AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking new episodes of severe weather that are forecast to erupt into the weekend. While hazardous weather will shift eastward across the South into Saturday, the central Plains will once again take center stage for damaging thunderstorms by the end of the weekend.
There will be a risk of serious, life-threatening flash flooding within the severe weather zones into the weekend, which can pose an even greater threat to life and property than the dangers from hail, damaging winds and lightning strikes combined.
Portions of the mid-Mississippi Valley, southern Plains and Gulf Coast will be in the crosshairs of dangerous, damaging and disruptive thunderstorm activity into Thursday night.
 |
"The strongest storms will carry the risk of high wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes. As downpours from the storm reach areas where the ground is saturated from recent rain, the risk of flash flooding and flooding in general will escalate," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
The parent system responsible for the severe thunderstorm and flooding downpour risk into Thursday night will shift eastward toward the lower Mississippi Valley on Friday, reaching the Southeast coast at the beginning of the weekend.
"An active pattern across the Southern states and Gulf Coast will continue with more rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms and flooding downpours from Friday into Saturday," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
 |
Locations from eastern Texas through the lower Mississippi Valley and as far east as portions of Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle can face more than one round of severe weather during Friday and Friday night.
"Severe thunderstorms could cause isolated tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and hail in this zone," Pydynowski said.
Friday morning commutes along Interstate 10 from near New Orleans to Tallahassee, Florida, can be significantly impacted by a cluster of thunderstorms packing downpours and gusty winds.
Part of this zone may experience a lull in thunderstorm activity during the midday and early afternoon hours before the atmosphere is reinvigorated and another cluster of thunderstorms travels near or along I-10.
The risk of severe weather will continue into the weekend, at least in a localized fashion.
"Flooding downpours and localized severe weather will progress eastward on Saturday into Georgia, parts of the Carolinas and the remainder of the Florida Panhandle and northern Florida," Pydynowski said. Pockets of damaging winds and hail can occur, but heavy rainfall is likely to be the most widespread impact.
 |
Outdoor graduations, wedding ceremonies and beach plans are likely to be disrupted.
The next few days of wet weather will add to the staggering rainfall totals so far this month. In Mobile, Alabama, nearly 8.50 inches of rain had fallen as of Thursday morning, compared to the historical average rain for the entire month of May of 5.39 inches.
"A much-needed break in the rain and severe storms looks to move into the Southern states for the first part of next week," Pydynowski said.
While this region catches a break, AccuWeather forecasters say a multi-day risk of severe weather will return to the nation's midsection beginning on Sunday.
 |
Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, Chicago and Oklahoma City are a handful of the cities that can be impacted by thunderstorms on one or more days during the first half of next week.
