Days Preceding Easter Will Be a Stormy Affair for Central U.S.

It is going to be an unsettled stretch of days leading up to the Easter holiday across much of the central and eastern U.S. Multiple rounds of storms will threaten outdoor activities in the region for the next several days. Here is an updated look at this forecast.

Stormy Days Ahead Across Much of Central U.S.

The chance of large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes will continue to threaten the nation's heartland and to the east through the week. The stormy activity will come in waves as different systems line up and roll through the region. Some communities could see the storms fire up on consecutive days through Easter Sunday.

While some of the storm systems will be a mere nuisance, others may pack significant impacts. The action got started on Tuesday across the Northeast, disrupting the evening commute for some of the major metro areas in the populated region.

Wednesday's threats will shift back to the central U.S. The potential impact zone for this day's storms will be narrow in focus, however, the storm cells could usher in life-threatening effects. The storms are forecast to fire up in the afternoon and evening hours in a zone from Kansas and over into Missouri. The southeastern corner of Nebraska will also be under the gun for thunderstorm development as the day progresses.

For example, Kansas City is forecast to see dry conditions with a mix of sun and clouds early in the day. Winds out of the south at 10 to 20 mph will pair with temperatures that reach the upper 70s. The rising mercury will help to fuel the development of storms later in the night.

Moving to the southeast, places such as Springfield, Missouri, will also be under the gun for thunderstorms in the evening and overnight hours. You can expect highs in the mid 70s and lows that dip into the mid 50s. It will also be a breezy day in this part of the region with winds whipping around from the south at 10 to 20 mph.

Forecasters are warning that these storms could pop up out of nowhere. Frequent lightning strikes will be a concern as the action gets going.

Thursday's Forecast Calling for More Widespread Storms

The storm activity is forecast to ramp up on Thursday with the primary area of concern centered across the central U.S. The greatest risks on Thursday will be over the state of Iowa. Hail the size of baseballs is a possibility at this time.

For instance, Des Moines is forecast to see cloudier conditions build throughout the day on Thursday with the risk of storms moving in during the evening and overnight hours. Thursday's forecast is calling for winds out of the south-southeast at 15 to 25 mph along with a high of 77 degrees.

Omaha could also see a stray thunderstorm sneak into the picture on Thursday afternoon. The largest city in Nebraska is forecast to see temperatures climb into the low 80s along with winds out of the south at 10 to 20 mph.

The chance of severe weather will expand on Friday and Saturday, stretching from central Texas and up through Ohio and Michigan. Some of the storm cells could creep as far east as West Virginia. The forecast models indicate that a number of impacts are on the table for these events, including large hail, flash flooding, high winds, and tornadic activity.

St. Louis will be in the heart of the potential impact zone for Friday's storms. The Arch City is forecast to see thunderstorms coming to life in the afternoon and evening hours. It will be unseasonably warm with a forecast high of about 83 degrees and overnight lows that bottom out in the mid 50s.

Flooding will be a serious concern in areas that see repeated rain showers and thunderstorms over the course of the week. The chance of flooding will increase with each passing storm. The issue of flooding will be the most prevalent in areas located along small streams.

The cumulative nature of the rainfall will send water levels on rivers also to the brink. This threat will be the greatest in areas that were hit by the frequent rounds of rain over the last few weeks.

Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are in the forecast for this time period from central portions of Texas and to the northeast into central Illinois. Some isolated pockets within this zone could see rainfall amounts that eclipse 8 inches.

While this rain forecast is certainly something to take seriously, it is likely to fall well below the magnitude of rainfall that hit parts of the Ohio and Missisippi valleys early in April. This rain event brought rainfall of 8 to 16 inches to this swath of land.

What to Expect for Weather on Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is shaping up to be a volatile day for millions of people in the central U.S. The most destructive storms are forecast to come to life across central Texas and to the east into northwestern Louisiana. The line of storms will move to the north and into eastern portions of Kansas, Missouri, and western Illinois.

The day should dawn on a quiet note with the storms expected to hold off until the afternoon hours. This is good news for outdoor church services, however, family picnics and egg hunts could be disrupted by Mother Nature.

The late Sunday storms could usher in damaging hail, destructive winds, and the threat of tornadoes. The latest forecast models indicate that the storms will reach their peak in the evening hours. The storms could also persist into the overnight hours.

We will continue to update the forecast as the holiday approaches.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.