A “widespread outbreak” containing a “slew of tornadoes” is expected to hit the central U.S. Thursday night, forecasters warned.
After sending a serious warning to millions of Americans living across more than a dozen states on Wednesday, forecasters updated their observations and warned of a major outbreak of severe weather starting Thursday night. The core areas of concern on Thursday include Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Amarillo, Texas, Dodge City, Wichita, and Kansas City, Kansas.
But the extreme weather is expected to last throughout the coming days. On Friday, the system appears to move eastward toward Dallas, Texas through Kansas, Arkansas, and up to Des Moines, Iowa.
A widespread outbreak with “a slew of tornadoes” likely is headed for the central U.S. starting Thursday. https://t.co/dnMHM689zb pic.twitter.com/sgc03MvEq0
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) April 24, 2024
“There is a significant risk to lives and property,” AccuWeather’s forecasters warned.
The system running directly through our heartland appears to be made of three separate weather patterns. A large cool system is moving south from Canada while warm and humid air migrates up through the Gulf. (RELATED: Celebrity Storm Chaser Reed Timmer Seems To Shred AccuWeather, Says He’ll Never Work In Media Again)
By the weekend, the systems should be moving through the Upper Midwest, with high wind gusts, hail and other storm activity hitting Lake Superior and the upper Michigan peninsula. As the weekend moves into late Sunday and early Monday, the extreme weather risk will settle from San Antonio, Texas to Chicago, Illinois, with a straight-line wind threat being the most significant at the time of writing.
Remember to check your forecast before leaving the house. Do not travel without emergency supplies.