The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 7:00 p.m. CT for portions of eastern Nebraska and central Iowa severe storms fire up across the Heartland.
In effect through early evening, this watch highlights a high-energy environment where storms could rapidly intensify, posing a primary threat of very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and the potential for an isolated tornado.
Residents along the I-80 corridor and near the Missouri River should stay alert and have multiple ways to receive warnings, as these storms are tapping into record warmth and high humidity to produce significant impacts.
Significant progress has been made in the battle against the Newman Road Fire in Collier County, Florida, with all mandatory evacuations officially lifted as of 12:00 p.m. ET Wednesday.
While residents are now cleared to return to their homes, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a major influx of traffic, particularly near the intersection of Collier Boulevard and Beck Boulevard.
To ensure the safe return of families, livestock, and essential workers, deputies have implemented safety checkpoints and are urging the general public to avoid the area if possible.
Officials have also issued a strict "no-drone" warning, as unauthorized drone activity poses a direct threat to the safety of first responders and severely hampers ongoing aerial fire operations.
{{#rendered}}The FOX Forecast Center is tracking a dangerous supercell currently blasting western Iowa with golf ball-sized hail and intense winds.
As of 12:00 p.m. CT, radar shows a significant core moving directly over Denison and Dunlap, with the storm’s path threatening areas along Highway 30 and Highway 59.
Residents in the path of this cell should seek shelter immediately and move vehicles under cover, as the storm is showing signatures of very large hail capable of causing significant property damage.
{{#rendered}}The atmosphere is primed for more severe weather across the Heartland this afternoon as record-breaking warmth and surging humidity levels rapidly increase instability.
With dew points climbing into the 60s and afternoon temperatures reaching the 80s, the fuel for thunderstorm development is increasing along an approaching cold front.
FOX Weather meteorologists are closely monitoring the cap—a layer of warm air aloft that suppresses storm growth—expecting it to break later today, which would allow explosive thunderstorm development across the region.
As the sun provides maximum heating through the afternoon, discrete supercells are expected to fire up, capable of utilizing this atmospheric energy to produce large hail and damaging wind gusts.
This building instability is particularly concerning for areas already saturated by recent rain, as any new storms could lead to rapid-onset flash flooding.
Firefighters in Southwest Florida continue to make progress on the Newman Road Fire, successfully increasing containment to 70% as of Wednesday morning.
While the fire’s footprint remains at 1,733 acres, crews in the Picayune Strand State Forest are staying vigilant against flare-ups caused by persistent dry conditions and shifting winds.
{{#rendered}}Officials in Antrim County, Michigan, have triggered the "Ready" stage protocol for the Bellaire Dam after water levels rose to within 12 inches of the structure's top.
Following an on-site review by the State of Michigan EGLE Dam Safety Unit, residents and businesses along the Intermediate River downstream are being urged to pack "go-bags" and prepare for a potential evacuation.
While dam staff are monitoring the situation around the clock, emergency managers recommend that those choosing to self-evacuate identify their homes as empty using a brightly colored item or a large "X" on the front door.
The "Ready" status indicates that water levels are rising by at least 3 inches per day, with the "Set" and "Go" stages of the emergency plan potentially following if the reservoir continues to climb toward the top of the dam.
WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee meteorologists and staff sheltered in the station's basement during a Tornado Warning on Tuesday night.
FOX 6 Milwaukee meteorologist Rob Haswell joined FOX Weather on Wednesday morning to talk about the station's severe weather protocol and how the staff prepared in advance for the severe weather.
After today's storms clear, the FOX Forecast Center is already tracking a significant new severe weather event set to ignite this Friday.
A powerful upper-level disturbance moving out of the Rockies will pivot into the central Plains, pulling deep moisture and unstable air northward to fuel a multi-hazard threat.
From Friday afternoon through the overnight hours, a massive Level 3 out of 5 severe storm risk covers nearly 1,000 miles, placing cities like Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and Des Moines in the crosshairs for strong tornadoes, very large hail, and damaging winds.
The threat will evolve as the day progresses, beginning with discrete supercells capable of producing all hazards before potentially growing into a sprawling squall line as it nears the Mississippi River.
This expansive system will continue its march eastward through Saturday, bringing a primary threat of damaging winds to the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, including Detroit, Columbus, and Indianapolis.
With over 34 million people in the path of this multi-day event, residents are urged to stay weather-aware as the storm front is expected to reach the East Coast by Sunday morning.
{{#rendered}}The Florida Forest Service and local crews are locked in a tough fight against the Newman Road Fire, a fast-moving wildfire that has scorched over 1,733 acres in the Picayune Strand State Forest east of Naples.
As of Wednesday morning, containment has increased to 60%, but extreme fire behavior—including long-range spotting and running—prompted mandatory evacuations for several streets in the Collier County area.
While two Blackhawk helicopters and strike teams have helped slow the spread, officials warn that a lack of rain and variable winds could worsen smoky conditions for nearby communities, including Naples, through the remainder of the week.
