477  
ACUS01 KWNS 161626  
SWODY1  
SPC AC 161624  
 
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1024 AM CST MON FEB 16 2026  
 
VALID 161630Z - 171200Z  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS COASTAL  
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...  
   
..SUMMARY
 
 
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY IMPACT THE COASTAL AREAS OF CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY  
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS, AND PERHAPS A BRIEF TORNADO.  
   
..COASTAL CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CA
 
 
RECENT SATELLITE IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH  
OFF THE SOUTHERN CA COAST. ROBUST LOW-LEVEL WIND FIELDS PRECEDE THIS  
SHORTWAVE, WITH RECENT MESOANALYSIS AND KVBX VAD PROFILES SHOWING  
SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 40 TO 50 KT AT 1 KM OVER SANTA BARBARA AND  
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES. DESPITE VERY MEAGER BUOYANCY, REGIONAL  
RADAR IMAGERY DOES SHOW SOME DEEPER CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS MOVING  
EASTWARD/NORTHEASTWARD FROM ALONG THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY COAST TO  
JUST WEST OF THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS. STRONG FORCING FOR ASCENT  
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ALTHOUGH A  
SOUTHWARD SHIFT IS ANTICIPATED OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS A STRONG  
MID-LEVEL JET STREAK APPROACHES THE COAST OF FAR SOUTHERN CA. THIS  
STRONGER FORCING MAY RESULT IN A SOUTHWARD EXTENSION OF THE ONGOING  
BAND, OR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SEPARATE BAND FARTHER SOUTH.  
 
GIVEN THE INTENSE WIND FIELDS IN PLACE OVER THE REGION, ANY DEEPER  
MORE SUSTAINED CONVECTION COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED STRONG GUSTS AND  
PERHAPS EVEN A BRIEF TORNADO. CURRENT TRENDS SUGGEST THIS SEVERE  
POTENTIAL WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTHWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN CA  
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HOWEVER, THIS THREAT SHOULD BE LIMITED/VERY  
ISOLATED GIVEN THE SCANT BUOYANCY IN PLACE AND RESULTING EXPECTATION  
THAT ANY DEEPER CONVECTION SHOULD BE BRIEF AND TOO SHALLOW TO  
PRODUCE LIGHTNING.  
   
..COASTAL SOUTHWEST OR AND NORTHERN CA
 
 
AN UPPER TROUGH WILL DIVE SOUTHWARD JUST OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST  
TONIGHT, WITH THE LEFT-EXIT REGION OF THE UPPER JET PUSHING INTO  
NORTHERN CA EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. WHILE SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL  
BE COOL (IN THE 40S F) IN THE WAKE OF THE EARLIER WAVE, THIS  
SECONDARY TROUGH WILL BRING COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT WITH AND 500 MB  
TEMPERATURES TO AROUND -35 C. AS SUCH, 100-200 J/KG OF SBCAPE WILL  
EXIST ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST, AND A FEW INSTANCES OF LOW-TOPPED  
CONVECTION MAY YIELD LOCALLY STRONG WIND GUSTS AS THE COLD FRONT  
MOVES THROUGH.  
 
..MOSIER/WENDT.. 02/16/2026  
 

 
 
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