Flash flooding risk targets northern Rockies, Plains on Friday as strong thunderstorms bloom
A very wet pattern continues across the north-central U.S. into the weekend. Repeated storms with heavy rain will ride north of the southern Plains high-pressure ridge, focusing storms over the northern Plains to the Great Lakes by Sunday. Flooding is possible where heavy rain persists.
Rain, flash flooding in central US continues into weekend
A very wet pattern continues across the north-central U.S. into the weekend. Repeated storms with heavy rain will ride north of the Southern Plains high pressure ridge, focusing storms over the Northern Plains to the Great Lakes by Sunday. Flooding is possible where heavy rain persists.
After days of rain targeting Missouri and the heartland, the risk for excessive rain has a new target that could become a weekend wrecker.
Flooding rains and damaging winds are set to slam parts of the northern Plains as an active summer gets a little more active.
The FOX Forecast Center said repeated storms with heavy rain will ride north of the southern Plains high-pressure ridge, focusing storms over the northern Plains to the Great Lakes by Sunday. Flooding is possible where heavy rain persists.
The threats are two-pronged Friday, with heavy rains and flash flooding a concern in the northern Plains, while more traditional severe thunderstorms are likely in the central Plains.
Flash flooding likely in Northern Plains
The National Weather Service said the risk of excessive rainfall has been upgraded Friday to a level 3 on their 4-point flash flooding risk scale in parts of the northern Rockies and northern Plains.
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Storms could drop 1-3 inches triggering areas of flash flooding, while some more robust storms could drop 5 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
Severe thunderstorms possible in Central Plains Friday
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorm development is possible across portions of the central High Plains late Friday afternoon into the evening. Wind gusts to 60 mph and large hail of at least quarter-sized are possible in any severe storm.
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Storm coverage may be somewhat greater from southwest South Dakota into western Nebraska. Isolated to widely scattered development will also be possible into parts of eastern Colorado and western Kansas.
"You can see how that threat kind of shifts down into Missouri. That's all those storms, that energy, that kind of rides around that ridge," FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar said.
Some threat for isolated severe wind gusts could spread eastward across the central Plains late Friday night.
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Flooding rains reach Midwest, Great Lakes by weekend
The energy coming off the Rockies will help set up to become an interesting storm system over the weekend, in a pattern that would be a bit more typical in the fall.
"We get this buckling of the jet stream, and because of that, low pressure begins to develop along this really strong upper-level air that's moving across the country," Minar said. "Because of that, we get this low that develops off the Rockies and now becomes our next storm. That, in an atypical way, tracks up to the Great Lakes and into the northeast over the coming days."
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As the warm front develops, the cold front follows, Minar adds. It's within that zone between the frontal boundaries where the severe weather risk sets up for Saturday that stretches multiple states.
Damaging wind gusts and large hail are the main concerns. The tornado potential is on the lower end of the threat board.
"We do have a lot of rain on the way wrapped up into these storms," Minar said. "The atmosphere primed with moisture. Flooding could be a concern. Just to be heads up for that."
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The severe storm threat then shifts into the Great Lakes for Sunday, and moves into the Northeast corridor by Monday.
"So workweek woes for the Northeast," Minar said. "We close out the workweek and begin the workweek with severe weather on tap."