Kansas City inside severe weather threat covering over 30 million for Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A multiday severe weather threat is expected across the central U.S. through Halloween, bringing with it the potential for damaging winds, hail and severe thunderstorms for millions.A cold front is tracking through the central and southern Plains this week. Warmer temperatures will converge along the cold front, creating possible thunderstorm development. The biggest potential for extreme weather is set to unfold Wednesday before the front marches into the Northeast by Halloween night. TRICK-OR-TREATING IN SHORTS? WARM HALLOWEEN ON TAP FOR MANY ACROSS THE US”I think one of the interesting things here is that this is a fall front, but the placement of severe weather is closer to what we would see in spring,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “So kind of interesting, but sometimes you have an echoed weather pattern between seasons. Keep in mind, fall and spring, it’s all about transitions.”The SPC has issued a Level 3 out of 5 threat for severe thunderstorms Wednesday, which includes the Kansas City metro area.Other major cities from the southern Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley face a Level 2 out of 5 threat, including Dallas and Oklahoma City. Overall, more than 30 million reside inside the severe weather threat Wednesday. “Wednesday is when we’re going to have the greatest possibility – North Texas all the way into the Missouri Ozarks, north into Kansas City,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan said. “There’s going to be a sector here that large hail, damaging winds, could be a significant threat.”There is also a low threat for tornadoes within the severe weather risk zone.Storms will likely develop around mid-afternoon Wednesday, moving east across Kansas and into Oklahoma. Those participating in trunk-or-treat activities and early Halloween celebrations should have their weather alerts on and be ready to move indoors.As the front continues racing east, there will be less storm energy, transitioning this system into a rain event. Cities including Dallas, Little Rock and Memphis could have a rainy Halloween with some thunderstorm activity. The moisture is badly needed across many parts of the U.S. that are in drought and facing dangerous fire weather conditions. Parts of Kansas and Oklahoma are under Fire Weather Warnings this week as critical fire weather continues driven by strong winds and very dry vegetation.Severe weather is also possible within a narrow zone extending from the Midwest to East Texas on Halloween.The SPC has highlighted nearly a dozen states for a Level 1 out of 5 risk of severe storms.That risk area includes cities such as Indianapolis; Memphis, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas.