Rounds of Severe Weather in Store for Rockies, Plains

By Chyna Glenn, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

August 14,2015; 9:11PM,EDT

 

 

The weather into the start of the weekend will be quite active in the northern Rockies during Friday evening and in the northern Plains on Saturday as strong thunderstorms develop.
An area of unsettled weather will move into the Northwest from the Pacific Ocean, bringing much-needed rain to the region in the form of showers and thunderstorms.
This disturbance will begin to strengthen as it progresses inland and will produce strong, if not severe, thunderstorms across the higher elevations of Idaho and Montana.

Thunderstorms will advance from west to east, centered around I-90, and bring heavy downpours and gusty winds starting Friday afternoon.
"These storms will continue and move eastward Friday evening, impacting Missoula, Kalispell, Great Falls, and Cut Bank, Montana before storms start to weaken later Friday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
However, the threat for severe weather will reemerge farther to the east on Saturday as the system continues to strengthen.

A cold front will slice across the northern Plains on Saturday and will be the forcing agent for more robust storms that develop in the afternoon.
"Strong thunderstorms will develop along an unusually strong low pressure and associated cold front over the central Dakotas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said.
Severe weather on Saturday will cover an area spanning close to 900 miles, impacting the cities including but not limited to Pierre, South Dakota; Bismarck, North Dakota; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Torrential downpours, damaging wind gusts and an isolated tornado threat will exist with the storm across the northern Plains during the afternoon and evening.
As the evening progresses, the threat for severe weather will diminish across northern areas. However, storms will retain their intensity in South Dakota and northern Nebraska through the overnight hours.
The same cold front will continue to press eastward, yet the threat for severe thunderstorm activity will diminish on Sunday.