Meteorologist Max Schuster is warning that a busy and potentially dangerous severe weather pattern is taking shape this week, with several rounds of storms expected to target the Northern Plains, Midwest, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley over the next several days.
In a new forecast for Max Velocity – Severe Weather Center, Schuster said the setup could become the most concerning severe weather stretch since April, with Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday standing out as the main days to watch.
He said the pattern may bring widespread damaging winds, very large hail, and the possibility of tornadoes, including a few stronger ones if storms can organize in the right areas.
“I am growing very concerned about the weather that’s coming this week,” Schuster said, pointing to a setup that does not appear to be limited to one quick round of storms.
A Busy Week Begins With Monday Storms
Schuster said Monday is expected to be the lowest severe weather day of the next five or six days, but that does not mean it is quiet.
He highlighted a slight risk of severe weather northeast of Denver, along with three separate marginal risk zones, including one in the far Northern Plains, another across the central Plains, and another in the mid-Mississippi River Valley.
The main concerns Monday are damaging wind gusts and large hail, with the chance of a few more intense storms where the atmosphere becomes more favorable.
Schuster said a low tornado risk may develop across parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado, even though the Storm Prediction Center’s tornado outlook was more focused northeast of Denver at the time of his forecast.
That is one of the more important parts of this setup because early-week severe weather risks can shift quickly once boundaries from earlier storms settle into place, and even a small leftover boundary can sometimes help focus a stronger storm later in the day.
Schuster specifically said storms may develop around 6 to 7 p.m. near Colby, Sterling, and Scottsbluff, with many of them acting as downburst wind producers.
He also said he would not rule out an isolated tornado or two, especially if a storm forms along a remnant boundary near Salina or Kansas City.
Tuesday Could Bring A More Serious Threat
The tone of Schuster’s forecast changed sharply when he moved into Tuesday, because that is when the pattern begins to look more significant.
According to Schuster, Tuesday carries the potential for strong and large tornadoes, though he said the minimum concern is already enough on its own: very large hail and damaging winds across parts of North Dakota and far northern South Dakota.
He said people from Minneapolis down toward Kansas City should stay alert for an increasing severe weather threat late Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday evening.
Schuster described an intense low-level jet setting up across the Northern Plains, which could help create a higher-end severe weather day.
He said supercells may begin developing around 5 to 6 p.m. across South Dakota and North Dakota, and while one model showed three discrete supercells, Schuster said he thought one or two was more realistic.
Still, one or two storms can be enough when the ingredients are present.
Schuster said those storms may produce very large hail and even a threat for a strong, long-track tornado, before storms begin to merge into a line later in the evening.
By 8 to 9 p.m., he said the tornado risk may begin to lower as storms upscale, but damaging winds and very large hail would remain a concern near places such as Aberdeen, Jamestown, and east of Bismarck.
The storms may continue into the overnight hours with damaging winds, large hail, and even a couple of tornadoes still possible.
Wednesday Has A High Ceiling
Schuster called Wednesday a day with a “high ceiling,” meaning the atmosphere may support a major event if storms come together the right way.
The Storm Prediction Center already had a level three out of five enhanced risk in place for parts of the Upper Midwest, including Minneapolis, Rochester, Owatonna, and Wausau, Wisconsin, according to Schuster’s report.
A larger slight risk area stretched across all of Minnesota, into northern Missouri, nearly all of Iowa, northwest Illinois, and much of Wisconsin.
Schuster said Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rockford were just outside the main slight risk area at the time, but he believed that risk could expand eastward in future outlooks.
He said Wednesday could bring widespread damaging winds, very large hail, and a few strong tornadoes.
“Wednesday is a day that we need to be staying really alert for,” Schuster said, adding that the environment looked “very ripe.”
What makes Wednesday so interesting is that Schuster was not just looking at one storm parameter. He pointed to strong low-level winds across the Midwest, along with intense upper-level winds and a negatively tilted trough, which he said can support a higher-end severe weather day.
That does not guarantee an outbreak, and Schuster was careful to note that any severe weather day can still “bust,” but the setup clearly had his attention.
Tornado Outbreak Potential Is On The Table
Schuster said Wednesday may even bring the potential for a severe weather outbreak across the Midwest, and he would not rule out the possibility of a tornado outbreak.
That kind of wording matters because meteorologists do not usually lean into it unless the pattern has enough support to be taken seriously.
Schuster said the greatest tornado potential on Wednesday may focus around Minneapolis and Rochester, back toward Wausau and Appleton, though he noted the exact area was still uncertain.
By around 7 p.m., he said a line of thunderstorms could stretch from Missouri all the way back into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
That would put places such as Appleton, Davenport, Milwaukee, and Chicago on alert, especially if the line becomes capable of producing damaging winds or if any discrete storms form ahead of it.
For people who do not follow severe weather closely, the difference between a messy storm line and a few isolated supercells can be easy to miss, but it is often the difference between a mainly wind-driven event and one where tornado risk becomes more serious.
Schuster’s concern appears to be that Wednesday may have both possibilities: a line capable of producing significant wind damage, plus the chance that any storms forming ahead of it could rotate.
Thursday Keeps The Pattern Going
The threat does not end Wednesday.
Schuster said Thursday could bring another severe weather risk across a wide area, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, St. Louis, areas just north of Jefferson City, and near Columbus.
Those areas were included in a level two out of five slight risk, with very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes once again possible.
He said Thursday’s setup may affect the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley, and could extend toward areas such as Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
The important thing here is not just that storms may happen on Thursday, but that it would come after several earlier rounds of severe weather. That can raise the stakes because people may already be tired of alerts, sirens, watches, and warnings by the time the next round arrives.
Severe weather fatigue is real, and it can lead people to tune out at the exact moment they should be paying attention.
Schuster said Friday should be more low-end compared with the Tuesday-through-Thursday stretch, but he reminded viewers that the country is still in the peak of severe weather season.
Damaging Winds, Hail, And Flooding Concerns
While tornadoes tend to grab the most attention, Schuster repeatedly stressed that damaging winds and very large hail may be major threats this week.
He said Tuesday could bring storms capable of very large hail and damaging winds across the Northern Plains, while Wednesday may feature a broader and more significant wind threat across the Midwest.
Thursday could then continue the pattern farther east and south.
The video description for Schuster’s forecast also flagged a major flooding risk threatening Florida, adding another layer to what already looks like an active weather week.
That part is important because flooding often gets less attention in severe weather coverage, even though it can become deadly fast, especially when heavy rain falls repeatedly over the same area or hits places with poor drainage.
Schuster’s larger message was that this week may not be a one-day event where people can simply focus on a single storm system and move on. Instead, several regions may need to watch multiple rounds of weather, with different hazards depending on the day and location.
Staying Alert Through The Middle Of The Week
Schuster said Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday look like some of the most significant severe weather days since April, especially after a quieter May.
He said May did not bring many major severe weather days, aside from a few notable tornadoes, but this week has the potential to produce one or two notable events on a larger scale.
That does not mean every city inside the risk zones will get severe weather, and it does not mean every storm will become dangerous.
But Schuster’s forecast makes clear that the ingredients are there for a more active and concerning pattern, especially from the Northern Plains into the Midwest and Great Lakes.
For residents in the risk areas, the best advice is simple: know which day matters most for your location, have more than one way to receive warnings, and do not wait until storms are already overhead to figure out where to shelter.
Schuster’s warning was not framed as panic, but it was firm. The next several days may bring damaging winds, very large hail, and tornadoes across a large part of the country, and the middle of the week appears to be the period that deserves the closest attention.
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.
