⚡ Live Severe Thunderstorm Warnings & Radar

What Makes a Thunderstorm Severe?

The National Weather Service classifies a thunderstorm as severe when it produces, or is expected to produce, damaging winds, large hail, or a tornado. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is issued when a storm is already producing those hazards or radar indicates it is about to. Warnings are issued for counties or portions of counties and usually cover a short period, so check the warning text for the exact areas and expiration time.

Hail on Radar

Hail shows up on reflectivity radar as very bright, intense cores inside a thunderstorm, often in the same high reflectivity range used for heavy rain and severe storms. The brightest cores, combined with a tall storm structure, are a strong hint of large hail. If a warning mentions hail, move vehicles under cover where possible and stay indoors, away from windows, since hail can break glass.

Damaging Winds on Radar

Damaging straight-line winds often appear on radar as a bow-shaped line of storms, called a bow echo, with the strongest winds near the bulging part of the bow. A rapidly advancing bow echo can produce wind damage over a wide path even without a tornado, snapping trees and power lines. Treat a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds as seriously as any other warning.

What to Do During a Severe Thunderstorm Warning

• Move indoors to a sturdy building and stay away from windows, skylights, and glass doors.
• Avoid using wired electronics and plumbing during lightning, and unplug sensitive equipment if it is safe to do so.
• If you are driving, pull safely off the road away from trees and power lines, and wait out the worst of the storm.
• Never drive through flooded roads. Turn around, do not drown: even shallow fast-moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
• After the storm passes, watch for downed power lines and report them rather than approaching them.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch vs Warning

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and near the watch area over the next several hours. It is time to review your plan and stay weather-aware. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning means a severe storm is occurring or imminent in the warned area and you should act now: get indoors, away from windows, and monitor updates until the warning expires. Warnings are more urgent and more localized than watches, and both are issued by the National Weather Service.