SPC AC 011257
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0757 AM CDT Thu May 01 2025
Valid 011300Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE LOWER MS
VALLEY THROUGH THE TN AND OH VALLEYS INTO THE LOWER GREAT
LAKES...AND FROM THE TX/OK PANHANDLES EASTWARD ACROSS OK AND NORTH
TX....
...SUMMARY...
Lines and/or clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms are likely
to impact parts of the Ohio Valley into lower Great Lakes, parts of
the lower Mississippi Valley, and the southern Great Plains this
afternoon through tonight.
...Synopsis...
Early morning satellite imagery shows several shortwave troughs
across the CONUS, including one entering the Lower MO Valley/Ozarks
vicinity, another moving into NE, and another off the southern CA
coast. The lead wave is forecast to progress quickly northeastward
through the OH Valley and Great Lakes while losing amplitude under
the increasingly confluent flow aloft. At the same time, another
shortwave trough will drop southeastward through the northern High
Plains into the northern/central Plains, leading to some
amplification of the upper troughing across the north-central CONUS.
Recent surface analysis revealed several lows within a broad area of
low pressure across the central CONUS, one over west-central IL,
another near the SD/ND/MN border intersection, and a third over
north-central OK. A warm front extends eastward from the low over
west-central IL, while modest troughing extends between the Upper
Midwest low and the one over north-central OK.
The west-central IL low is expected to deepen throughout the day as
it moves northeastward ahead of its parent shortwave, with the
attendant warm front advancing northward as well. The northernmost
surface low is expected to progress slowly eastward as well, with
its associated surface troughing also drifting eastward. A more
stationary pattern is anticipated in the vicinity of the OK low
throughout much of the period.
...TN/OH Valleys into the Lower Great Lakes...
Low 60s dewpoints are already in place across the Lower OH and TN
Valley this morning. Continued northward/northeastward advection of
this low-level moisture is anticipated today as the surface low
progresses northeastward. This increased moisture coupled with
modest heating will help support moderate buoyancy across much of
the region by early afternoon. Broad large-scale ascent and surface
troughing are expected over the region amid this destabilization,
which is forecast to result in widespread thunderstorms during the
afternoon and evening. The convective mode will likely be dominated
by linear structures, with one or more convective lines possible.
Primary severe risk will be damaging gusts, supported by moderate
southwesterly flow in the lower troposphere. Some hail is also
possible, particularly during cell mergers. The tornado risk will be
low but non-zero, as veered low-level flow limits the low-level
shear.
...Lower MS Valley...
The airmass across the region is expected to quickly destabilize as
low-level moisture advects back into the region in the wake of the
convection currently moving through. Upper 60s dewpoints coupled
with modest heating will result in moderate to strong buoyancy and
no convective inhibition by the early afternoon. Even modest
low-level convergence should be enough to initiate deep convection,
but any remnant outflow could also act as a focus for convective
initiation. Robust updrafts are expected with initial development,
with a quick trend towards outflow-dominant structures. Large hail
and damaging gusts are the primary risks.
...TX/OK Panhandles into much of OK and north TX...
Low-level moisture is expected to advect back northwestward into the
TX Panhandle throughout the day. Cold mid-level temperatures are
already in place (-16 deg C at 500 on the 12Z AMA sounding), so this
added low-level moisture coupled with glancing ascent will likely
result in late evening thunderstorm development. Most of the
convection-allowing guidance is suggesting these storms will grow
upscale quickly into an MCS, with some of guidance suggesting it
could be quite and capable of producing significant wind gusts as it
moves eastward across the TX Panhandle and into OK.
Additionally, gradual increase in the low-level moisture beneath
cold mid-level temperatures and associated steep mid-level lapse
rates will result in strong buoyancy across southern OK. Modest
warm-air advection could result in convective initiation across this
region amid an environment that supports very large hail.
Complex interaction is possible between the potential MCS and the
more cellular development ahead of it, but some severe threat
appears possible through early tomorrow morning.
..Mosier/Jewell.. 05/01/2025
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