NOAA Increases Threat Level for Expected Severe Weather Outbreak

Meteorologists have upgraded the potential threat of a major tornado outbreak beginning on Friday and persisting through the weekend as a cross-country storm system barrels toward the central and southern U.S. packing severe impacts. Here is the latest on this dynamic storm system.

About 30 States in Line of Fire for Multi-day Severe Weather Event

Forecasters have been closely monitoring the storm system that hit California and the rest of the West earlier in the week as it moves to the east. About 30 states are in the potential impact zone through Sunday, encompassing about 1 million square miles of land.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) assigned a level 4 out of 5 risk of severe weather for Friday and Saturday. This threat designation is not a common occurrence, only happening 11 or 12 days per year. The SPC typically uses this designation when supercells are capable of birthing powerful tornadoes or long-lasting squall lines that are able to generate high winds.

The system will carry a variety of risks, including damaging winds, hail, flooding rainfall, and dozens of twisters. This same storm will also generate blizzard conditions for the northern fringe of the system. The strong winds associated with the storm will raise the threat of wildfire danger in areas grappling with ongoing drought conditions.

The threat of tornadoes is what has meteorologists the most worried heading into the multi-day outbreak. The greatest risk of twisters forming will be across the Mississippi Valley, up to the Great Lakes, down into the Gulf Coast, and over to the Atlantic coastline. The chance of tornadoes will linger into the overnight hours, elevating the danger as people may be sleeping and unaware of the danger.

Friday's Forecast