The FOX Forecast Center is tracking a potent cold front expected to charge across the central and eastern U.S. starting Wednesday and into the weekend.
As the cold front advances, chances for showers and thunderstorms are possible – some of which could be severe.
The front will begin to move into the northern Plains and Rockies on Wednesday, and the FOX Forecast Center says showers and a few rumbles of thunder are expected while the front continues its trek across the country.
The cold front will continue to head east, and by Thursday morning, it’s expected to stretch roughly from Minnesota to the Texas Panhandle.
Showers and thunderstorms will be ongoing, and some of the thunderstorms that develop could turn severe with damaging wind gusts and large hail.
However, while severe weather will be possible on Wednesday and Thursday, a widespread severe weather outbreak is not expected.
By the time we get into Friday, the cold front is expected to stretch roughly from Michigan to Texas, and the severe weather threat will rise, especially across the Southern Plains.
Severe thunderstorms that develop will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and a few tornadoes.
The threat of severe weather will set up across the central U.S. on Wednesday, and severe thunderstorms that develop will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and hail.
Areas at risk include central South Dakota, and western Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. North Texas, including Amarillo and Lubbock, will also be at risk.
The severe weather threat will shift further south on Thursday, with most of central Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, at risk of seeing severe thunderstorms. The threat also extends across western areas of Texas from Wichita Falls through Midland, Fort Stockton and Sanderson.
Severe thunderstorms that develop will be capable of producing damaging wind and hail, but tornadoes are also possible.
The tornado threat will be centered mostly across north-central Oklahoma on Thursday. Perryton, Woodward, Ponca City and Perry in the northern half of the state will be at risk, while Sayre, Clinton and Oklahoma City will be at risk in the central part of the state.
Flash flooding will also be a concern with storms that develop and produce heavy rain.
The highest risk will be centered across southeastern Colorado and extreme northeastern New Mexico through central Kansas, western and central Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.
Heading into Friday and the start of the weekend, the severe weather threat will be more widespread, with more than 17 million Americans under a Level 2 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms from central Texas into Arkansas and parts of the Mississippi Valley.
In Texas, severe thunderstorms will be likely from San Antonio through Austin, Waco and Dallas. Little Rock, Arkansas, is also expected to see some severe thunderstorms in the area on Friday.