Severe thunderstorms to target central US at midweek

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

March 28,2016; 10:05PM,EDT

 

 

A storm bringing rain, snow and cooler air to the western United States early this week will ignite severe thunderstorms across the Central states at midweek.
"A powerful spring storm will begin to take shape across the Plains during Tuesday night into Wednesday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said.
This storm will feed into warm, moist air surging northward from the Gulf of Mexico and fire thunderstorms on Wednesday.

"A line of thunderstorms will erupt along and east of a line stretching from Omaha, Nebraska, to Wichita, Kansas, and extend southward to the Red River Valley during Wednesday afternoon," Rossio said.
Cities at risk for severe thunderstorms include Omaha, Nebraska; Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Springfield and Kansas City, Missouri.
Hail, damaging winds and locally heavy rainfall will be the main threat, but the chance for an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.
Those traveling along interstates 29, 35, 40, 44, 49, 70 and 80 will need to be alert for rapidly changing weather conditions.
Use ​AccuWeather Minutecast® to keep up to date with the arrival of thunderstorms in your area.
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Anyone outside should find shelter should a storm approach. If you see a flash of lightning or hear a rumble of thunder, you are close enough to get struck.
"By Wednesday evening, these storms will push eastward into Missouri and Arkansas and slowly weaken due to the lack of sunlight, but these storms could still produce locally damaging winds and heavy rainfall through the overnight," Rossio said.
This storm will also bring a renewed threat of flooding across the lower Mississippi Valley.
Drier and cooler conditions will return to much of the region on Thursday. A spotty shower could dampen portions of the Upper Midwest while showers and thunderstorms will continue along the Gulf Coast.
Pleasant weather is in store this weekend with high pressure in control of the weather. Areas from the central Plains and Missouri Valley and points southward will escape the brunt of the arctic air set to plunge across the Midwest and East.