Severe weather threatens millions Saturday, tornado risk spans Tennessee to New York

Millions were under a severe weather threat Saturday, with the main concern stretching from Tennessee toward New York as storms brought the risk of damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes across a wide swath of the country.

In Tennessee, the National Weather Service office in Nashville said showers and storms were moving into the area through Saturday evening. Damaging winds and hail were the main concerns, especially along and north of Interstate 40. The agency’s outlook said the probability for widespread hazardous weather was low from Sunday through Friday, offering a brief window of calmer conditions after a volatile stretch.

Farther north, New York spent the weekend in the middle of Severe Weather Preparedness Week for New York and New England, which runs from April 19 through April 25, 2026. The National Weather Service office in New York said severe thunderstorms in the region can produce damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes and flash flooding, a reminder that spring hazards are not confined to the Plains and South. The office said the region’s peak severe weather season typically runs from June through August.

The threat came after a violent Friday that left damage across several states. In the Chicago area, the National Weather Service said an incredibly active stretch that began on April 13 culminated Friday afternoon and evening in a significant severe weather episode. A lone supercell produced large hail more than 2 inches in diameter, tornadoes and torrential rainfall in northwestern Winnebago County. Storm lines then delivered numerous measured wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph, along with wind damage.

Survey teams were scheduled to examine damage in northwest Winnebago County and in southern Ford and Iroquois counties, with additional damage to be investigated over the weekend alongside local emergency management agencies. The National Weather Service said storm damage surveys and preliminary reports were still being compiled, meaning the final tornado count, wind estimates and damage totals could change as the assessments continue.

The sequence underscored how quickly spring storms can shift from warning to aftermath, with communities facing both immediate cleanup and the uncertainty of more rounds of severe weather.