A dangerous storm system is expected to sweep through the St. Louis region Friday evening, bringing the potential for destructive winds and fast-moving tornadoes, with the metro area under a Level 4 out of 5 risk for severe weather.

A significant severe weather day is anticipated for Saturday across Southeast Louisiana and South Mississippi. We remain highlighted in a level 4 out of 5 moderate risk for severe weather. This threat will begin by late morning Saturday and continue through sunset in the evening.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The threat of tornadoes moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South on Saturday, a day after a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that damaged buildings, whipped up dust storms that caused deadly crashes and fanned more than 100 wildfires in several central states.

The dangerous outbreak will sweep through the Midwest, South and East through the weekend. Saturday could be one of the worst severe weather days of the year.

Severe thunderstorm outlooks issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center can show a threat level from 1 to 5. They are used to show how widespread and intense severe weather could be on a given day.