Author: Avery Hughes

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS — A dangerous severe weather day is underway across the Central and Southern Plains today, Sunday, April 26, 2026, with very large hail, damaging winds, and a few strong tornadoes all on the table. The Storm Prediction Center’s categorical outlook places an Enhanced Risk covering a broad corridor from the Oklahoma…

ILLINOIS — A significant and potentially historic tornado outbreak is forecast across much of Illinois on Monday, April 27, 2026, beginning in the morning and lasting through the evening hours. The Storm Prediction Center has introduced a CIG2 designation for a large portion of the state, signaling a reasonable expectation for tornadoes of at least…

IOWA, ILLINOIS, AND MISSOURI — A widespread weather system is expected to bring intense thunderstorms to the middle Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Valleys this Monday, April 27, with the highest risk centered across Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri under a Level 3 out of 5 Enhanced Risk designation. Individual rotating storms are likely to form early…

ILLINOIS — A severe weather and tornado outbreak is possible across Illinois Monday afternoon into Monday night, carrying the highest ceiling of the season so far for significant hazards across the state. Damaging wind gusts, very large hail, and long-tracked intense tornadoes rated EF-3 or stronger are all on the table, with the environment from…

ROCKFORD AND STATELINE REGION — The severe weather threat for Monday afternoon and evening continues to hold firm across the Stateline region, with just about the entire area remaining under a Level 3 out of 5 Enhanced Risk for severe weather. All modes of severe weather are in play for Monday, unfortunately including tornadoes, with…

ILLINOIS AND SURROUNDING REGION — A significant and potentially major severe weather outbreak is possible Monday, April 27, with widespread damaging winds, large to very large hail, and several tornadoes including long-tracked and particularly damaging storms expected across a large portion of Illinois and neighboring areas. The core hatched zone covering central and southern Illinois…

CAROLINAS — A round of storms is set to push through the Carolinas today with the active window running from 2 PM through 9 PM, bringing locally heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds, and some small hail to the region. The peak timing for most areas falls between 4 PM and 7 PM, with storms lingering…

MICHIGAN AND GREAT LAKES REGION — The first week of May is shaping up to be a cold one across Michigan and the broader Great Lakes region, with the Climate Prediction Center issuing a Moderate Risk of hazardous below-normal temperatures valid May 2 through May 3. Daily high temperatures could run more than 8°F below…

EASTERN UNITED STATES — Deep soil moisture levels measured from the surface down to 79 inches are running well below average across a vast stretch of the eastern United States, revealing the root cause behind why current drought conditions have become so severe. The deficit is so significant that even well established plants with deep…

EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN ARKANSAS — Significant severe weather is expected today with the worst of the threat centered just west of Arkansas in eastern Oklahoma, where extremely large hail reaching baseball size or bigger, damaging winds, and tornadoes are all likely. Depending on where storms initiate and track this afternoon, the threat could push…