Damaging Winds, Flash Flooding Target the Plains This Week

A storm system bringing flooding rain to the East Coast is also fueling severe thunderstorms across the Plains this week, with damaging winds and hail the main threats for the Dakotas and Minnesota today, followed by another round of severe storms Wednesday.

Severe Storms Shift Into the Northern Plains Today

Thunderstorms drenched the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Southeast over the weekend, with some turning severe and bringing damaging winds and flooding to parts of Ohio, Indiana and the Southeast. The severe threat stays low today across the eastern third of the country, where the focus is flooding rainfall, though a few storms embedded in that rain could still produce localized damaging wind gusts.

The severe weather threat is shifting back west into the northern Plains today, where thunderstorms are likely this afternoon and evening. Another storm system moving across Canada is pushing a cold front across the middle of the country, and thunderstorms developing along that front are capable of producing hail and damaging wind gusts across the Dakotas and Minnesota.

A Second Round of Severe Storms Builds for Wednesday

The threat doesn't end with today's storms. A cold front moving across the Midwest and Plains midweek will be capable of producing locally severe storms with damaging wind gusts and hail on Wednesday, bringing a second chance for hazardous weather to a broad stretch of the central U.S.

What's Next

Residents across the Dakotas and Minnesota should stay weather-aware through this evening as storms move through, while those in the Midwest and Plains should watch for updates ahead of Wednesday's system. As always with severe weather, conditions can change quickly, so keep an eye on the National Weather Service for the latest local warnings.

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