Storm Season Builds: Many States Face Weeks of Dangerous Weather

The weather radar is pointing a warning toward large parts of the United States, signaling that people in the south and central regions should brace for a chain of severe storms. The national agency says that damage from winds, hail and tornadoes will peak on Friday, yet danger could linger each day for a full week. A different outlook from the prediction center highlighted that thunderstorms will first touch the southern and central plains on Thursday, then drift eastward into portions of the Midwest. Early showers over the Red River Valley are expected to fade, but new storms are likely near a dryline that moves across Texas and Oklahoma later in the day. Those storms could become strong, pushing northward into Kansas as night falls. On Friday, the forecast emphasizes that the southern and central plains and parts of Missouri could see large hail, high wind gusts and even tornadoes. Even after the afternoon threat moves away, the risk stays high into the night for the upper Mississippi Valley. Because of this, the agency warns that spotting severe weather will be tough, especially as clouds cover much of the sky.AccuWeather adds that Saturday’s danger will stretch from southern Texas to western Tennessee and into northwest Alabama, while another band of risk runs from eastern Ohio Valley through northern Pennsylvania to western New York. Hail, wind and flash flooding are the main concerns there. Looking ahead to next week, forecasters predict that the threat will grow from Tuesday onward, potentially sparking a large outbreak by Wednesday night. A strong storm system and cold front are expected to sweep across the area, possibly producing multiple tornadoes. According to a senior meteorologist, spring’s arrival in the southern plains brings several days of severe weather, with Friday likely to be the most intense. Strong winds in lower and middle atmospheric layers are expected to intensify on that day, adding energy to the system.