Severe Weather Expected Across Midwest This Weekend

Omaha, Nebraska — Forecasters are warning of severe weather conditions across the Midwest, Plains, and South this weekend, with risks including large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. The bad weather is expected to begin late Thursday and continue through Easter weekend.

The severe threat is particularly high on Thursday, with areas such as eastern Nebraska, northern Missouri, southern Minnesota, and Iowa at risk for large hail and tornadoes. Omaha is one of the cities highlighted as having a significant potential for very large hail.

Friday could bring scattered severe storms from the Great Lakes down to Oklahoma and northern Texas, where the primary threats remain strong winds and large hail.

This coming Saturday, severe thunderstorms are predicted from the Ohio Valley to the Southern Plains, pushing east on Easter Sunday from eastern Texas to lower and mid-Mississippi valleys. Damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes are possibilities throughout the weekend.

In addition to severe storms, heavy rainfall is anticipated, posing a flash flooding risk primarily in areas hit hardest by previous storms, particularly along the lower Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. Cities like Dallas-Fort Worth, Tulsa, and St. Louis could experience localized flash flooding from Friday night into Saturday night.

The National Weather Service urges individuals in affected areas to prepare in advance for the severe weather. Residents are advised to have multiple means of receiving weather alerts and to ensure that devices like smartphones and NOAA weather radios are charged and equipped with new batteries.

“You should know where your safest spot is in case a warning is issued,” advises the NWS. For those living in manufactured homes, a nearby community storm shelter may serve as a haven during severe weather.

This week’s weather pattern signals a transition to a more typical spring scenario for the southern and central U.S., marked by a jet stream drawing warm, humid air from the Gulf, eliciting conditions conducive to severe storms.

The recent weather trajectory in April has kept severe weather relatively minimal since earlier outbreaks, but the upcoming pattern indicates a stark change.

Tragically, flooding has already impacted lives; 33 individuals lost their lives in incidents related to flooding this month alone, according to NWS statistics. A significant number were fatalities occurring within vehicles during floods.

As communities prepare for what lies ahead, weather experts continue to monitor conditions closely. “Be informed, be prepared, and take all warnings seriously,” remarks Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist at weather.com. “Storms can escalate quickly.”