Nocturnal Tornadoes Threaten Nine Cities as Winter Storm Approaches

Severe weather is forecast to affect a large region in the Midwest overnight on Tuesday, and several cities are at an increased risk of tornadoes.

Much of the U.S. is experiencing unusual weather this week as a storm system approaching from the West caused temperatures to soar on Monday and Tuesday. The warm, humid air is creating an ideal environment for tornadoes, which could hit overnight, heightening their danger.

Severe weather, including "nocturnal tornadoes," could affect millions of people, AccuWeather reported, with the greatest risk in Illinois and Indiana.

"The greatest threat of tornadoes may occur along and in between interstates 70 and 80 in the Midwest, beginning in Illinois and western Indiana late in the day Tuesday and expanding eastward from there Tuesday night," AccuWeather storm warning meteorologist Joseph Bauer said in the report.

Areas most at risk for seeing tornadoes on Tuesday night include the Chicago and St. Louis metropolitan areas, as well as Indianapolis, South Bend and Fort Wayne in Indiana; Toledo and Lima in Ohio; and Springfield and Peoria in Illinois.

Tornadoes occurring overnight are more dangerous than those occurring in the daytime, as many people may be asleep or not closely following severe weather updates.

"The biggest thing is that people are in bed sleeping and they don't get warnings, or if they do get them, maybe it doesn't wake them up," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty told Newsweek. "The other aspect is I think a lot of the public might not take action until they see something."

Douty said both of those factors contribute to making tornadoes more dangerous and deadlier when they occur at night.

Tornadoes aren't uncommon in the Midwest, but Douty said it was unusual for them to occur this early in the year. Typically during February, tornadoes are a bigger threat further south, such as in the Tennessee and Mississippi valleys.

However, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Jason Puma told Newsweek that last year at this time there was a tornado in Hancock County in central Indiana.

"[The tornadoes] start in February and ramp up to peak in May and June," Puma said.

He also said it was unusual to have temperatures this high in late February. Temperatures in central Indiana reached the 70s on Monday.

After the storm passes through the Midwest, temperatures will drop on Wednesday before rising again at the end of the week. The severe weather threat will shift to affect southern New York, northern Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.