Massive Cold Front Unleashes Tornadoes, Hail, and Snow Across 25 States, Strikes China and Russia

Key facts

• EF3 tornado struck Mineral Wells, Texas, with winds up to 145 mph, injuring five people.
• on Monday, including an EF2 in Sycamore, Kansas.
• Hailstones up to 12 cm in diameter fell in Springfield, Missouri, killing an emu at Dickerson Park Zoo.
• 538 mm of rain fell in 12 hours in southern China, with 147 mm in one hour in Qinzhou.
• Moscow received 21 cm of snow overnight, the highest for early May since 1880.
• NOAA's Storm Prediction Center issued a Level 2 risk for severe storms across parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.

A Continent-Scale Weather System Takes Shape

A massive cold front stretching from Maine to Texas is driving a multi-day outbreak of severe weather across the United States, with impacts already felt from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes. The system, which began intensifying Tuesday, is expected to stall over a 1,500-mile corridor, clashing with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. This collision is producing severe thunderstorms, flooding rain, and a late-season snowstorm in the central Rockies. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe storms across parts of North Texas, including Dallas, eastern Oklahoma, much of Arkansas, southern Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee. Damaging winds and large hail are the primary threats, though forecasters have not ruled out tornadoes. The front will also bring heavy rain to the Midwest and Northeast, with significant travel disruptions expected at major airports, including Denver.

Tornadoes and Hail Batter the Midwest and South

The severe weather week began with eight tornadoes reported on Monday, including an EF2 that ripped through Sycamore, Kansas. On Tuesday, a more widespread event struck the Midwest, with a severe hailstorm causing extensive damage in Springfield, Missouri. Hailstones up to 12 centimeters (5 inches) in diameter fell across the city, shattering car windshields and damaging property. the death of an emu named Adam, who was caught outside during the storm. Early estimates suggest this will be the costliest hailstorm in Springfield's history. The strongest tornado of the week occurred on Wednesday, when an EF3 tornado struck Mineral Wells, Texas, with wind speeds of up to 145 miles per hour (233 kilometers per hour). The mayor declared a local disaster after five people were injured and numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. The storm-weary region, still recovering from previous outbreaks, now faces a quieter period expected over the next week.

Temperature Plunge and Snow in Unlikely Places

Behind the cold front, temperatures are forecast to drop 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit below average across millions of people, creating conditions more typical of early March than early May. In the southern Plains and parts of the Mississippi Valley, some areas that saw highs in the 80s and 90s on Tuesday will wake up to temperatures in the 40s on Wednesday morning. The cold air wrapping behind the front is also generating a late-season snowstorm over the Northern Plains and the Rockies, beginning Tuesday night. In Moscow, a snowstorm on Wednesday and Thursday broke weather records, with 21 centimeters of snow accumulating overnight — the highest depth measured at this time of year since 1880. The storm, caused by a stubborn area of high pressure over the North Atlantic that forced Arctic air southward into western Russia, felled 740 trees and caused significant air travel delays, with wind gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour.

Extreme Rainfall Inundates Southern China

Forecasted extreme rainfall verified for parts of southern China this week, as the heavens opened on Monday and Tuesday. A staggering 538 millimeters of rain fell in 12 hours, with peak hourly totals exceeding 147 millimeters in Qinzhou, in the south-central autonomous region of Guangxi. To put this in perspective, the area typically receives about 1,500 millimeters annually. Streets were engulfed by floodwaters that submerged hundreds of vehicles. Five people were stranded in a residential building, and 800 residents had to be evacuated as emergency personnel forged through chest-deep water in the most severely affected districts. The extreme rainfall event is part of a broader pattern of severe weather affecting multiple continents simultaneously.

Wider Context and What Comes Next

The current outbreak is occurring against a backdrop of an active spring severe weather season in the United States, which has already seen destructive storms in April. A pattern shift suggests a quieter May, but the immediate threat remains significant. The sprawling system has the potential to cause major air travel delays across the eastern and central U.S., with delays already mounting early Tuesday. For residents of Tornado Alley, the expected quieter period over the next week will provide a respite. However, the extreme weather events in China and Russia underscore the global nature of these atmospheric disturbances. As the front continues to drag across the nation, millions will experience a dramatic temperature swing, and the risk of flash flooding persists in the South. The coming days will determine whether this system becomes one of the most impactful of the season.

The bottom line

• A massive cold front is causing severe storms, flooding, and snow across 25 U.S. states, with impacts from Texas to Maine.
• An EF3 tornado in Mineral Wells, Texas, and a record hailstorm in Springfield, Missouri, highlight the week's most destructive events.
• Extreme rainfall in southern China, with 538 mm in 12 hours, led to evacuations and widespread flooding.
• Moscow experienced its heaviest May snow since 1880, with 21 cm accumulating overnight.
• Temperatures are expected to plunge 20-30 degrees below average across the central and eastern U.S., resembling early March conditions.
• Air travel delays are mounting, especially in Denver and eastern hubs, as the system moves through the week.