AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter breaks down the incoming threats.
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00:00 John, it's time to talk severe weather.
00:01 And you know, I wouldn't really
00:03 expect to say that about the northern
00:05 tier of the country this time of year.
00:07 And yet, like I said,
00:08 Mother Nature does not care
00:10 about our calendar.
00:10 No, no, no, that's for sure.
00:12 And with that spring like warmth around,
00:14 that's what's going to be one of the
00:16 main drivers of why we're going to have
00:18 a severe weather risk so far to the North.
00:21 Here's the storm progressing from the
00:22 western part of the United States to the
00:24 east and we're going to be dealing with
00:26 multiple days of severe weather threat
00:28 here from the central part of the US.
00:30 To the East Coast, you know,
00:32 John, something you and I were talking
00:33 about behind the scenes so important.
00:35 It's all about timing and as we head
00:37 into tomorrow timings not really on our
00:38 side, not just because of the afternoon
00:40 threat, but because the thunderstorms
00:42 look like they're going to linger until
00:43 after the sun goes down and people
00:45 are generally going to bed.
00:46 Well, that's right.
00:48 I think that's our biggest
00:49 concern with this setup,
00:50 which is that the severe weather
00:52 risk can ramp up after dark.
00:54 And of course most people are sleeping
00:57 at night tornadoes that happen at night.
00:59 Are two times more likely to be fatal
01:01 than tornadoes that occurred during the day,
01:04 so that's why it's such a concern.
01:06 And it's going to take awhile.
01:07 It looks like perhaps for this setup
01:09 to really start to amplify
01:11 through the afternoon tomorrow.
01:12 Take a look at things around 4 o'clock.
01:14 Some scattered severe
01:15 thunderstorms near Chicago,
01:16 and then a few across portions of
01:18 Ohio with a lifting warm front.
01:20 But we actually have to wait till
01:22 after 4 o'clock for some of the
01:24 stronger lift in the atmosphere.
01:26 The air to be drawn to upwards
01:28 in the atmosphere,
01:29 producing clouds and precipitation
01:30 in these thunderstorms.
01:31 That's when this can really
01:32 ramp up here into tomorrow night,
01:34 and there's individual cells there.
01:35 You saw across parts of Ohio and all
01:37 back in Indiana and southeastern Illinois.
01:39 That's what we're concerned about
01:41 for a tornado threat before the
01:42 whole thing gels together into
01:44 a line in a tomorrow night.
01:45 Well, I like the way you
01:47 put that gels together.
01:48 That's what it's going to feel like.
01:50 You look at the radar and all of a sudden
01:52 here comes that squall line that line of
01:54 rain and you know John, let's break down.
01:57 Tuesday and then we'll go into Wednesday
01:58 as well because they're kind of
02:00 different days of severe weather,
02:01 despite the fact that they're
02:03 coming from the same parent storm.
02:04 That's right,
02:05 the setup is more likely to favor a
02:07 tornado risk a isolated tornado risk
02:09 as we head through later afternoon,
02:11 Tuesday and into Tuesday night.
02:12 And look how far north this is.
02:14 This is really a springtime setup
02:16 as opposed to a February setup,
02:17 so we want you to make sure you let
02:20 your friends and family know about the risk,
02:22 especially in these areas here.
02:24 With some and moderate risk from
02:25 portions of Southern Michigan all
02:27 the way back towards Chicago to
02:28 Saint Louis and into the Ohio
02:30 Valley into tomorrow night.
02:31 And this will be a threat as we
02:33 mentioned into the overnight hours.
02:35 Now, as we had to Wednesday,
02:36 you know, kind of same,
02:38 same but different, different.
02:39 You know, we take the same storm and
02:41 draw out what we call a squall line.
02:43 Basically just a line of thunderstorms,
02:45 but it's also for areas that don't
02:46 typically see severe weather this
02:48 time of year. That's right.
02:49 And look at the area covered here
02:51 from parts of central New York all
02:53 the way back down toward Memphis here.
02:54 And the issues here likely to be
02:56 mostly damaging wind with a quick
02:58 burst of heavy rain and wind along
03:00 the front as it traverses rapidly
03:02 to the East. You know, John,
03:03 you just mentioned something that I
03:05 think our viewers really need to think
03:07 about not only their own safety.
03:09 Obviously important,
03:09 but all of our loved ones, right?
03:11 Shoot your friends and family a text,
03:13 send him a DM, give him a call,
03:15 whatever you gotta do.
03:16 But there are so many ways to
03:18 get watches and warnings.
03:19 That's right,
03:19 and sometimes just letting people
03:21 know that there's a severe weather
03:22 risk is really helpful in this situation.
03:24 Of course,
03:25 download the free Accuweather app.
03:26 Turn on push notifications.
03:27 We send those severe weather
03:29 warnings that are issued from
03:30 government from the National Weather
03:32 Service on average quicker than any
03:33 other source the Accuweather network.
03:35 And of course,
03:36 Accuweather.com and don't underestimate
03:37 the power of your own voice.
03:39 Yes, to help your friends and family.
03:41 Be aware we all live busy lives,
03:43 so an extra reminder,
03:44 especially in these out of season.
03:46 Severe weather events can really
03:47 sometimes help save somebody's life.
03:49 You could be that for somebody else.
03:51 Oh, that's such an important message.
03:53 How powerful John?
03:53 I really appreciate that.
03:55 And one more thing before I let you go here.
03:57 Look for the folks who maybe are in
03:59 that northern tier of the country
04:01 where severe weather certainly happens.
04:02 But this time of year it's kind of
04:04 like we need that refresher course.
04:06 Some of the areas where they should go.
04:08 If heaven forbid a tornado
04:10 warning does spark around them,
04:11 right?
04:11 And you want to be able to move there
04:13 quickly, especially with an overnight
04:15 threat and the main answer here is you
04:17 want to be in the lowest part of your home.
04:19 So if you have a rear room,
04:21 a basement if you have it,
04:23 that's extremely helpful and know
04:24 how to get there very quickly.
04:26 Practice with your kids.
04:27 Make it fun.
04:27 Bring their stuffed animals down
04:29 there in terms of figuring out how
04:30 you could do that very quickly,
04:32 because sometimes you only have minutes
04:33 to react, especially with rapidly
04:35 moving storms like we're going
04:36 to be dealing with so important.
04:38 Scared, not prepared.
04:38 That is our nope, nope.
04:40 Prepared, not scared.
04:40 That's that's the Monday coming back to me here.
04:43 The karma of the Monday John.
04:45 Thanks for joining us at your other
04:46 chief meteorologist John Porter.
04:47 Always a pleasure to have you on.
04:49 So thankful for your expertise this morning.
04:51 - Well, good to be with you this morning.