Severe Weather Season To Kick Off Across Central US

AccuWeather forecasters say an expansive area of explosive severe weather will develop in the southern and midwestern regions of the United States this weekend as the severe weather season begins with a bang.

Severe weather can occur any month of the year, but the peak in activity usually happens during the months of March, April and May. The potent storms later this week and weekend are expected to ignite thanks to a clash of cold air and unseasonable warmth in the middle of the country.

Tuesday, March 1, kicked off the beginning of meteorological spring and the gradual return of higher temperature averages. However, temperatures are forecast to rise even higher than usual, about 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal across much of the Midwest and South Saturday.

Kansas City, Missouri, for example, which usually hits the lower 50s in early March, is forecast to have temperatures rising around 70 instead this weekend. Dallas, which typically has highs in the mid-60s, could reach 80 F Saturday.

"A widespread storm will be ejected into the Plains, and a clash of brisk, Arctic air with warmer air from the South will create an environment ripe for severe weather this weekend," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer.

Though the exact area of severe weather is still subject to a fluctuating storm track, meteorologists are highlighting areas from eastern Nebraska and Iowa to eastern Oklahoma and north-central Texas as locations at risk for severe thunderstorms Saturday. These storms can bring gusty winds and torrential rain to major cities like Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"By Sunday afternoon, a trailing cold front across the South Central states will provide a substantial swath of moisture," explained Smithmyer. This front could draw significant moisture northward from the Gulf of Mexico, which, in addition to building warmth, is a key ingredient in fueling severe weather thunderstorms.