System that caused Midwest tornadoes could bring severe weather to Pittsburgh region

A storm system that caused 18 tornadoes in five states Monday is heading for southwestern Pennsylvania, but it probably won’t bring any twisters when it gets here, according to the National Weather Service.

“This is finally advancing eastward, and will finally come to our area,” said Myranda Fullerton, a NWS meteorologist in Pittsburgh. “We could be looking at the situation where we have some potential for some hail, and maybe some strong winds from these storms as they develop on Thursday.”

It’s too early to tell exactly what the storm will bring, according to Fullerton. As of Tuesday morning, the NWS Storm Prediction Center said there is a slight chance of severe weather in this area Thursday and Friday.

“At this point, I think we should just kind of wait and see how this all comes together,” Fullerton said.

The storm is the first of several moving up from the Central Plains expected to buffet the area over the next week.

A second storm is expected to hit Saturday and could bring more severe weather, according to the NWS.

A third might hit sometime around Memorial Day, though it is too soon to tell what kind of effect it will have, Fullerton said.

The storm created 18 tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arizona on Monday, according to USA Today.

No injuries have been reported.