Severe storms target more than 25M across the Great Lakes ahead of active April pattern for Central US
The severe weather threat has increased across parts of the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma, which is now under a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday.
Active start to April with severe weather
SEVERE WEATHER HQ 🚨: FOX Weather Meteorologist Steve Bender breaks down the severe storm threat targeting more than 25 million Americans as a stormy weather weather is expected to persist through at least the first half of April.
A stormy weather pattern is taking hold across the Central U.S. and is expected to persist through at least the first half of April. A first round of severe storms rumbled through parts of the Midwest as the main severe weather threat shifted east, affecting more than 25 million people across the Great Lakes.
The threat also extends back into parts of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, indicative of that new weather pattern beginning to take shape.
![Photos from the ground in Aroma Park, Illinois, on March 12 capture the devastating destruction in Kankakee County after a tornado ripped through March 10]()
Image 1 of 8Photos from the ground in Aroma Park, Illinois, on March 12 capture the devastating destruction in Kankakee County after a tornado ripped through March 10. (FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne )
![LAKE VILLAGE, INDIANA - MARCH 10: First responders survey a destroyed Family Dollar store where two employees were trapped and later rescued uninjured after a tornado struck on March 10, 2026 in Lake Village, Indiana. The National Weather Service had issued an urgent warning about a large tornado moving through the area, calling it a "life-threatening situation."]()
Image 2 of 8LAKE VILLAGE, INDIANA - MARCH 10: First responders survey a destroyed Family Dollar store where two employees were trapped and later rescued uninjured after a tornado struck on March 10, 2026, in Lake Village, Indiana. The National Weather Service had issued an urgent warning about a large tornado moving through the area, calling it a "life-threatening situation." ((Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images))
![Brandon Copic shot of a tornado in Illinois on March 10, 2026.]()
Image 3 of 8Brandon Copic shot of a tornado in Illinois on March 10, 2026. (FOX Weather)
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Image 4 of 8The Kankakee Country Sheriff's Office continues to work with emergency personnel from agencies to assess the damage from the tornado that ripped through the region on March 10. (Downburst Daan / Facebook)
![Tornado damages church in Union City, MI, Friday March 6]()
Image 5 of 8A tornado damages a church in Union City, MI, on Friday, March 6. (KRISTEN RIEDER)
![Widespread tornado damage in Union City, MI, March 7.]()
Image 6 of 8Widespread tornado damage in Union City, MI, on March 7. (Celena Sanchez / FOX Weather)
![Devastating tornado caught on camera in Union City, Michigan]()
Image 7 of 8Devastating tornado caught on camera in Union City, Michigan. (Lisa Nicola)
![Severe storms tore down trees in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Wednesday night.]()
Image 8 of 8Severe storms tore down trees in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. (Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
This latest threat follows an active start to the spring severe weather season this month, including deadly tornadoes across Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, as well as a damaging severe weather outbreak in Texas.
With April just around the corner, only brief breaks are expected before an active pattern brings repeated rounds of storms to parts of the Plains and South beginning Tuesday night and lasting into the weekend.
(FOX Weather)
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms for much of the Great Lakes covering the Chicago, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, New York, metro areas.
The FOX Forecast Center said hail will be the primary threat, though an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out despite a lower overall tornado risk.
(FOX Weather)
These storms are also producing heavy rain which could cause flash flooding across parts of western New York, the Adirondacks and western Pennsylvania.
WHAT IS A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM?
Meanwhile, the severe weather threat has also increased across parts of the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma, which is now under a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms, according to the NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.
These thunderstorms are capable of producing strong wind gusts, damaging hail and isolated tornadoes ahead of a more significant severe weather threat on Wednesday.
(FOX Weather)
Active start to April
Heading into April, a trailing cold front is expected to stall across the Ohio Valley, and this boundary will act as a focus for multiple waves of energy, raising the potential for repeated rounds of rain and an increasing flood threat across parts of the South as the week progresses.
(FOX Weather)
Rainfall totals could exceed 3 to 5 inches in some locations, with higher localized amounts possible.
April is typically one of the most active months for severe storms across parts of the Plains and the South.
APRIL WEATHER OUTLOOK: SEVERE STORMS TARGET MILLIONS AS SPRING TEMPERATURE WARMUP FINALLY NEARS
(FOX Weather)
The larger-scale pattern is expected to evolve into a classic spring setup, with a trough forming over the West and a ridge building in the East.
That type of pattern tends to favor repeated storm systems moving through the Plains.
By Easter weekend and beyond, the pattern is likely to shift further.
The jet stream is expected to dip farther south across the Plains, allowing storms to intensify and track through traditional severe weather regions such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
(FOX Weather)
With summer-like warmth, increasing moisture and potent disturbances in place, the potential for severe storms will rise.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the exact storm tracks and impacts remain uncertain, and forecasts are still being refined.
Overall, this shift marks the beginning of a more active and typical spring severe weather season across the Plains.