Severe thunderstorms will continue to threaten areas from the Mississippi Valley to the High Plains through Monday, with a potential outbreak, including tornadoes, anticipated in the Midwest on Tuesday.
Severe weather will focus on the High Plains into Saturday night before expanding to the Upper Midwest by late Sunday, then reemerging over the High Plains and Rockies, advancing into the Midwest early this week. AccuWeather meteorologists warn of continued risks to life and property from storms packing tornadoes and large hail.
Severe thunderstorms will oscillate between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River through midweek.
An Exceptionally Active Month for Severe Weather
May usually sees a spike in severe weather across the U.S., but this past month has seen an unprecedented increase, according to the Storm Prediction Center. There have been over 500 preliminary tornado reports in May, part of more than 6,000 severe weather reports.
These reports include over 1,800 instances of hail 1 inch or larger and over 350 incidents of hail 2 inches or larger in diameter.
Following a severe thunderstorm complex into Friday morning, causing widespread power outages in Texas for the second time this week, severe weather risks returned Friday afternoon and night.
Severe thunderstorms moved through the southern and central High Plains, bringing reports of large hail and damaging wind gusts. In Lubbock, Texas, wind gusts reached up to 90 mph on Friday night.
Saturday saw severe thunderstorms bringing large hail and damaging winds from southwestern South Dakota to West Texas and around East Texas and Louisiana.
Quick Round of Severe Storms for Part of Midwest Sunday
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham noted that on Sunday, the severe weather threat will shift from the High Plains to the northern Plains and Upper Midwest as a storm system moves out of the Rockies.
“The severe weather from Sunday to Sunday night will extend from west Texas northward to much of North Dakota and Minnesota,” Buckingham said. “The main threats will be high winds, hail, and flash flooding.”
A tornado or two cannot be ruled out, especially over the Upper Midwest.
Additionally, severe thunderstorms may occur across western, northern, and eastern Texas, Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas, and Louisiana. These storms could produce damaging wind gusts between 60-70 mph, with a Local StormMax™ of 80 mph.
Monitoring a Storm from the Northwest
On Monday, AccuWeather meteorologists will monitor severe weather potential in the northern Rockies and High Plains as a strong early June storm moves inland across the Northwest. These storms will likely bring strong wind gusts, hail, and flooding downpours as they track across the Mississippi Valley.
Further east on Monday, showers and thunderstorms will stretch from the central Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes region. While any storm in this area can be heavy and gusty, severe weather will likely be confined to the Central Plains and the Mississippi Valley.
Severe Weather Outbreak Alert
On Tuesday and Tuesday night, there is potential for a severe weather outbreak, including tornadoes, in the northern and central Plains and Upper Midwest. Multiple storms with high winds, hail, and torrential downpours are expected from eastern and central Oklahoma and western Arkansas northward to the eastern Dakotas, much of Minnesota, central Wisconsin, and northwest Illinois.
West of the storm activity, strong winds will bring cooler air from the northern Rockies to the northern High Plains, possibly causing tree damage and power outages. These winds could also pose a risk for high-profile vehicles on highways.
In drought-affected areas of Montana and the Dakotas, strong winds could lead to rapid wildfire spread.
