Stormy Weather Ahead: Central and Eastern US Brace for Severe Thunderstorms

The central and eastern parts of the US are bracing for a multi-day severe weather event. This event could bring thunderstorms, large hail, and even tornadoes. Forecasters are keeping a close eye on the situation, with the most significant threats expected to start on Friday. The weather could get rough as early as Wednesday and Thursday, with strong to severe thunderstorms possible in parts of the Plains, Deep South, and lower Mississippi Valley. More than 3 million people in southeastern Oklahoma, northeastern Texas, and western Arkansas are already on alert for potential disruptions. The threat level is at a 2 out of 5 risk on the severe thunderstorm scale. On Thursday, the severe weather threat shifts to eastern Mississippi and Alabama, including cities like Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Birmingham. Currently, this region is at a level 1 out of 5 threat. Forecasters are warning that storms could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts, but there is still some uncertainty about how widespread the storms will be. The main concern is the potential for a rapidly strengthening low-pressure system to track across the central Plains, dragging a strong cold front along with it. This system could bring moisture from the Gulf northward into the Mississippi Valley, creating a favorable setup for severe weather threats. The storm system is expected to intensify across the central US on Friday, with much of the activity picking up during the afternoon and continuing into the overnight hours. This could bring supercell thunderstorms and a fast-moving squall line, posing threats of damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes. Some of those tornadoes could be strong, with cities like St. Louis, Memphis, and Little Rock in Arkansas facing the highest risk. The Storm Prediction Center has placed more than 8. 5 million people from northwestern Mississippi to southern Illinois in a level 3 out of 5 threat. On Saturday, the powerful storm system will continue to move eastward, placing tens of millions of people from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes at risk of strong to severe thunderstorms. The atmosphere's instability, particularly in areas farther north, remains a question mark. However, a corridor of rich Gulf moisture is expected to set up from central and southern Mississippi into northern Alabama, creating a favorable environment for severe weather ahead of the surging cold front. This could lead to another round of hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, and torrential rain, potentially causing flooding issues. On Sunday, a new area of concern has emerged for tens of millions of people along the East Coast, including the heavily traveled Interstate 95 corridor from the Southeast and mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. The threat for hail and tornadoes drops, but the risk of damaging winds remains. The Storm Prediction Center has placed more than 41 million people from the Florida Panhandle to New Jersey in a level 2 out of 5 threat for severe weather. This includes major cities like Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and the major cities of Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.