Kansas to Texas Face Severe Weather Outbreak, Tornadoes This Weekend

By Becky Elliott, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

May 7,2015; 9:20PM,EDT

 

 

The central and southern Plains will continue to be pummeled by strong storms for the next several days, but the most potent severe weather threat is likely to be during the Mother's Day weekend.
Tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding are threats each afternoon this week.
"This will be an active pattern for the Plains this week," said AccuWeather.com Severe Weather Expert Henry Margusity.
The active pattern looks to intensify even further as we head into the weekend. May is the peak of tornado season for Tornado Alley, so this outbreak will not be unusual for this time of year.

According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Andrew Gagnon, "A potent upper-level storm system will move into the central and southern Plains Saturday afternoon."
All of the ingredients will be in place for Saturday to unfold as one of the most substantial severe weather outbreaks of 2015.
As the day unfolds, temperatures and humidity will soar as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico surges northward. A boundary will be in place from southwestern Kansas into western Texas and will separate the warm, moist Gulf air from a cool, dry air mass to the north and west.

That boundary is going to be the focal point for storm development on Saturday. Residents from western Kansas south into northern Texas can expect numerous severe storms to erupt during the afternoon hours, Gagnon stated.
"Tornadoes, wind gusts to 70 mph and destructive hail in excess of 2 inches in diameter will occur with these storms," Gagnon said.
Severe storms will push eastward Saturday afternoon into the evening hours. Grand Island, Wichita, Oklahoma City and Dallas should all be on high alert for severe storms that could produce tornadoes.
With the likelihood of tornadoes high this weekend, it is a good idea for residents of the central and southern Plains to spend some time preparing for severe weather and ensuring they have a plan in place.
As thunderstorms rumble north and east overnight Saturday, flash flooding will become a high concern. Storms will be carrying enough moisture to be able to produce rainfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour, which could lead to flash flooding in urban areas.
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Storms and heavy rain will diminish into Sunday morning across western Kansas, western Oklahoma and north-central Texas. However, the residual moisture leftover from the nighttime rain will interact with warm sunshine and be the trigger for the second round of severe weather this weekend.

Thunderstorms are likely to develop farther south and west into Texas but will also develop north and east into Missouri and southern Iowa on Mothers Day.
Sunday does not look to be as volatile as Saturday, but all modes of severe weather are still on the table. Isolated tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, large hail and flash flooding will lash Kansas City to San Antonio on Sunday afternoon.
Folks celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday will want to be on high alert and have a way to receive warnings, as this severe weather threat unfolds.
Utilize AccuWeather MinuteCast® for your location to get an exact start time on the rain and storms that may impact your plans.