Severe Storms in the Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Beyond

Posted: June 26, 2023 7:18 am

The dreary weather pattern is forecast to linger throughout a large swath of the nation stretching from the Ohio Valley to the Eastern Seaboard well into this week.

This pattern will bring a good chance of much-needed moisture to the mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and New England. But first, the Midwest and Plains states will be in the impact zone for severe weather. Here is a look at the forecast for the eastern half of the U.S.

Storms to Erupt Across Plains and Midwest

Friday’s stormy pattern continued into Saturday for much of the Midwest and Plains. The storms erupted early Saturday for areas such as Kansas City, Omaha, and Des Moines with the bulk of the action throughout the Upper Midwest happening later in the day.

The primary concerns with this weather maker will be hail and strong winds. As is typical for this time of the year, isolated tornadoes will also be in the picture. Be sure to keep an eye on the forecast if you live in this potential impact zone and you have outdoor plans.

Travel along portions of interstates 29, 35, 70, 80, and 90 could be impacted by heavy downpours and poor visibility. This includes travel through the major cities of Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

The region will enjoy a slightly drier weather pattern starting Sunday and lasting through Monday. However, another storm system will be on deck as the jet stream takes a dip to the south. This dip will result in a clash of two competing air masses, fueling the development of storms in the northern Plains and the Midwest beginning Tuesday and likely sticking around through Thursday.

You will want to keep abreast of this developing forecast as meteorologists fine tune their prediction in the coming days.

Forecast for the Northeast and the Great Lakes

It has been a topsy turvy few months for the Great Lakes and the Northeast, featuring dry and smoky conditions mixed with wet weather. This weekend’s forecast is back to the story of rain showers mixed with sporadic thunderstorms. Forecasters warn that this active weather pattern will stick around into next week.

Saturday’s wet weather came at the hands of a zone of low pressure that moved through the Southeast this week, bringing heavy rain to the region. This low pressure will continue its movement to the northeast, arriving in New England. You can expect storms to erupt along the frontal boundaries of this area of low pressure.

Humidity levels are also forecast to increase steadily across the mid-Atlantic, the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast. The boost in humidity and rain will be fueled largely by tropical moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico.

Dew points are expected to climb into the upper 60s and low 70s over the course of the next several days. This measurement indicates the temperatures at which the circulating air needs to cool off for the humidity levels to hit 100%. As a result, higher dew points translate to greater amounts of moisture in the atmosphere.

These high dew points are forecast to linger through the end of next week. A second storm originating in the Midwest is setting up to push through the region, keeping these dew points elevated. As a result, some parts of the East Coast may end up with rainfall amounts for the month of June that are all above average.

Another Round of Storms for Great Lakes and Ohio Valley

The second storm system on deck is predicted to produce severe thunderstorms in the Plains states this weekend. The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions will be next in line for this storm action by Sunday as the low pressure area moves to the east.

The greatest risk of potentially dangerous storms happened late Sunday throughout central Michigan, much of Indiana, southeastern Illinois, western Kentucky, and Ohio. These storm cells brought the risk of hail, strong winds, and isolated tornadoes.

Monday’s severe weather threat will track farther to the east, impacting areas from Pennsylvania, down through the Southeast, and to the Gulf Coast. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph will be possible with this line of storms.

In addition to the damaging winds, these storms could also deliver heavy rain. The rain will come as the moisture train from the Gulf Coast and Southeast picks up, fueling the energy associated with the frontal boundaries of the low pressure. Motorists will want to be aware that these individual storm cells will have the potential of creating torrential rain in a short amount of time.

While this rainy pattern will almost certainly wreak havoc on outdoor plans over the next week, the moisture is good news for the part of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast that is still grappling with moderate to severe drought conditions.

Cooler air coming down from Canada will filter down into the Ohio Valley by the middle of the week, bringing the temperatures down to levels that are below the historical average for the end of June. Highs will hover in the low 70s on Tuesday and Wednesday for areas such as Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh.

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