Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: 52M under threat of severe weather Friday as storms persist into Easter

Weather in America: April 18, 2025

FOX Weather has you covered with the breaking forecasts and weather news headlines for your Weather in America on Friday, April 18, 2025. Get the latest from FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen.

Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It’s Friday, April 18, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

Tornadoes, damaging wind gusts blast Plains before severe weather shifts east for Easter weekend

The first round of severe storms pushed through the Plains on Thursday ahead of what is expected to be an active weekend of severe weather.

Softball-sized hail and 80 mph winds were reported in Nebraska. The National Weather Service even issued a rare Tornado Emergency for Fremont County. No major injuries have been reported.

Several storm chasers, including FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic, captured video of a tornado forming and then rolling across the fields of Missouri Valley, Iowa, on Thursday evening. 

Large tornado spotted in southwest Iowa

A large tornado was spotted on Thursday evening outside of Thurman, Iowa, by FOX Weather Exclusive Storm Tracker Corey Gerken.

52 million under threat of severe weather on Friday as storms persist into Easter

Friday's severe storm threat zone is a massive area centered along a cold front that is draped across the center of the country, covering nearly 52 million people from Texas to Michigan.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop along the cold front from southern Wisconsin to Missouri with isolated supercells tracking across Illinois, Indiana, and possibly southern Michigan beginning in the late afternoon. Damaging wind is the primary concern.

St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit are all included within Friday's severe storm threat.

Meanwhile, south of Missouri, supercells could develop in the evening which may produce a couple of tornadoes across western Oklahoma. Hail larger than golf balls will also be possible from central Kansas to northwest Texas.

Storms will push slightly east into the holiday weekend, complicating Easter travel. Exactly how Saturday's storms play out will impact the forecast for Easter Sunday. Forecasters are watching for potential ingredients for tornadoes in the storm-weary Ozarks, Texarkana and parts of the southern Plains.

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Late-season snowstorm wallops the Rockies

A significant late-season snowstorm is bringing high winds and as much as 1-2 feet of snow to the Rockies through Saturday. Parts of Montana have picked up more than a foot of snow in less than 24 hours.

Denver reached a high temperature of 77 degrees on Thursday afternoon, and saw snow by Thursday night.  The Mile High City should see snow all day Friday and into the early morning hours on Saturday. 

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