A grim heat wave across the US expands, while a lengthy swath of severe weather could spur waterspouts and tornadoes on Wednesday over the mid-South, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, and Mid-Atlantic, and today’s weather alerts.
Severe storms could spur waterspouts and tornadoes
Scattered thunderstorms over portions of the Southwest and central US, with more concentrated storms over the South, Southeast, mid-South, Great Lakes area, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a widespread Level 2 severe weather risk on Wednesday over a widespread area that stretches from the mid-South into the Ohio Valley, over the Great Lakes, and portions of the mid-Atlantic.
The areas of concern include western, central, and northern Kentucky; southeastern Indiana; Ohio; western and northwestern West Virginia; Eastern Michigan, portions of Lake Huron and Lake Erie, western Pennsylvania, and western New York.
Threats: Waterspouts, damaging winds, hail, tornadoes
A Level 2 Severe Weather Risk is defined as scattered, isolated severe storms with the possibility of wind damage, large hail between 1-2 inches, and a low threat of 1-2 isolated tornadoes.
Severe thunderstorms could spawn waterspouts on Saginaw Bay, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), MLive reported.
The strongest threat over the entire area is in damaging winds (15% risk), with a minor risk of large hail (5%) over portions of Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and a low risk of tornadoes (2%) over the same region.
Severe thunderstorm watch & warning
The NWS issued a severe thunderstorm watch and severe thunderstorm warning over western Michigan into Lake Huron and parts of Lake Erie, as well as over northwestern Ohio.
Increased risk of severe weather on Thursday in East
Widespread areas of potential severe weather on Thursday on two separate fronts for the eastern US, according to the SPC forecast. The first front is over the South and Southeast and extends from Mississippi across Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Moving north, a wide area of severe weather encompasses the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.
The SPC forecast is currently showing no severe weather risks for Friday.
Grim heat wave expands from coast to coast
The relentless heat across the US has now extended from coast-to-coast. The NWS issued the following heat-related alerts for Wednesday.
Excessive heat warning for portions of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Heat advisory for portions of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
