Risk for severe storms from eastern Texas to western Kentucky.
(CNN) --
More than 20 million people across the southern United States face the threat of severe tornadoes, hail and damaging winds Wednesday.
The storms will stretch from eastern Texas to western Kentucky.
Parts of eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi and western Tennessee face the greatest threat of severe weather Wednesday, at a level 3 out of 5. The area, which includes the cities of Memphis and Greenville, Mississippi, has the greatest chance of tornadoes, some possibly EF-2 or stronger, with winds of up to 217 km/h between the last hours of this Wednesday and into Thursday.
In addition, widely scattered severe thunderstorms are expected over parts of Texas and Oklahoma in the afternoon, where a Level 2 of 5 severe storm threat looms. Hail larger than 2 inches in diameter is possible, along with damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
The same system will also bring snow across the Four Corners region on Wednesday and will produce a swath of snow from northern Kansas through southern Nebraska and central Michigan over the next 48 hours.
Winter weather alerts have been issued for these areas.
As of Thursday, the severe weather threat extends to nearly 50 million people from the central Gulf coast to the eastern Great Lakes.
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The morning will begin with slightly severe thunderstorms in Arkansas and Louisiana.
As the day progresses and temperatures rise, the storms will get stronger as they move into Mississippi and Alabama.
There will again be a threat of tornadoes, including some that could be strong, this time over eastern Mississippi and western Alabama in the afternoon and early evening.
The Ohio Valley will also be under threat of damaging winds and possible tornadoes in the afternoon and evening.
By late afternoon Thursday, severe threats will ease as the storm line moves into eastern Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida panhandle.
Storm