Central States to Brace For Severe Thunderstorms This Coming Week

Forecasters watch out for the next possible round of severe weather as storm-weary locations recover from the previous week's bout of thunderstorms

Last Thursday, destructive thunderstorms moved through parts of the Central States. Forecasters are watching for the next possible round of severe weather in a similar area seven days later.

Tranquil weather prevailed over the northern Plains and upper Midwest for days. However, the calm was broken in some parts of the Plains when thunderstorms poured in Wednesday with strong winds and large hail.

A widespread threat of severe weather is expected by Thursday evening.

AccuWeather meteorologist Andrew Johnson-Levine said the most notable period of severe weather will extend from northeastern Nebraska to northern Wisconsin.

The meteorologist added that hail, flooding, damaging winds, and tornadoes will be possible through Thursday night, in the same region that is still recovering from the previous week's storms.

Ponding and reduced visibility due to rain will occur along Interstates 35, 80, 90, and 94. Residents and motorists traveling in the area are warned and should be prepared for such conditions.

Forecasters say the severe weather threat in the upper Midwest will end Friday. However, the risk for severe weather will continue to shift eastward.

Johnson-Levine later said an intense storm could develop over a broad area in the central United States. This includes areas from Texas to Michigan.

There is a strong chance of flooding, downpours, hail, and damaging wind gusts, on Friday, but the risk of tornadoes is very low.

The few places that will experience severe weather on Friday include Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas.

Johnson - Levine noted that a surge of heat and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico combined with a strong jet stream will increase risks Friday.

A jet stream is essentially an atmospheric channel like a high-speed river that is at the altitude where jets cruise. Winds at this level often reach 250 mph.

Heat and moisture are expected to spread northward ahead of the cold front.

Cold fronts are one of the most important phenomena when it comes to changing the weather. They mark the leading edge of an air mass that is cooler than the air in front of it.

As the weekend progresses, the cold front will continue to push eastward. As a result, some locations in the Northeast could experience the highest temperatures of the year before the front arrives.

During the coming week, storms could be concentrated mainly over Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

On the other hand, this will provide much-needed rain in the western part of the states.

Read also: Drought Warning Issued for Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming 

The United States Drought Monitor, an Online Tool

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the above areas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, are in extreme to exceptional drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is an online tool that shows a map and the intensity of the drought in the area.

Maps are currently available for the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S.- affiliated Pacific Islands, and the Virgin Islands. Also, online tool users get a summary of this week's drought.

The online drought tool is being reduced through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read also: Severe Storms in Central US, Critical Fire Weather Conditions Forecasted in Southwest US