Mississippi Valley Strong Storms Wednesday Night

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

October 17,2012; 9:44PM,EDT

 

 

 

There is the risk of strong to locally severe thunderstorms for a time Wednesday night from northern Louisiana to southern Illinois.
The greatest risks from the storms will be strong wind gusts and hail, as well as flash and urban flooding.
Cities that could be hit by the strong storms and their gusty winds and blinding downpours include Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis, Tenn.; Tupelo, Miss.; Monroe, La., Cape Girardeau, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; and Evansville, Ind.
Even as the potential for severe thunderstorms decreases after midnight, showers and locally heavy, gusty thunderstorms will continue along an advancing front as it pushes to the east through Thursday.
There is a slight chance of a couple of the strongest storms producing a tornado.
A strong flow of air behind the front can bring damaging wind gusts even without thunderstorms.
There is the potential for nearly hurricane-force wind gusts in the clear air spanning thousands of square miles expanding from the northern Rockies to the northern and central Plains during the middle of the week.
Very blustery conditions are likely to sweep into the middle Mississippi and Ohio valleys Wednesday night and Thursday in the wake of the front.