Storms Forecast to Ignite Across the Central U.S. on Friday

A line of powerful storms is going to bring the end of the work week out with a bang for a large part of the central U.S. Here is a look at who can expect to see the storms fire up on Friday as well as what the weekend has in store for the part of the country.

Severe Weather Will Threaten the Central U.S. Friday and Into the Weekend

The chance of severe weather will envelop portions of the central U.S. on Friday as storms track to the east. Forecasters are warning that the storms will be potent enough to disrupt travel plans and outdoor activities.

A southward dip in the jet stream pairing with a cool front will be responsible for the eruption of storms from the Mississippi Valley and across to the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Tennessee valleys through late Friday. As is typical for this time of the year, the natural increase in temperatures during the afternoon hours will amplify the severity of the storms.

Potential impacts of these storms include strong winds, hail, frequent lightning, and rain that triggers flash flooding. The storms are likely to reach their peak in the late afternoon and early evening hours before temperatures drop and the impacts diminish.

Friday's forecast for severe storms will be part of the same weather pattern that laid the groundwork for the stormy conditions on Thursday. These impacts were the strongest in a zone from central Illinois and down into the middle of Missouri.

By Friday, the storms will push farther to the east, setting up from southwestern Kansas and up into southeastern Michigan. This puts a number of major metropolitan areas in the zone of potential impact.

Specific Metro Area Forecasts

Diving into a few specific metro area forecasts, it is clear that millions of Americans will be at risk of experiencing the impacts of these storms. Detroit will wake up to light rain showers that could turn into storm activity in the evening hours. The threat of storms will linger throughout the day and night Saturday. While the severe weather will move out by Sunday, the rain showers will stick around. This will translate to a soggy weekend for the largest metro area in Michigan. Daytime highs will hover in the mid 70s to low 80s during this time period with lows in the upper 60s. It will also be breezy with winds coming in at 10 to 15 mph.