Severe storms possible across southern Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon and evening

Severe thunderstorms could fire up this afternoon and evening across southern  Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. 

The risk area includes Milwaukee, Madison and La Crosse. 

"As we head into later this afternoon and this evening, we have a pretty good storm system that is moving into the Upper Midwest," said John Gagan, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Sullivan. 

The degree to which the atmosphere over southern Wisconsin becomes unstable is the key to whether severe storms develop. "That's what we are going to be watching all day," Gagan said. 

The severe risk is greater to the west of Milwaukee. "There is a tornado risk for the Madison area and points west and southwest of there," Gagan said. 

For Milwaukee, the main threat looks to be hail, Gagan said, but forecasters can't completely rule out the possibility of other types of severe storms in the area.

"It's something for folks to be aware of and keep an eye on for later this afternoon and evening," Gagan said.  

The situation in Wisconsin is part of a forecast severe weather outbreak across the central United States on Wednesday, according to the weather service's Storm Prediction Center.

The greatest threat for severe storms this afternoon and evening is from central Texas, including the Dallas/Fort Worth area, to southern Oklahoma, and from southern Kansas to the northern Texas Panhandle. 

Forecasters will be watching things closely. 

"We're definitely going to have eyes on it all day," Gagan said.

Contact Joe Taschler at (414) 224-2554 or jtaschler@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeTaschler or Facebook at facebook.com/joe.taschler.1.