Severe Storms to Return to the Plains and Midwest This Week

Brian Donegan
Published: July 25,2016
The risk for strong to severe thunderstorms, with large hail and damaging wind gusts, returns to portions of the Plains and Midwest as early as Monday evening.
Additionally, localized flash flooding is a possibility across those regions, as heavy downpours could dump significant amounts of rain over a short amount of time.

Current Radar with Watches and Warnings

(MORE: View National Interactive Radar Map | Difference Between a Watch and a Warning)
Below is our latest forecast thinking on the timing and magnitude of the severe threats the next several days.

Severe Weather Forecast

Monday Evening

• Forecast: Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms may develop across parts of the central and northern High Plains, including portions of the Dakotas and Nebraska.
• Threats: Damaging winds and large hail are the primary threats.
• Cities: Rapid City, South Dakota | Alliance, Nebraska

Monday Evening's Thunderstorm Forecast

Tuesday

• Forecast: Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of the central and northern High Plains Tuesday afternoon and evening, including portions of the Dakotas and Nebraska.
• Threats: Damaging winds and large hail are the main threats, but an isolated tornado can't be ruled out.
• Cities: Pierre, South Dakota | North Platte, Nebraska

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Tuesday's Thunderstorm Forecast

Wednesday

• Forecast: Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are expected across portions of the Plains and Midwest, including South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas eastward into Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri.
• Threats: Damaging winds and large hail are the main threats, but an isolated tornado can't be ruled out.
• Cities: Omaha | Des Moines | Kansas City

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Wednesday's Thunderstorm Forecast

Severe Weather Setup

A series of weak upper-level atmospheric disturbances will move eastward across the Plains and Midwest this week.

Mid- to late-week severe weather setup.

The timing of each disturbance remains a bit uncertain, but the interaction of the disturbances with a stalled out cold front across those regions should yield some thunderstorm activity, beginning as early as Monday evening.
A widespread severe weather outbreak appears unlikely, but there is a decent potential for a few of the storms to reach severe limits each day through midweek. Large hail and damaging wind gusts are the primary threats with any of the thunderstorms that do turn severe.

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PHOTOS: Plains, Midwest Mid-June 2016 Severe Weather and Flooding