CENTRAL UNITED STATES — Severe weather chances will increase significantly across the central United States on Thursday April 23, 2026, as a Slight Risk Level 2 out of 5 is in place for a broad corridor covering major cities including Wichita, Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, and Minneapolis.
The Categorical Outlook issued by Max Velocity Weather shows the Slight Risk zone centered across Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota, with damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes all possible as storms develop through the afternoon and evening hours.
Slight Risk Zone Covers Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota
The Thursday outlook map places the core Slight Risk zone across a corridor stretching from Minneapolis and Sioux Falls southward through Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, and Wichita. This yellow Slight Risk zone indicates a meaningful probability of organized severe weather development across all highlighted communities during the Thursday afternoon and evening storm window.
A broader Marginal Risk zone surrounds the core Slight Risk area, extending the overall severe weather footprint outward to cover portions of Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Cities including Milwaukee, Chicago, Springfield IL, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Dallas all fall within or near the outer Marginal Risk zone for Thursday.
Damaging Winds, Large Hail, and Tornadoes All in Play
Three distinct severe weather hazards are associated with Thursday’s developing storm system across the central United States. Damaging wind gusts represent the most widespread threat across the Slight Risk corridor, with the potential for straight-line wind damage extending broadly as storms organize into more linear modes through the evening hours…