Millions brace for a prolonged period of severe weather over the Midwest and South
An active stretch of severe weather is forecast to start late this week and last through Easter weekend, with the most serious risks occurring on Friday and during the weekend. Severe thunderstorms with enormous hail, severe winds, and possibly tornadoes could hit millions of Americans from the Midwest to the Mississippi Valley. “Since April 1, we have only had three days without some severe storm threat,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Zack Green stated.
Residents in Kansas City, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; and Omaha, Nebraska, are advised to monitor forecasts for the risk of huge hail and destructive wind gusts. While the immediate probability of tornadoes is deemed low for Wednesday night, Green adds that it remains a “non-zero threat.” “Completely different story once we make our way into Thursday and Friday,” Green said.
Thursday marks a major rise in the risk of severe weather, which will spread across the Plains and Midwest sections. Strong gusts, huge hail, and the chance of tornadoes threatened around 11 million people Thursday, with the highest risk concentrated in eastern Nebraska, northern Missouri, and Iowa.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, temperatures in areas like Omaha and Kansas City will approach the 80s, fueling storm formation. The severe weather danger grows and broadens on Friday, potentially affecting over 40 million people from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes. Numerous thunderstorms will likely explode throughout a vast but relatively narrow corridor extending from Detroit to Oklahoma City and maybe as far south as Dallas. The dynamic weather pattern is not predicted to cease throughout the workweek. Rounds of severe storms are expected to continue during the Easter weekend. A stalled frontal will dominate much of the shower and thunderstorm activity, as in early April, although it will not last as long.
