Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Target Midwest and Texas Friday Night And Saturday

May 13,2016
A cold front will dive into the Midwest and southern Plains, increasing the chance of severe thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday. Much colder temperatures will follow behind this cold front, along with the chance of a few snowflakes in northern Michigan.
The main threats are strong, straight-line winds and large hail, in addition to the threat of local flash flooding.

Current Radar with Watches and Warnings

(MORE: View National Interactive Radar Map | Difference Between a Watch and a Warning)
Below is our latest thinking on the forecast through Saturday.
Friday Night

• Forecast: A few strong to severe thunderstorms will develop from Illinois into western Oklahoma as a cold front moves into the region. A separate cold front will push toward the East coast with a few thunderstorms stretching from the Northeast into the Southeast and a few severe thunderstorms cannot be ruled out from eastern North Carolina into northern Florida. 
• Threats: Damaging wind gusts and large hail are the primary concerns. An isolated tornado is also possible.
• Cities: Wilmington, North Carolina | Kansas City | Wichita, Kansas | Oklahoma City

Friday Night's Thunderstorm Forecast

Saturday

• Forecast: A few severe thunderstorms may develop in portions of southern and central Texas, as well as southern New Mexico and far southwestern Louisiana. Strong thunderstorms are also possible in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, ahead of an eastward moving cold front.
• Threats: Large hail and damaging wind gusts are the main concerns. An isolated tornado also cannot be ruled out in Texas and New Mexico.
• Cities: Austin, Texas | San Angelo, Texas | Philadelphia

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Saturday's Thunderstorm Forecast

Wednesday's Storm Reports

Very large hail up to 4 inches in diameter (grapefruit size) was reported in a severe thunderstorm in the St. Louis Metro area Wednesday afternoon.
Wind gusts over 50 mph produced minor damage in the Louisville, Kentucky area Wednesday evening.

Tuesday's Storm Reports

There were another 16 reports of tornadoes Tuesday, along with roughly another 150 reports of large hail and damaging winds mainly in three clusters: Kentucky, parts of north and central Texas, and parts of Nebraska and northern Kansas.
A tornado was reported Tuesday afternoon near Mayfield, Kentucky, injuring eight, but the injuries were non-life threatening.
Early Wednesday morning, hail accumulated to a depth of 1 foot or more in parts of the Omaha metro, prompting snow plows to be called out.

Meanwhile, training thunderstorms triggered flash flooding in parts of Middle Tennessee early Wednesday.
Water rescues were required in parts of Trousdale County, and at least one vehicle was swept down a creek in Smith County. Over 5 inches of rain was reported in Sumner County as of Wednesday morning. No travel was advised in Macon County, with reports of homes surrounded by water.
(MORE: Flash Flood Emergency in Tennessee)

Monday's Storm Reports

A large tornado was observed Monday afternoon near Katie, Oklahoma, with reports of one death and damage west of Interstate 35, with a house destroyed. Survey results have found EF4 damage from that tornado, making it the first EF4 rated tornado of 2016. Separate tornadoes near Sulphur, Oklahoma, and Bromide, Oklahoma, have been rated EF3.
(LATEST NEWS: Storms Batter the Plains)
In all, eight tornadoes have been confirmed in Oklahoma on Monday by National Weather Service surveys.

Preliminary reports of tornadoes on May 9, 2016. NWS storm surveys will determine final tornado counts in the next few days.
(NOAA/NWS/SPC)

Another damaging tornado was reported in southeastern Lincoln, Nebraska and a brief tornado was spotted near Odessa, Nebraska late in the afternoon. Tornadoes were also reported northeast of Nehawka, Nebraska, near Fairfield, Nebraska Monday evening and near Guthrie Center, Iowa Monday night.
Hail up to 4.25 inches in diameter was reported in Lincoln, Nebraska Monday evening, with damage to vehicles, homes, even a golf course. Farther south, grapefruit size hail, 4 inches in diameter, was observed near Wapanucka, Oklahoma Monday evening.

A wind gust of 88 mph was measured near Sulphur, Oklahoma Monday evening. Wind damage was reported in Salem, Arkansas with structural damage to some airport buildings and planes severely damaged. Flash flooding was reported in Paris, Texas with multiple high water rescues Monday night.

Storm Reports From This Weekend

Sunday afternoon and evening tornadoes were reported in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, however there was no major damage. Hail as large as baseballs was reported in Hawley, Texas.
(MORE: Severe Weather Impacts the Plains)
On Saturday evening, an EF2 rated tornado did damage and injured five people in northeast Colorado near the town of Wray. Another EF2 rated tornado touched down in Morgan County, Colorado, damaging motor homes and causing some minor injuries.

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MORE: Strange Tornado Debris