Dangerous tornadoes ripped through the Gulf Coast and Southeast Thursday and Friday and more could occur this weekend, while meteorologists predicted spring snow for the Northeast in a forecast that sadly is not an April Fool's trick.
Parts of the Florida Panhandle and Georgia were under tornado watches Friday night, while the southern parts of Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama were under flood watches, according to the National Weather Service.
Severe storms, which could bring tornadoes, threatened a stretch from Delaware to Louisiana Friday night, and winds gusts and large hail could persist in Florida and Georgia until Saturday, according to Weather.com.
Tornadoes were already reported across Georgia Friday, and the National Weather Service confirmed Thursday tornadoes near Millport, Alabama, and Morgan County, Alabama. On Thursday, a brief EF1 tornado destroyed a guard shack and rolled a car over near Lafayette, Indiana, the NWS said.
"We have had damage ranging from trees and power lines down to roofs damaged from the storm," said Gregory Robinson, spokesperson for Alabama Emergency Management Agency. He said there were no reports of injuries.
Meanwhile, cold and snow was forecast for much of the Midwest and Northeast.
Northern Wisconsin, northern Michigan, northern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and New England would likely see a mix of rain and snow by Sunday, which will change to primarily snow as the temperatures drop to 10 to 20 degrees below average. Temperatures in the 30s paired with precipitation will result in accumulations of about 1-3 inches, according to Weather.com.
While the snow impact won't be too debilitating, those areas will also see heavy wind gusts, said Weather Channel lead forecaster Michael Palmer. "It’s going to be not the best weekend," he said.
New England is expected to get the longest and harshest cold snap with temperatures that could drop to the single digits on Monday and Tuesday, Palmer said.
"It's probably going to stick around," Palmer said, adding that the Northeast might not see an April-like warm-up until possibly the 10th.
