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Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding are set to impact millions across the Central and Eastern United States, with multiple rounds of storms expected into early next week. According to AccuWeather, the storms will stretch from the Great Plains to the Northeast, following an active jet stream along the northern edge of a shifting heat dome.
The stormy pattern, which has already resulted in hundreds of severe weather reports, will continue through the weekend. Areas from eastern Pennsylvania to the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts will experience heavy thunderstorms, with a concentration of severe weather expected from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In the Plains, regions from northeastern Colorado to southern Saskatchewan will face large hail, high winds, and flooding downpours.
A significant zone of torrential rain will extend from the Texas Panhandle to southern Michigan and northern Ohio, with flash flooding already reported in Amarillo, Texas. The risk of storms with damaging hail, high winds, and flash flooding will persist on Saturday (July 26) across the Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. The Chicago and Detroit metro areas are particularly at risk for downburst wind gusts and flash flooding.
On Sunday (July 27), severe thunderstorms capable of producing strong wind gusts and flash flooding will threaten areas from southwestern New England to West Virginia, potentially disrupting travel in major cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. A large complex of severe thunderstorms may develop over North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, moving southeastward toward the shores of Lakes Superior and Michigan, with wind gusts up to 90 mph.
The storm pattern is expected to last several more days, with additional rounds of severe weather possible into Monday and Tuesday. A push of cool air from central Canada may eventually end the thunderstorms in the Great Lakes and Northeast but could increase the risk farther south.