A massive 75-car pileup on Colorado's Interstate 70 sent at least 19 people to hospitals Tuesday as blinding snow and slick mountain roads created treacherous driving conditions near Silverthorne.
The chaotic scene, which unfolded in the eastbound lanes just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel, forced a total shutdown of the interstate as emergency crews worked to navigate the wreckage and reroute traffic over Loveland Pass.
While Governor Jared Polis praised the rapid response of first responders working in the difficult winter conditions, the Colorado Department of Transportation continues to warn motorists that winter driving conditions persist throughout the I-70 mountain corridor.
An unprecedented spring heat wave is tightening its grip on the Eastern U.S. today, as a massive ridge of high pressure sends temperatures soaring 20 to 30 degrees above average.
From the Southeast to the Northeast, more than 150 daily high temperature records are expected to fall through Saturday. The core of the heat settles over the I-95 corridor this afternoon, with major hubs like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Raleigh likely recording their first 90-degree days of the year—a milestone typically not reached until late May.
The surge is especially intense in the Mid-Atlantic, where Washington, D.C., could see the mercury climb to 93°F, challenging the all-time April record of 95°F.
Even the Big Apple isn’t being spared, with New York City forecast to reach the mid-to-upper 80s, threatening records that have stood since 1941.
While a weak front may offer a brief reprieve for coastal New England, this broad heat dome is expected to hold firm through the weekend, impacting nearly 30 million Americans with summer-like sizzle before a more significant cold front arrives next week.
{{#rendered}}An imminent threat is unfolding in Northern Michigan as rising water levels bring the Cheboygan Dam to the brink of collapse.
Following a combination of significant snowmelt and heavy rain, the dam was reported to be just 7 inches from overtopping, prompting Governor Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency for Cheboygan County.
While DNR crews work around the clock with water pumps and sandbags to divert the flow, the U.S. 23 bridge has been closed as a precaution due to potential foundation erosion from the surging waters.
The situation remains critical as local officials have already begun evacuations for low-lying areas near the Little Black River Watershed following a separate levee breach.
With more rain in the forecast this week, the "Ready, Set, Go" evacuation protocols are in full effect for residents downstream.
Authorities warn that if water levels reach within one inch of the top of the dam, a failure becomes highly probable, posing a severe risk to life and property in the downtown Cheboygan area.
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking a massive, multi-region severe weather threat today as a stagnant and volatile pattern triggers another round of dangerous storms.
Spanning nearly a dozen states, a Level 2 out of 5 risk has been issued for a corridor stretching from the southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Ohio Valley and Northeast.
Areas that were slammed by tornadoes and massive hail on Tuesday are bracing for a "rinse and repeat" scenario this afternoon.
A combination of record-breaking warmth and high humidity is fueling the atmosphere as a slow-moving low-pressure system over Iowa interacts with a persistent dryline and a stationary front draped across the Great Lakes.
Storms are expected to fire up during the peak heating of the afternoon. If you're in the path of these storms, you should download the FOX Weather App and enable critical weather alerts so you are never caught off guard.
Threats by region
- Central and Southern Plains: Along the dryline in Oklahoma, Kansas, and North Texas, discrete supercells and bowing squall lines are expected to form. These storms will be capable of producing very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes.
- Midwest and Great Lakes: Cities like Chicago, Des Moines, and Kansas City face threats of supercells capable of dropping significant hail. Meanwhile, deep moisture along a stationary front in Wisconsin and Michigan will continue to exacerbate ongoing flooding concerns.
- Ohio Valley and Northeast: The threat extends far to the east, where record-warm temperatures in Pittsburgh and Cleveland will lead to scattered afternoon thunderstorms. These cells will be capable of producing hail and locally damaging wind gusts.
Residents across the Midwest are waking up to the damage left behind after tornadoes and severe storms ripped through the region on Tuesday. From the Plains to the Great Lakes, emergency crews are working to restore power and clear debris after a Tuesday that saw over a dozen reported tornadoes, windshield-shattering giant hail, and significant flash flooding.
National Weather Service survey teams are deploying to Vernon and Juneau Counties in Wisconsin, and multiple Michigan counties, where the most significant structural damage occurred. In Wisconsin, the overnight storms peeled roofs off homes and collapsed barns, leaving more than 65,000 customers in the dark throughout the Great Lakes.
While the wind was a major threat, water has become the primary crisis in the North. In Michigan, the Cheboygan Dam remains under close watch as officials warn of potential overtopping. Heavy rain totals of 2–5 inches overnight have led to school closures and evacuations in eastern Wisconsin, where the saturated ground simply cannot hold any more moisture.
{{#rendered}}The severe weather threat today follows a destructive Tuesday that saw giant, windshield-shattering hail and tornadoes tear through the heart of the Midwest. From 4.00-inch hail in Maple Bluff, Wisconsin, to an 88 mph wind gust in Dubuque, Iowa, yesterday’s storms set the stage for the flooding and tornado threats we are tracking this morning.
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