Thunderstorms Target the Plains Tonight

The nation's midsection will see the possibility of severe weather as the workweek draws closer to its end.
 
Severe thunderstorms have been forming along a disturbance stretching across the central Plains. With plenty of warm and humid air to draw upon, major storms have been the result.
 
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in place across eastern Nebraska, northwestern Illinois and parts of Iowa, including Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb. A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect from northeastern Nebraska to northwestern Illinois.
 

The primary risks with these potentially severe thunderstorms will be hail larger than golf balls, flash flooding and isolated destructive wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph. The afternoon and evening hours will see the greatest risk for these concerns.

As we end the workweek on Friday, the area of concern for severe weather in the Plains will shift a bit to the east as the same basic pattern is in place and is slow to change. The main pieces of the stagnant pattern will be a clash of drier air behind a slowly moving area of low pressure over the High Plains and a warm and humid airmass over the Mississippi River Valley. 

The best way to remain safe is to stay prepared and informed about your local weather. Have a severe weather kit packed with a battery-operated radio, water and non-perishable food items should you be without power for long periods of time. Also, check the WeatherBug app frequently for any updates on today’s severe weather. Remember, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!”