Severe Weather Outbreak Thursday In Tornado Alley

by | May 17, 2017 | National, US | 0 comments

Severe Weather Outbreak Thursday In Tornado Alley

Severe weather season is ramping up and a severe weather outbreak is possible in the central and southern Plains Thursday.

A big severe weather event just took place in the northern Plains, upper Midwest and western Great Lakes. Business owners and residents are cleaning up after large hail, damaging winds and tornados struck portions of the region. There was even dozens of injuries from a tornado in Wisconsin.

Damage from a mobile home park in Wisconsin that was struck by a tornado. (Fox News)

A risk for severe weather will be across the upper Midwest affecting the Iowa, SW Minnesota, western Illinois and Wisconsin today. There is the chance for some hail, winds and maybe a couple tornadoes. This will likely not be a huge event. Our attention then turns to tomorrow.

Damaging large hail, very strong winds and several tornadoes are going to be possible from Abilene, Texas to Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas. The best threat for severe storms will be along and west of the I-35 corridor in western Oklahoma and Kansas.

There will be a strong amount of wind energy ejecting out of the Four Corners. This system will allow for storms to fire. Plenty of moisture will be coming out of the Gulf of Mexico due to a southeasterly wind component. Strong winds aloft will be kicking right into the severe weather risk zone. This will help create wind shear (the change of wind speed and wind direction with height in the atmosphere), which in turn means the ingredients will be stacked together around Wichita Falls, Texas; to Elk City, Oklahoma; and Pratt, Kansas.

This storm event might be similar to what happened on Tuesday. A couple strong tornadoes will be possible. Make sure you stay alert to any weather watches and warnings. It’s always a good idea to have a safety plan setup with your family and make sure you have your cell phones and computers all charged up.

Besides the severe weather risk there is a good bet at some very heavy rain, especially later in the evening from the OKC are northward into Nebraska.

The storms look to fire in the late afternoon across the western area of the severe weather risk near western Kansas and Oklahoma. Supercell thunderstorms may produce isolated tornadoes through the early evening hours as things congeal into a squall line. The severe weather threat will transition into damaging winds and flooding from Tulsa to Kansas City overnight.

Severe weather is possible with storms firing late afternoon and evening

Make sure to share this article to keep your friends and family updated on the moderate risk for severe weather.

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About Brian Ivey

Brian is the President of Neoweather and has be one of the leaders of the organization since joining in 2011. Brian graduated with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Kent State University and meteorology from Mississippi State University. Brian worked as a meteorologist and reporter in Youngstown and interned at Cleveland TV stations WKYC and WEWS. He loves Cleveland sports and enjoys going to games. You can also find him trying new spots to eat, traveling and being active outside.
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