Severe Weather Hounds Ohio with Threats of Flooding Rain During This Stormy Spring

Threats of flooding are upon Ohio as severe weather hounds the area this stormy spring season.

Stormy Spring in Ohio

A multiday severe weather threat with potential tornados, damaging winds, large hail, and flooding rain looms into the Ohio Valley in the first week of the season, just as springtime typically sees an increase in tornado activity across the US.

A strong jet stream-related upper-level disturbance is anticipated to enter the West by Wednesday and move across the eastern and central US on Thursday and Friday.

As it does this, the Gulf of Mexico will send warmth and moisture northward.

Beginning on Thursday, a cold front will move through the South and Ohio Valley, overlapping with that Gulf moisture.

This will increase atmospheric instability and probably lead to the development of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

Severe Weather, Thunderstorms, Large Hail, Tornado

On Wednesday, a weaker storm system will first pass through the lower Missouri as well as mid-Mississippi valleys before the main severe weather threat on Thursday and Friday.

Late Wednesday evening, isolated strong storms that could develop into severe thunderstorms with a risk of large hail are possible across far northeastern Kansas, northern Missouri, far southeastern Iowa, and west-central Illinois.

The southern Plains will likely experience the first severe weather threat on Thursday.

Beginning Thursday afternoon and lasting through the night, the Texas Hill Country, northwest and north-central Texas, as well as southern Oklahoma, are expected to experience the highest threat of severe thunderstorms.

Dallas-Fort Worth, Abilene, and Wichita Falls are among the Texas cities that are susceptible to severe storms.

The main risks from these storms are large hail as well as damaging wind gusts, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.

Britta Merwin, a meteorologist from FOX Weather, said that as Thursday approaches, a line of storms forms along the cold front, and that will be to blame for those stormy overnight hours into Friday.

A 36-hour window from Thursday night into Friday morning should be of concern.

Multiple Watches and Warnings

On Friday, a shift in the threat of severe weather will take place, with the area with the greatest risk extending from the lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee as well as the lower Ohio valleys.

This includes the cities of Jackson in Mississippi, Baton Rouge and Shreveport in Louisiana, Memphis as well as Nashville in Tennessee, and Nashville.

These storms have the potential to produce tornadoes, large hail, and potentially damaging wind gusts.

Even though there aren't any weather alerts at the moment, according to data from the National Weather Service, FOX Weather meteorologist Kendall Smith says locals should make sure they have multiple ways to get watches and warnings over the coming days.

Also Read: Winter Weather Advisory in Effect Over Parts of Ohio as Snow, Gusty Winds Bring Frigid Temps at 20 Degrees

Flooding Rain, Flash Floods

Flash flooding will be possible from the Ohio Valley moving towards the mid-South on Thursday and Friday due to heavy rain, even in areas that don't experience severe weather.

Around two to three inches of rain could fall over a large area of those regions quickly, with localized amounts of three inches or more possible in some places.