Powerful thunderstorms will ramp up this week across the Central states, AccuWeather meteorologists warn, as a potent storm advancing across southern Canada sparks rounds of severe weather from the Dakotas to the Ohio Valley.

The pattern will usher somewhat cooler and less humid conditions into the Plains and Great Lakes, where highs have been soaring into the upper 90s recently.

Through Wednesday night, the area at risk for severe thunderstorms will span from far southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan into the Dakotas. The strongest thunderstorms are expected to develop later in the afternoon and will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail, flooding downpours and even a few tornadoes.

Storms Wednesday night can wane into the early morning hours on Thursday across South Dakota and portions of southern Minnesota. The threat of thunderstorms will be renewed by the afternoon from northeastern Minnesota and southward through central Kansas.

“An active stretch of weather is set to continue across the Midwest in the days leading up to the extended Labor Day weekend, with the risk for damaging thunderstorms still in the offing,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.

Forecasters are highlighting a “moderate risk” of storms within this region, particularly between the population centers of Minneapolis and Des Moines, Iowa.

Similar severe weather hazards will be possible again from Thursday to Thursday night, ranging from flooding downpours and hail to damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for damaging wind gusts on Thursday is 85 mph.

As the week continues, yet another day with a risk of severe weather will develop farther east into the Great Lakes.

From Friday afternoon to Friday night, residents from the Chicago suburbs to Indianapolis on eastward to Detroit will be face the threat of disruptive storms. Those traveling along interstates 57, 69, 70 and 75 may experience travel slowdowns or delays during the evening commute as the holiday weekend officially begins.

While the area likely to be impacted by storms on Friday is smaller than on Thursday, it includes a handful of higher population centers and metro areas. This region has already faced disruptions from storms earlier in the week, and additional impacts on Friday could double down on those still recovering.

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“Many residents are still without power across Michigan in the wake of the thunderstorm activity on Tuesday, which can pose a heightened risk as additional strong storms are expected again on Friday,” pointed out Buckingham.

Into the weekend, pockets of showers and thunderstorms may continue to impact portions of far northern Minnesota into northern Michigan. However, a zone of high pressure migrating into the northern Plains will promote mainly dry weather from the Dakotas to Illinois.

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