Severe weather threat to aim for Kansas City, St. Louis

Locally damaging thunderstorms and flooding downpours may travel across a thousand-mile stretch across the Central states Wednesday through Friday.

After the last gasp from an old storm over the Dakotas produced severe weather Tuesday evening, a new storm system is emerging from the Rockies and will swing northeastward during the middle and latter part of the week.

The risk of locally gusty thunderstorms during Wednesday and Wednesday night will extend from part of northwest Texas to Iowa. The greatest risk of damaging thunderstorms with hail and strong winds will exist across central and eastern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska, southern Iowa, and western Missouri.

The storm threat includes the major Plains cities of Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Wichita and Topeka, Kansas.

According to AccuWeather Severe Storm Meteorologist Eddie Walker, “There is a chance of rotating thunderstorms capable of producing a few tornadoes from central and eastern Kansas to southeastern Nebraska during Wednesday.”

In addition to the damaging storm threat, there is the risk of flash flooding as far north as parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin during Wednesday into Wednesday night.

During Thursday, the risk of heavy, gusty thunderstorms and incidents of flash flooding will extend from parts of central Texas to Wisconsin and Michigan. The storms will fire along the system’s advancing cold front.

The greatest risk of thunderstorms with damaging winds is projected to extend from northeastern Texas to northern Illinois and western Indiana.

Locally damaging storms on Thursday may impact the cities of Little Rock, Arkansas; Springfield, Missouri; Terre Haute, Indiana; Dallas; Chicago and St. Louis.

Locally drenching rain and gusty winds can cause travel delays at O’Hare Airport.

On Friday, the cold front will continue to advance to the east and south. While the risk of severe weather will tend to become more isolated, there will still be the potential for locally gusty thunderstorms and a general swath of drenching downpours and isolated urban flooding.

The showers and thunderstorms will extend from coastal Texas to the Appalachians and southern Ontario during Friday into Friday night.

The greatest risk of locally strong thunderstorms and gusty winds will extend from western upstate New York to northwestern Georgia and northern Alabama. The storm risk on Friday includes the eastern part of the Ohio Valley.

Weather-related travel problems are possible on Friday. Sudden bursts of rain can not only blind motorists, but may also cause brief urban flooding. Airline delays could occur on the busy travel day from Atlanta to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo, New York.