674  
ACUS01 KWNS 211949  
SWODY1  
SPC AC 211947  
 
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0247 PM CDT TUE APR 21 2026  
 
VALID 212000Z - 221200Z  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR PORTIONS OF  
THE OHIO VALLEY AND THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY...  
   
..SUMMARY
 
 
ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL  
VALLEY, CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS AND PERHAPS A TORNADO OR TWO. OTHER  
STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION.  
   
..20Z UPDATE
 
 
THE PRIMARY CHANGES TO THE OUTLOOK WERE TO EXTEND CATEGORY  
1/MARGINAL RISK PROBABILITIES IN CA FARTHER NORTH INTO THE  
SACRAMENTO VALLEY, AND EXPAND SEVERE PROBABILITIES IN THE GREAT  
LAKES AREA TO INCLUDE FAR SOUTHWESTERN LOWER MI. IN CA, MRMS MOSAIC  
RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS CONVECTION DEEPENING FARTHER NORTH INTO THE  
SACRAMENTO VALLEY, AND WHERE 19Z MESOANALYSIS SHOWS WELL OVER 100  
J/KG 0-3 KM CAPE IN PLACE WITH A FOCUSED CORRIDOR OF LOW-LEVEL  
VERTICALLY ORIENTED VORTICITY. AS SUCH, A LOW-TOPPED SUPERCELL COULD  
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING, WHICH MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING  
HAIL/WIND AND PERHAPS A BRIEF TORNADO. THUNDERSTORMS, WITH A HISTORY  
OF PRODUCING MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL OVER EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN WI,  
ARE CURRENTLY TRAVERSING FAR SOUTHERN LAKE MI, AND HAVE BEEN SLOW TO  
DIMINISH. A CORRIDOR OF MUCAPE IS DEVELOPING OVER FAR SOUTHWESTERN  
LOWER MI AS 8+ C/KM MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES, COINCIDING WITH A  
SOUTHWESTERLY WAA REGIME, OVERSPREADS THE GREAT LAKES. THEREFORE,  
CATEGORY 1/MARGINAL RISK WIND/HAIL PROBABILITIES WERE EXTENDED  
NORTHEASTWARD INTO FAR SOUTHWESTERN LOWER MI TO ACCOUNT FOR  
POTENTIAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS REGION.  
 
..SQUITIERI.. 04/21/2026  
   
PREV DISCUSSION
 
/ISSUED 1051 AM CDT TUE APR 21 2026/  
   
..CENTRAL CA
 
 
MORNING WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS A WELL-DEFINED SHORTWAVE TROUGH  
APPROACHING THE COAST OF CENTRAL CA. AN ASSOCIATED MID/UPPER LEVEL  
JET WILL NOSE INTO CA, WITH FORCING FOR ASCENT IN THE LEFT-FRONT  
QUADRANT OF THE JET AIDING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFTERNOON/EVENING  
THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS  
SHOW STEEP LOW AND MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND SUFFICIENT CAPE FOR A  
FEW ROBUST UPDRAFTS. VERTICAL SHEAR WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR  
SUPERCELL STRUCTURES, INCLUDING A RISK OF A TORNADO OR TWO, SMALL  
HAIL, AND GUSTY WINDS.  
   
..NORTHERN IN/IL
 
 
A FAST-MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER IA/MN WILL TRACK  
QUICKLY SOUTHEASTWARD INTO WI/IL/IN THIS AFTERNOON. VISIBLE  
SATELLITE AND RADAR IMAGERY SHOW A LINE OF HIGH-BASED THUNDERSTORMS  
DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE TROUGH OVER SOUTHERN WI. AS THESE STORMS  
TRACK INTO NORTHERN IL/IN, CONTINUED HEATING/WEAK DESTABILIZATION  
WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF GUSTY/LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND  
SMALL HAIL IN THE STRONGEST CORES THIS AFTERNOON.  
 

 
 
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