25+ million under severe threat as damaging winds, hail, and border-to-border flooding target the Central US
Ongoing risks of large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes persist across the central United States, stretching from New Mexico to North Dakota, as a highly active weather pattern impacts millions.
A highly active severe weather pattern continues across the central United States, from the Southern Plains and New Mexico to the Northern Plains, impacting over 25 million Americans. The system brings ongoing risks of large hail, damaging winds and possible tornadoes.
This threat — which is part of a broader weather pattern that started with a powerful hailstorm over Denver earlier this week—will bring a stretch of severe storms and potential flash flooding across the Plains through Saturday.
Multiple disturbances will move eastward out of southern Canada and the Northwest, while increasing moisture and instability ahead of these systems will support daily afternoon thunderstorms and flash flooding.
Further north, severe storms will continue across the Plains—including the Dakotas, Nebraska, and parts of Minnesota and Iowa—following an active Tuesday.
WHAT IS A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM?
Although a tornado or two is possible this afternoon—mainly across eastern portions of the Dakotas, where a Level 2 out of 5 threat exists—the primary threats from these severe storms will be damaging winds and large hail, possibly the size of a baseball, across the region.
By Thursday, severe storms will slowly slide to the east.
TROPICS WATCH: SEASON’S FIRST DISTURBANCE IN EASTERN PACIFIC GIVEN HIGH CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT
Farther south, across western Texas and New Mexico, clusters of storms associated with a weak dip in the jet stream will persist into Wednesday morning.
While additional instability during the afternoon may support a few isolated severe storms, flash flooding will be the primary concern.
This has prompted a Level 2 threat for southeastern New Mexico and western Texas, including Ruidoso, New Mexico, where wildfire burn scars continue to increase flood vulnerability.
TROPICS WATCH: SEASON’S FIRST DISTURBANCE IN EASTERN PACIFIC GIVEN HIGH CHANCE OF DEVELOPMENT
Despite the potential for flooding, heavy rain will help ease Extreme Drought conditions in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, as well as other parts of the Southern and Central Plains.
This is part of a week-long pattern where a dip in the jet stream will trigger storms fueled by 90-degree temperatures and Gulf moisture.
Gulf moisture will help produce heavy downpours, leading to flash flood threats where slow-moving thunderstorms develop.
Through the start of the weekend, 1 to 2 inches of rain are possible in areas such as Midland and Amarillo, Texas, as well as parts of the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota.
Stay with FOX Weather for the latest on the storms.
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