June 03, 2013 - UNITED STATES - A new week is underway and another round of severe weather is unfolding, including the risk of tornadoes over the Plains.
The overall storm system projected to bring the violent storms to the
Plains is not as intense or as slow-moving as that of last week.
However, the system is strong enough to threaten lives and property with
severe weather, including some of the same areas hit hard by last
week's destructive and deadly storms.
The storms are more likely to hit during or shortly after the evening
rush hour each day, rather than first thing in the morning. However,
there can be some exceptions.
Spotty severe thunderstorms fired across the High Plains into Monday evening.
Late Monday, severe storms will mostly be found from the northern
Texas Panhandle northward into western parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and
Nebraska.
During Monday evening, cities and towns with the greatest potential
for these storms include Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas; Woodward, Okla.;
Liberal, Garden City and Goodland, Kan.; and North Platte and Valentine,
Neb.
Tuesday and Wednesday, the greatest risk of severe weather will settle
slowly southeastward. The storms may focus over Kansas and northern and
western Oklahoma late Tuesday, then over central and southeastern
Oklahoma by late Wednesday.
This is not expected to be a major outbreak of severe weather. Even
isolated thunderstorms can wreak havoc on the locations they affect.
The greatest impacts from these storms will be large hail and strong
wind gusts. A few of the strongest storms could produce a tornado.
The chance of a tornado will be quite low for any particular area.
However, it is impossible to predict in advance of several minutes which
local areas will be hit the hardest.
Golf ball- to tennis ball-sized hail can injure or kill exposed
livestock and people, damage vehicles and shatter windows. Hail of this
size can also destroy crops.
Wind gusts of 60 mph can cause damage to power poles and down trees
and large tree limbs. Loose debris can also be easily picked up, and
dust can be lofted into the air, leading to low visibility.
If you will be out and about in the alerted area this week, keep an
eye to the sky, monitor radars on your smart phone and pay attention to
weather bulletins.
Once thunderstorms develop, they will strengthen quickly, and dangerous conditions could follow soon after.
While the situation this week does not favor a broad area of new
flooding problems, storms at the local level can cause incidents of
flash and urban flooding.
Additional rainfall onto area streams and
rivers can lead to new rises on the waterways.
Current technology has advanced enough over recent years to
provide ample alert of the potential for severe weather and the approach
of localized severe storms. Be sure to understand the difference
between a watch and a warning.
A watch means that an area is being
monitored for dangerous weather. A warning means that dangerous weather
is imminent. When a warning is issued, there may be too little time to
travel across town or across a county to escape the storm.
The time to
have a plan of action and move to the general vicinity of a storm
shelter or safe area is when a watch is issued.
Keep in mind that lightning is one of Mother Nature's most dangerous
killers. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to
be struck by lightning, even if the sun is still shining. -
AccuWeather.
