Severe Weather Strikes Central Plains, Midwest

Inclement weather will reappear today across its most common regions, the Great Plains and the Midwest.

Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms are expected today, igniting as upper-level disturbances slide across the central Plains. Fed by ample summertime moisture, the main threat thrown down from these storms will be damaging winds and large hail.

The government's Storm Prediction Center has issued two small Slight Risks, a 2 out of 5 on the severe weather probability scale. The first is for a swath reaching from northeastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska into west-central Missouri, while the second is over a swath including northeastern Colorado, northwestern Kansas, and southwestern Nebraska. The strongest storms of the day, likely within these regions, will be capable of wind gusts up to and exceeding 70 mph and large hail. Even a tornado or two will be possible across southern Nebraska and northern Kansas. Cities under the Slight Risk include Kansas City, Topeka, Colby, and Goodland, Kan., and Jefferson City and Columbia, Mo. North Platte, Neb., and Burlington, Co.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches are in effect for north-central Iowa, extreme northwestern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin.

A much more vast Marginal Risk, a 1 out of 5, extends from Michigan and Missouri to the High Plains of Colorado and Montana. In this region, very isolated storms with large hail and damaging winds are possible, including Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Davenport and Des Moines, Iowa, Omaha, Neb., Cheyenne, Wyo., and Rapid City, S.D.

Be sure to know the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means that the conditions are in place to possibly produce severe weather, while a warning indicates that those conditions are currently occurring. Be sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings, as storms will be occurring late tonight. Also, take caution if you are outdoors during a thunderstorm. Remember, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!”