Rare enhanced risk for severe storms with damaging winds, hail, tornadoes tonight; What to expect

Heading into the evening and overnight hours, we’ll see an increased chance for severe weather across the region.

Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist Austin Chaney has been monitoring this system for days. He’ll continue to monitor tonight with LIVE coverage as warnings happen and on News Center 7 at 11:00.

>>Stay alert: Download the free WHIO Weather App

A Tornado Watch has been issued for ALL counties in the Miami Valley except Auglaize and Mercer counties until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

>>LIVE UPDATES: Tornado Watch issued for majority of the region

The Storm Prediction Center is including the southern half of the Miami Valley in a 3/5, enhanced, risk for severe weather which is rare for February. The rest of the Valley is in the 2/5, slight, risk.

>>TRACK THE CONDITIONS: Live Doppler 7 Radar

Bottom line, severe storms occurring somewhere across the region appears likely tonight.

>>LIVE UPDATES: Storm Tracking Alert: Severe storms possible overnight Tuesday into Wednesday

TIMING: The greatest risk for severe storms will come between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. It does not appear that these storms will come through as a single sweeping line. Rather, individual storms or clusters of storms may move through different areas at different times. This means some areas may deal with strong storms more than once, but some areas may actually stay dry. It is a true “chance” for storms overnight.

SEVERE THREATS: All severe weather threats are possible tonight including damaging wind gusts, large hail, and even a few tornadoes.

ACTION: It will be very important to have more than one way to receive warnings that can WAKE YOU UP. Severe storms at night are particularly dangerous because they occur while many of us are sleeping. You need a way to be woken up tonight in the event of a tornado warning. Have your NOAA weather radio on, have your WHIO Weather App push notifications on, and make sure your W.E.A. alerts on your phone are activated.

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