Storms and rain to swamp much of US over Easter holiday weekend
It's about to get very stormy in the central U.S., just in time for the Easter holiday weekend, forecasters warn.
"Multiple rounds of thunderstorms will rattle vast areas of the United States into Easter Sunday," said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast. "Some packing large hail, high winds and tornadoes will pose a significant risk to lives and property."
A few areas may experience severe conditions for several days in a row.
Organized, potent thunderstorms are forecast to ramp up starting Thursday, April 17, with subsequent rounds of severe weather right through Easter on Sunday, April 20, mainly focused on the central United States, AccuWeather said.
Severe weather to start days before Easter
Eastern Nebraska, northern Missouri, southern Minnesota and Iowa could see large hail, wind damage and a couple of tornadoes late on the afternoon of April 17 into the night, Weather.com warned. Cities at greatest risk in Nebraska include Omaha and Lincoln, the Storm Prediction Center said. Both Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, could also see severe storms.
On April 18 and April 19, "the severe weather threat will become more elongated and stretch for 1,000 miles or more each day from central Texas to parts of Ohio and even as far north as Michigan and as far east as West Virginia," Sosnowski said.
Cities at risk of severe storms April 18 include Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Easter Sunday storms
On April 20, Easter Sunday, the most dangerous storms will focus from central Texas and northwestern Louisiana through eastern Kansas, Missouri and part of western Illinois.
Damaging thunderstorm winds, large hail and at least a few tornadoes are possible, said Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman. Locally flooding rainfall is also a concern in many of these same areas.
The bulk of the storms are forecast to hold off until after morning and midday Easter church services, AccuWeather predicted. However, as friends and family gather during the afternoon hours and some head home from their weekend ventures in the evening, the storms will reach their peak.
Flooding threat
Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is forecast for a broad area, with localized pockets of 4 to 8 inches from Oklahoma to southern Illinois. This prolonged rainfall could lead to flash flooding and river rises, especially in areas already saturated earlier this month.
At least localized flash flooding is possible in some areas, especially the night of April 18 through April 19, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and St. Louis, Erdman said.
Rivers such as the Red River of the South, the Arkansas, and the lower portion of the Missouri may experience a significant rise, AccuWeather said.