Millions of Americans on alert in the first storm of April

From Texas to Virginia, 50 million people are under a storm warning. Severe storms, flooding and snow are expected as the storm that punished California with heavy rain and snow this weekend moves east early in the week.

The National Weather Service warned of hail, "damaging winds" and "tornadoes (some strong)" in the central and eastern part of the country. A "broad region from the southern Plains, the Ozarks, portions of the Ohio Valley, and into a small part of the Mid-Atlantic." This "severe weather" would reach its peak in the afternoon or night on the first day of the month.

Heavy rain is also expected from parts of Indiana to Maryland. Flooding could occur, "with urban areas, roads, and small

streams the most vulnerable."

Large cities such as Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington in Texas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma, face an elevated risk of storms. Others, such as San Antonio (Texas), Indianapolis (Indiana) and Cincinnati (Ohio), present a lower risk, while it is even lower in others such as Wichita (Kansas), and Shreveport (Louisiana). For this reason, the authorities are asking citizens to remain attentive to local meteorological services.

On Tuesday, the storm system will move eastward, including the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Thunderstorms, strong winds and some tornadoes are expected.

Memphis, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC and Baltimore are some of the cities at risk. Rain will decrease in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Snow forecast

The NWS forecast snow in the Northern Plains on Monday. Throughout the day, it will begin to decrease at elevations in Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

On Tuesday, snow will fall in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Both rain and snow will move into New England on Wednesday or Thursday. The focus, however, will be Michigan: The heaviest snow is expected to fall over the northern half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.