Hail as Easter weekend approaches: severe storms and flooding downpours target the Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes
hail is expected to be a primary hazard as heavy to severe thunderstorms and potentially flooding rain affect parts of the Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Great Lakes from Monday night into Easter weekend, with travel and outdoor plans vulnerable to disruption—especially when storms occur after dark.
What Happens When hail becomes the main threat Monday night?
The first round of potent thunderstorms is forecast to erupt across multiple Upper Midwest states Monday night. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said the main threat from severe weather Monday night will be hail. Along with disruptive downpours, he said some storms may also produce strong wind gusts.
The timing matters as much as the intensity. With storms expected to occur after dark in some areas, locally dangerous conditions are possible where the strongest cells develop. For drivers and anyone with outdoor plans, the combination of reduced visibility, heavy rain, and severe storm impacts can quickly change conditions on roads and in open areas.
What If Tuesday’s severe weather risk stretches 1, 400 miles?
On Tuesday, the risk of severe weather is forecast to broaden dramatically. The threat zone is expected to run from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois east through western and central New York and northwestern Pennsylvania, while also extending southwest to central Oklahoma and parts of northern Texas.
Buckingham said Tuesday’s storms may bring large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a few tornadoes. He described the greatest concentration of risk from southern Michigan to northeast Illinois, including the northern parts of Indiana and Ohio.
Wind also becomes a defining factor for planning. The AccuWeather Local StormMax
wind gust for Tuesday is 85 mph, signaling the potential for intense bursts capable of creating hazardous travel conditions and property impacts where the strongest storms track.
What Happens When the threat shifts south, then cycles back into the Midwest?
On Wednesday, the severe weather threat is forecast to shift south and consolidate over the Plains and parts of the Mississippi Valley. Severe weather is anticipated from central Texas through central and southeastern Kansas into southwestern and central Missouri. As on Tuesday, a more concentrated zone of severe storms with large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a few tornadoes is forecast. That zone is likely to extend from north-central Texas, including Dallas, into central and northeastern Oklahoma, including Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Farther east, heavy thunderstorms are forecast to drench the mid-Atlantic region on Wednesday. Along with downpours that can slow travel, some storms may produce winds strong enough to break tree branches and send trash cans and recycling bins flying.
The pattern continues into late week. The risk of severe weather is expected to persist across parts of the Mississippi Valley and Plains on Thursday and Friday, with Thursday’s storms capable of producing strong wind gusts and hail from northern Arkansas to southern Wisconsin. From late Friday to Friday night, the severe weather threat is forecast to shift farther southwest as another storm moves out of the Rockies. By Friday night, the severe weather threat zone is expected to extend from central Texas to southwestern Iowa. The strongest storms on Friday may produce high wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes.
Across the multi-day setup, rainfall may be beneficial for some areas while becoming problematic for others, especially where downpours turn persistent or where storms repeatedly track over the same locations.
