Spring is officially here! While this means longer and warmer days, it also marks the peak of severe weather season. A recent report from AccuWeather reveals what to expect from storms and tornadoes this year so you can be better prepared.

According to the report, the worst of the storms this season are predicted to occur outside of Tornado Alley. “Tornado Alley is an area of the U.S. where there is a high potential for tornado development,” reports Dan Kottlowski, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather. “This area encompasses much of northern Texas northward through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and parts of Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and eastern Colorado.”

Severe weather is anticipated throughout March, April, and May. Cold air from Canada mingles with warm, moist air from the Gulf, creating life-threatening thunderstorms throughout the central and eastern U.S.

Per AccuWeather, the worst of the severe weather is expected to occur east of Tornado Alley, specifically in the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Western Ohio valleys. The concentration of storms in this area is due to a combination of high pressure over the Southwest and abnormally warm waters in the Gulf.

Farther north, early spring may feel like an extension of winter, pausing the threat of severe thunderstorms and tornados. “Periods of cool and more stable air can cross the Great Lakes, lowering the threat of widespread severe weather this spring across the eastern Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast,” says Paul Pastelok, long-range expert for AccuWeather.

Thunderstorms are expected to become more widespread in May across the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and parts of Tornado Alley. Long-lived and destructive storms, called derechos, will also increase in spring and into summer. These storms are known for their intense winds and damage. “Though it is early to determine where these may form, we are leaning toward the central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley based on the pattern forecast and research,” Pastelok says.

As far as tornadoes, AccuWeather predicts there will be 75 to 150 tornadoes in March, 200 to 300 in April, and 250 to 350 in May. These predictions are near or above the 30-year historical average. For all of 2025, the weather forecasting service predicts 1,300 to 1,450 tornadoes, compared to the historical average of 1,225.