Severe storms may rattle Chicago to Detroit next week

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

March 11,2016; 9:12PM,EST

 

 

A storm will take aim on part of the north-central United States with the potential for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The storm will mark the transition from unseasonably warm conditions to chilly air forecast to sweep southeastward out of Canada next week.

At this early stage, it appears the greatest threat from the thunderstorms, should they turn severe, will be damaging wind gusts, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski stated.
Large hail will also be possible if the storms turn severe. Under certain conditions, a few storms could produce a tornado.

The difference between tornado watches and warnings

The storms will first initiate over the central Plains during Tuesday midday and afternoon. Then storms may roll eastward into parts of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley toward evening and at night.
The thunderstorms could affect parts of Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. The track and strength of the storm system will determine the severity of the thunderstorms and which areas will be hit the hardest.
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"A slow-moving storm is more likely to produce a significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms, while a fast-moving storm would have less time to tap Gulf of Mexico moisture," according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.
Tuesday is primary election day for the Midwest stats of Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.
"Strong winds will circulate around the storm," Abrams said. "There could be damaging wind gusts, sporadic power outages and significant travel impact even in the absence of thunderstorms."
The strong winds can occur in the warm air just ahead of the system, as the storm swings through and in its wake.
People with arriving and departing flights in Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Cincinnati, to name a few, should be prepared for delays during the middle days of next week.
Storm to mark return of wintry weather
Enough cold air will be drawn into the rear flank of the storm to allow some snow or a mixture of cold rain and wet snow to fall over part of the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest by midweek.
The snow could occur just a few hours after severe weather rolls through some communities in the western and central Great Lakes.
Temperatures may be no higher than the 30s F for a few days, including the day of the snowfall and shortly thereafter. Because of the gusty winds in the colder air, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures may be no higher than the teens and 20s.
The cold air will ease up after a few days, but temperatures may be no higher than average for most days from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes region through nearly the rest of the month.