Big storm threat across Plains
Weather analysts warned a more than 1,000‑mile storm system could expose roughly 40 million people across the Plains and Midwest to large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes under a Level‑2 risk. Forecasters and model runs shared storm‑expansion graphics and timing into early‑midweek (x.com) (x.com).
A new round of severe thunderstorms is expected Monday from the Upper Mississippi Valley into the Great Lakes, with large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes all in the forecast. (spc.noaa.gov) The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center placed parts of the Upper Mississippi River Valley under an Enhanced Risk, its Level 3 of 5, for Monday, April 13. Its overnight outlook said storms could produce hail as large as 2 to 3 inches, along with damaging wind and a few tornadoes. (severeweatheroutlook.com) Forecasters said the setup begins with a storm system moving out of the Great Basin while warm, humid air pushes north ahead of it. That combination can let isolated supercells form first, then grow into a larger line or cluster of storms by evening and overnight. (severeweatheroutlook.com) The corridor at greatest risk Monday runs farther north and east than the southern Plains focus that often gets attention in spring. The Storm Prediction Center said the main severe-weather zone extends across parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and nearby areas, while storms in Texas and Oklahoma look more isolated and conditional later in the day. (severeweatheroutlook.com) Local forecasts show the same northward shift. Wichita’s National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny and breezy weather Monday with a high near 85 degrees, while its next thunderstorm chance rises Tuesday afternoon and night. (weather.gov) Omaha’s forecast is similar: mostly sunny Monday near 82 degrees, then a 20 percent chance of showers Tuesday afternoon and a better chance Tuesday night. Chicago, farther east, is already in a more active stretch, with thunderstorms possible Monday night and likely Tuesday into Wednesday. (weather.gov 1) (weather.gov 2) The Weather Prediction Center said the severe-weather threat remains in place Monday across central Texas while a new threat emerges across the upper Midwest as a low-pressure wave develops along a frontal boundary. Its forecast also highlighted the risk of large to very large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. (wpc.ncep.noaa.gov) That means this is not a single-evening problem tied to one town. It is part of a multi-day spring pattern in which the storm track shifts east and north from the Plains into the Midwest and Great Lakes as the week begins. (cnn.com) (wpc.ncep.noaa.gov) The next updates will come from the Storm Prediction Center’s daytime outlooks and any tornado or severe thunderstorm watches issued Monday afternoon and evening. Those products will show whether the hail-and-tornado threat stays concentrated in the Upper Midwest or expands farther south and east overnight. (weather.gov)
