Severe Weather Alert: Tornado and Storm Risks in the Midwest and Plains

An intensified severe weather pattern is taking shape across the Midwest and Plains, posing a potential for large hail, damaging winds, and a severe tornado threat that could extend into next week. This prolonged period of severe weather will initially impact the Great Lakes and Midwest, likely until the end of the week, before moving towards the Great Plains over the weekend, continuing into the early days of next week. The anticipated threats include tornadoes, some potentially intense, along with damaging hailstorms and destructive straight-line winds, potentially signaling multiple severe thunderstorm outbreaks through Tuesday.

The accompanying map, sourced from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center and the National Weather Service, illustrates the latest radar images, watches, and warnings. Already, at least two tornadoes have been confirmed on Thursday. One was spotted in Swift County, Minnesota, resulting in the destruction of a barn and part of a home, while another was near New Richmond, Wisconsin. Earlier this afternoon, a report of a rotating wall cloud, which often heralds a tornado, led to a tornado warning in downtown Minneapolis and in some of its northern suburbs, where pea-sized hail was noted in the far northwest suburb of Rogers.