Severe weather threat returns to Plains this week after Easter weekend storms turned deadly
Three people were killed in Oklahoma during the extreme weather – 1 during a tornado in Spaulding and two due to flooding when their vehicle washed away in Moore.
Severe weather threat returns to central US on Tuesday
Another severe weather threat is returning to the Plains starting on Tuesday just days after deadly storms rocked the Plains and Midwest over Easter Weekend. FOX Weather Meteorologists Bob Van Dillen and Stephen Morgan break down the latest forecast on Monday, April 21, 2025.
The threat of severe weather will return to portions of the central U.S. this week, days after deadly storms that produced flooding rain, hail and tornadoes pummeled the Plains over the Easter weekend.
Three people were killed in Oklahoma during the extreme weather – one during a tornado in Spaulding and two due to flooding when their vehicle washed away in Moore. Two other people remain missing south of Leonard after their vehicle was swept away during flooding.
Now, residents across the region will only have a day to catch their breath and clear debris before the threat of powerful thunderstorms returns.
The FOX Forecast Center said the threat of storms and flooding rain will ramp up starting Tuesday afternoon, with the highest threat being located across portions of West Texas and western Oklahoma.
"I have to be honest, this is a classic setup," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "It’s a dryline setup. So, if you’re a local, you know exactly what we’re talking about."
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This graphic explains a dryline. (FOX Weather)
A dryline is a boundary between a dry air mass and a humid one that is usually found in the central and southern Plains during the spring and summer months. It usually advances eastward in the afternoon hours and retreats westward during the evening hours.
"This is a setup where you start to see these towering thunderstorms that build up in the afternoon," Merwin continued. "And the afternoon heat is part of the instability. Once that dryline sets up, the thunderstorms are igniting, and they progress out towards the east. But, guess what? The dryline retreats back in the overnight, and you reload for the next day."
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has highlighted areas of Texas from the U.S.-Mexico border through Kansas in the central Plains where strong to severe thunderstorms could develop Tuesday.
However, nearly 2 million people have been placed in a Level 2 out of 5 threat of severe weather on its risk scale.
Watch: Tornado touches down near Hico, Texas
A dramatic video recorded near the community of Hico, Texas, shows a tornado touching down during severe weather on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
This includes cities such as Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland and Odessa in Texas, as well as Hutchinson in Kansas.
Hail and damaging winds will be the main threats from any severe thunderstorms that develop Tuesday, but there is also a low chance of some tornadoes.