Meteorologists Raise Threat Level for Incoming Severe Weather Outbreak

Forecasters have raised the alert level for a looming severe weather outbreak in the Plains and the Midwest on Friday. The threat of storms will persist through the weekend, shifting to the east in the days ahead. Here is the latest information that you need to know as you make plans.

When and Where to be on Alert for Severe Weather

The multi-day severe weather outbreak that has marked the weather this week in the central U.S. is expected to peak on Friday. Tornadoes are a good possibility within the strongest storm cells on Friday and Saturday.

The storms bearing down on the region now are an extension of what has already been an eventful week. According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), there have been over 550 filtered reports of severe weather from Tuesday through late Thursday. This includes almost two dozen reports of tornadic activity.

Most of the action this week has erupted over the Midwest and the Plains. Specifically, Wisconsin and Iowa have seen the lion's share of the tornado reports this week. A few secondary clusters of storm cells in the Northeast also triggered high winds and hail.  

Thursday's severe weather impacts included several reports of hail and destructive winds in a zone from northern Arkansas and Tennessee through New England. The city of Nashville got caught up in the crosshairs of a volatile complex of storms as high winds brought down power lines and trees across the metro area. There were nearly 15,000 customers without power in Tennessee as of early Friday.

Unfortunately for the storm-weary region, Friday is setting up to be the most dangerous day of the storm outbreak. The most updated forecast models predict that severe weather is possible in an area from the Big Bend area of the Rio Grande River in Texas to the northeast into Michigan and the far reaches of Wisconsin.

Once again, Iowa and Wisconsin will be at the heart of the activity. Both of these states are facing the highest chance of damaging winds and tornadoes. Metro areas in the line of fire for Friday's outbreak include Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Chicago, and the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois.

The greatest risk of tornadoes late Friday will center on portions of southeastern Minnesota, eastern Iowa, the northwestern corner of Illinois, and southwestern and central Wisconsin. While it may seem quiet earlier in the day, the threat will increase in the evening and overnight hours. In addition to tornadoes, this powerful complex of storms could also produce damaging winds and large hail.