Fresh Storms Threaten Central U.S. Memorial Day Plans
UPDATED 7:45 AM CDT, May 27, 2013
UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Fred Allen
A stubborn but active weather pattern will mean little severe weather relief for much of the Plains and Middle Mississippi Valley for Memorial Day and beyond. Not only will a few tornadoes be possible, but very large hail and destructive wind gusts will accompany the thunderstorms as well.
As if the central and northern High Plains haven`t endured enough severe weather already for the long holiday weekend, Mother Nature won`t be offering any such relief this afternoon and evening. Several clusters of severe thunderstorms will explode from southeastern Montana and the western Dakotas to eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, and Iowa by this evening.
Feeding off a clash of very warm and humid Gulf of Mexico air flowing northward throughout the Plains, and cooler, drier air anchored in place across the Upper Midwest, the storms will trek eastward into the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes along a warm front tonight and in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday.
Even a few potent thunderstorms cannot be ruled out along a dry line separating warm, humid air from much drier air sweeping off the Rockies from western Texas to southwestern Kansas early tonight. In all, the thunderstorms from Texas to Montana and the western Dakotas will pack large hail up to baseballs, damaging wind gusts climbing over 70 mph, and even a few brief tornadoes.
Rapid City and Pierre, S.D., Omaha, Lincoln, and Valentine, Neb., Des Moines, Iowa, Kansas City, Mo., Topeka, Manhattan, and Wichita, Kan., and Midland-Odessa, Texas, are amongst some of the cities that could be directly impacted by a party-ruining thunderstorm later today and tonight.
The slow pace of the storms won`t do any favors either, at least when it comes to heavy rainfall and the growing threat of flash and urban flooding. A quick 1 to 2 inches of rain will be likely, with as much as 3 inches possible locally from South Dakota to central Illinois. A Flash Flood Watch is in place from southeastern South Dakota to south-central Illinois. Remember, if you approach a flooded roadway, it is best to, "Turn Around, Don`t Drown"!
Unfortunately, the storm threat will almost repeat itself for Tuesday. A new and fresh low pressure will touch off an array of powerful thunderstorms extending from western Texas all the way to the Middle Mississippi Valley and arcing into the Great Lakes. Not only will very large hail and damaging winds be on the weather menu, but a few tornadoes will also be possible.
Cities from Midland-Odessa and Lubbock, Texas, to Omaha, Neb., Milwaukee, Chicago and Peoria, Ill., and Detroit will all need to be on high alert for a fresh round or two of thunderstorms on Tuesday.
