Big Storm Outbreak Peppers Middle Miss. Valley to Ohio Valley
Dangerous thunderstorms will remain on the weather menu throughout tonight from the Ohio and Tennessee valleys to the Mid-Atlantic. Damaging wind gusts, large, destructive hail, and a few intense tornadoes will be possible.
A large, potent storm system will lumber across Minnesota and the western Great Lakes through tonight. A cold front separating unseasonably warm, humid air from cooler and drier weather is attached to it. This same corridor will be peppered by repeated powerful thunderstorms overnight.
Tornado Watches remain in effect across northern Arkansas and Tennessee, Kentucky and central and southern Indiana and southern Ohio into far western West Virginia. Memphis and Nashville, Tenn., Paducah and Louisville, Ky., and Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Ind., and Cincinatti and Huntingdon, W.Va. are included.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is also in effect from central to north-central and northeastern Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Waco.
The government’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a Moderate Risk for a severe storm outbreak from far southeastern Missouri to much of Kentucky, and far northern and northwestern Tennessee to far southwestern Ohio. Louisville and Bowling Green, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., to Cincinnati, are included. An Enhanced Risk surrounds this zone from northeastern Arkansas to much of West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and as far north as Interstate 70 from Illinois to Ohio.
Isolated destructive wind gusts up to 80 mph, very large, damaging hail up to baseball size, and several tornadoes are likely. A few intense tornadoes will be possible, especially across the Lower Ohio Valley.
Farther east in the Mid-Atlantic, isolated to scattered damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph and quarter to golf ball size hail will be possible. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out either.
So far today, there have been more than 75 severe weather reports dotting Arkansas and Missouri to Kentucky, West Virginia, southern New Jersey, and the Delmarva Peninsula. Golf ball size hail pelted Ned, Ky., with hail up to baseball size hail falling in Lost Creek, Ky., and Ava, Mo. A 63-mph thunderstorm gust was clocked near Merrimac, Va., with a gust to 60 mph measured near Wiley Ford, W. Va.
Make sure to know the difference between a watch and a warning should they be issued. A “watch” means that conditions are favorable for severe weather to occur and to be on alert for any rapidly changing conditions. A “warning” means that severe weather is imminent, and you should act fast to remain safe.
The best way to remain safe is to stay prepared and informed about your local weather. Have a severe weather kit packed with a battery-operated radio, water, and non-perishable food items. Also, check the WeatherBug app frequently for any updates on today's severe weather. Remember, "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!"
