Thunderstorms Will Roam the Plains Through the Weekend

The unsettled weather pattern will continue into the early part of next week for the Intermountain West and the Plains states. While most of the region will see garden variety rain and thunderstorms, snow will fall in the higher terrains of the Colorado Rockies. Here is what you need to know about this active weather pattern in the days ahead.

Active Weather Pattern Hangs on for the Plains

A number of storm systems have been moving into the Plains from the western U.S. These systems are merging with the cool air from the north and the moisture-rich air from the south to ignite torrential rainfall, severe storms, and isolated snow showers.

Severe thunderstorms were the story for portions of eastern Kansas, the northwestern corner of Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin on Thursday. There were several reports of hail as large as golf balls as well as strong winds. The northeastern edge of Minnesota also experienced tornadic activity from this cluster of storms.

Friday was a relatively calm end to the busy week, however, more storms are set to arrive on Saturday. These storm cells will initially develop over eastern New Mexico and the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma before moving to the east into the Plains regions. This will translate to afternoon and evening storms for portions of interstates 20, 27, and 40. Potential impacts of this system include hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain.

The incoming weather maker will also bring the temperatures down significantly over the next few days. For instance, after recording highs at the century mark on Thursday, the mercury will struggle to climb out of the mid 60s for highs this weekend in Amarillo, Texas. The highest chance of rain in this part of the Lone Star State will be late Saturday and early Sunday.

The cold front and its associated line of storms will push farther to the east throughout the day Saturday, eventually ending up in southeastern Nebraska, the middle of Iowa, and parts of western Wisconsin. College football fans may be dodging rain showers and storms as the storms advance.

For example, those in Columbia, Missouri will wake up to scattered storms on Saturday morning. After a brief break, the chance of storms will increase again in the afternoon and evening hours. This weather could be an issue as the University of Missouri hosts Vanderbilt for a 1:15 pm kickoff in Columbia.

How Much Rain to Expect

Because it has already been a wet week for parts of the central U.S., the repeated downpours will raise the threat of flooding for the water-logged region. The heaviest rain will fall in the zone from eastern Colorado and into northern Missouri. This includes the metro area of Kansas City, forecast to pick up 1 to 2 inches of rain Saturday with more storms on the horizon for Sunday. More heavy rainfall will close out the weekend in this part of the nation's heartland before conditions dry out on Monday.

Widespread rainfall amounts of 1 - 2 inches are in the forecast for a larger zone from the foothills of Denver and across to Chicago. The bulk of the precipitation will hit late Saturday and into Sunday.

For instance, after experiencing a nice start to the weekend on Saturday, Chicago will see a good shot of thunderstorms on Sunday morning. Periodic rain showers will be an issue through the afternoon and evening hours in the Windy City. Monday and Tuesday will bring more chances of light rain showers. Highs during this time period will hover in the mid 70s and down into the upper 60s while winds will come in at speeds of 10 to 15 mph.

The end of the weekend will see another day of potentially severe storms. Sunday's activity will not be as widespread, however, the storms will still pack a punch. Forecasters are warning that isolated tornadoes could spin up on this day.

The same storm system will track into the Ohio Valley at the start of the new work week. Monday's worst storms will train over parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. These storms will stick around into the overnight hours Monday.