The Storm Prediction Center cautions that a significant portion of the central U.S. is on alert for the threat of “potentially powerful tornadoes” on Sunday, continuing what has been an active tornado season in March. More than 25 million Americans are at an increased risk of severe weather on Sunday, with the middle Mississippi Valley and lower Ohio Valley facing the greatest danger. Cities such as Memphis, St. Louis, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati are at heightened risk. An additional 80 million Americans could encounter severe weather to some extent on Sunday.
Despite some uncertainty about the extent of severe weather, morning storms might weaken the potential for stronger afternoon storms. Meteorologist Steve Goss from the Storm Prediction Center anticipates that Sunday’s storms could bring significant severe risks, including large hail, damaging winds, and potentially strong tornadoes in the affected areas. As new weather forecasts come in, the threat of severe weather across the region might increase.
Storms are projected to form in the Central Plains on Saturday, with tornadoes expected to be moderate in size and intensity from Oklahoma City to north of Kansas City. The storm system could also bring severe weather to the East Coast on Monday, affecting areas from New York to Florida with potentially strong storms.
This storm system arrives at the end of a notably active March for tornadoes, marking the most tornadoes recorded in at least thirty years. So far this month, there have been 236 tornadoes, with a significant portion occurring on March 14 and 15. Mississippi has seen the most tornadoes at 53, followed by Missouri with 36 and Illinois with 33. These states could see additional tornado activity based on the Storm Prediction Center’s forecast.
