SPC 1200Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1200 AM CST Tue Mar 04 2025
Valid 041200Z - 051200Z
...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHEASTERN TEXAS EAST-SOTUHEASTWARD TO
SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms with a threat for tornadoes, damaging winds,
and isolated hail are possible today from eastern portions of the
southern Plains into the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast. A
couple strong tornadoes will be possible.
...Synopsis...
A strong upper trough/low will shift eastward across the central and
southern Plains, and into the Mississippi Valley overnight. As this
occurs, a deepening surface low will shift out of the Oklahoma
vicinity northeastward, reaching Illinois by the end of the period
while occluding with time. Meanwhile, a cold front will sweep
steadily eastward, reaching the west slopes of the Appalachians
late.
...Eastern portions of Texas and Oklahoma eastward to the southern
Appalachians/Southeast...
A frontal band of convection is forecast to be ongoing/shifting
eastward from far eastern Kansas/western Missouri southward into
north-central/northeastern Texas. The storms will be moving through
a warm sector featuring modest low-level moisture/weak low-level
lapse rates, but intense shear. This will remain the situation with
eastward extent across much of the severe-risk area, as the airmass
preceding this system remains stable at low levels. Substantial
low-level theta-e advection immediately ahead of the advancing front
will support a decrease in low-level stability just prior to frontal
passage, but it remains unclear as to whether any convection in
advance of the primary frontal band will ever become sufficiently
surface-based to realize the intene shear that will be present. As
such, this remains a highly conditional scenario in terms of
severe/tornado risk, but with local, high-end potential.
With that said, ENH risk appears to be the most reasonable forecast,
all things considered. Storms moving eastward across the
Arklatex/East Texas early in the day will pose and ongoing,
all-hazards severe risk, where locally more-intense convective
elements evolve within a loosely organized band of storms.
Convection should move across Arkansas and Louisiana through the
afternoon, into/across the lower Mississippi Valley area through
late afternoon. Slightly greater tornado potential may evolve
across parts of Louisiana and southern Mississippi, nearest to the
return of greater Gulf moisture (upper 60s to near 70 dewpoints).
Even here, however, very weak low-level lapse rates should limit
overall coverage of any more substantial severe potential.
Storms will continue spreading eastward across the Tennessee Valley
area and Gulf Coast states overnight, with continuation of isolated
severe storms and all-hazards risk -- primarily supported by the
strongly veering/increasing flow with height.
...Eastern Kansas to western Illinois...
As the upper low pivots eastward across Oklahoma and Kansas through
the day, and into Missouri by evening, cold air aloft accompanying
the low will yield steep mid-level lapse rates. Any daytime heating
in the wake of initial/prior convection across the northeastern
Kansas vicinity could yield enough CAPE for isolated, low-topped
convective redevelopment. Assuming this scenario manifests, a
couple of the strongest storms could pose marginal risk for
hail/wind and possibly a tornado. Any such risk would taper by
evening.
Farther east, across Missouri and into western Illinois, elevated
storms east of the primary zone of convection may pose limited/local
risk for marginal hail during the morning and into the afternoon
hours.
..Goss/Squitieri.. 03/04/2025
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