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Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall in the Northern Plains and Midwest; Fire Weather Threat in the West

Severe thunderstorms will continue to be possible over parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest through Saturday which could bring large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes. Heavy to excessive rainfall may produce flooding over a part of the Midwest today. Elevated to critical fire weather are expected today into this weekend over parts of the central Rockies and Great Basin. Read More >

Overview

An intense low pressure system moved across the Central Plains and into the Great Lakes on March 19th, bringing strong to severe thunderstorms, widespread heavy snow, and strong to damaging winds to much of the Midwest. The NWS Omaha coverage area experienced all of these hazards, with thunderstorms developing during the early morning hours, including one that produced quarter sized hail near Fort Calhoun, NE. The rain switched over to sleet through the morning and eventually heavy, wet snow, with thundersnow occurring for a few hours. In addition, 50-70+ mph wind gusts were observed with the falling snow, leading to near 0 visibility and widespread damage to trees and power lines, with numerous power outages across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Many roads and highways were also closed throughout the event.

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