A frontal system currently tracking through the Great Plains will spread rain showers and thunderstorms across the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley and Midwest tonight.
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Some storms may be severe, which is why the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms for parts of eastern Oklahoma and the western Ozarks region, where a few supercells capable of producing hail, isolated severe gusts and a tornado are possible.
Some light rain shower activity will spread into the Lower Great Lakes and interior Northeast tomorrow as a second system begins to emerge from the Rockies.
This new system, powered by a deep upper-level low will strengthen as it moves into the Great Plains on Thursday.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop along a warm front ascending through parts of the Central Plains and Missouri Valley Thursday afternoon into Thursday night, where a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms is in effect.
Large hail and a couple of tornadoes are possible from the storms.
This rising warm front will spread showers and thunderstorms into the Upper Midwest Thursday night into Friday morning.
Another surface wave embedded farther upstream from the Plains system will rapidly strengthen as it moves into the Plains on Friday afternoon.
Before this it will produce showers and thunderstorms across the Pacific Northwest tonight.
Heavy mountain snow will develop across the Sierra and showers and scattered thunderstorms spread into the Great Basin and Intermountain West on Thursday, as a cold front moves through the interior West.
This system will bring another round of showers and thunderstorms to the Great Plains and Upper Midwest by Friday afternoon, while generating snow showers over the highest elevations of the Northern Rockies.
Severe thunderstorms are possible from the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandles into southeastern South Dakota, where the Storm Prediction Center issued a Slight Risk for Friday.
Hail and strong/damaging wind gusts will be the main concerns from any severe weather that materializes, but severe hail may occur from parts of the lower/middle Missouri Valley into parts of the Upper Midwest Friday afternoon into Friday night.
Over the next few days, warm air will spread across the Plains and southern tier states beneath an upper-level ridge.
A Critical Risk of fire weather is in effect for parts of the Southwest, Southern Plains and Front Range tonight due to gusty winds, warm temperatures and dry conditions.
Highs will be 15-20 degrees above average for parts of the Front Range and Texas/Oklahoma panhandle on Thursday.
Temperatures will be summer-like over parts of the Central Plains on Friday with highs likely to be between 20-30 degrees above average.
The ridge will also expand into the Southeast on Friday which will allow for the spreading of warm air into the East through the weekend.
Cold air will persist across the northern tier states over the next few days. ■