Stormy Tuesday Weather to Linger Through End of Week

Storm-Weary Central U.S. Back in the Line of Fire During Tuesday Weather

Millions of Americans throughout the middle part of the country are bracing for more severe weather impacts as the calendar transitions from April to May.

There were at least four fatalities attributed to tornadoes over the weekend, all happening in Oklahoma. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed on Monday that there were nearly 500 incidents of severe weather recorded in the time period between Friday and Sunday.

This number includes over 150 tornadoes, including one volatile EF twister.

Monday brought heavy rain for portions of the central Gulf Coast as the weekend storms pushed to the east. This region picked up 4 to 10 inches of rain, triggering flooding throughout parts of Texas and Louisiana. Meteorologists are calling for two more storms set to impact the central states through Thursday.

The initial weather maker is forecast to move at a fast clip from the central Plains and up into the Upper Midwest beginning late Tuesday and into Wednesday. The primary impacts of this system will be strong winds and hail.

However, there is the chance of a tornado or two spinning up in eastern Nebraska and across to western Iowa late Tuesday afternoon and into the evening hours.

This track will put Omaha in the track once again. This part of the state was hammered by severe weather on Friday, including a tornado that tore through the suburb of Elkhorn that caused significant damage.

Other areas that are in the zone of potential severe weather late Tuesday include the southeastern corner of South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, northeastern Kansas, and the northwestern edge of Missouri. Impacts of a lesser degree are possible heading to the south and into west-central Texas.

For instance, Sioux City, Iowa is in the crosshairs for a great deal of action on Tuesday. Highs will top out at about 70 degrees with winds out of the west-southwest at 15 to 25 mph.

While the threat of storms will decrease overnight, more rain is back in the forecast Wednesday night for Sioux City. Up to an inch of rain is possible at this time.

Other cities that should be prepared for stormy conditions in the coming hours include Kansas City, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Abilene. Des Moines is also squarely in the middle of the zone of likely storms.

The capital city of Iowa is likely to see storms that produce large hail and high winds through at least midnight. Wednesday will be a calmer day before the storms erupt again on Thursday in Des Moines.

Some of Tuesday's storms will not get going until after midnight. For instance, Oklahoma City is likely in the clear until the early morning hours on Wednesday.

It will be a warm day on Tuesday with afternoon temperatures peaking in the upper 80s. This warmth will work to fuel the development of storms later in the night.

Wednesday's Risks Will be More Intense for the Great Plains

Yet another round of storms are on tap for the Great Plains on Wednesday and Thursday. This period will see a greater risk of tornadic activity when compared to Tuesday. Other elements to watch out for include powerful winds, large hail, and flash flooding.

This second storm system will dictate the weather for a 900-mile-long stretch from Nebraska and Iowa and down into portions of Texas on Wednesday.

The area most likely to see tornadoes will expand from central Kansas and down into western Oklahoma and northwestern Texas. Forecasters are warning that up to a dozen tornadoes could form out of these storm cells.

Wednesday's severe weather risks will again encompass major metropolitan areas such as Omaha, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Dallas. Wichita will also be ground zero for storm development.

The city in south-central Kansas is forecast to see scattered storms on Wednesday, packing hail and volatile winds. Highs will hover in the mid 70s before falling into the mid 60s after the sun goes down.

The threat of severe storms will drift to the east and the north on Thursday, bringing the impacts to cities such as Minneapolis. Some communities will be experiencing the third consecutive day of severe weather at this time.

Stay tuned to the forecast as meteorologists hone in on the specific impact area as well as the expected severity for these storms in the coming days.

Looking ahead to the weekend, the threat of severe weather will begin to let up by the end of the week. However, that does not mean that the risks will be completely gone.

Some pockets of severe weather are still in the cards through Saturday for an area from Texas and into the lower Mississippi Valley, the Gulf Coast, and portions of the Southeast.

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