Blizzard conditions, high winds and possible tornadoes are expected to wreak havoc across much of the country early Tuesday from the West Coast to the Southeast.
Meteorologists were particularly concerned about dangerous tornadoes occurring during the night in the central United States and warned residents to prepare shelter before bed.
“This might be a night where we sit downstairs just to be safe,” said Tom Phillip, a meteorologist in Davenport, Iowa.
By late Tuesday afternoon and evening, more than a dozen states will be at risk for severe weather and tornadoes. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for more than 3 million people in parts of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri until 10:00 PM CDT, indicating the potential for “severe tornadoes.”
The storms began Tuesday morning in the Midwest. Powerful thunderstorms swept through the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois with winds up to 90 mph and baseball-sized hailstones falling. No injuries were reported, but trees fell and some businesses were damaged in Moline, Illinois.
In Colonna, Illinois, a brief tornado uprooted trees, took off the roof of a gas station and threw it into a nearby brick building, collapsing the front wall, the weather service said.
A tornado was reported near Lewiston, Illinois, to the Weather Service just before 7:30 PM CDT. The Fulton County Disaster and Emergency Services Agency then posted on Facebook that there were multiple injuries and victims were being treated, but no deaths had been identified. Damage was also reported in Table Grove and Bryan Village, where water use was limited.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office warned of widespread damage in a Facebook post, adding, “The situation is dangerous with several downed power lines, gas leaks, and debris in the area.”
Tornado watch or worse warning? What do you know about preparing for these violent storms?
What defines a blizzard? It is expected that heavy snow and strong winds will sweep the country.
Haildrops also fell in parts of northern Illinois Tuesday afternoon: “Hailfalls up to 2 to 2.5 inches are now possible in southeastern Lake County, Illinois near Bannockburn,” the National Weather Service in Chicago tweeted. “A very destructive hailstorm – take cover now!”
Blizzard warnings also covered parts of the West, northern Plains and upper Midwest, and about 3 feet of snow was possible in some places in what the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center described as an “impressive late-season winter storm.”
By 9 p.m. Tuesday, the Weather Prediction Center said 25.5 inches of snow had fallen in Enkum, Idaho. and 30 inches in Hot Springs, South Dakota; 35 inches in Alta, Utah and 33 inches in Glenrock, Wyoming.
Meanwhile, high winds are expected to blow across the country from California to Missouri, with some gusts expected to reach 80 mph, which could help fan and fan any smoldering wildfires.
High winds in Texas helped grow the Bent Willow wildfire near Amarillo to 5,000 acres by Tuesday evening, and the Texas A&M Forest Service said evacuations were underway.
Some severe storms are expected in areas where residents are still recovering after more than 90 tornadoes last week killed 32 people and wiped out entire communities in Arkansas and Mississippi.
In Little Rock, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. issued a statement urging residents to remain alert. “It is difficult to consider the possibility of another round of severe weather in the midst of this recovery, but we must remain vigilant and prepared.”
By 8 PM Central Time, tornado reports began to emerge in Iowa and Illinois. The weather service confirmed tornadoes near Industry, Adair and Canton, Illinois, and near Pleasantville, Iowa.
The weather service said several locations in the central United States saw record warm temperatures today, with daily highs set or tied in Cape Girardeau, Missouri (84); Vichy Rolla, Missouri (84); Morristown, Tennessee (83); and Tuscaloosa, Alabama (87).
Hurricanes strike twice in the same place
Meteorologists in Memphis have released the first summary of nine of the 14 confirmed tornadoes that hit the area at the end of March. 15 people killed. The office expects to complete the remaining five surveys by Wednesday, including the deadly tornado in Wayne, Arkansas, which forecasters say tracked more than 70 miles.
Among the findings: A Weather Service survey crew arrived in Bethel Springs, in Tennessee's McNairy County, to find that a few homes on Main Street had been damaged twice when two tornadoes struck the same area within just a few hours.
The second of these two tornadoes was a devastating EF-3 that traveled 85.9 miles, reaching winds of up to 155 mph and a width of 1,400 yards. The hurricane killed nine people and injured 23 others.
