Severe weather is expected tostretch across a large portion of the countryWednesday, April 15, with storms developing from the southern Plains into the Midwest and southern Great Lakes — impacting more than 100 million people.
Forecasters say multiple rounds of thunderstorms could bring large hail, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes as the system moves east through the day and into the evening. The setup is complicated, with leftover storms from earlier in the day influencing where new storms form.
"Severe thunderstorms posing a risk for large hail to very large hail, severe gusts, and a couple of tornadoes will be possible across portions of the southern Plains toward the Great Lakes this afternoon and evening," theStorm Prediction Centerwrote.
More:Tornado watch issued? Here's what to do when sirens go off
Where is the greatest threat?
The strongest storms are expected from parts of Oklahoma and north Texas through Missouri, Iowa and into Illinois and Wisconsin, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
In the Southern Plains, storms are likely to develop along a dryline by midafternoon, especially across Oklahoma and North Texas. Some of these storms could quickly become severe, producing very large hail and damaging winds. A tornado or two cannot be ruled out, particularly early in the storms’ development.
Farther north, across Iowa and northern Missouri into Illinois, the atmosphere is expected to become unstable again after morning storms. This could lead to scattered thunderstorms capable of producing very large hail, with some tornado risk as well.
Storms may also redevelop farther east into parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania later in the day. While uncertainty remains higher there, isolated severe storms — including the potential for damaging winds and a brief tornado — are possible.
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Storms continue through the week
The active pattern will not end Wednesday.
On Thursday, April 16, the severe weather threat shifts east, with isolated strong to severe storms possible from the Mid-South through the Ohio Valley and into parts of the Northeast, including New York and southern New England, according to theStorm Prediction Center. The main concerns will be damaging wind gusts and hail, though the threat appears more limited than Wednesday.
By Friday, April 17, a more significant setup is expected to develop again.
A stronger system is forecast to bring widespread severe thunderstorms from the southern Plains into the Mississippi Valley and parts of the Midwest. This includes areas such as Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, where all hazards — large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes — will be possible.
Forecasters say some storms could become intense, especially if discrete supercells develop before storms merge into a larger line. That could increase the risk for very large hail and stronger tornadoes before a transition to a more widespread wind threat later in the day.
Rolling storm damage report
As storms move across the country, this interactive map lets you track impacts in real time. See where tornadoes touched down, hail sizes reported, trees knocked over and roads closed due to flooding.
Hover over each icon to view detailed reports from National Weather Service stations right in the strike zone.
U.S. weather radar
U.S. weather watches and warnings
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Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached atbaddison@gannett.com.Find her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:US severe weather threatens 100 million. Maps show greatest risk areas
