More Dangerous Storms Hitting US Today, Friday

While it might sound like a meteorological broken record, a storm system moving out of the Rockies is set to produce dangerous thunderstorms, including damaging winds, large hail and possibly tornadoes, over a significant portion of the Plains and Midwest today and Friday.

The region from Kansas and Missouri southward to northern Texas and northern Louisiana will be the region most likely to be hit with damaging storms through tonight, including Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Dallas. The risk area will stretch from Oklahoma to Ohio on Friday and Friday night, encompassing St. Louis, Indianapolis, Nashville and Cincinnati.

The storms will be fueled by warm, humid air along the Gulf Coast -- highs in the 80s -- colliding with cooler, dry air from the Rockies -- highs in the 40s -- along with a potent late-season storm. This will be the fifth large-scale storm system to produce dangerous weather over multiple states and multiple days during April.

(Image courtesy of NOAA)

Wednesday's strong thunderstorms along the Eastern Seaboard and the Deep South pushed the number of preliminary severe weather reports to over 5,300 during April alone, according to the Storm Prediction Center. This includes over 450 reports of tornadoes.

The most devastating tornado outbreak -- one of the largest in U.S. history -- occurred earlier this week and killed 44 people from Oklahoma to North Carolina, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The most prolific outbreak, in terms of the number of reports, occurred early in the month, when more than 1,470 severe weather reports were tallied in 24 hours. Once all of these reports have been verified, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects that this will be confirmed as a new 24-hour record. Such records have been kept since 2000.

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The most recent outbreak in the Midwest and Plains, from early Tuesday into early Wednesday, generated 930 reports, including 34 tornadoes.

Last year, the severe-weather season started much more slowly, with a total of 1,764 severe weather reports, including 197 tornadoes, during all of April.

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Precipitation will expand beyond the boundaries of where dangerous thunderstorms are a risk during the next couple of days. Additional heavy snow will fall in the northern Rockies today and tomorrow, and rain and wet snow will fall in the northern Plains, a region where numerous rivers and streams are already above flood stage. This might include a few more inches of heavy, wet snow in parts of the Dakotas on Friday.

Bouts of rain and thunderstorms will move into the mid-Atlantic region and Northeast on Friday and Saturday, where many rivers and streams are running high from recent rainfall.

This large-scale storm system will not be the last of the month, either. Additional storms will move through the Plains and Midwest from late in the weekend through much of next week, including the potential for more dangerous thunderstorms.

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U.S. Weather Photos

Storm damage at Glenn Murphy's family farm in Girard, Ill., is seen Wednesday, April 20. Central and southern Illinois was hit hard Tuesday by a series of strong storms that included reports of tornadoes.

Seth Perlman, AP

U.S. Weather Photos

A general view shows a flooded area in Baghdad after heavy rains hit the Iraqi capital on April 21, 2011. AFP PHOTO/SABAH ARAR (Photo credit should read SABAH ARAR/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Weather Photos

Iraqi women walk on a sidewalk in a flooded area in Baghdad after heavy rains hit the Iraqi capital on April 21, 2011. AFP PHOTO/SABAH ARAR (Photo credit should read SABAH ARAR/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Weather Photos

Michael Cullipher stands in outside his destroyed home in Askewville, N.C., Tuesday, April 19, 2011 after tornados devastated the area Saturday. Gov. Beverly Perdue on Wednesday thanked the White House for declaring 18 counties disaster areas so they can get federal aid. Officials are still tallying the damage, but the latest figures show nearly 6,200 homes damaged and about 440 destroyed across North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

U.S. Weather Photos

Kimberly Smith holds her dog Spot as she stands in outside her destroyed home in Askewville, N.C., Tuesday, April 19, 2011 after tornados devastated the area Saturday. Gov. Beverly Perdue on Wednesday thanked the White House for declaring 18 counties disaster areas so they can get federal aid. Officials are still tallying the damage, but the latest figures show nearly 6,200 homes damaged and about 440 destroyed across North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

U.S. Weather Photos

Green Acres residents survey damage caused by a storm that moved through their Cottondale, Ala. neighborhood on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Scattered storms produced severe winds with damaging gusts around the state early today, and forcecasters say more storms are likely around the region in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Tuscaloosa News, Dusty Compton)

U.S. Weather Photos

Mike Price, right, and Mark Bentley survey the damage to Price's daughters home when a tree fell across the Summerfield home in Cottondale, Ala. on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Scattered storms produced severe winds with damaging gusts around the state early today, and forcecasters say more storms are likely around the region in the afternoon. (AP Photo/Tuscaloosa News, Dusty Compton)

U.S. Weather Photos

Storm damage at Glenn Murphy's family farm in Girard, Ill., is seen Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Central and southern Illinois was hit hard Tuesday by a series of strong storms that included reports of tornadoes. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

U.S. Weather Photos

Storm damage, including a dead cow, at Glenn Murphy's family farm in Girard, Ill., is seen Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Central and southern Illinois was hit hard Tuesday by a series of strong storms that included reports of tornadoes. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

U.S. Weather Photos