Damaging storms to stretch from Oklahoma to Minnesota late this week

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

August 15,2016; 11:56PM,EDT

 

 

Following isolated gusty storms on Tuesday, a more extensive severe weather threat will ramp up over the north-central United States late in the week.
A southward progressing cold front will trigger the storms, AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Alex Avalos said.
"Storms will be capable of producing damaging winds and large hail, along with localized flooding," Avalos said.
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People spending time outdoors should be on the lookout for changing weather conditions and seek shelter indoors as storms approach. Motorists should never drive through flooded roadways.
On Thursday, the first locally severe storms will target portions of the Dakotas and southern Manitoba, Canada.
The biggest day for severe storms will be on Friday.

On Friday, locally severe storms will extend along much of the Interstate 35 corridor from southeastern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to much of Iowa, central and eastern Kansas and part of central Oklahoma.
The storms on Friday may cause travel delays around Minneapolis; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; and Wichita, Kansas.
Along with the potential for damaging winds, hail and flash flooding will be main risks. Tornadoes could spin both Thursday and Friday, Avalos said.
During the weekend, the potential for strong to locally damaging storms will extend to parts of the middle Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as well as the central and eastern Great Lakes region.
In the wake of the front, temperatures will be slashed by 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit over much of the Plains.