Tuesday’s dual severe weather threat covers the upper Midwest and southern plains
Powerful storms bring a severe weather threat to the upper Midwest
Damaging winds and potential tornadoes will be the main threats to areas including Minneapolis and Eau Claire Tuesday night as powerful storm surges move across the upper Midwest.
Severe storms with significant hail and damaging winds will be possible Tuesday across parts of the upper Mississippi Valley, including the Minneapolis area, and south into an area covering parts of Missouri and Oklahoma.
Tuesday’s threat comes after a day of severe thunderstorms battered Dakota and parts of Missouri with wind gusts reaching 70-80 mph or greater.
A cold front is moving east from the northern plains into the upper Mississippi Valley, with large amounts of moisture rising north in front of the front, according to the FOX Prediction Center.
And while the front will bring thunderstorms from Minnesota to north Texas, two areas in particular are at risk of more severe storms.
The first is in the upper Midwest. Thunderstorms appear likely to develop along and before the front around midday in western Minnesota, with the storms moving east into a more unstable area as the day progresses, reaching the Minneapolis area in the late evening.
Overall, the most storm coverage is expected to develop during the late afternoon and early evening across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 2 out of 5 on its severe weather risk scale for most of Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, including Minneapolis and Duluth.
Explanation of the 5-point Severe Thunderstorm Hazard Class Scale
This environment likely supports supercells with winds over 60 mph and large, isolated hail, and a few isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out. The severe threat is expected to continue through most of the evening, as a large group of storms moves east toward the Great Lakes.
Missouri and Oklahoma are also under threat of severe weather
The second area of concern covers southwest Missouri to northeastern Oklahoma, including the cities of Springfield, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and even the northern suburbs of Oklahoma City.
Here again, the front is expected to exploit a moist and unstable air mass that will fuel the development of isolated thunderstorms late Tuesday afternoon and into the evening. These storms generally seem more isolated, but when storms do occur, winds can reach speeds of more than 60 miles per hour. Large hailstones are also possible, but the main threat is strong winds.
Once again, NOAA highlighted this area as a level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather on Tuesday:
The storms brought winds of 70-80 mph to the Dakota on Monday
The storms come a day after most of the Dakota state was hit by high winds. Strong thunderstorms formed in a streak across the Dakota and Northern Plains, bringing wind gusts of 70-80 mph or greater.
Selfridge, North Dakota, reported a gust of 88 mph on Tuesday night, while Sibley Peak, Wyoming, had a wind speed of 78 mph, North Platte, Nebraska, had a wind speed of 76 mph, and Meadow, South Dakota, had a wind speed of 72 mph. . In all, there have been approximately 30 reports of storm surges of 60 mph or higher in the area, according to National Weather Service storm reports.
A second group of strong thunderstorms battered Missouri Monday night, with winds peaking at 66 mph in Northway and 60 mph in Farmington. The Doolittle, Missouri, fire department said it responded to countless downed wires and trees blocking roads.
Severe storms will move east on Wednesday
The Fox Forecast Center said the cold front will continue east across the Mississippi River Valley on Wednesday.
Similar components will lead to strong thunderstorms forming during the mid-to-late afternoon near and before the front. Wind damage will be the main threat, although a significant threat of hail can also occur in some powerful storms.
The severe threat could continue into the evening as the cold front moves toward the lower Ohio Valley.
Several days of rain are featured in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
The line of storms will continue into the Ohio River Valley and will eventually stretch over the East Coast ahead of the weekend. Most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states will see several days of rain, which will bring relief from the heat.
Outdoor activities can be limited as pockets of heavy rain disrupt the afternoon hours.
As the system advances east, the front will extend down to the Gulf Coast bringing some useful rain to the south. The front is likely to stop allowing rain and thunderstorms across Texas and Louisiana where rain is badly needed.
