Severe Storms Return to Plains
A storm spinning over the northern Rockies will spark rounds of dangerous storms over the Plains beginning tonight and flooding rain across the Intermountain West.
The Severe Weather Center reports waves of energy from the stationary storm will eject onto the Plains through the weekend. The energy will clash with the flow of warm, moist air out of the Gulf of Mexico, sparking dangerous storms from the Front Range to the central Plains.
By this afternoon, strong storms will produce heavy rain, hail, damaging straight-line winds and tornadoes from the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas through western Kansas and eastern Colorado into western Nebraska. Later tonight, the storm threat will shift to an area stretching from the Dakotas to the mid-Mississippi Valley.
According to Severe Weather Expert Henry Margusity, the conditions in place could spark dangerous long-track tornadoes.
The Severe Weather Center lists the storm-related watches, warnings and advisories in effect from Texas to North Dakota into the Intermountain West.
The storm is producing widespread heavy rain
and mountain snow, with as much as 10 inches of snow likely above 7,000 feet.
Rain has increased the melting of the massive snowpack in the mountains, adding more ice-cold runoff to already swollen rivers that are too dangerous for even the most experienced swift water enthusiasts. Many rivers have been closed to all rafters and kayakers because of the extreme danger in the rapids.
According to the West Regional News story, the combination of the low over the Intermountain West and a significant dip in the jet stream will produce unseasonably cool weather and rare May showers and thunderstorms in the Desert Southwest.
As Western Expert Meteorologist Ken Clark states, "Rain this time of year is pretty uncommon for Southern California, especially in the deserts."
Wind is not uncommon in the deserts and mountain passes and canyons. Gusts on Wednesday topped 60 mph in Southern California and 50 mph across Nevada and Arizona. Strong winds today will create areas of blowing sand and dust that will reduce visibility and create hazardous driving conditions.
The cold front is producing unusually cool temperatures across the Southwest. The high temperature on Tuesday in Phoenix, Ariz. was 108 degrees. By Friday, temperatures will be in the 70s and 80s.
It has been unseasonably cool and wet in the Midwest and the Northeast for most of this week thanks to a stubborn low pressure area parked over eastern Canada. The East Regional News story reports dreary conditions will continue today. However, the low will break down Friday as high pressure builds over the Great Lakes.
Sunshine and warmer temperatures will begin to spread across the East Friday. Expert Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson says Friday will be "spectacular" in the Midwest, while wonderful weather spreads into the East for the Memorial Day weekend.
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