Severe pattern to continue in weather-weary North Central US
Residents in the northern Plains have been no stranger to rounds of intense thunderstorms that have moved through the region in recent days and throughout the year. AccuWeather meteorologists say that more of the same is in the cards, with severe thunderstorms expected into the upcoming week.
For much of the past week, severe weather has been centered over the High Plains in Montana and the western Dakotas. According to storm reports received by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), the region has been impacted by severe weather every day since the start of July.
Storms became particularly intense on Friday, with over two dozen hail and damaging wind reports in Montana. Storms began as prolific hail producers in the mountainous western portion of the state, with golf ball-sized hail reported in several locations near Missoula, Montana. As storms progressed eastward and formed into a line, a swath of destructive winds developed along with it. Gusts to 90 and 91 mph were observed in Havre and Big Sandy, Montana, with various additional reports of tree and power line damage.
More of the same took shape on Saturday, as storms forming over the Montana High Plains congealed into an intense line that swept into North Dakota. Hail the size of golf balls was reported in several locations, and a top wind gust of 80 mph was reported in Fairfield, North Dakota.
Across the western two-thirds of the United States, a large bulge in the jet stream will remain in place over the coming days. While this is responsible for a long-lasting heat dome over the Desert Southwest and southern Plains, it will allow an abundance of warm air and moisture to stream northward, as far north as Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
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The stretch of severe weather continued as Sunday began. The threat on Sunday expanded eastward to become centered over Minnesota but also encompassed much of South Dakota, Nebraska and southwest Montana.
The highest concentration of severe weather is likely to be in Minnesota, where multiple rounds of storms are possible. After an initial wave of heavy storms during the morning hours, additional storms fired during the afternoon hours. On Sunday afternoon, 1.5 inch hail was reported in western Minnesota near the North Dakota border.
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The active pattern will continue straight into Monday, with a swath of severe weather possible across the central Plains and Midwest. Storms are most likely during the late afternoon and early evening when temperatures are highest and the most energy is available for storms to develop. Cities such as Wichita, Kansas, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, may be affected, and the evening rush hour in Chicago may be interrupted.
With several major interstates within the threat area for severe storms this weekend, travelers will want to stay aware of rapidly-changing weather conditions. Drivers are cautioned to never seek shelter from a storm beneath a highway overpass, as this is highly ineffective and can lead to collisions in poor visibility. In locations impacted by flooding, travelers should never drive through flooded roadways.
Additional storms are expected on Tuesday as summer weather returns to the Northeast.
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All modes of severe weather are possible from the central Appalachians and the upper mid-Atlantic coast through northern New England. The risk includes the potential for a few tornadoes.
Much of the central U.S. is likely to receive a much-needed break on Tuesday.
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