03:24
Severe storms target Great Lakes on Wednesday
Parts of eastern Indiana, Ohio, southern Michigan, western Pennsylvania and western West Virginia face the greatest threat of tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail. On Wednesday night, a separate area of severe storms could produce large hail in portions of northeastern Kansas and western Missouri, including the Kansas City metro area.
DETROIT – Wednesday will mark the third straight day of severe weather, and the focus for the worst thunderstorms shifts to the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes due to an eastward-moving cold front.
A Tornado Watch has been issued until 7 p.m. EDT for eastern Indiana and western and central Ohio as thunderstorm coverage is expected to increase over the next several hours. Environmental conditions support the potential for a few supercells capable of tornadoes, large hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter and damaging wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has also been issued for central and southern Lower Michigan until 7 p.m. EDT.
At least 17 tornadoes were reported in the Midwest on Tuesday, of which seven have already been confirmed by National Weather Service storm surveys. The strongest twister so far received an EF-2 rating south of Virgil, Kansas. Another tornado that struck south of Topeka, Kansas, injured at least two people when their RV was flipped over.
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NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a Level 2 out of 5 risk for portions of eastern Indiana, Ohio, southern Michigan, western Pennsylvania and western West Virginia. Severe weather is possible down into parts of the Southeast, as well.
Cities such as Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Detroit in Michigan and Columbus and Cleveland in Ohio are home to larger populations within the Level 2 threat, affecting nearly 25 million people.
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On Wednesday night, a separate area of severe storms could produce large hail in portions of northeastern Kansas and western Missouri, including the Kansas City metro area.
"These are some similar spots that we were talking about this time yesterday (Tuesday) in the morning, where some of those storms were already picking up," FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said.
The flash flood threat is also a concern.
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"We've got lots of these storms that could be producing some decent amount of rain in a short amount of time," Herrera said. "It's a possibility, Level 1, but don't want to take that too lightly."
Powerful front Thursday brings next severe storm threat
Right on the heels of the system producing severe storms during the first half of the week, a new system will dive out of the Rockies and bring a mess of storms and severe weather to the South while forcing down some much cooler air.
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms capable of damaging winds, large hail and perhaps a couple of tornadoes are possible Thursday from parts of eastern Missouri into the lower Ohio Valley. Locally damaging winds and hail are also expected over parts of North Texas.
The SPC has issued a Level 2 threat for these two areas of concern, including cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and Plano in Texas, as well as St. Louis in Missouri.
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The FOX Forecast Center said storms along the southern end of the cold front will be the most intense and could produce damaging wind gusts and large hail from southwestern Missouri into Texas.
The frontal system will slow down and possibly stall briefly from Friday into Sunday, resulting in repeated rounds of showers and storms from Texas into parts of the mid-South.
Most of this area has been rather dry recently, which should inhibit the overall flash flood threat. However, the repeated rounds of storms could produce localized areas of flooding.
As the cold front slides southward, much cooler air will drop south out of Canada, leading to some impressive temperature changes, the FOX Forecast Center said. Locations across the central and southern Plains that were in the 80s at the start of the week will see their highs struggle to get out of the 50s by Thursday.
"This cool air is going to get all the way down to I-20," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "So if you live in the Gulf Coast, it's not going to be you … drive up towards Shreveport, and you'll feel it."
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The cooler temperatures will gradually expand farther south and eastward into the weekend, with near- to below-average temperatures expected to reach everywhere east of the Rockies, except Florida, by this weekend. The coolest temperatures relative to mid-April averages will be found over parts of the High Plains, where high temperatures could be upwards of 15-20 degrees below average.
