This weekend, over four million people in parts of the South, Plains, and East Coast are at risk for severe weather, including damaging winds, large hail, and possibly tornadoes. Recent storms have already caused EF2 tornado damage in Washington County, Kentucky, and EF0 damage in Loudon County, Tennessee. The weekend’s severe weather is set to begin with scattered showers and thunderstorms, particularly affecting Kansas and Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa. On Sunday, areas in Texas, such as Waco, Bryan, and College Station, may also experience threats from thunderstorms, mostly characterized by large hail and damaging wind gusts, alongside a potential tornado risk.
In contrast, parts of California are facing excessive heat, with alerts in effect for 14 million residents from Sacramento to Bakersfield, where temperatures could range from 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 to 25 degrees above average. Las Vegas and Reno may also see record-high temperatures. The unusually hot weather raises concerns about wildfires in the region due to gusty winds reaching 50 mph, low humidity, and elevated temperatures.
Additionally, a strong cold front is enabling smoke from wildfires in Canada to drift into the U.S., prompting air quality alerts affecting over 20 million people in the Midwest, specifically in areas of Minnesota and Michigan, such as Minneapolis and Grand Rapids. The smoke and hazy conditions may extend as far south as the Gulf Coast, but air quality is projected to improve across the Upper Midwest by the middle of the upcoming week.
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