Springtime severe weather risks persist this week

Courtney Travis
·4 min read

With the spring season in full swing, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that a dozen states from the central United States to the East Coast could be at risk for some severe weather in the coming days.

Severe weather began first thing on Sunday, with severe-warned storms firing up in Indiana and Ohio during the morning. In Iowa, hail the size of tennis balls was reported across the state in cities such as Ames and Carroll. Severe hail was also reported in Okawville, Illinois on Sunday afternoon. More isolated storms fired up in portions of Texas, bringing severe hail and damaging wind gusts to central portions of the state.

Aside from the severe storms themselves, extremely heavy rain proved to be disruptive to many. In Nashville, Taylor Swift fans were forced to take shelter as heavy thunderstorms rolled through ahead of the scheduled concert. While the storms were generally sub-severe during this time, the rain and lightning forced a delay of over 3 hours.

Elsewhere, frequent lightning was also on display. Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer was in far western Iowa as intense storms rolled through, with footage of frequent lightning in the area.

In total, Sunday was the most active severe weather day of the past week. The Storm Prediction Center received over 400 reports of severe hail and wind, mainly in a region extending from Kansas to Illinois, and southward into Kentucky.

Widespread severe weather outbreaks are unlikely in this weather pattern, but more localized pockets of severe weather are anticipated almost every day in this upcoming week.

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Into Tuesday, the same storm set to bring severe weather to the Midwest will move eastward, spreading thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley and Southeast to the mid-Atlantic.

Widespread severe weather is not expected in these areas either day. However, an area of stronger storms expected through Monday night from southern Missouri through the Ohio Valley. These storms moved through central Indiana on Monday afternoon, producing a tornado on the ground in the city of Flora.

Residents in cities from Springfield, Missouri, to Dayton, Ohio, should all be on the lookout for thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds and hail. Heavy downpours could also lead to poor visibility and slowed travel for motorists along parts of interstates 44, 64 and 65.

Thunderstorms could also be particularly feisty across southern Virginia, North Carolina and the eastern half of South Carolina on Tuesday, especially in the afternoon and evening. Any storms that fire up during this time could be heavy, bringing torrential downpours and sudden gusty winds. Locations such as Myrtle Beach, Raleigh and Virginia Beach may all be threatened by these strong storms.

Meanwhile, the central U.S. will be gearing up for yet another round of stormy weather Tuesday, as a pair of storms captures the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

Thunderstorms are expected to be most widespread in the afternoon and evenings but may contain some gusty winds or hail as well. Into Tuesday evening, storms may form into a line as they approach the Kansas City area, with high wind gusts as the main hazard.

Looking into the second half of the week, AccuWeather meteorologists are again warning that residents across the Plains should be on alert for more rounds of severe weather.

"Some of the same locations across the Front Range and the Plains could be at risk for severe thunderstorms from Tuesday through Thursday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Joseph Bauer.

People living in areas from Denver to Rapid City, South Dakota on southward to the Red River and communities like Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, should be on alert for these more potent thunderstorms on these days.

In addition to the potential for hail and damaging winds, and even a tornado or two at the end of the week, downpours are also a concern.

Similarly, locations in the Front Range and Plains should be on the look-out for more severe weather on Thursday afternoon and evening. All of the same modes of severe weather in in play, including hail, damaging winds and flooding downpours. Isolated tornadoes should also be a concern for residents late on Thursday.

A lot of the same areas that will be the target of thunderstorms these days could use the rain. Most locations are experiencing severe, extreme or even exceptional drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. With how dry it's been, however, too much rain could more easily lead to flash flooding.

As the end of the week approaches, a unique weather pattern may unfold, allowing for both thunderstorms and rounds of rain to impact some of the same areas.

"We could see the weather pattern evolve into what is called a 'Rex Block' towards next weekend. This is when we see an area of high pressure, in this case over the Northwest, over an area of low pressure, in the Southwest," Bauer explained.

This could lead to the development of a wet pattern between the southern Rockies to the southern Plains from later this week into early next week, assisting those locations in the High Plains that are still in an enormous drought from the winter.

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