193  
ACUS01 KWNS 050055  
SWODY1  
SPC AC 050053  
 
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0653 PM CST SUN JAN 04 2026  
 
VALID 050100Z - 051200Z  
   
..NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST
 
 
   
..SUMMARY
 
 
THE RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN GENERALLY LOW ACROSS THE U.S.  
THROUGH TONIGHT.  
   
..DISCUSSION
 
 
COLD MID-LEVEL AIR OVERSPREADING THE PACIFIC COAST INTO  
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST, ASSOCIATED WITH SPLITTING LARGE-SCALE MID/UPPER  
TROUGHING, HAS CONTRIBUTED TO WEAK CONDITIONAL INSTABILITY, BASED ON  
OBSERVED AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS. THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES APPEAR TO  
HAVE BECOME AT LEAST POTENTIALLY MARGINALLY CONDUCIVE TO CONVECTION  
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LIGHTNING IN A BROAD SWATH, ACROSS NORTHERN AND  
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THROUGH THE NORTHERN INTERMOUNTAIN REGION AND  
GREAT BASIN, AS WELL AS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.  
 
DESPITE THIS DESTABILIZATION, TO THIS POINT, WEAK THUNDERSTORM  
DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN GENERALLY NEGLIGIBLE. WITH THE ONSET OF  
DIURNAL BOUNDARY-LAYER COOLING, THIS MAY NOT CHANGE APPRECIABLY THIS  
EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.  
 
HOWEVER, WITH THE MID-LEVEL COLD CORE OF ONE NOTABLE SHORT WAVE  
PERTURBATION JUST NOW BEGINNING TO SPREAD INLAND OF WASHINGTON AND  
ADJACENT OREGON COASTAL AREAS, MID-LEVEL FORCING FOR ASCENT AND  
COOLING MIGHT STILL INCREASE SUFFICIENTLY TO SUPPORT MINIMUM  
THRESHOLD THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITIES TONIGHT.  
 
ACROSS PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA INTO GREAT BASIN, FORCING  
FOR ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH A MORE MODEST AND WEAKENING SHORT WAVE  
PERTURBATION COULD ALSO STILL SUPPORT MINIMUM THRESHOLD THUNDERSTORM  
PROBABILITIES.  
 
..KERR.. 01/05/2026  
 

 
 
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