On April 19, forecasters said severe thunderstorms were a threat to parts of the middle and lower Mississippi Valley and the Southern Plains, and the risk could grow into Easter Sunday on April 20. The thunderstorms there could produce severe wind, hail and a few tornadoes, the weather service said.

A stretch of the United States from San Antonio to Pittsburgh is facing the threat of heavy rain and severe storms this weekend as a sprawling system continues to linger, bringing with it the risks of flooding,