(CNN) — A massive winter storm stretching from the northern to southern border of the United States continues its journey from coast to coast. This Tuesday, 40 million people in the heart of the country are at risk of severe climate impacts.
About 15 million people in a dozen states are on a winter alert Tuesday. These warnings include blizzard, blizzard and winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories.
More than 25 million people from Texas to Mississippi are at risk of Tuesday’s severe storm. Hazards include tornadoes, some strong and damaging winds, and large hail.
The coast-to-coast storm, which battered the West over the weekend, is expected to move east on Tuesday and linger in the central plains through Thursday, hampering travel amid snow and freezing rain.
Meanwhile, late-stage tornadoes with severe thunderstorms are expected to emerge from the southern end of the storm.
Here’s what different sectors can expect in the coming days:
Strong winds, heavy rains and flash floods can occur in the vast plains.
A blizzard is expected over parts of the central and northern plains on Tuesday and Wednesday, with snow expected to fall at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour amid gusts up to 40 mph.
The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting the risk of tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds in a straight line from eastern Texas to northern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi.
A Tornado Watch was issued for parts of Texas and Oklahoma until 4 a.m. A few tornadoes are possible, as well as ping-pong table-sized hail and wind gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour.
The greatest danger from flash flooding will occur from Tuesday through Wednesday from the lower Mississippi Valley to the central Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian Mountains.
Freezing rain and hail are possible across the upper Midwest through Wednesday.
Tornado threat has increased in North Texas and Oklahoma
A line of severe thunderstorms is moving east across Oklahoma and Texas this morning and multiple tornado warnings are in effect. The line was located south and east of Oklahoma City and west of Dallas as of 6 a.m. CT. The Storm Prediction Center is warning of “an increasing tornado and damaging wind potential centered in the I-35 corridor” in the coming hours. A line of storms capable of producing a tornado is expected to reach the Dallas/Forth Worth metropolitan area over the next 1-2 hours as they move east.
A tornado was reported in Wayne, Oklahoma to the southeast of the Oklahoma City area where damage was reported. Another storm is producing a possible tornado west of Fort Worth near Mineral Wells, Texas.
A tornado watch is in effect through 11 a.m. CT for parts of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, including Dallas. The risk of severe thunderstorms will continue during the day with the potential for a few strong tornadoes later Tuesday night into Tuesday afternoon across eastern Texas and central Louisiana.
