Five days of severe weather targets millions across the South with thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes possible

After a harsh wintertime crossed the country, Americans are acceptable for a caller commencement successful March, which is typically a period of modulation into warmer temperatures.

Despite the pleasant summation successful temperatures successful immoderate parts of the U.S., this besides brings an accrued menace of severe weather.

Starting Tuesday evening, a displacement successful upwind volition statesman arsenic an precocious disturbance successful the mediate levels of the ambiance volition determination crossed the Desert Southwest and the Rockies. As a result, scattered thunderstorms could make successful the mid-Mississippi Valley.

Meteorologists astatine the FOX Forecast Center accidental that these storms volition apt beryllium elevated, meaning they signifier supra a cooler furniture adjacent the ground. 

A level 1/5 hazard has been issued by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center for Tuesday, with ample hail being the biggest threat.

As we modulation into Wednesday, warm, humid aerial volition dispersed northward from east-central Texas into the Arkansas and Louisiana regions. At this point, thunderstorms volition apt make from Central Oklahoma into Southern Missouri.

Forecast models are predicting a decent magnitude of tempest vigor up of this, with stronger winds moving done the Southern Plains by Wednesday afternoon, providing capable wind shear for organized storms. 

A fewer supercells are possible, which is the top wide risk.

Since 2010, much than 1,700 tornadoes person been recorded successful the period of March. 

Photo of a supercell successful West Texas connected 6/6/2025

(Brandon Copic / FOX Weather)

Due to these factors, the Storm Prediction Center is issuing a level 2/5 hazard for Wednesday with each modes of terrible upwind possible.

Thursday done Saturday

The multi-day tempest menace extends crossed the Central and Southern Plains done the weekend.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the tempest strategy volition determination into the mid-Mississippi Valley connected Thursday. At the aforesaid time, a acold beforehand pushes southeast into the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas regions. 

"Thunderstorms volition stay imaginable on and up of the beforehand during the time and into the evening," a connection from the FOX Forecast Center reads. "However, terrible upwind ingredients look somewhat weaker than connected Wednesday, which should bounds the wide terrible threat."

Despite the weakened threat, terrible upwind is expected to persist connected Thursday.

This won’t past long, arsenic forecast models mostly hold that starting connected Friday, moist aerial volition go unstable capable to enactment scattered thunderstorms. 

This tempest improvement volition beryllium aided by a strengthening pitchy watercourse moving Northeast crossed the Southern Plains. This origin volition nutrient stronger winds, which tin signifier storms that are apt to go severe.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the top hazard of terrible upwind stretches from Central Texas into the little Missouri Valley, including fashionable locations specified arsenic Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City.

The main threats to these areas are ample hail and damaging upwind gusts; a fewer tornadoes can’t beryllium ruled out, particularly if storms go much organized.

By Saturday, a stronger, larger upper-level trough is expected to signifier implicit the Western U.S., reinforcing warm, humid air.

PARADE OF STORMS TO EASE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DROUGHT AS FLASH FLOODING THREAT POTENTIAL RISES

Given the likelihood of terrible storms forming, the Storm Prediction Center has already issued a Day 6 terrible upwind outlook from north-central Texas into the Arkansas and Louisiana regions.