Hail, tornadoes impact the Upper Midwest ahead of multi-day severe weather threat taking aim at 70M+
An active spring weather pattern will develop across the Central U.S. with severe thunderstorms likely throughout the week.
Tornado touches down and rips across farmland in Minnesota
MUST-SEE MOMENT🌪️: FOX Weather Meteorologist Haley Meier provides live updates on the ground in Truman, Minnesota, as a tornado touches down and rips across farmland directly in front of Exclusive Storm Tracker Corey Gerken.
Multiple tornadoes were confirmed in Minnesota as dangerous thunderstorms targeted Minneapolis, as well as other parts of the Upper Midwest.
The storms brought large hail and tornadoes ahead of a more expansive multi-day severe weather threat covering over 70 million people from the Big Bend of Texas through the Great Lakes beginning Tuesday.
LIFE-THREATENING TORNADO RIPS THROUGH PARTS OF ILLINOIS AS SEVERE WEATHER LASHES THE HEARTLAND
(FOX Weather)
An active spring weather pattern is developing across the Central U.S. with severe thunderstorms likely throughout the week.
FOX Weather Meteorologist Haley Meier was reporting live on air when a tornado touched down and ripped through farmland in Truman, Minnesota, on Monday evening.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
This comes after severe storms drenched parts of Texas this past weekend, causing localized flooding. However, a layer of warm air in the atmosphere created an "atmospheric cap" that prevented the formation of stronger tornado-producing storms.
Watch: Severe thunderstorms drench Southwest Texas
Lightning flash and heavy rain doused Del Rio, Texas early Sunday.
Monday: Large hail, tornadoes in Minnesota and Wisconsin
Dangerous severe weather broke out across parts of the Upper Midwest including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, as well as parts of northern Illinois and northern Indiana.
MUCH-NEEDED RAIN PERSISTS ACROSS DROUGHT-STRICKEN FLORIDA AS COASTAL FLOOD THREAT BUILDS
A corridor between Minneapolis and Green Bay, Wisconsin, was under a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.
(FOX Weather)
A Tornado Watch was issued for portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa through 10 p.m. CT, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORNADO WATCH, TORNADO WARNING AND TORNADO EMERGENCY?
Large baseball-sized hail, 2+ inches in diameter, was reported through the evening as severe thunderstorms developed.
(FOX Weather)
Similar to Sunday's storms, an "atmospheric cap" prevented storms from forming Monday afternoon, but that "cap" broke during the evening hours, as a strong area of low pressure moved into the region.
HOW HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE DRIVE THE WEATHER
Chicago and Milwaukee were under a Level 2 risk of severe storms. The FOX Forecast Center said the primary severe weather hazard was large hail.
(FOX Weather)
However, the tornado threat increased as storms were able to form closer to the surface along the warm front.
(FOX Weather)
Storms weakened as they tracked eastward into the Lake Michigan area.
THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND THERE IS A TORNADO ON THE GROUND
Tuesday: 70M+ at risk of severe storms across Midwest, Southern Plains
The severe weather threat will begin to expand Tuesday, covering more than 70 million people, spanning the Big Bend of Texas to Lake Michigan.
(FOX Weather)
A Level 3 out of 5 severe storm risk is in effect across parts of eastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, including Chicago and Milwaukee.
In the southern theater of Tuesday's threat, severe storms are expected to fire along another dryline forecast over Oklahoma and West Texas.
Additional strong storms, mainly producing strong wind gusts, are possible across parts of the interior Northeast.
Wednesday: Tornado threat possible across Central, Southern Plains; potential for flash flooding
Storms are expected to shift toward the Mississippi River Valleys, with the possibility for damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes primarily across a corridor that includes Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, western Missouri, eastern Iowa, western Illinois and parts of southern Wisconsin.
(FOX Weather)
In addition to the severe component, thunderstorms will release heavy moisture from the atmosphere, leading to downpours producing 1 to 2 inches of rain.
(FOX Weather)
A Level 1 out of 4 risk of flash flooding covers that same corridor from Texas to Michigan.