With a Level-3 enhanced risk of severe weather for the southern plains today, an already very active spring severe weather season could see tornadoes in Tornado Alley on Wednesday; plus, more of today’s weather news and forecast
Potential for tornadoes in Tornado Alley today
A severe weather threat for the southern Plains could bring tornadoes to Tornado Alley on Wednesday, as well as surrounding states. Meteorologists are rating the severe weather threat as a Level-3, which is an enhanced risk defined as widespread with several intense storms and more persistent.
The possibilities include likely and significant wind damage, large hail between 1-2 inches, and several tornadoes.
The areas under a Level-3 threat on Wednesday include a wide swath through the center of Texas, most of Oklahoma, central and eastern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska, western and northern Missouri, southern Iowa and western Illinois.
About tornado alley
Tornado Alley is the nickname for an area in the central United States where tornadoes are frequent. The term was given to the area in 1952 after a research project studied weather in the area and the moniker stuck.
Tornado Alley spans from Texas to South Dakota and includes portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and eastern Colorado.
However, Tornado Alley often expands its boundaries to include portions of the neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Red flag fire warnings in West
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued red flag warnings over possible critical fire weather due to hot and dry conditions in portions of the West and central Plains.
The NWS forecast includes south-central and southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the western portion of the Oklahoma Panhandle, Northwestern Texas, and Northeastern and north-central New Mexico.
Today’s US forecast
West: San Francisco 63, mostly cloudy; Los Angeles 75, partly cloudy; Reno 61, mostly cloudy; Las Vegas 86, sunny; Salt Lake City 68, partly cloudy; Denver 78, partly cloudy.
Northwest & Northern Rockies: Seattle 65, rain; Medford 57, rain; Boise 56, rain; Billings 63, rain; Minot 58, cloudy; Rapid City 63, thunderstorms.
Southwest: Phoenix 92, mostly sunny; Albuquerque 83, sunny; El Paso 90, sunny; San Antonio 87, thunderstorms; Brownsville 91, partly cloudy.
Central & Upper Midwest: Lubbock 87, partly cloudy; Dallas 83, thunderstorms; Oklahoma City 77, thunderstorms; Kansas City 68, thunderstorms; Minneapolis 62, rain.
Ohio Valley: Chicago 65, mostly sunny; St. Louis 62, cloudy; Detroit 58, sunny; Cincinnati 60, cloudy.
South: Houston 84, thunderstorms; New Orleans 84, partly cloudy; Memphis 81, partly cloudy; Atlanta 78, cloudy; Charlotte 71, rain; Jacksonville 81, partly cloudy; Tampa 91, sunny; Miami 82, windy.
East: Norfolk 69, partly cloudy; Washington, D.C. 69, partly cloudy; Buffalo 51, sunny; New York City 63, mostly sunny; Boston 59, mostly sunny; Caribou 47, partly cloudy.