Drenching storms to raise flood threat from Oklahoma City to Chicago on Friday

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

September 16,2016; 5:30PM,EDT

 

 

Heavy thunderstorms will continue to drench the central United States and raise the risk of flash flooding into Friday night.
Soaking storms will target areas from Chicago and Milwaukee to Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Lubbock, Texas.
Gulf moisture streaming northward into the Plains will clash with a cold front and trigger the stormy weather, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Andy Mussoline.

While any storm across the region could cause flash flooding, the highest threat will focus across areas that have been hit hard by heavy rain during the past week or two.
Springfield, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; and Oklahoma City, are included in this flood threat, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun.
Several inches of rain can fall in as many hours, which can quickly inundate storm drains and small streams.
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Motorists along interstates 35, 44, 70 and 80 should watch for poor visibilities and ponding on the roadway.
A few of the storms could turn locally severe and produce hail and damaging winds.
Parts of eastern New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma will be at the highest risk for a couple of strong storms Friday afternoon into Friday evening.

Beyond Friday, drier and sunnier weather will move into the Plains and Midwest as the storms progress farther south and east.
On Saturday, residents from the Great Lakes to the Ohio and lower Mississippi valleys should be prepared for a stormy start to the weekend.
The threat for flooding and severe weather is not expected to be as high on Saturday compared to previous days this week, but locally heavy and gusty storms are still possible.
Folks headed to college football games from Michigan to Louisiana may want to bring along an umbrella or poncho on Saturday. Lightning in the vicinity of a stadium may cause delays for a time.
The downpours will continue to track eastward into Sunday night and make for a wet end to the weekend in the Northeast.