Severe thunderstorms packing quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph swept across a broad stretch of the northern Plains and Midwest early Thursday, prompting eight active Severe Thunderstorm Warnings from the National Weather Service covering North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
The outbreak has widened significantly from Wednesday, when a single warning for north central Grant County, Oklahoma, was the only severe alert in the country’s warning system. Grant County, Oklahoma, is again under warning Thursday, but the activity has since spread more than 900 miles east to southwestern Ohio and expanded across a wide band of South Dakota counties.
In South Dakota, the National Weather Service office in Aberdeen warned of a storm near Summit, about 10 miles west of Wilmot, moving east and threatening west central Big Stone County, Minnesota, along with northeastern Grant County and southwestern Roberts County, South Dakota, until 5:45 a.m. CDT. A separate line of storms tracked through Hanson, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Codington and Day counties in South Dakota; forecasters said one storm was located near Alexandria, about 9 miles southeast of Mitchell, with a second cell near Fulton, both moving east at 25 mph and both capable of 60 mph gusts and quarter-size hail. The National Weather Service said hail damage to vehicles is expected, along with wind damage to roofs, siding and trees.
In southwestern Ohio, the National Weather Service office in Wilmington issued a warning until 6:45 a.m. EDT for Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and Warren counties as a severe thunderstorm moved through the region. Additional counties in Minnesota, including Clearwater and Mahnomen, also fall within the warned area tied to the Dakotas storm complex.
Forecasters are directing residents in warned areas to seek shelter inside a well-built structure, stay away from windows and, where possible, move to an interior room on the lowest floor. The National Weather Service continues to track the individual cells and is expected to issue additional warnings as the storms progress eastward through the morning.
With eight warnings active simultaneously across four states, Thursday’s severe weather footprint is broader than the single-county alert that defined Wednesday’s story, underscoring how quickly a compact regional threat can expand into a multi-state outbreak overnight. The National Weather Service advises residents in North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Dakota to monitor local alerts as the warnings continue to evolve through the morning commute.