The Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch for a multi-state region of the Upper Midwest at 17:40 UTC (12:40 CDT) on April 17, 2026, citing a highly unstable environment ahead of an advancing cold front. Severe storms are expected to develop through the afternoon and evening, with tornadoes, large hail, and strong wind gusts as primary hazards.
A multi-phase severe weather event is expected to impact the central United States on April 17, 2026, from northern Oklahoma to Wisconsin, with an Enhanced Risk of severe storms in place. Initial supercells may produce strong tornadoes and large hail before transitioning into an organized system capable of widespread damaging winds and localized flash flooding.
An EF-3 tornado struck rural areas west-northwest of Union Center, Wisconsin, between 17:33 and 17:52 CDT (22:33-22:52 UTC) on April 14, 2026, damaging a family home, destroying numerous outbuildings, and downing many trees along a 14.1 km (8.78-mile) path. The National Weather Service in La Crosse confirmed peak winds of 225 km/h (140 mph) in its preliminary damage survey.
Colorado’s Front Range urban corridor and northeast plains face a likely hard freeze Friday night into Saturday morning, April 18, 2026, as a spring storm delivers a sharp temperature drop and light snow. A Freeze Watch is in effect due to the risk of prolonged subfreezing temperatures across the region.
A multi-vehicle pileup involving more than 75 vehicles occurred at about 14:50 LT on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, on the Highway 6 eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 70 near mile marker 216, just east of the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel in Clear Creek County, Colorado, during snowy and slick mountain driving conditions. Colorado State Patrol said 19 people were medically evaluated, eight were taken to hospitals, and one person sustained serious injuries. Eastbound I-70 remained closed for about five hours before reopening later that evening.
An EF-2 tornado struck Ottawa in Franklin County, Kansas, between 19:23 and 19:48 CDT on April 13, 2026, damaging homes, businesses, and power infrastructure while injuring three people. The National Weather Service estimated peak winds of 201 km/h (125 mph), with a damage path of 11.75 km (7.3 miles) and a maximum width of 91 m (100 yards).
Cheboygan Dam in northern Michigan rose to within 20 cm (8 inches) of overtopping by early April 14, 2026, despite emergency pumping, gate removals, and efforts to restore a shuttered hydroelectric station to increase discharge. The National Weather Service said Flood Watches remained in effect across much of northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula as heavy rain, melting snow, and saturated ground continued to drive runoff into rivers, streams, and low-lying areas.
An Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms is in place from eastern Iowa into southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and the southern Great Lakes region on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, with large to giant hail, several tornadoes, some of which could be strong, and severe wind gusts possible from late afternoon through overnight. The threat follows an April 13 outbreak that produced at least 14 preliminary tornado reports across Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, increasing concern over repeated impacts in parts of the Midwest.
A severe weather outbreak on April 13, 2026, produced at least 14 preliminary tornado reports across Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, with the most serious reported damage in and near Ottawa. No fatalities were immediately reported, but storm surveys were still underway as forecasters warned of additional rounds of severe weather through at least April 16.
A tornado briefly touched down in a remote grassland area of southeastern Tehama County, California, at 14:05 PDT (21:05 UTC) on April 12, 2026, about 6.4 km (4 miles) southeast of Vina. The touchdown lasted about 1 minute and caused no reported injuries or structural damage, according to NWS Sacramento.
