Chicago, Indianapolis among 52 million threatened by severe weather, including strong tornadoes in Midwest
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has placed nearly 2 million people in an area just south of Chicago, from central Illinois to far western Indiana, in a level 3 out of 5 risk on its severe thunderstorm risk scale. A Tornado Watch is in place for far eastern Iowa, northern and central Illinois and western Indiana through Wednesday night.
Tornadoes, large hail possible as severe weather threat returns to Midwest
The threat of severe weather is increasing in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes, with cities like Chicago and Indianapolis at risk of seeing thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and even some strong tornadoes. FOX Weather Meteorologists Ari Sarsalari and Marissa Torres break down the latest on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
CHICAGO – A powerful winter storm blasting portions of the Plains and Upper Midwest with blizzard conditions is also expected to produce severe weather on Wednesday, putting cities like Chicago and Indianapolis on alert for powerful thunderstorms.
Forecasters said that while severe storms are expected, they won’t be anywhere near as violent as what took place last week when a deadly severe weather outbreak tore across America’s Heartland and South that left at least 43 people dead from Texas to North Carolina.
The first round of strong to severe thunderstorms has already developed across portions of Nebraska and Iowa, with some Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued for cities like Cedar Rapids and Ames in Iowa on Wednesday morning.
A Tornado Watch is in place for far eastern Iowa, northern and central Illinois and western Indiana through Wednesday night.
As the system continues to move off to the east, the threat of severe weather will increase from portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley southward to Mississippi and Alabama.
The FOX Forecast Center said that sustained thunderstorm activity is expected to begin by Wednesday afternoon, and a few supercell thunderstorms could develop and form into a fast-moving line that will sweep across portions of Illinois and Indiana.
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NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed nearly 53 million people from Michigan and Wisconsin to the Deep South in the potential threat zone for strong to severe thunderstorms on Wednesday.
Damaging wind gusts, large hail and tornadoes are all a concern with the strongest storms.
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However, the SPC has placed nearly 2 million people in an area just south of Chicago, from central Illinois to far western Indiana, in a level 3 out of 5 risk on its severe thunderstorm risk scale.
This level 3 risk zone, which includes cities such as Peoria, Decatur and Champaign in Illinois, faces the threat of strong tornadoes (EF-2 or higher).
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This graphic shows the tornado threat on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (FOX Weather)
Although cities like Chicago, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana, are only in a level 2 out of 5 risk of severe weather, there is still a risk for tornadoes in those areas.