Millions in Ohio Valley Brace for Early-Week Severe Thunderstorm Threat

AccuWeather forecasters caution that the dreary trend of the past few days will likely change significantly over the next week as the weather becomes ready for several days with the potential for severe storms.

A region of the Ohio Valley will be in some danger of storms throughout the early week, but as the setup gets more intense, the hazard will spread more into the Plains and Central states later in the week.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus noted that “the developing pattern over the next week or more will be more active than recent days” across the country.

Due to favorable climatic conditions, severe thunderstorms will likely recur before and during the Easter weekend. Thunderstorms will be caused by a collision between a colder air mass and energy pulsating out of the western states and warm, humid air rushing out of the Gulf.

Even while Monday’s high temperatures will reach the 60s and even 70s Fahrenheit in many places from Cleveland, Ohio, to Louisville, Kentucky, this region will also be at risk of intense storms as the afternoon and evening go on.

Monday’s setup throughout the Ohio Valley could result in strong winds that could cause damage locally. Hail and an isolated spin-up might be caused by other atmospheric components, mainly from southeastern Ohio into far southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

The severe threat will lessen on Tuesday as the parent system moves eastward, bringing cooler air along the storm’s back flank. However, showers and thunderstorms may form in the Plains by late Wednesday when a new storm moves into the area.

Forecasters caution that the energy pulse ejecting into the central Plains on Wednesday night may contain sufficient energy to spark locally powerful thunderstorms. Although the forecast for Wednesday does not indicate that there is a significant chance of widespread severe weather, the heaviest storms that form may produce tiny hail and sporadic gusts of wind.

On Thursday, the risks of thunderstorms will increase as the storm moves across the Plains and Midwest and gets more structured. At times, wind gusts can reach 70–80 mph, with the AccuWeather Local StormMaxTM reaching 90 mph.

Storm threats are expected to spread across the country by Friday, affecting areas from northeast Ohio to southern Michigan and southwest Texas. With an AccuWeather Local StormMaxTM of 90 mph, isolated tornadoes, hail, and strong winds are possible along this area from Friday afternoon to Friday night.

Easter Weekend Outlook:

With a vast area in danger of severe thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday, forecasters predict a more dynamic setup may wait until the following weekend. Depending on where they live, people with outdoor Easter holiday plans, such as picnics and egg hunts, may be affected.

As storms intensify over the South Central states late Saturday, large hail—defined as hail with a diameter of one inch or more—may fall. During this season, strong to severe storms can affect cities such as Amarillo, Texas; Oklahoma City; the northwest suburbs of Dallas; and even Little Rock, Arkansas. There may be another chance for intense storms across the southern Plains on Easter Sunday.