Today the United States faces two separate, serious threats: one over the Dakotas and one over the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic.

A disturbance moving across the Ohio Valley, along with a cold front, will be a trigger for severe thunderstorm development today. There remains a lot of uncertainty about this setup, primarily due to a lack of strong winds at high altitudes. However, with the expected warm and humid weather and a lot of instability, coupled with the cold front as a trigger, there is an upside potential for severe weather from western Ohio east to the Atlantic coast.

The Storm Prediction Center has marked this area with a Slight risk from late afternoon into this evening. This includes Indianapolis, Akron and Columbus, Ohio, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Baltimore, Trenton and Atlantic City, NJ Small hail and wind gusts over 55 mph will be the main threats associated with these storms.

Elsewhere, North and South Dakota will face a separate threat from a strong low. With daytime warming and strong winds aloft and moderate instability, extreme weather will also pose a threat this afternoon into this evening. That’s why the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight risk For the central Dakotas, including Bismark, North Dakota, and Pierre, South Dakota, the threats posed by these storms include hail larger than 2 inches, wind gusts in excess of 55 mph, and a few tornadoes.

Check WeatherBug regularly for updates, as a watch can quickly turn into a warning when danger is imminent. It is important to be prepared for active weather. Make sure you know the difference between a watch and a warning when they are issued. A watch means that conditions are favorable for severe weather, while a warning means that severe weather is approaching and you must act quickly to prevent property damage or even loss of life. Remember, “When thunder roars, go indoors!”