Volatile spring weather hit the country coast to coast Monday, with storms pounding the Midwest, snow in the Rockies and record-breaking heat in the East.
The outbreak comes on the heels of an active Sunday, when there were more than 230 reports of severe weather — and 25 reports of tornadoes in four Plains states, including Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Minnesota.
Tornadoes touched down in Nebraska on Sunday, with at least three homes sustaining major damage, and devastation was reported in St. Paul, in Howard County, including torn roofs, scattered debris and shells of homes. St. Libory, also in Howard County, was one of the communities hit hardest by the storms, which stretched into South Dakota and Iowa.
Videos on social media showed at least one and what appeared to be many twisters in Patoka Lake in southern Indiana.
Omaha experienced a heavy line of thunderstorms that was headed south toward the Kansas City area.
The outbreak continued Monday with 46 million people at risk for severe storms from north Texas to northern Michigan.
By Monday afternoon, 30 high wind reports had been recorded across the Midwest, including reports of trees and wires down in Illinois, Missouri and Michigan. Two tornados had been reported in Iowa and South Dakota.
More than 5 million people across parts of eastern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska and much of Missouri were being warned of possible flooding.
Some areas of Missouri could get rainfall rates 5 to 7 inches per hour later Monday. Eastern Kansas, southeast Nebraska and southern Iowa may also be affected.
A large cluster of thunderstorms with frequent lightning, high winds and downpours is affecting parts of eastern Missouri, central Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
Severe thunderstorm watches were in effect through at least 6 p.m. ET in Indiana and 8 p.m. ET in Michigan. A tornado watch was also in effect for parts of Kansas and southeast Nebraska until 8 p.m. CT.
The greatest risk of tornadoes Monday is across Kansas, including Wichita, Topeka, Salina, Manhattan and Hutchinson.
Kansas City; Omaha; Lincoln, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and Oklahoma City are also under tornado watches.
The cold front begins to move east Tuesday as the storm risk lessens, but 57 million people will remain under a slight risk for severe storms capable of hail, wind and tornadoes from southwest Texas to northern New England.
The hail threat will be highest across Texas on Tuesday, while the isolated tornado risk will be across the eastern Great Lakes, the interior Northeast and northern New England.
Meanwhile, Colorado is experiencing severe weather across the state. In one corner, wildfires are blazing, and outside Denver, it is freezing, with hail battering the area.
Winter alerts are up for much of Wyoming, as well as a small part of northeastern Utah and the Colorado Rockies.
Record warmth reaches the Northeast
The Northeast Corridor is baking in temperatures in the high 80s and 90s.
Monday through Wednesday, temperatures are expected to soar 10 to 25 degrees above average and shatter records across the Ohio Valley, the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.
Temperatures expected to hit 96 degrees in the nation’s capital, prompting Washington to activate the first heat alert of the season.
Other cities on record-breaking watch are Syracuse, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh; Richmond, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; Lansing, Michigan; Johnson City, Tennessee; and Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The heat should break by Wednesday, but not before New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington and New York City hit the mid-90s.
New York could have two days of 90-degree temperatures this week — about 10 days ahead of normal.
The high temperatures prompted Columbia University to send out a warning ahead of graduation ceremonies being held outside in New York City this week.
Critical fire risk
Red flag warnings are in effect for 11 million people across the southern Plains and the Central Valley of California.
The highest fire risk Monday will be across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and into southwest Kansas, where extremely critical fire conditions are expected.
An estimated 28,200 acres have burned in the Sharpe Fire, which stretches across Oklahoma and Colorado.
Persistent, sustained winds of 20 mph to 30 mph, combined with 5% to 15% humidity, will lead to wildfires that could spread at a life-threatening pace.
Winds are expected to shift Monday evening, potentially causing a sudden change in the directions of any moving fires.
