Overview
- Two people were killed in western Oklahoma on Thursday night when a tornado struck their vehicle near Fairview, authorities said.
- The Storm Prediction Center placed parts of the Central U.S. under a Level 3 of 5 risk on Friday, with threats of strong tornadoes, very large hail and destructive winds.
- The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch Friday evening for parts of the Chicago area, later warning of 70 mph gusts, ping‑pong‑size hail and localized flash flooding after 1 to 2 inches of rain.
- Storms continued Saturday across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, with local forecasts for Detroit, southeast Wisconsin, Cleveland and Louisville calling for damaging winds as the main hazard and a low chance of isolated tornadoes or hail.
- Friday’s storms disrupted travel in Chicago with airport ground stops, and the outbreak has been fueled by unusually warm early‑March air working with strong upper‑level energy and an advancing cold front.