Severe storms to rumble over parts of US Plains into the weekend

Thunderstorms may cause disruptions and destruction over part of the Great Plains into Friday night, with some locally gusty and drenching storms persisting into the weekend.

While an outbreak of severe weather is not anticipated, thunderstorms will be on the prowl over the Great Plains into this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

Thunderstorms will turn severe through the end of the week over parts of the Plains, but the main threats will be from strong straight-line wind gusts, hail and flash flooding rather than a significant number of tornadoes, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.

In a similar setup to the one through the end of the week and into the weekend, an isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out.

Into Thursday night, the likelihood of a few severe thunderstorms will extend over the higher elevations of the Plains from northeastern New Mexico and part of the Texas Panhandle to eastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. The risk zone includes part of Route 83 in Kansas and Nebraska and also part of Interstate 25 in Colorado.

On Friday, the severe weather threat zone will extend farther to the east and a bit farther to the north over the Great Plains region. The risk of severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and nighttime hours will fully encompass the Route 83 and I-25 corridors from southwestern Kansas and eastern Colorado to south-central and southwestern North Dakota.

The severe thunderstorms will also cross segments of Interstates 70, 80 and 90 into Friday night.

"The system responsible for the thunderstorms over the Plains into Friday night will continue to migrate eastward this weekend but is forecast to transition and fill in with more numerous showers and thunderstorms--most of which will be sub-severe," Douty said.

Where the storms linger long enough, some easement of drought conditions can occur locally. Similarly where downpours repeat over several hours, which is most likely over the weekend, flash flooding can occur.

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The uptick in thunderstorm activity will hold daytime temperatures back, but the humidity will remain elevated.

Since the system is so slow-moving, it may take until early next week for showers and thunderstorms to approach Chicago. The next chance of rain in the midwestern metropolis is not until Tuesday.

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