Severe weather outbreak could rock central, eastern US with tornadoes and large hail starting Friday

The FOX Forecast Center is continuing to monitor the potential for a multi-day severe weather outbreak that could blast cities across the central and eastern U.S. with thunderstorms capable of producing large hail, damaging winds and even some tornadoes.

Forecasters have been keeping their eyes on computer forecast models and now say the threat of severe weather will continue through the weekend, placing tens of millions of people living along the East Coast on alert for powerful thunderstorms by Sunday.

The FOX Forecast Center said it is most concerned about what could potentially take place starting Friday, but severe weather is also possible on Wednesday and Thursday.

Severe weather possible Wednesday, Thursday before potential outbreak

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has highlighted portions of the Plains, Deep South and lower Mississippi Valley, where strong to severe thunderstorms could cause some disruptions.

More than 3 million people in southeastern Oklahoma, northeastern Texas and western Arkansas have been placed in a level 2 out of 5 risk on the SPC’s severe thunderstorm risk scale on Wednesday.

Forecasters said there’s still some uncertainty regarding storm coverage, but they warn that storms could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts.

The severe weather threat then shifts to portions of eastern Mississippi and Alabama, including cities like Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, on Thursday.

Currently, that region is in a level 1 out of 5 threat.

Severe weather outbreak could kick off Friday

The FOX Forecast Center said the potential multiday severe weather outbreak could kick off on Friday, with much of the activity picking up during the afternoon and continuing into the overnight hours as the storm system intensifies across the central U.S.

Forecasters said a rapidly strengthening low-pressure system will track across the central Plains, dragging a strong cold front along with it.

Ahead of that, moisture from the Gulf will be pulled northward into the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley and maybe even as far north as Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

The FOX Forecast Center said that from the Ark-La-Tex region into the lower Mississippi Valley, more moisture will combine with wind shear – the change in wind speed and direction with height – creating a favorable setup for all severe weather threats.

In addition, some supercell thunderstorms and a fast-moving squall line are also possible, bringing the threats of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes.

Some of those tornadoes could be strong (EF-2 or higher).

Currently, it looks like cities such as St. Louis, Memphis in Tennessee, and Little Rock in Arkansas could see the highest risk.

The SPC placed more than 8.5 million people from northwestern Mississippi to southern Illinois in a level 3 out of 5 threat.

Severe weather threat extends from Gulf Coast to Great Lakes on Saturday

The powerful storm system will continue to move off to the east on Saturday, placing tens of millions of people from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes at risk of strong to severe thunderstorms.

Questions remain with regard to how the atmosphere will destabilize on Saturday, particularly in areas farther north.

However, the FOX Forecast Center said a corridor of rich Gulf moisture is expected to set up from central and southern Mississippi into northern Alabama, creating a favorable environment for severe weather ahead of the surging cold front.

With some strong wind shear in place, conditions will allow for the development of supercell thunderstorms and the eventual development of another fast-moving squall line.

Thunderstorms could again produce hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, and torrential rain could lead to some flooding issues.

Currently, the SPC has placed more than 14 million people from Mississippi to the Tennessee Valley in a level 3 out of 5 risk of severe weather.

This includes cities like Atlanta and Montgomery, Alabama.

New area of concern for East Coast on Sunday

A new area of concern has emerged for tens of millions of people along the East Coast, including the heavily traveled Interstate 95 corridor from the Southeast and mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

“Sunday’s severe threat, while expansive, the threat for hail and tornadoes drops and is just a damaging wind threat,” the FOX Forecast Center said.

The SPC has placed more than 41 million people from the Florida Panhandle to New Jersey in a level 2 out of 5 threat for severe weather on Sunday.

This includes many major cities, such as Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Washington; Baltimore and Philadelphia.

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