has to warm the air and provide energy for a new storm. In any case, the biggest concerns seem to be more about wind damage and hail than tornadoes.
And this daily onslaught doesn’t end there.
The jet stream’s energy will surge again on Friday, producing a final round of powerful thunderstorms, especially from Oklahoma to Iowa, but it’s too early to tell how powerful they will be.
Storm-weary parts of the central United States will finally get some breathing room over the weekend, thanks to a change in weather patterns that will bring temperatures down.
Flood watches are in effect for parts of Wisconsin and northern Michigan, where multiple rainfall events this week could worsen ongoing river flooding and more rivers could rise.
A flash flood warning is in effect due to water being released from Tippee Dam on the Manistee River and Mio Dam on the Au Sable River in northern Michigan. Locations downstream of both dams “should be prepared for flooding,” the alert said.
The Muskegon River near Evert, Michigan is predicted to reach major flood stage (14 feet) by Wednesday. The National Weather Service said that water level could cause major flooding in sections of the river upstream of the town, causing “massive evacuations.”
