A ‘prolific wind-damage event’ is expected to unfold across parts of the country tonight, prediction center says

(CNN) — Powerful storm conditions began Thursday evening in parts of the Upper Midwest and the eastern Plains as meteorologists warned of an approaching “prolific” wind event.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of the Midwest until 10 p.m. CT Thursday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The watch was labeled as a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” or “PDS” watch — a ranking that makes up less than 3% of watches and is reserved for high-end events.

“A prolific wind-damage event is expected unfold from northeast Nebraska into southeast South Dakota and northwest Iowa/southwest Minnesota,” the SPC said, adding that widespread damaging winds and gusts of up to 105 mph were possible, along with hail up to 2 inches wide and a few tornadoes.

Across the region, more than 20 million people were under some kind of severe weather threat Thursday evening and into the night.

By Thursday evening, winds of at least 107 mph — equal to those of a Category 2 hurricane — were recorded in parts of Hutchinson County in southern South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service. Across Nebraska and South Dakota, more than two dozen locations reported winds of at least 80 mph, according to the weather service.

The weather service tweeted a photo warning of low visibility on the road as a result of the powerful winds mixing with dust in parts of Nebraska. “Wait it out if you travel,” the agency urged.

A tornado watch was issued until Thursday night for central and northeastern South Dakota, including Pierre and Aberdeen, according to the SPC, which warned of strong winds and almost baseball-sized hail.

Another tornado watch was issued for western and central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota until midnight local time, according to the SPC. Strong wind gusts and “very large hail” were also likely, the center said.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of Kansas and Nebraska until 9 p.m. CT, which included the possibility of scattered hail, powerful wind gusts of up to 80 mph and tornadoes, the weather service said.

Some of the larger cities that need to be keenly aware of the severe weather potential include Minneapolis/St. Paul in Minnesota, Omaha in Nebraska, Sioux City in Iowa, and to a lesser extent Des Moines, Iowa. Even though all hazards are on the table, including tornadoes, the greatest risk appears to be damaging straight-line winds and large hail.

As the Upper Midwest began to feel the impacts of the storms, a growing number of people were left in the dark. More than 38,000 South Dakota customers were without power Thursday evening, according to poweroutage.us. More than 18,000 customers were without power in Minnesota, according to the website.

The latest storms come on the heels of a severe weather outbreak Wednesday and another round of storms that brought more than 130 reports of hail, wind and tornadoes to the same region on Monday.

The storms are fueled by hot temperatures

The storms are fueled by temperatures in the region that are more commonly seen in mid-July.

Throughout Thursday, temperature records were broken from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, with states including Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin all recording temperatures in the 90s in some areas.

The combination of heat and humidity helped pave the way for the storms.

“Warm and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico has surged northward through the Plains and into the Upper Midwest,” pushing those temperatures into the 90s, CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward said.

“The warm and juicy airmass is providing ample energy to fuel severe storms with wind gusts over hurricane-force, baseball-sized hail and even tornadoes,” Ward added.

Peak of tornado season

According to the SPC, May is statistically, the peak of the US tornado season with the most tornadoes reported of any month. Peak activity across the upper Midwest can extend into late May and even June as the jet stream typically pulls northward later in the spring.

Regardless of statistics and monthly averages, the SPC is able to identify areas that are at greatest risk of severe weather.

Just like the forecast for Thursday, conditions are favorable for severe weather development — but this does not necessarily mean you will experience damaging winds, large hail or tornadoes.

However, it’s best to have a plan in place for you and your family should strong storms threaten. This includes having multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings, such as text messages or a NOAA Weather Radio.