Tuesday’s round: Extensive severe storms coverage, 45 million at risk

We are in the fourth straight week with severe weather affecting parts of the United States. This week, severe storms will impact the same areas that have been impacted in previous weeks. The difference this week will be that the system will be a slow mover, increasing the potential for floods besides the usual damaging winds, large hail, and tornado threats.

Severe storms will start to ramp up during the afternoon as the day heats up and continue through the evening hours. About 45 million people are at risk of severe storms, extending from Texas northward toward the Midwest.

It's spring! There is a large storm system, a low-pressure sweeping east with an extensive cold front. Ahead of the cold front, there is a dry line that is sharply dividing the dry and humid air. Just over the eastern portion of the Central Plains through the Midwest, there is plenty of moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico and lots of warmth. This is the perfect setup for the incoming cold front to lift all the moisture and warm air and produce severe storms.

Tuesday’s threat is a level 2 out of 5 on the severity scale, covering from the eastern half of Texas, much of Louisiana northward through western Wisconsin and Southern Minnesota. Inside these areas, there are some spots that have a 3 out of 5 risk, such as North Texas, which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth Texas.

Another area with a level 3 of 5 (or enhanced) risk of severe storms extends from the Ozarks through much of Iowa, eastern Nebraska, and Southern Minnesota. There is an even higher threat for numerous tornadoes, many that could be strong, to develop as well as large hail and damaging winds across central through western Iowa, where a moderate risk (level 4 of 5) is being closely monitored.

On Wednesday through Thursday morning, severe storms move a bit east, this time with the potential to affect over 49.5 million people, including cities like Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, and Cincinnati and as far south as New Orleans.

This is when the chance for flooding (besides the severe storm threats) kicks in, as there will be areas, especially the Mississippi River Valley through the Deep South that will be pounded by torrential thunderstorms. Some areas could receive more than 4 inches of rain from Tuesday through Friday morning.

We will closely monitor these storms and you can too in our interactive WeatherRadar.

Please make sure to have at least 3 ways of receiving weather alerts, one of them is through our Weather&Radar app, just make sure to have notifications turned on.