Storms carry tornado, hail risk
A large storm system moving across the the country is threatening much of the central and eastern United States this week with severe weather, and meteorologists warned of powerful thunderstorms, floods, potentially damaging hail and tornadoes.
Over the weekend, the system fueled storms that drenched Southern California, dropped tennis ball-size hail over parts of Illinois and flooded low-lying areas throughout the Midwest.
On Monday, about 3 million people were placed under “a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms,” according to the National Weather Service. Cities such as Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Wichita Falls, Texas, faced the largest threat of tornadoes and “large to potentially giant hail.” A “moderate” risk is level 4 on the weather service’s 1-5 scale of severe storm severity.
More than 55 million others, from New Mexico to Virginia, were under a marginal, slight or enhanced risk of intense storm conditions.
Showers and thunderstorms were also expected Monday over parts of the mid-Atlantic region, hitting mainly Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, the weather service said. Several inches of rain could batter localized areas. Urban spots, roadways and small streams would be most vulnerable to flash flooding, forecasters said.
Extreme weather heading east
The large system “will be quasi-stationary through Tuesday morning,” which prompted the weather service to extend a moderate risk of storms for much of the state of Ohio. An enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms was in place for parts of the Midwest and Ohio valley regions.
Beginning Tuesday morning and continuing throughout the day, the Ohio and Tennessee valleys as well as the central Gulf Coast states including Louisiana, Alabama and northern Florida will be at risk of severe weather, according to the weather service.
“Wind damage and isolated large hail will be possible across a broad area,” the weather service said. “The tornado threat is expected to be greatest from middle Tennessee north northeast ward into central and northern Kentucky .”
Storm bringing snow, cold
The large storm system making its way across the country is threatening the Midwest and Northeast with an “all-out winter storm,” according to AccuWeather.
Beginning Tuesday, snow is expected across parts of Wisconsin and Illinois before conditions intensify, and several inches of snow are expected in parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, AccuWeather said.
Powerful wind gusts may snarl traffic and disrupt travel across the Atlantic Coast, AccuWeather said, adding that the combination of snow and wind is expected to last through Friday.