Meteorologist Ryan Hall says the national weather pattern is about to get very busy, with severe storms, flooding rain, building heat, returning Plains storm chances, and even early tropical activity all showing up on the map at nearly the same time.
In a new forecast on his Ryan Hall, Y’all channel, Hall said the storm setup begins today across the Plains and upper Midwest before shifting east on Friday.
He described it as a pattern that is “reloading,” with several different hazards arriving one after another instead of one clean storm system moving through and clearing out.
Starting today, Hall said big hail-producing storms are expected to develop over the High Plains and upper Midwest, with a possible overnight windstorm becoming a growing concern.
“This time it looks like it really means business,” Hall said, adding that short-range models were beginning to line up around the idea of a stronger overnight wind threat.
Severe Storms Fire Up Across The Plains
According to Hall, the main severe weather zone today stretches from northeast Wyoming into western South Dakota, western Nebraska, and southwest Minnesota.
He specifically named Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Gillette, and Watertown as places sitting closer to the bullseye for the strongest storms.
Omaha and Minneapolis, Hall said, are in a lower-end marginal risk, meaning they could still see storms but may avoid the worst of the severe weather.
The setup is familiar for early June. Hall explained that a wave of energy will drop into the northern Plains while warm, humid air rises up into the region. A cold front then pushes in behind it, creating the clash needed for storms to form.
The first storms may be individual supercells, which could produce hail larger than two inches. Hall compared that to egg-sized hail, bigger than golf balls, and warned that it can be enough to smash windshields.
That is the kind of detail people should take seriously. Hail is sometimes treated like a side hazard compared with tornadoes, but large hail can destroy vehicles, damage roofs, injure people caught outside, and make roads dangerous very quickly.
Hall said there is also a smaller tornado risk, especially later in the day when low-level wind shear improves. However, he made clear that the main headline is damaging wind and hail.
An Overnight Wind Threat Could Become A Big Problem
Once the sun goes down, Hall expects storms to merge into a larger cluster and race eastward with winds over 60 mph.
Those winds, he said, can knock down trees, bring limbs onto power lines, and leave people without electricity.
Hall warned anyone traveling on Interstate 90 in South Dakota to prepare for sudden zero visibility and torrential rain if the line crosses the highway.
“Pull over safely and let the line pass,” Hall said, also warning drivers not to park under overpasses.
That is an important point because storm panic on highways can create its own danger. Overpasses can become traffic traps, and stopping in the wrong place during a wind-driven storm can put drivers and others at risk.
Hall said the exact track of the overnight wind cluster remains the main uncertain detail. But he said anyone from the Black Hills toward southwest Minnesota should have a sturdy shelter plan for Thursday night.
His warning was direct: people in that corridor should know a “big wall of wind” could be coming their way.
Hall also used that part of the forecast to remind viewers about overnight warnings, saying that storms may hit while people are asleep. The broader message was simple: do not rely on noticing thunder or seeing lightning before taking severe weather seriously.
Flooding Rain Remains A Major Concern
While hail and wind are the headline farther north, Hall said flooding is still a serious issue in other parts of the country.
He pointed to a marginal risk for excessive rain running from the Plains into the upper Midwest and down into South Florida.
In South Florida, Hall said a stalled front remains stuck over the peninsula, keeping the Miami metro in a stubborn heavy-rain pattern.
He warned that downpours could dump two to three inches of rain per hour over the area, with local totals reaching three to five inches.
With saturated ground already in place, Hall said flooded streets, stalled cars, and messy travel could become a real problem, especially during the Thursday commute.
He joked that some people might “literally need a boat” to get across town, but the underlying warning was serious. In urban areas like Miami, fast rainfall rates can overwhelm drains quickly, and drivers often underestimate how little water it takes to stall or move a vehicle.
Farther north, Hall said storms could also train over the same areas from southwest Minnesota into Iowa and eastern South Dakota.
