A cold front cutting through humid air across the Great Lakes and East Coast will create severe thunderstorms that could bring devastating straight-line winds, hail, and a few tornadoes through Thursday.
Severe thunderstorms created three tornadoes in extreme eastern Missouri and Illinois on Wednesday, including a destructive twister in Jacksonville, Illinois, some 30 miles west-southwest of Springfield. A powerful thunderstorm blew over a grain bin at Pleasant Plains, causing damage to at least one structure west of Farmer City.
Severe thunderstorms are expected tonight from the Appalachians to northern Texas. The greatest worries are destructive wind gusts and huge hail, while rare tornadoes are also likely. Storms will decrease overnight before resuming on Thursday.
Thursday: A warm, moist air mass will meet the cold front along the East Coast, perhaps fueling moderate instability. As a result, violent thunderstorms are probable from New England to the mid-Atlantic. The Storm Prediction Center is now advising that severe wind gusts will be the most serious threat, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.
Severe thunderstorms are possible in Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Severe storms across the upper Midwest and Northern Plains may be few and far between Thursday.
Here’s a glance at the most recent radar and ongoing advisories from the National Weather Service:
