Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Blizzards Forecast

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An outbreak of violent thunderstorms will impact more than a dozen states on Friday, with several tornadoes a near certainty.

More than 65 million people in at least 15 states – from Texas to Alabama in the South all the way up north to Wisconsin and Michigan – are at risk from the “explosive” storms.

“This storm has far-reaching effects and a number of different weather elements that will wreak havoc, and that’s going to be the big story,” said Bob Larson, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Meanwhile, heavy snow and strong winds could produce blizzard conditions from the Dakotas to northern Michigan.

Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s weather:

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Friday’s severe weather forecast: Mississippi braces for more

The storm that will slam into the Midwest and South will impact Mississippi, where tornadoes left 26 dead and dozens injured after they tore through several towns last week.

Larson said to expect a “more potent” storm this time around. “That doesn’t mean that it’ll be worse in terms of tornado outbreaks, but I do think there’ll be a larger area affected than what we had last week,” Larson said.

“Both north and south, really any direction, over several hundred miles removed from the storm center is going to be a large area of high winds that can cause problems,” he added.

Locations including Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas; Oklahoma City; St. Louis; and Chicago are likely to experience 50- to 60-mph wind gusts throughout Friday, according to Larson.