He said rain may fall so quickly that roads, culverts, rural back roads, and low-lying intersections may not be able to keep up.
Friday Pushes The Threat Into The Midwest
By Friday, Hall said the storm machine shifts east into the upper Midwest.
He said the severe risk runs from central and eastern Nebraska into Iowa, southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. The cities he is watching closely include Omaha, Lincoln, Rochester, Sioux City, and Council Bluffs.
Kansas City and Milwaukee, Hall said, are closer to the edge of the threat, meaning they may avoid the worst but should still pay attention.
He also mentioned Chicago baseball fans, saying anyone heading to Wrigley Field on Friday should keep “half an eye on the radar,” especially if storms are nearby earlier in the day.
The main severe window, according to Hall, appears to be Friday afternoon into the evening.
He said a strengthening wave of energy will roll into the upper Mississippi Valley while a cold front moves into warm and unstable air. Winds changing with height may help storms organize quickly.
That means large hail, damaging winds, and possibly a few tornadoes.
Hall said Friday may carry a slightly better chance of isolated tornadoes than today, especially if low-level winds ramp up in the right area.
This is where the forecast becomes more uncertain but also more concerning. Morning clouds could change how much instability builds, and that may shift where the worst storms form.
The West Gets A Break While The East Heats Up
Not every region is facing dangerous weather at once.
Hall said the western half of the country is set to enjoy excellent conditions as dry, stable air settles in across the central Rockies and Intermountain West.
He named places such as Medford, Oregon, and Mount Shasta, California, as examples of areas expected to see clear skies, low rain chances, and comfortable highs around the upper 70s to near 80 degrees.
Dew points may drop into the low 40s, giving the air a crisp feel. Hall said Friday afternoon could be ideal for hiking, patio dining, or opening windows.
But by the weekend, the national map gets more complicated again.
Hall said a severe weather threat area is already flagged for Montana and western North Dakota on Saturday afternoon and evening. He called that notable for June and said another low-pressure system and cold front could team up with instability and wind shear to produce organized storms in the northern High Plains.
Meanwhile, high pressure is expected to build over the East, pumping warmer air into the region.
Hall said parts of the Mid-Atlantic coast could reach a level two or three out of four on the heat risk scale. He specifically warned people attending the Governor’s Ball in Queens or the Belmont Stakes in Saratoga Springs to hydrate.
Overnight lows may only drop into the 70s Friday and Saturday, meaning the body gets less chance to cool down. Hall said that kind of heat can become dangerous for vulnerable people.
Tropics, Drought Signals And Next Week’s Pattern
Hall also said the weather story does not end after the weekend.
He noted that tropical season is underway, with Tropical Depression 1E forming in the eastern Pacific. Hall said it may peak as a strong tropical storm near 65 mph, but it is expected to move northwest away from land.
He also said he is watching another low-pressure area off Central America and southern Mexico with a 50% chance of development over the next seven days.
For the United States, Hall said severe weather could return to the northern and central High Plains by Tuesday or Wednesday as another western system moves stronger upper-level winds back into the region.
“This is just happening over and over again,” Hall said.
Looking farther out, Hall said there is also a slight risk of extreme heat from the northern and central Plains into the Great Lakes in the 8-to-14-day range.
That warmth, combined with a possible lack of rain in some areas, may feed into rapid drought concerns across parts of the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
His larger point was that summer is beginning to show all of its faces at once: severe storms in the Plains and Midwest, flooding rain in the South, heat building in the East, drought concerns in the longer range, and tropical systems waking up in the Pacific.
It is a lot to track, and that may be the biggest takeaway from Hall’s forecast.
This is not one simple storm day. It is a shifting pattern where today’s danger zone may not be tomorrow’s danger zone, and where the next hazard may be building before the current one has fully moved out.
Hall said the details could still shift, especially with next week’s setup. But for now, the message is clear: the storm machine is reloading, and millions of people across several regions may need to stay weather aware through the weekend and beyond.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
