Western North Dakota Braces For Elevated Risk For Severe Weather

***UPDATE***Western & Central North Dakota have been upgraded to Level 3 severe weather threat for Thursday, June 27th. 

This is according to the Storm Prediction Center from the National Weather Service.  Parts of North Dakota have seen a Level 2 threat this year, but now western & central North Dakota are taking it up a notch.  Here's that map.

The Level 3 threat for severe weather now includes nearly all of our listening areas in south-central and southwest North Dakota.

The Storm Prediction Center mentions that Thursday could bring this area hail, strong straight-line winds, and the possibility of Tornadoes.  Supercell thunderstorms are expected to develop.

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer agrees with the Storm Prediction Center/National Weather Service.

Check out this post he made earlier this week.  Not only does he agree but he is coming to western North Dakota to do some storm chasing today.

"All hazards possible including gorilla hail (I've never heard that term before) and tornadoes".  Yep, parts of North Dakota could look like the movie "Twisters" on Thursday.  Somebody get "Dorthy" ready to go.

South-central North Dakota, including the Capital Region, is also under a Level 3 threat for severe weather.  The main threat will be golf ball-sized hail, damaging winds up to 80 miles per hour, and a tornado or two possible.

The biggest threat for tornadoes will be in western North Dakota in the Level 3 risk area.

Timing of these storms for Thursday?

Storms will move in from eastern Montana Thursday afternoon and affect western North Dakota as they continue to move east into central North Dakota by evening.

Our meteorologists with Severe Studios will continue to monitor the situation for you.  Be weather-aware on Thursday.