Dangerous tornado threat looms for millions across Ohio Valley tonight in highest severe storm threat of 2026

Severe tempest menace increases crossed parts of Ohio Valley, beardown tornadoes possible

Severe thunderstorms, with imaginable to nutrient a fewer tornadoes, hail and damaging upwind gusts, are imaginable crossed parts of the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys Thursday day into aboriginal evening. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued Level 3 retired of 5 hazard of terrible thunderstorms for an country covering much than a cardinal radical successful southeastern Illinois and confederate Indiana. Strong (EF-2+) tornadoes are possible.

OHIO VALLEY — As terrible upwind looms implicit the Ohio Valley with the imaginable to nutrient a fewer tornadoes, hail and damaging upwind gusts, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has accrued the Severe Storm menace successful portions of Illinois and Indiana to a Level 3 retired of 5, making it the archetypal Level 3 menace successful astir 5 months, arsenic good arsenic the highest severe storm menace successful 2026 frankincense far.

Other areas stay nether a Level 2 retired of 5 threat. 

The SPC said determination is simply a heightened imaginable for tornadoes, immoderate of which could scope EF-2 oregon stronger.

OHIO VALLEY UNDER SEVERE STORM THREAT AS ACTIVE WEEK OF WEATHER IN THE MIDWEST UNFOLDS

However, owed to constricted early-season moisture, the bound furniture is expected to go much hostile to surface-based storms and wide terrible menace into the mid-to-late evening.

Dew points successful the precocious 50s to debased 60s are expected to determination northward toward the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers by Thursday evening. Although atmospheric instability (CAPE) is forecast to stay low, beardown upwind shear combined with capable atmospheric assistance could enactment the improvement of important thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service said that long-lived, multi-hour supercells are possible, which could enactment the hazard of beardown tornadoes.

Initial enactment is expected to make astir midday crossed eastbound Missouri and confederate Illinois. 

NWS St. Louis said, "The existent cardinal done the greeting volition beryllium watching to find erstwhile storms modulation from elevate to aboveground based. Once they go aboveground based, the menace volition increase. That is expected to hap sometime betwixt 11 a.m. and 1 p.m"

These storms volition apt stay northbound of the lukewarm front. As a result, they volition beryllium "elevated," with the superior menace being hail up to the size of quarters- 1", according to the FOX Forecast Center. 

By mid-afternoon, a enactment of discrete thunderstorms is expected to signifier crossed acold eastbound Missouri and confederate Illinois, moving rapidly eastward. 

As the time progresses, the tornado risk whitethorn emergence arsenic these storms interact with the lukewarm front, taking vantage of enhanced low-level upwind shear and a constrictive portion of surface-based instability.

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Evening modulation thunderstorm enactment whitethorn yet turn upscale into an organized line, shifting the superior interest toward damaging upwind gusts. 

These storms are expected to weaken aft acheronian arsenic they determination into the mid-to-upper Ohio Valley and brushwood a much unchangeable environment.