Central U.S. Braces for Severe Storms and Tornado Outbreak on Friday

A severe weather outbreak, including the potential for "strong to potentially violent tornadoes" from "long-track" storms, is expected across the central United States and the Mississippi Valley on Friday. Over 85 million Americans face an elevated threat of dangerous storms, with highly populated cities in the heart of the severe weather threat. In addition to the severe thunderstorm threat, many tens of thousands of power outages are possible in the eastern half of the nation, and heavy snow is expected from South Dakota to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.