Nebraska faces risk of large hail as severe weather threat stretches from Texas to Minnesota

Nebraska faces risk of large hail as severe weather threat stretches from Texas to Minnesota

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Severe thunderstorms will move through seven states on Sunday afternoon and evening bringing potentially very large hail to Nebraska and damaging winds through the Plains. 

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – A large area in Nebraska could see tennis ball-sized hail Sunday afternoon as thunderstorms bring the threat of severe weather to a large chunk of the central U.S., from Texas to Minnesota. 

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon into the night hours across Nebraska and north Kansas. This area could see very large hail up to 3 inches in diameter, damaging winds between 60 and 80 mph and the potential for a tornado or two.

Three-hour radar loop. Warning boxes are color coded as: Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in yellow, Tornado Warnings in red, Tornado Warnings with a confirmed tornado in purple, Flash Flood Warnings in green and Flash Flood Emergencies in pink.
(FOX Weather)

 

Thunderstorms will begin moving across eastern Nebraska and central Kansas by Sunday afternoon.

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“Discrete supercells that are expected to develop along this cold front, dry line boundary that’s going to erupt through the late afternoon and evening,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said. “It’s these storms across Nebraska that have the greater potential of producing a tornado.”

The risk area includes places such as Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, Norfolk, Nebraska, and areas northwest of Kansas City, Kansas. 

Severe weather outlook on Sunday for the northern Plains.
(FOX Weather)

 

On Sunday, the SPC placed a larger area of the Plains and Southwest under a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms. The area includes 9.5 million people and major cities such as Wichita, Kansas, and Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as locations from southwest Texas to Minnesota.

Severe thunderstorms began moving through North Texas and southern Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon, bringing the potential for large hail up to 2 inches and wind gusts up to 70 mph. 

Sunday and Monday flooding outlook.
(FOX Weather)

 

Areas including, Des Moines, Iowa, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, will face widespread rain and gusting winds earlier Sunday. The strongest line of storms is not expected to move through Nebraska until after dark Sunday night.

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Heavy rain between Sunday night and Monday morning could lead to flash flooding in the northern Plains. The threat of flooding will linger into Tuesday for parts of Nebraska along the Missouri River.

During the overnight hours, wind and rain are the primary risks, according to the FOX Forecast Center.