How A Ridge And Record Heat Fueled Recent Severe Weather
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16 hours agoUpdated: May 19, 2026, 5:35 pm EDTPublished: May 19, 2026, 4:20 pm EDT

The recent severe weather outbreak in the central U.S. was largely powered by an upper-level ridge, which supported a heat wave across the East capable of fueling the severe weather. The jet stream also lent a hand by providing ample wind shear to support those storms. Meteorologist Sara Tonks explains how.

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