By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist
March 24,2015; 9:05PM,EDT
The unusual lull in severe weather across the United States will come to an end on Tuesday evening with locally strong to severe thunderstorms centered on parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) only issued four tornado watches and no severe thunderstorm watches from the start of January through March 22. None of the tornado watches were in effect in March.
A line of severe thunderstorms erupted across southwest Missouri early Tuesday evening and this line will advance east through Missouri and northern Arkansas through Tuesday night.
The line of storms has already produced large hail across many areas of southwest Missouri. For the remainder of the evening, Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri, still lie in Tuesday evening's severe thunderstorm zone.
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AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions Lead Meteorologist Eddie Walker is concerned for the strongest thunderstorms on Tuesday evening to produce wind gusts over 60 mph, hail, heavy rainfall and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. Such winds could cause tree damage, power outages and dangerous cross-winds for semi-trucks.
Residents are reminded to seek shelter as soon as thunder is heard. You are then close enough to be struck by lightning.
"A low risk for tornadoes does exist with these storms as well, mainly for Tuesday evening," added Walker.
The severe weather danger will wane late Tuesday night with the loss of daytime heating.
However, during Wednesday a large swath of strong to locally severe thunderstorms may develop from part of the Ohio Valley to north central Texas.
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