THE TAKEAWAY
- 38+ million Americans in the Northeast are under a Level 2 storm threat.
- New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore face a Level 1 tornado threat.
- Damaging winds are the primary concern, along with flash flooding.
After firing up storms across the Great Lakes on Wednesday, a sweeping cold front moves east on Thursday, bringing active and severe weather threats to major cities across the Northeast.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to start in the afternoon and carry into the evening as instability builds ahead of and along the front. Supercell thunderstorms will be possible, along with a risk of damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes.
Some of these storms in the evening could produce wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger.
TORNADO SAFETY: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAKING SHELTER DURING SEVERE WEATHER
(FOX Weather)
Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore are some of the major cities under a Level 2 out of 5 severe weather threat Thursday.
Specifically, New York Cityis also included, alongside Philadelphia and Baltimore, in a Level 1 out of 5 tornado threat.
(FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Forecast Center, “This is the seventh time this year that the metro has been put under a risk for tornadoes by the Storm Prediction Center. Last year it was only once.”
WHAT IS A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM?
In total, more than 38 million Americans in the Northeast are under a Level 2 out of 5 severe threat on Thursday.
SOUTH FACES DAYS OF DANGEROUS WEATHER AS FLASH FLOOD, SEVERE STORM THREAT STRETCHES INTO WEEKEND
(FOX Weather)
Additionally, leftover clouds from these storms could obscure the view of the partial lunar eclipse into late Thursday night.
On top of the severe storm threats, flash flooding is also possible, especially in areas already hit hard by flooding earlier this summer.
A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk is present from Philadelphia up into southern New York state for Thursday afternoon, along with a Severe Thunderstorm watch for the Big Apple and the City of Brotherly Love through the evening.
Also, there are 27 million people under Thunderstorm Warnings, as the severe weather slowly begins to ramp up Thursday night.
(FOX Weather)
Philadelphia alone has already seen four flash flood warnings in 2026, with three occurring in August. Currently, the city is running over an inch and a half above average for rain month to date.
Localized rain totals over 1 to 2 inches are possible through early Friday morning.
Because of the flooding threat, Flood Watches have been issued for over 25 million Americans from Philadelphia to New York City.
In light of the severe weather plaguing the New York City area, John F. Kennedy International Airport has intimated ground stops for travelers.
