Weekend severe weather: Large hail, tornadoes & damaging winds

It’s going to be another busy weekend with the chance for severe storms affecting sections of the U.S. The main threats will be large hail and tornadoes.

On Saturday, the same system producing severe weather across the Central Plains will move east and expand over the western Great Lakes. The wide and strong low-pressure system will push a warm and cold front that will spark severe storms from Wisconsin southward through Missouri. Dynamics will be in place for large hail to affect cities like Chicago, Indianapolis, and Naperville, Ill. These threats will come in the afternoon hours and continue moving eastward through the evening.

There is also the risk of isolated severe storms extending from Del Rio, Texas., through Central Texas and cities just to the southeast of the Metroplex.

On Sunday, the rest of this system could bring some isolated severe storms across the Central Appalachians. Pittsburgh has to monitor the risk as some severe storms could move over the high terrains and produce damaging winds of at least 60 mph.

Ample warmth and heat will increase the risk of severe storms across the Texas Panhandle on Sunday afternoon. From Odessa through Lubbock storms will become more intense Sunday afternoon. The Oklahoma Panhandle could also experience severe weather as a low-pressure over the surface combined with an upper-level trough will sweep by. Storms will likely become better organized and dangerous during the late afternoon into the evening and develop hail of at least 2 inches in diameter, damaging gusts of at least 75 mph, and conditions will be favorable for at least a strong tornado to form.

We are also closely monitoring the development of severe weather on Monday across much of Oklahoma and North Texas, including the Metroplex (Dallas-Fort Worth area), Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, Okla. As of Friday afternoon, the risk is at a level 2 of 5, but conditions could worsen, increasing the risk of more dangerous weather across this area on Monday.

We will bring you updates throughout the weekend. You can track the storms and see how the storms could affect your city, wherever you are in the U.S. (or world) in our app.