Harsh Weather Front Brewing: Central and Eastern US Brace for Excessive Weather Conditions This Weekend
Ill tempest set to tear through the Heartland
Brace yourselves, folks, cause a potent storm sweeping across the States will go ballistic as it barrels through the central USA on Friday, bringing hellacious weather over the weekend. Prepare for the possibility of numerous brutal tornadoes hitting millions.
The storm's main act is shaping up to be a widespread severe thunderstorm event, rocking the Mississippi Valley and the south from Friday afternoon with intense tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail. The frigid side of this beast could even whip up snow into blizzard-like conditions in the Midwest.
Before the mayhem kicks off, this tempest will whip up powerful winds that might reach hurricane-strength and ignite severe wildfire risks across the Plains. Winds have amplified significantly in the last day and will only intensify throughout Friday.
Here's the lowdown:
Severe thunderstorm onslaught Friday
Severe thunderstorms will grow fierce as the sun sets Friday in the Mississippi Valley, which could potentially unleash its wrath across more than 900 miles of the region, from Louisiana to Minnesota, right through the night.
A level 4 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms has been issued for more than 6 million people across the area, ranging from southeastern Iowa to northwestern Tennessee. This includes the St. Louis area. A lower level 3 out of 5 risk affects surrounding areas and could hit cities like Memphis, Des Moines, and Jackson, Mississippi, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Expect damaging winds throughout, with some storms cranking out hurricane-strength gusts past 75 mph within the level 3 and 4 zones.
These fury thunderstorm banks will continue their march eastward and are expected to rage through the night. At night, it's tough to spot these storms, so the weather can go from peaceful to a thunderstorm nightmare in a flash, leaving little time for folks to react.
The National Weather Service in Central Illinois has some advice for surviving this chaos:
"Have multiple ways to receive warnings, including a means to awake you if you're sleeping. Know where your storm shelter is in case a warning is issued."
Tornadoes and hail are a real possibility. The highest risk for tornadoes – some of which could be strong (EF2 or higher) – will be concentrated in Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, and Iowa from Friday night into Saturday morning. By night, tornadoes are nearly twice as likely to be deadly compared to those happening during the day, a 2022 study affirms.
The storm's wicked tornado threat intensifies on Saturday, with the Storm Prediction Center pinpointing the South as the volatile playground for destructive thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms could still be raging early Saturday morning following Friday's action, but the riskiest storms are expected to heat up or develop by the afternoon in the South.
A level 4 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Saturday from eastern Louisiana, including New Orleans, through most of Alabama, including Birmingham, and the extreme western Florida Panhandle.
"Numerous significant tornadoes are possible on Saturday afternoon and evening, centered on eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama," the SPC warns ominously.
Besides the tornado threat, thunderstorms will wage another round of damaging wind gusts and hail through the evening until early Sunday morning.
The thunderstorm rampage will continue east on Sunday, mainly delivering heavy rain and damaging winds to most of the East Coast.
Hurricane-strength winds threaten wildfire havoc
The tempest's claws will slash across the central US on Friday, bringing wind gusts up to 90 mph in parts of New Mexico and the Plains between late morning and evening. The brief hurricane-like winds could cause a world of hurt – expect downed power lines, shattered trees, property damage, and treacherous travel, especially for large vehicles.
They will also fan the flames of another peril: fire.
Critical fire weather conditions, level 3 out of 3, are predicted for Friday in Texas through Kansas, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The ominous weather is expected to encourage dangerous wildfire activity and a possible wildfire outbreak across sections of the southern plains.
Any spark could rapidly escalate into a firestorm, particularly with rampant drought conditions and extremely dry fuels in the risk region.
The fierce winds could also incite dust storms.
Last week, blowing dust in New Mexico and Texas knocked out visibility, caused accidents, and closed roads. Dallas looked like a scene from Mars.
Winter storm issues amidst the chaos
The northerly, colder edge of the tempest will bring its own bag of woes, with snow and ice mixing in from Friday night in the north-central US. Only a few inches of snow are anticipated by Saturday, but the storm's powerful winds will cause lots of blowing and drifting, leading to blizzard conditions in some regions.
This storm could create near-zero visibility beyond a few feet. A recent blizzard blinded highways, left vehicles stranded, and caused crashes across multiple states.
It will be a wild weather rollercoaster for some cities, such as Minneapolis, which could go from severe thunderstorms at night to snowstorms as the mercury plummets on Saturday.
This story is still unfolding.
CNN's Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.
On Thursday, meteorologists are likely pinpointing a powerful storm moving northwestern across the Heartland.By Friday evening, severe thunderstorms will possibly hit more than 6 million people in the Mississippi Valley, with winds reaching hurricane-strength.This weather event could bring a high risk of tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail, particularly concentrated in Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, and Iowa from Friday night into Saturday morning.
