Following over a dozen reports of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Iowa on Wednesday, the severe weather threat spreads east across the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley on Thursday.
At least two people were confirmed dead in Cole, Oklahoma, after strong tornadoes with erratic tracks struck south of the Oklahoma City metro Wednesday night, according to officials. The National Weather Service received more than 175 reports of hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, which added to the chaos across the central U.S.
The threat of severe storms spreads east from parts of Texas into the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley on Thursday afternoon and Thursday night.
Additional tornadoes, large hail, damaging wind gusts and dangerous lightning will be possible as a cold front charges across the region.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, supercell thunderstorms are likely. Any supercells would pose the highest threat of large hail in excess of golf ball-sized, 70-mph wind gusts and the most significant tornado potential.
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The thunderstorms will likely start as independent storms before congealing into an organized line of thunderstorms into the overnight hours.
“The destruction of hail is a large concern,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “We do have that potential of tornadoes still, and a lot of the risk is extending into tonight. So big heads up for a lot of folks as they go to bed tonight. You better be ready and ready to react to those warnings.”
The severe weather focus on Friday will highly depend on what happens with the storms Thursday night, the FOX Forecast Center said.
“Most of the severe weather will be done by sunrise tomorrow,” Merwin said. “This is always a large concern when we have enough forcing in the atmosphere and upper-level support to sustain the storms overnight.”
Regardless, strong to severe storms are expected to be focused from parts of the Texas coastal plain, including the Houston metro, into the lower Mississippi Valley and the central Gulf Coast, where potentially two rounds of storms may move through. The first round would occur in the morning and the second one in the evening.
The tornado threat will be slightly lower Friday, favoring more of a damaging-wind threat.
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Severe thunderstorms will be possible on Saturday in the Carolinas and far southeastern Georgia before the cold front exits the Eastern Seaboard Saturday night.
The FOX Forecast Center said it will be monitoring this region for the risk of hail and 60-plus-mph wind gusts during the afternoon hours.
A low-end threat of severe weather could also develop in parts of Florida and portions of southwestern Texas.