418  
ACUS03 KWNS 181922  
SWODY3  
SPC AC 181920  
 
DAY 3 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0220 PM CDT WED JUN 18 2025  
 
VALID 201200Z - 211200Z  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PARTS OF THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES...  
   
..SUMMARY  
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT ACROSS  
PARTS OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST.  
   
..SYNOPSIS  
 
MID-LEVEL RIDGING WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON  
FRIDAY. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY REGARDING EVOLUTION OF THE  
RIDGE WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO EJECT  
FROM A WESTERN CONUS TROUGH. THE EXACT EVOLUTION OF THIS MID-LEVEL  
PATTERN AND EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT  
SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL ON FRIDAY.  
   
..NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES  
 
GUIDANCE IS IN AGREEMENT REGARDING LOW TO MID 70S DEWPOINTS INTO THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. AS TEMPERATURES WARM  
WELL INTO THE 90S, VERY STRONG TO EXTREME INSTABILITY IS FORECAST TO  
DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST. STORM  
COVERAGE/LOCATION IS THE PRIMARY QUESTION GIVEN THE STRONG RIDGING  
AND STRONG 700MB TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. A SURFACE LOW IS  
FORECAST TO DEVELOP SOMEWHERE NEAR THE BLACK HILLS WITH A WARM  
FRONTAL ZONE EXTENDING EASTWARD FROM THIS SURFACE LOW. THIS WARM  
FRONT WILL LIKELY BE THE FOCUS FOR THE MOST INTENSE SEVERE STORM  
POTENTIAL ON FRIDAY. A STRONGER MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH, AS  
INDICATED BY THE 12Z ECMWF, WOULD LIKELY BE A SCENARIO WITH THE  
GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. THIS WOULD INVOLVE SUPERCELL  
DEVELOPMENT NEAR THE SURFACE LOW/TRIPLE POINT AND EXTENDING EASTWARD  
ALONG THE WARM FRONT. EVENTUAL UPSCALE GROWTH INTO A FORWARD  
PROPAGATING MCS WOULD BE LIKELY DURING THE EVENING WITH A TRACK  
ALONG THIS FRONTAL ZONE. THIS SCENARIO COULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR  
AN INTENSE MCS CAPABLE OF SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WIND GUSTS.  
 
HOWEVER, IF THE MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS WEAKER, STORM COVERAGE  
MAY BE MORE ISOLATED AS WARMER MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL. IN  
THIS SCENARIO, THE ENVIRONMENT WOULD STILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR  
INTENSE STORMS, BUT STORM COVERAGE WOULD REMAIN QUESTIONABLE.  
 
REGARDLESS OF THE DIURNAL THREAT, THE RISK WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO  
THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN  
WISCONSIN AS A BROAD LOW-LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS ACROSS THE PLAINS AND  
UPPER MIDWEST. THIS ISENTROPIC ASCENT, COMBINED WITH A RESERVOIR OF  
VERY STRONG INSTABILITY AND STEEP LAPSE RATES WILL SUPPORT A SEVERE  
WEATHER THREAT THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD.  
 
..BENTLEY.. 06/18/2025  
 
 
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