Severe Storms to Rattle Michigan to Nebraska Into Friday Night

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

July 24,2015; 9:37PM,EDT

 

A potent storm system swinging across the northern Plains, the Upper Midwest and neighboring Canada will spark locally severe storms through Friday night.
This is not expected to be a major severe weather outbreak, but it could still put lives and property in danger from Nebraska to part of Northwest Ontario and to the western shores of Lake Michigan.

Friday's storms affect areas from Nebraska to Iowa, northern Illinois, Wisconsin, parts of Michigan and Northwest Ontario.
Some of the storms will pack strong wind gusts, hail, frequent lightning strikes and torrential downpours with the potential for flash flooding.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity, the severe weather threat includes the potential for a few tornadoes.
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This time of year is typically the most active in the northern Plains in terms of severe weather.
"This is the right time of the year for tornadoes in the northern tier of the U.S. and southern Canada with strong winds aloft, hot and humid air building to the south and a swath of cool air to the north," Margusity said.
The vigorous storm system moving across the northern Plains impacted the Canadian province of Alberta earlier in the week, producing a funnel cloud near Calgary, Alberta, on Wednesday.

TIMELAPSE: Funnel Cloud Forms Over Calgary

Severe or not, every thunderstorm that moves through the region will be accompanied by frequent lightning.
This could turn out to be the most dangerous aspect of the thunderstorms as lightning is one of nature's deadliest phenomenon.

SPECTACULAR: Reed Timmer Captures Stunning Nighttime Lightning

So far this year, lightning has caused more than twice as many fatalities in the United States than tornadoes have.
As of July 22, the Nation Weather Service has reported 22 lightning-related fatalities across 13 states, compared to 10 tornado-related fatalities across four states.
If thunder roars, go indoors. If you are close enough to the storm to hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Thunderstorm activity is expected to diminish across the northern Plains for the weekend, but some storms will still stick around. Many of these lingering storms should generally stay along and south of Interstate 90 and not be as severe as those on Friday.
The thunderstorm threat will not end with the weekend as more storms, potentially severe, threaten the region.
"A more vigorous system will hit the northern Plains into southern Canada Monday into Tuesday. That system could bring more widespread tornadoes," said Margusity.

Stay ahead of the storms by monitoring the latest watches and warnings at the AccuWeather Severe Weather Center and by following the latest breaking weather information on Twitter with @BreakingWeather.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed content to this story.