Severe Weather Outbreak Takes Aim at Midwest Into Monday

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

July 12,2015; 7:45PM,EDT

 

 

An outbreak of severe weather is set to take aim at a large part of the Midwest on Sunday afternoon through Monday.
The danger of this outbreak will span about 1,000 miles of the Midwest from eastern North Dakota and Minnesota to Tennessee, putting lives and property in the path of potentially damaging thunderstorms.
Widespread damaging winds, along with hail, flooding downpours, frequent lightning and isolated tornadoes will be produced. It is even possible for the severe thunderstorms to evolve into a long-lasting derecho for a time.

Residents and travelers in the path of the severe weather can use AccuWeather MinuteCast® to know more precisely when a violent thunderstorm will strike so the necessary precautions can be taken.
"Initially, the severe storms late Sunday afternoon will remain discrete with the threat for hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes on the table," stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Becky Elliott.

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Fargo, North Dakota, and St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Minnesota, will be the first targets of the severe weather later on Sunday.
The violent thunderstorms will then track southward on Sunday night, but will not diminish overnight.
"As the sun goes down, energy known as the low-level jet will increase, and this will act to fuel storms even more," added Elliott.
"Thunderstorms will merge into a large squall line over southern Minnesota, northern Iowa and Wisconsin Sunday night," continued Elliott. "This line of storms will race southeast into the early morning hours of Monday and has the potential to produce damaging wind gusts during its life span."
It is possible that the thunderstorms could evolve into a dangerous and long-lasting derecho.
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Rochester, Minnesota; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; La Crosse and Madison, Wisconsin; and Rockford, Illinois, are at risk of the severe weather on Sunday night.
The violent thunderstorms will take aim at Chicago late on Sunday night into Monday morning, potentially leading to a slow morning commute and a nightmare for air travelers due to the ripple effect of flight delays.
Springfield, Illinois, will need to brace for the severe thunderstorms starting around dawn on Monday as the danger shifts to the lower Ohio Valley and Tennessee Valley for Monday and Monday evening.
Indianapolis; Louisville and Bowling Green, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; and Cincinnati, Ohio, are among the cities in Monday's threat zone. The danger in Cincinnati spans Monday evening, potentially creating hazards for the baseball fans and players attending the 2015 Home Run Derby.
The severe weather danger may wane for a time on Monday, but Elliott cautions that residents should not let their guards down.

"The complex of storms will likely weaken as it moves southeast Monday morning and loses the energy that sustained it overnight," Elliott said. "There may be a lull in severe weather from the late-morning hours into the early afternoon before the atmosphere becomes re-energized."
"Strong storms will redevelop over southern portions of the Ohio Valley and portions of the Tennessee Valley. All modes of severe weather are possible once again," she continued.
Back in the Upper Midwest, AccuWeather meteorologists will be monitoring the potential for another round of severe weather to ignite on Monday afternoon and evening. These storms could once again take aim on the corridor from Minnesota to Iowa and Illinois.
How unstable the atmosphere becomes in the wake of the first round of severe weather will determine how potent the second round will be.