Tornado Prospects Today

Severe thunderstorms are likely today across Nebraska and spreading east into portions of the upper Mississippi Valey.

Some thunderstorms Monday morning are already becoming severe, but this is round one of what should be a two part severe event. By this afternoon and evening, as the atmosphere becomes moderately to strongly unstable, isolated supercell thunderstorms will likely form. Any of these storms can produce very large hail and a few tornadoes. The threat continues to exist for a strong (EF-2 or greater) tornado, particularly from northeastern Nebraska into far southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota. The time-frame to look for the most intense tornado would appear to be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The tornado threat in the morning is low, but begins to ramp up during the afternoon. The thunderstorm threat will shift more toward widespread damaging winds into Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded the region to a Moderate Risk for severe thunderstorms. More severe thunderstorms are expected on Tuesday, although slightly further east of the area being monitored on Monday.