Forecasters Warn the Severe Storms in the Midwest Will Linger Through Thursday

Cities such as Kansas City and Omaha woke up to dreary conditions and scattered rain showers and storms on Tuesday. This risk is forecast to shift farther to the east throughout the day, enveloping St. Louis, Des Moines, and beyond.

The most likely areas to see tornadoes spin up in these storm cells will be centered over Iowa, the northern edge of Missouri, and northwestern Illinois. Tuesday evening will bring the greatest likelihood of tornadic activity for this region.

The chance of severe weather will linger into the overnight hours, making it important that residents enable smartphone weather alerts before heading to bed.

Meteorologists will be careful watching the central and eastern portions of Iowa throughout the day and night on Tuesday. Supercell thunderstorms are a good possibility in this area. These storms are known for their ability to generate widespread tornadoes.

Milwaukee and Chicago Storms Bringing Threat of Severe Weather

Chicago storms will also bring risks of severe weather later in the day Tuesday. The Windy City is forecast to see likely thunderstorms in the evening hours, potentially creating disruptions for the commute home.

Highs will top out at about 67 degrees in Chicago while only slipping a few more degrees overnight. It will be a breezy day in the metro area with winds out of the east-southeast at 10 to 20 mph.

After dealing with a messy evening commute on Tuesday, motorists will be contending with another chance of storms for the Wednesday morning drive.

Thunderstorms in the morning hours will give way to drier conditions later in the day. The winds will remain a factor, coming from the southwest at 20 to 30 mph with gusts likely topping the 40 mph mark at times.

It will be notably cooler headed just a few hours north to Milwaukee. This city along Lake Michigan is forecast to see temperatures max out in the mid 50s on Tuesday.

Like Chicago, it will be a rainy day with a solid shot of thunderstorm development in the afternoon and evening hours. The rain will pick up overnight with up to an inch of accumulation in the forecast.

Winds out of the east at 15 to 25 mph will increase overnight, potentially gusting to over 40 mph.

It has been abnormally dry across parts of the Missouri basin and over into the upper Mississippi Valley. The rain will be welcome for this region as long as it does not come with disruptive thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Wednesday Storm Activity Shifts to the East

The chances of flash flooding will increase as Wednesday storm activity moves to the east over a region that has picked up mass amounts of moisture lately. This includes across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and the lower Great Lakes.

Detroit is forecast to see unsettled and stormy conditions throughout the day and night Wednesday. The Motor City will be under rain showers to start the day with storms igniting in the afternoon as the temperatures climb into the low 70s.

You can expect winds out of the south-southeast at 10 to 20 mph. Overnight lows will tumble to about 52 degrees as the risk of storms dissipates.

While it will be rainy and cloudy to the south in Nashville, this part of the region will likely dodge the thunderstorm activity. It will be a warm day in Nashville with a forecast high of about 83 degrees pairing with a low in the mid 60s.

Cincinnati is also in store for a dreary day with cloudy skies and periodic rain showers. A stray thunderstorm may also pop up in the afternoon and evening hours. The mercury will top out in the upper 70s before landing in the low 50s overnight.

New Thursday's Storm System Set to Impact Central and Southern Plains

Yet another storm system will push into the southern and central Plains states on Thursday as warm and moist air filters over the region. The threat of severe weather will build from a zone stretching from northeastern Texas, up through Oklahoma, and into eastern Kansas and the southwestern corner of Missouri.

Cities that should be on guard for severe weather on Thursday include Dallas, Tulsa, Little Rock, and Memphis. Temperatures will trend warmer in this region, helping to fuel the storm development during the peak afternoon heating hours.

For instance, both Tulsa and Memphis are forecast to see a high in the low 80s while Dallas may break the 90-degree barrier.