Dangerous storms continue to pummel the Northern Plains tonight with damaging winds and large hail, while even a couple tornadoes cannot be ruled out in western South Dakota. Even on Friday the severe threat will continue in the Northern Plains and Western Great Lakes. The jet stream continues to drive impulses around the massive high pressure which is producing the long-lasting heat wave. Potent upper-level energy is sweeping through the Dakotas tonight, drawing in unstable air to produce explosive thunderstorm development. A Tornado Watch is now in effect for western South Dakota, extreme northeast Wyoming, and extreme southeast Montana. Severe Thunderstorm Watches remain in place for eastern Wyoming, southeastern Montana, and far northwestern Nebraska. The greatest severe weather danger is from eastern Wyoming to the Dakotas. Storms are forming across eastern Wyoming, before rocketing into the western Dakotas as a cluster of potentially damaging thunderstorms tonight. In fact, the complex of thunderstorms will carry an enhanced risk for destructive wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. In addition to the high wind threat, baseball sized hail and a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Storms will also produce intense rainfall amounts in a short time. One to 3 inches of rain will overwhelm creeks, streams and rivers, producing an enhanced flash flood threat. Remember, if you approach a flooded roadway, it is best to, "Turn Around, Don`t Drown!" Casper, Wyo., Rapid City and Aberdeen, S.D., as well as Bismarck, N.D., will all need to be on high alert for threatening storms through early Friday morning. Even the Twin Cities and Rochester, Minn., could see a powerful thunderstorm roll through Friday morning. The ongoing storms across the Northern Plains as well as earlier activity along the Appalachian spine produced a plethora of severe weather reports. A man in Bernstadt, Ky. was injured when he was struck by a tree knocked down by a high wind gust, while a 79 mph gust was recorded north of Wheatland, Wyo. Egg-size hail struck the ground in Ethridge, Tenn., while golf ball size stones hit near Buffalo Gap, S.D. The stagnant weather pattern seen for this past week will reveal yet another potential for dangerous thunderstorms arcing from the Upper Mississippi Valley into the Mid-South and Southeast to close out the abbreviated holiday work week. Like today, clusters of damaging storms posing a significant wind threat will be possible from eastern South Dakota to Wisconsin on Friday. Be sure to keep WeatherBug active to receive the latest weather in your neighborhood and get the latest updates anywhere on Twitter. What do you think of this story? Click here for comments or suggestions.
