Photo: Ashley Cooper / The Image Bank / Getty Images
Severe storms are affecting Easter travel plans for many people across the United States, stretching from the South to the Northeast. On Friday (April 18), the weather system caused severe conditions in the South and Midwest, with reports of baseball-sized hail in southern Wisconsin. The storms are expected to continue through the weekend, impacting areas from Texas to Ohio, including cities like Dallas and Cincinnati. The main threats include large hail, damaging winds, and potential tornadoes.
As of Saturday morning (April 19), a line of showers and thunderstorms is threatening regions from Texas to the Northeast. Central Texas, including Abilene and San Angelo, faces an enhanced risk of severe weather, with the possibility of very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Flight cancellations and delays have already occurred at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, with 47 cancellations and 263 delays reported.
Heavy rain has led to flooding, and the risk of more flooding continues, with a moderate risk of flash flooding from north-central Texas to Missouri. Approximately 10 million people are under flood alerts, including those in St. Louis, Missouri; Springfield, Ohio; and cities in Oklahoma.
On Easter Sunday (April 20), 11 million people are at risk for thunderstorms from east Texas to Illinois, with the greatest risk for tornadoes and damaging winds over Missouri and western Illinois. This weather pattern is also causing temperature extremes, with the Rockies, Plains, and Southwest experiencing temperatures 10 to 30 degrees below average, while the South to the Northeast sees temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average.