Severe Weather Threat Shifts to Northern Plains Monday

Vehicles throughout the Dakotas Monday night could sustain damage similar to what this car near Lynchburg, Va., suffered late Saturday (Photo by "5 State Weather" Facebook group).

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Mar 25, 2012; 4:12 PM ET

The Southeast will not face another round of severe weather on Monday. Instead, the danger will shift to the northern Plains.
Monday's severe weather threat will actually be confined to the Dakotas, from I-94 southward, and will take until close to sunset to get underway.
When the severe weather finally commences, western South Dakota will be its first target. The violent thunderstorms will then race across the remainder of the Dakotas overnight, gradually weakening after midnight.
The strongest thunderstorms Monday evening will be capable of unleashing large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
Hail is the greatest threat from any severe thunderstorm that lingers beyond midnight.

The hail throughout Monday night could be large enough to shatter windows, dent vehicles and injure livestock.
As was the case across Virginia and the Carolinas Saturday afternoon, residents across the Dakotas may wake up Tuesday morning saying, "What the hail?"
The severe weather will not erupt during the daylight hours since it will take until Monday evening for a potent storm from the West to reach the northern Plains.
Temperatures prior to the storm's arrival will soar into the 80s northward to Rapid City and Pierre, S.D., with numerous record highs being challenged.
Before the severe weather erupts, the storm will also kick up strong winds across the central Rockies and neighboring Front Range on Monday.

The winds will gust up to 55 mph in the I-25 corridor from Denver, Colo., to Cheyenne, Wyo., to Casper, Wyo. Similar wind speeds will get recorded across western Nebraska and neighboring South Dakota.
The strength of the winds could cause damage and overturn semi-trucks. The impending winds have also significantly heightened the fire danger across the Front Range, where rainfall has been extremely scarce this month.
Blowing dust is another danger motorists throughout the Front Range may face Monday as the winds starting howling.

Severe Weather Threat Shifts to Northern Plains Monday