ALERT DAY: Severe thunderstorms possible Thursday afternoon to evening

ALERT DAY TODAY for the Weather First area!

A cold front is expected to track through later this afternoon and/or into the evening hours, bringing the chance for t-storms, some of which could be strong to severe.

All of the Weather First area is under a slight risk (level 2 out of 5) for severe t-storms later today capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, and even perhaps an isolated tornado or two.

Timing for severe t-storms looks to be between 4:00PM to 10:00PM CDT, but some t-storms may take place within an hour or two ahead or past that timeframe depending on location and speed of the cold front passage.

A non-severe round of showers and t-storms is expected to track through over the next several hours ahead of the cold front still back off in the Dakotas. Just expect a few brief showers/heavy downpours with this morning/early afternoon round.

The second round looks to arrive between 4PM-6PM CDT, when the heat of the day and humidity will provide plenty of fuel for strong t-storm development. This round looks to impact our area until about 9-10PM or so, after which the cold front moves east and quiet weather filters in from the west.

If you have outdoor plans late this afternoon into the evening, be sure to stay tuned to the latest forecast and keep an eye on Interactive Radar. We’ll have any Watches and Warnings right here at kaaltv.com, on-air, and on our ABC 6 News app.