California could be under the snow and more of the winter storm 1:55
(CNN) --
A series of storms that have brought several feet of snow to parts of the western United States is now moving toward the eastern part of the country.
These storms will collide with record heat in the East and create a threat for severe weather Wednesday through Friday.
The first storm this Wednesday will bring a slight risk of severe storms (level 2 of 5) from the far northeast of Texas to the Tennessee Valley, including Memphis, Huntsville and Little Rock.
Major threats in low risk areas are large to very large hail, a couple of tornadoes, and damaging winds.
A marginal risk of severe storms (level 1 of 5) surrounds the slight risk and extends from Northeast Texas to Northwest Georgia and north into the vicinity of the Ohio Valley and includes Dallas, Shreveport, Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, Louisville and Cincinnati.
The top threats at marginal risk are isolated tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds.
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With these storms, there is a slight risk of excessive rainfall (level 2 of 4).
Rainfall totals could be 2 to 4 inches with rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour in eastern Arkansas, northern Alabama, northern Mississippi, and much of Tennessee.
This Thursday, a separate storm will move out of the Rocky Mountains and bring a much larger and more robust severe weather threat to much of the South.
There is a moderate risk (level 4 of 5) for parts of Northeast Texas, Northeast Louisiana, Southwest Arkansas, and Southeast Oklahoma and includes Shreveport.
The primary threats are a few strong tornadoes, widespread damaging wind gusts, and large to very large hail.
Meanwhile, increased risk (level 3 of 5) spans eastern Texas, northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and southwestern Tennessee and western Mississippi.
This risk includes Dallas, Memphis, Jackson, and Fort Worth.
The top threats within the increased risk are multiple tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds.
Report severe weather conditions in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas: there are storms and tornadoes
This is what the winter storm looks like in the United States 1:03
A slight risk (level 2 of 5) of severe storms surrounds the increased risk and extends from central Texas and southeastern Oklahoma to southern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia.
Major cities in the region include Houston and Austin.
The main threats are tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds.
Marginal risk surrounds slight risk and includes San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Birmingham, and New Orleans.
The main threats are isolated tornadoes, hail and gusty winds.
With these storms a moderate threat of excessive rainfall is possible.
This Thursday's rainfall could range between 76 and 150 millimeters with isolated totals exceeding 150 millimeters.
Precipitation rates could exceed 50 millimeters per hour in the strongest storms.
Flood watches have already been issued for parts of Arkansas and Tennessee and include more than 5 million people.
winter storm
