Wet Halloween night ahead for Midwest, Southern states after damaging storms in central US
The cold front that brought overnight storms across much of the central U.S. may ruin Halloween evening for many residents of the Upper Midwest and Southern states as the system continued its path east Thursday.
Rain and thunderstorms are predicted for parts of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi, among others, with a likelihood of snow in Minnesota.
Earlier Thursday, residents and officials across the central part of the country surveyed damage from a line of overnight storms as some areas braced for more severe weather.
The thunderstorms came amid a dramatically varied weather forecast for the nation, with potentially record-setting heat in the Northeast and heavy snow falling across the West's high terrain.
Overnight, weather officials in Iowa recorded 60 mph winds while gusts as high as 70 and 80 mph were reported in Kansas and Illinois, respectively, according to the National Weather Service. Authorities reported downed trees and powerlines across Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
In Prairie Grove, a small city in northwest Arkansas near the Oklahoma state line, police and local government officials reported damaged homes and widespread power outages, with only a fraction of the area's 7,000 residents still with electricity. About 75% of schools in the district were without power as of Thursday morning.
A possible tornado was suspected of uprooting trees and damaging buildings, including Prairie Grove's aquatic park and baseball complex, the police department said in a statement posted on social media.
"We pray for those homeowners who are waking up to property damage," said Prairie Grove Mayor David Faulk in a post on Facebook early Thursday. "These are the times in which victims find hope in the help they receive from their neighbors. We join with them, walk with them, and share this burden with them, as we all come together to help those in need."
The potent thunderstorms that formed Wednesday were ignited by a cold front from the west that collided with warm, moist air moving off the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, the storms are forecast to expand eastward toward the Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi valleys, prolonging the threat of damaging wind gusts, sudden downpours and isolated tornadoes, according to AccuWeather.
Storms remain in forecast for parts of the central US
Meteorologists say the storms could continue to stir dangerous conditions across the Tennessee and Mississippi valleys on Friday, including torrential rain capable of triggering flash flooding in low-lying areas.
Rain is also expected to develop along a front near the central Appalachians and Northeast region before tapering off by Friday evening. To the south, scattered rain is forecast for parts of Florida.
On Friday, the threat of strong to severe thunderstorms will expand westward to the southern High Plains. Potential hazards include frequent lightning, wind gusts, hail and a "minimal threat of tornadoes," the weather service said.
Parts of every state in the Plains and Midwest regions are suffering drought conditions, with some areas afflicted with severe and extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Possible record heat in the Northeast
Temperatures Thursday across the Northeast were expected to be 20 to 25 degrees above average for this time of year, likely setting new daily high records across the region, meteorologists said.
Afternoon highs are forecast to reach into the high 70s and 80s in states including New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. The high temperatures will also push mercury levels into the 80s across the entire Southeast, from Texas to Florida and up through the Carolinas.
Across the Northeast, officials have warned residents not to throw cigarettes or matches on the ground and to extinguish fires with plenty of water as dry and windy conditions elevate the risk of wildfires.
Large blazes have broken out across the region. More than 120 brush fires have burned around 450 acres in Massachusetts over the last eight days. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation banned all open flame and charcoal fires in state parks "to prevent wildfires due to drought conditions."
Snow falling across the American West
For the rest of the week, snow will fall and accumulate in the high terrain across much of the western U.S., including the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest regions.
Moderate to heavy snow is forecast over parts of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, another front sweeping over the the Pacific Northwest and California is leading to snowfall over the Southern Cascades.
"Be prepared for winter driving conditions and slower travel should you need to venture out into the high country," the weather service warned. "In the wake of the storm, much colder air will lead to frost and freeze concerns for the lower elevations."
Contributing: Julia Gomez