557  
ACUS01 KWNS 180102  
SWODY1  
SPC AC 180100  
 
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0800 PM CDT FRI JUL 17 2026  
 
VALID 180100Z - 181200Z  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF  
IDAHO AND MONTANA...HE UPPER MIDWEST...AND PORTIONS OF THE  
SOUTHEAST...  
   
..SUMMARY  
 
STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE STORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND  
TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST AND NORTHERN GREAT LAKES  
AND WESTERN MONTANA/NORTHERN IDAHO. SPORADIC STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS  
WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS CANNOT BE RULED OUT OVER PARTS OF THE  
SOUTHEAST.  
   
..UPPER MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES  
 
EARLY EVENING WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWED AN UPPER TROUGH AND BELT OF  
ENHANCED MID-LEVEL FLOW MOVING FROM SOUTHERN CANADA INTO THE  
NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. AHEAD OF THE TROUGH, A PROMINENT WARM FRONT IS  
IN PLACE ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF LAKE SUPERIOR, INTO THE UP OF  
MI. ALONG THE FRONT, AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE CYCLONE WAS OBSERVED OVER  
LAKE SUPERIOR WITH A COLD FRONT TRAILING SOUTHWESTWARD INTO EASTERN  
MN AND NORTHWEST WI.  
 
SEVERAL STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AND INTENSIFIED  
ACROSS FAR EASTERN MN, NORTHERN WI AND THE SHELF WATERS OF LAKE  
SUPERIOR THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. HIGH-RES MODEL  
GUIDANCE AND CONVECTIVE TRENDS SUGGEST THESE STORMS SHOULD GENERALLY  
SPREAD SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN WI THIS EVENING. HERE IN THE  
WARM SECTOR, MID TO UPPER 80S F SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND SEASONABLY  
HIGH DEWPOINTS IN THE 60S AND 70-S F ARE SUPPORTING A MODERATE TO  
STRONGLY UNSTABLE AIR MASS, MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR MAINTENANCE OF  
THE ONGOING SEVERE STORMS. 40-50 KT OF DEEP-LAYER SHEAR ARE ALSO  
SUPPORTING ORGANIZED CLUSTERS AND SOME SUPERCELL STRUCTURES. THIS  
SUGGESTS HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE INTO EARLY TONIGHT.  
 
ACROSS THE UP, CONVECTION HAS BEEN SLOWER TO EVOLVE OWING TO  
LINGERING INHIBITION AND WEAKER BUOYANCY. HOWEVER, MODEL GUIDANCE  
AND RECENT RADAR TRENDS SHOW A GRADUAL INCREASE IN STORM COVERAGE  
THIS EVENING. IF SOME CLUSTERING CAN OCCUR, A BRIEF TORNADO RISK MAY  
ALSO DEVELOP GIVEN ENHANCED LOW-LEVEL SHEAR ALONG THE WARM FRONT AND  
NEAR THE LAKES. AN ISOLATED RISK FOR DAMAGING WINDS COULD ALSO  
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE UP AND FAR NORTHERN LOWER MI WITH ANY  
LONGER-LIVED CLUSTERS ALONG THE FRONT.  
   
..ID AND MT  
 
ON THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF AN EXPANSIVE UPPER RIDGE, AN UPPER LOW  
OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WAS SUPPORTING A BROAD FETCH OF  
SEASONABLY HIGH MONSOON MOISTURE AND MODERATE DESTABILIZATION.  
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ONGOING OVER PARTS OF ID AND MT THIS  
EVENING AND SHOULD CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT PERIOD. WHILE  
DISPLACED FROM STRONGER WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT, EFFECTIVE SHEAR NEAR  
25-30 KT COULD SUPPORT A FEW ORGANIZED STORMS WITH A RISK FOR HAIL  
AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER PARTS OF ID AND MT. ESPECIALLY IF ANY  
CLUSTERING CAN OCCUR.  
   
..OH VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND SOUTHEAST  
 
NUMEROUS STORMS ONGOING THIS EVENING SHOULD SLOWLY DIMINISH IN  
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AS THE  
BOUNDARY-LAYER STABILIZES. THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF STRONGER  
STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ACROSS PARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST IN FL AND GA  
WHERE A LARGER RESERVOIR OF MODERATE TO LARGE BUOYANCY REMAINS. AN  
ISOLATED DAMAGING GUST WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE WITH THE MORE PERSISTENT  
THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER, THE WEAKENING BUOYANCY  
AND INCREASING STABILIZATION SHOULD GRADUALLY LIMIT THE DAMAGING  
WIND RISK INTO TONIGHT.  
 
..LYONS.. 07/18/2026  
 
 
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