Weather Gabe

On April 2, 2025, a massive outbreak of tornadoes ravaged the middle Mississippi and Ohio Valley regions, impacting at least eight states from Arkansas to Ohio. Storm chaser Brandon Copic captured live video of a strikingly powerful and visible wedge tornado near Lake City in northeast Arkansas, which many viewers witnessed. Tragically, the tornadoes claimed at least six lives across the affected areas.

The evening before the tornado outbreak, many storm chasers doubted a significant event would unfold. High-resolution weather models suggested a widespread squall line with embedded supercells would develop, but few expected its intensity. Surprisingly, Chris Broyles, a veteran forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center, escalated the risk level to High.

What was he seeing? What fueled his confidence? Although I haven’t discussed this with Chris yet, subtle clues hinted at a major event. Let’s explore why this outbreak became so explosive.

The Setup

The weather forecast for April...