(AccuWeather) – An 800,000-square-mile swath of the central United States will be at risk for rounds of severe thunderstorms, including the potential for tornadoes, starting late this week and continuing well into next week. “Severe weather across the nation’s midsection during the middle days of this week will be confined to localized clusters affecting only a fraction of the region,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. A narrow band of thunderstorms is forecast to slice southeastward from Nebraska to Michigan and Indiana from Thursday afternoon to Thursday night.
A few communities can be hit with severe weather and flash flooding. Chicago may be affected late in the day or during the evening. “By Friday and into this weekend, multiple states will be at risk,” Pydynowski said. This several day outbreak will put at least 18 different states in the path of dangerous weather in the coming days. There is a risk area highlighted for severe weather every day on the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) day four through eight outlook. This is the first time that has happened since that SPC product became operational in 2007, according to Harold Brooks, a senior scientist of the Forecast Research and Development Division at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. READ MORE