The most significant target zone Friday will be from South Dakota down through West Texas. Up to 50 million people could be affected based on areas at risk for severe weather, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. The system is expected to gain strength Saturday as the storm shifts slightly east, with the most significant threat from the Plains to the Gulf Coast. It will likely hit populated cities such as Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City. Hail could exceed the size of a tennis ball or even a baseball. On Sunday, the storm likely will continue east, targeting Midwest states such as Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. On the heels of this system, yet another potential significant storm event will appear early next week for portions of the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley.
A severe weather outbreak is expected to hit the central US over Saturday, with the potential to affect up to 50 million people. The areas initially at high risk run from South Dakota to West Texas, with the threat of tornadoes, tennis ball-sized hail and damaging winds. From the next few days, the storm is forecast to move eastward towards the Gulf Coast, after which it will hit the midwest states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. A number of high-population cities, such as Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City, are in its path, while a second storm is also highly likely.