Parts of Midwest at risk of severe weather this week: NWS

Parts of the Midwest are at risk of experiencing severe weather this week, with the possibility of scattered thunderstorms and some tornadoes starting Tuesday, forecasters said Sunday.

Parts of the Ozarks into the mid Mississippi Valley and southwestern Great Lakes could experience “scattered strong to severe thunderstorms,” along with wind damage, hail and possible tornadoes starting late Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a Sunday discussion. This weather could stretch into Tuesday night, forecasters added.

Some of the cities that could be impacted by this weather include Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Fort Wayne, Ind., the Weather Service predicted.

The weather is expected to follow a cross-country storm making its way through the West on Sunday, FOX Weather reported. The storm is expected to bring heavy mountain snow and potential blizzard conditions before moving east to the Midwest by Tuesday, FOX Weather added.

“Our nation’s midsection is going to be on tap to deal with the severe weather as this cross-country storm works its way eastward,” FOX Weather meteorologist Kendall Smith said Sunday.

FOX Weather estimated more than 48 million people fall under this risk of severe weather.

The Weather Channel’s lead meteorologist, Linda Lam, on Sunday noted the details and specific risks of the storm are expected to change in the coming days.

FOX Weather reported the severe weather threat was downgraded from earlier in the weekend, when forecasters initially predicted the threat to stretch into Wednesday.