Baseball-Size Hail, Tornadoes Possible Thursday In Midwest

ACROSS AMERICA — Hurricane-force winds, tornadoes and baseball-size hail are all in the forecast Thursday for parts of the Midwest.

The disruptive weather is expected in western Minnesota, eastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota, according to the National Weather Service. Central and southern Minnesota, eastern Nebraska and western Iowa could also be affected.

An early surge of heat and humidity in the center of the country will clash with an east-moving cold front, resulting in the storms, according to AccuWeather.

"In many cases, the pattern and behavior of severe weather over the North Central states this week will be more typical of July, rather than early May,” senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski told AccuWeather.

Gusts could near 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service, and AccuWeather reported over 21 million people are at risk for the storms. The Red River Valley of the North may face the biggest threat of violent storms, according to AccuWeather.

“Anyone planning to be out in the elements might want to reconsider travel plans as flooding on roadways can be particularly difficult to see at night, and conditions can often change rapidly," meteorologist Jessica Storm told AccuWeather.