Other hurricanes that struck the region are:
- COVINGTON, Tenn. – An EF-3 tornado reached peak winds of 150 mph and traveled 34 miles. One person was killed and 28 others were reported injured
- Prichard Nesbitt, Mississippi – EF-2, 22.87 miles, 140 mph winds
- McEnery Hardin, Tennessee – EF-2, 19 miles, 115 mph winds
- Guntown, Mississippi – EF-2, 14.81 miles, 120 mph winds
- Pontotoc, Mississippi – EF-2, 23 mile path, 120 mph winds. One person died when a double-wide mobile home was swept away
Here's what you need to know about Tuesday's weather forecast:
Blizzard conditions and winter weather expected from Nevada to Michigan
The Meteorological Service warned that Tuesday's storm is expected to bring wind chills below zero in the northern plains, which “could threaten the life of anyone stranded outside.”
Dozens of schools in South Dakota were closed due to blizzard conditions. State executive offices were also closed in most parts of the state.
But even in areas where a blizzard is unlikely, parts of the country from Nevada to Michigan are expected to be covered in snow.
The snow that buried Casper, Wyoming, on Monday broke a record, the National Weather Service reported. The 26.7 inches of snow was the city's all-time daily snowfall record.
In Michigan, a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet is expected by Tuesday night. To the south, a flood watch was in place across the state due to the threat of heavy rainfall. according to Grand Rapids Weather Service.
Expected snow accumulations and wind gusts on Tuesday:
- Nebraska and Wyoming: A blizzard warning in parts of the states, with up to 2 feet of snow and wind gusts of 50 mph.
- Parts of South Dakota: Up to 30 inches of snow. Rapid City can see up to 24 inches.
- North Dakota: Blizzard with up to 9 inches of snow and 55 mph wind gusts.
- Parts of Minnesota: Up to 19 inches of snow accumulation and 50 mph winds.
Winter storm map
Severe thunderstorms threaten the Plains and Mississippi Valley
The Weather Prediction Center said rain and severe thunderstorms are expected in the Plains and Mississippi Valley. There is a “moderate risk” of severe thunderstorms Tuesday into Wednesday morning, which could bring “frequent lightning, wind gusts, hail and some tornadoes,” officials said.
“Moderate risk” is a level 4 on the Storm Prediction Center's 1 to 5 storm risk scale.
At least 16 states were at risk for severe weather and tornadoes from Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. This includes:
- Arkansas
- Missouri
- illinois
parts of:
- yeah
- Indiana
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Kansas
- nebraska
- Minnesota
- wisconsin
- Michigan
“This can start out initially as isolated supercells with all the potential hazards — tornadoes, wind, hail — and then over time they typically form into a line (of thunderstorms) and continue to move eastward,” said Ryan Bunker, a meteorologist at the National Weather Center. (Norman, Oklahoma).
The same conditions that fueled last week's storms – an area of low pressure with strong southerly winds The conditions will make for another round of severe weather through Wednesday, Bunker said.
Wednesday Forecast: More severe storms likely
Severe storms are likely again in parts of the central United States on Wednesday, forecasters said. Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected to pose a risk of “strong tornadoes and large hail in a corridor across eastern Illinois through lower Michigan on Wednesday,” the Storm Prediction Center said. Harmful wind gusts and some tornadoes are also possible in the Ohio Valley.
The forecast center warned that cities like Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus and Memphis are all at risk of severe weather on Wednesday. The threat of severe storms is expected to decrease by Thursday: “Only isolated severe storms are expected” on the East Coast on Thursday, the weather service said.
The map shows areas where the risk of severe storms on Tuesday is highest
US weather monitoring and warnings
Winds extend from the West Coast to the Midwest
Strong winds blew across the Southwest and Midwest Tuesday from California to Missouri. The National Weather Service warned that winds could blow enough to down trees and power lines, and customers in more than a half-dozen states can expect power outages.
High winds, coupled with extremely dry conditions, could fan any wildfires that form, the weather service said. “Any fires are likely to spread quickly and become very difficult to control,” the weather service in Wichita, Kansas, said.
- Warning of strong winds It was in effect Tuesday morning in parts of Southern California, including the mountains of San Luis Obispo County and the inland mountains of Santa Barbara County. Wind speeds reached 60 mph.
- a High wind warning It was in effect through Tuesday night in parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. Wind speeds are expected to reach 80 mph.
- A wind advisory was in effect through Wednesday morning for other parts of Kansas and Missouri. Wind gusts up to 50 mph were possible.
National weather radar
Contributing: John Bacon and Jordan Mendoza; USA Today; Associated Press
