Severe weather, including strong tornadoes, damaging winds, hail, and flooding rain, is expected to continue across the Midwest and South. Tornado watches are in effect from Mississippi to Kentucky, with reported tornadoes in Illinois, Tennessee, and Alabama, causing significant damage. The threat is particularly pronounced in regions like northern Mississippi and Alabama. Following Tuesday, severe weather risks are expected to decrease, although isolated storms may persist in the Southeast. Recent events included multiple tornado reports, with notable EF2 and EF4 tornadoes causing destruction in areas like Wisconsin and Kentucky, along with severe hail in Texas.
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Tornado Wreaks Havoc in Pittsburg, Oklahoma
A severe weather outbreak persists for another day, posing risks of intense tornadoes, damaging winds, hail, and heavy rainfall in parts of the Midwest and South on Tuesday.
(MORE: Tornado Safety Guidelines | What To Do Without a Basement | Hazards of Severe Thunderstorms)
Current Situation
Tornado watches are active across the South this evening, spanning from Mississippi to Kentucky and Georgia, including regions that have experienced severe weather multiple times since last week. Additionally, parts of Illinois and Indiana are under a tornado watch.
This morning, a brief tornado touched down southwest of Springfield, Illinois. Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage in Marshall County, Mississippi, and Hardin County, Tennessee.
A tornado was reported near Jackson, Tennessee, on Tuesday afternoon. Damage from several tornadoes has been noted in northern Alabama, particularly around Madison and Athens. Additionally, a brief tornado caused tree damage early Tuesday in the far northwest corner of Alabama, near Waterloo.
Below is the latest radar image, which includes any active watches and warnings.
(MORE: Storm Tracking Maps)
Forecast Overview
-Until Tuesday Night: The severe weather risk will span the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys, with the highest threat levels indicated in red (below) affecting areas from Kentucky, Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama, and northwestern Georgia. Multiple rounds of severe weather are possible in these regions.
Supercell thunderstorms may produce strong tornadoes (EF2 or greater) and widespread wind damage, particularly this evening as storms consolidate into lines or clusters.
Cities such as Birmingham and Huntsville in Alabama; Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee; and Tupelo in Mississippi should stay informed about potential severe weather. Severe storms may extend as far south and east as Atlanta during the evening or overnight hours.
Severe Weather Outlook for Tuesday
(The shaded areas in the map above indicate the likelihood of severe thunderstorms as per NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. Not all categories will apply for the severe weather risk on any given day.)
-Post Tuesday: A shift in weather patterns will likely lead to a decrease in severe weather across much of the U.S. as the week progresses. However, there might still be isolated severe storms along the Southeast Coast and parts of Virginia on Wednesday. Scattered severe storms could also develop in the Southern and Central Plains later this week into the weekend.
Summary of Severe Weather
The recent spate of severe weather initiated in the Great Lakes and Midwest last Thursday before affecting the Midwest, South, and East significantly on Friday.
There was a brief respite on Saturday, with some severe storms impacting the South. Currently, we are experiencing another surge that began in the Plains on Sunday.
In total, there were over 90 tornado reports from Thursday through Sunday.
Significant tornadoes included:
-An EF2 tornado in northwest Wisconsin near New Richmond on Thursday.
-EF3 damage was recorded from a tornado that hit St. Louis on Friday.
-Marion, Illinois, sustained damage from an EF4 tornado on Friday.
-EF4 damage was documented in the London, Kentucky, area from a tornado on Friday night.
-A series of tornadoes affected Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, with towns like Grinnell and Plevna in Kansas experiencing substantial impacts. For further updates from Sunday, refer to our reports here.
-On Monday, severe storms affected the Plains and Midwest, with hail the size of grapefruits (4.5 inches in diameter) reported in Montague County, Texas. Several tornadoes were either reported or confirmed by radar, including in Pittsburg, Oklahoma, where significant damage occurred. Wind gusts reaching 75 mph also caused trees to fall in the Kansas City metro region.
Reports of Severe Thunderstorms
(These are preliminary reports of tornadoes, large hail, and significant winds or damage from thunderstorms. Please note: The number of tornadoes may not be immediately known after a severe event, and thus the reported numbers may not correspond directly to confirmed tornadoes that are later verified by NWS storm surveys.)
Chris Dolce has served as a senior digital meteorologist for weather.com for nearly 15 years, having begun his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.