‘Ring of Fire’ unleashes ridge-riding severe storms spanning 1,500 miles with destructive winds, large hail
Damaging winds exceeding 75 mph are likely across South Dakota and into southern Minnesota on Thursday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Extreme heat fuels ridge-riding severe storms across a 1,500-mile corridor
The massive heat wave gripping the Eastern Seaboard is fueling rounds of ridge-riding severe storms from the Plains to the Northeast. The next round is expected to fire up this afternoon across the Upper Midwest, tracking southeast into areas already hit earlier this week. Full outlook:
A volatile mid-summer weather pattern is taking shape across the central and northern United States as an expanding, high-amplitude heat dome brings dangerous, life-threatening temperatures while colliding with cooler northern air currents.
(FOX Weather)
This "Ring of Fire" setup is unleashing ridge-riding severe storms across 1,500 miles, spanning a vast corridor from the Central Plains through the Great Lakes and into the Northeast.
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Severe weather threats began Tuesday, with damaging storms toppling trees and power lines across Upstate New York and New England. By Wednesday, the system was producing giant hail in Wisconsin, including a 3.25-inch hailstone in Fond du Lac.
(FOX Weather)
Through Friday, the daily threat of severe storms will continue to loom across the region, with extreme temperatures acting as the catalyst.
Strong southerly winds are pumping intense heat and deep tropical moisture northward. When this highly unstable airmass interacts with mid-level atmospheric disturbances riding the edge of the heat dome, it creates an ideal environment for explosive thunderstorm development.
These severe storms will be capable of producing destructive winds and very large hail. Additionally, repeated rounds of rain over the same areas could lead to localized flash flooding.
(FOX Weather)
Fueled by daytime heating, storms are expected to re-fire Thursday afternoon across the Upper Midwest and track southeastward into the same regions impacted earlier in the week.
The primary threat with these developing storms will once again be large hail, stretching from the Dakotas into Iowa and southern Wisconsin.
FILE: Baseball-sized hail in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Tuesday, April 14.
(Eric Owens / FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Forecast Center, damaging winds exceeding 75 mph are also likely, particularly across South Dakota and into southern Minnesota.
On Friday, while the severe threat persists across the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, a Level 2 out of 5 severe threat continues to stretch into parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
BETHESDA, MARYLAND - MAY 16: In an aerial view, severe thunderstorms move through the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area causing widespread damage on May 16, 2025 in Bethesda, Maryland.
(Kevin Carter / Getty Images)
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As the primary atmospheric disturbance tracks eastward, a hot, heavily saturated airmass will prime the region for afternoon and evening convective development.
(FOX Weather)
While the Upper Midwest remains the focal point for the most intense, discrete supercells, the primary hazards for the interior Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will be damaging straight-line winds and isolated hail as storms organize into fast-moving clusters and sweep toward the coast.
Beyond the immediate threats of wind and hail, localized flash flooding is a distinct danger, the FOX Forecast Center said. Because these storm complexes frequently "train"—moving repeatedly over the exact same geographic tracks like train cars—pockets of excessive rainfall are expected along their paths, particularly where storm boundaries stall.
Rain forecast through Saturday
(FOX Weather)
As a result, a Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk is in effect through Friday across the Plains and Upper Midwest.
A widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain is anticipated from southern Minnesota through Wisconsin, with localized amounts possibly exceeding 3 inches.
Stick with FOX Weather for the latest updates as the storms unfold.