From Pittsburgh to Austin, forecasters are warning of damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornado threats as another round of severe weather moves through a wide stretch of the country.
The skies over much of the country have been restless for days. Tornadoes touched down in Michigan. Winds hit 70 mph in western Pennsylvania. And before any of it has had time to settle, forecasters are already tracking the next wave, a wide-moving system carrying damaging winds, hail, and tornado threats from the Great Lakes down through Texas.
Pittsburgh braces for another round
Pittsburgh is still recovering from Saturday’s storms, which brought straight-line winds, downed power lines, and blown-off roofs across Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Butler counties. Wind gusts likely reached 70 mph in some locations, knocking out power for several thousand customers in the region’s eastern portions. Some hail larger than an inch in diameter was recorded in parts of southeastern Ohio.
Before any of that damage is fully cleared, another significant storm system is expected Wednesday. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Moon are forecasting severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours, with the strongest threat arriving Wednesday night as a cold front pushes through. That front could bring isolated tornadoes, large hail, and wind gusts comparable to Saturday’s event.
Temperatures are expected to hit the low 70s by Tuesday before dropping sharply into the 30s by Thursday as the cold front clears. The rain could briefly transition to snow Wednesday night, though no significant accumulation is forecast. Another chance of rain or snow arrives Friday before a gradual warm-up returns over the weekend.
Michigan still cleaning up as new storms form
Southwest Michigan is facing a particularly difficult stretch. Tornadoes on March 6 killed three people and injured more than a dozen in the Union Lake Prairie River Lane area, with the strongest twister rated an EF-3 after wind speeds were updated to 160 mph. Four separate tornadoes touched down across the region that day, including one in Cass County that killed a 12-year-old child and another that struck Three Rivers as an EF-2.
Cleanup is still ongoing as the National Weather Service has issued a new severe weather outlook for Tuesday night through Wednesday. Wind gusts above 40 mph are possible even outside of thunderstorms. Rainfall totals of one to two inches are expected, with isolated amounts up to three inches in some areas. Several rivers are forecast to rise toward minor flood stage, and road ponding is expected in low-lying areas.
The tornado probability for the incoming system sits at 2% to 4%, the same figure forecasters cited before the March 6 outbreak. Meteorologists have noted that low probability does not mean no risk, and that when cold and warm air collide during seasonal transitions, conditions can escalate faster than models anticipate.
Texas and Arkansas watching the overnight hours
Further south, Austin and the surrounding Hill Country are preparing for a storm window that opens Tuesday afternoon and runs into Wednesday morning. A Western Low tracking along the storm track is expected to bring rain and strong storms beginning around 5 p.m. Tuesday, with the heaviest activity arriving later in the night.
Forecasters have placed the Hill Country in a Level 2 out of 5 severe weather risk zone, with the main concerns being moderate hail and wind gusts above 60 mph. Rainfall totals of one to two inches are possible over the Hill Country, with lower amounts elsewhere. Flooding risk is considered low, and conditions are expected to calm after Wednesday.
In Arkansas and Oklahoma, a similar timeline is in play. Storms are expected to develop between 7 p.m. and midnight Tuesday before organizing into a line by early Wednesday morning. During that window, wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph are possible, hail up to golf-ball size has been noted as a threat in isolated cells, and a low but real tornado chance exists. The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley under a Level 2 severe risk.
Forecasters across all affected regions are urging residents to have weather alerts activated overnight, as the most dangerous conditions in several of these areas are expected while most people are asleep.