Severe storms stretch from Plains into Northeast over holiday weekend

The threat of storms will increase from the Plains into the Northeast heading into the holiday weekend.

There were five reported tornadoes in Wyoming and Colorado on Thursday, as well as flash flooding in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and serious wind damage in Maryland and the Carolinas.

A storm system moving out of the West Friday will bring more strong to severe storms from the Plains to the Carolinas.

The most severe storms Friday will be from Colorado to Kansas, including Denver. The biggest threat with these storms will be damaging winds, huge hail and an isolated tornado.

This western storm system with a cold front will move east by Saturday, bringing a threat for strong to severe storms for the Northeast, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

The biggest threat from these storms Saturday will be damaging winds, some hail and heavy rain, with flash flooding also possible.

Through the holiday weekend, some areas from the Dakotas to the Southeast could see more than 3 inches of rain locally, which could cause more flash flooding.

The hot and humid weather will continue for the eastern U.S., with a heat advisory issued from Detroit to Philadelphia, where the heat index could reach 95 to 100.

The heat is not only in the lower 48 states. Anchorage, Alaska, hit 90 degrees for the first time on record Thursday and more heat is forecast for Alaska Friday.