Severe Storms Stretch from the Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes
AccuWeather reports strong thunderstorms erupted Monday evening and continued into the night from the southern Plains
through the lower Great Lakes region. More severe storms today will continue to fire ahead of a strong cold front
cutting into the spring-like warmth stretching from the lower Mississippi Valley to the lower Great Lakes.
Storms Monday night produced three dozen tornado reports. A tornado reported in northern Illinois was the first January
tornado reported in Illinois since January 25, 1950.
Hebron, Mo., recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 80 mph, while wind gusts of 60 mph were common in Illinois and
Missouri. Large hail and torrential downpours were reported, with rainfall rates as high as an inch per hour causing
localized and urban flooding. As much as six inches of standing water was reported on roads in Milwaukee, Wis.
The storms that develop today will produce more damaging winds, large hail and downpours, with the strongest storms
producing more dangerous tornadoes.
In addition to damaging thunderstorms across the Mississippi Valley, flooding is likely across the Upper Midwest, Great
Lakes, and northern New England. As a second storm rides northeastward, drenching rain will fall in areas where snow is
melting rapidly from unusually high temperatures. The greatest flooding threat today will be in the Midwest and Great
Lakes. By Wednesday, the flood threat will shift to New England.
ENDS