Big Thunderstorms Eye Western High Plains Today | WeatherBug
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Big Thunderstorms Eye Western High Plains Today

June 1, 2020
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Fred Allen
With Meteorological Summer hours away, a couple areas across the western High Plains will likely have to contend with dangerous weather, something a few residents haven’t seen since May 20.

The ingredients, a fast-moving, robust disturbance aloft, will combine with an approaching cold front dividing a narrow corridor of warm, humid air from cooler, drier air in its wake, to foster threatening weather by mid-to-late afternoon.

Near the Interstate 94 corridor and north of the Interstate 90 corridor from southeastern Montana into parts of the western Dakotas and far northeastern Wyoming will have the best opportunity at receiving a dangerous cluster or two of thunderstorms. Before fading away after sunset, damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph and hail larger than golf balls will be the primary risks for places like Miles City and Glendive, Mont. A tornado can’t be ruled out either.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for eastern Montana, the western Dakotas and northeastern Wyoming. Miles City, Mont., and Rapid City, S.D., are included. 

The Interstate 25 and 70 corridors from northern Montana to northeastern Colorado will have to keep a watchful eye to the sky for a few big thunderstorms complexes as well. Organizing along the Rocky Front Range and multiplying with time, the thunderstorms could roll as far east as Denver’s northeastern suburbs, Cheyenne, Casper and Sheridan, Wyo., and Glasgow, Mont. Even as far east as Rapid City, S.D., and Scottsbluff and Sidney, Neb., could see a gusty strong thunderstorm by this evening and tonight.

It has been 11 days since the last severe outbreak happened across eastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming. On May 20, there were many damaging wind gust and large hail reports, including a 75-mph gust near Rock Springs, Mont., and a gust clocked at 80 mph that destroyed farm outbuildings in Circle, Mont. Near Glasgow, Mont., quarter size hail lasted for three minutes, while hail near baseball size in diameter fell near Miles City, Mont.