514  
ACUS03 KWNS 150829  
SWODY3  
SPC AC 150828  
 
DAY 3 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0228 AM CST SUN FEB 15 2026  
 
VALID 171200Z - 181200Z  
   
..NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST  
 
   
..SUMMARY  
 
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE ACROSS PACIFIC COASTAL  
AREAS AND THE CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY  
NIGHT, AS WELL AS ACROSS PARTS OF THE MID MISSOURI VALLEY INTO UPPER  
MIDWEST TUESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER, THE RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS APPEARS  
LOW.  
   
..DISCUSSION  
 
MODELS INDICATE THAT A LOWER/MID-TROPOSPHERIC CYCLONE, INITIALLY  
OFFSHORE OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST, WILL WEAKEN WHILE MIGRATING  
INLAND TUESDAY. HOWEVER, AN ASSOCIATED INTENSE OFFSHORE NORTHERLY  
MID/UPPER JET STREAK IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE DIGGING SOUTHEASTWARD  
TOWARD COASTAL AREAS SOUTH OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY, THROUGH THE  
SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA, MAINTAINING AMPLIFIED LARGER-SCALE TROUGHING  
ACROSS AND INLAND OF THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST.  
 
THE REMNANTS OF A PRECEDING INLAND MIGRATING TROUGH, INCLUDING AT  
LEAST A COUPLE OF EMERGING SMALLER-SCALE PERTURBATIONS, ARE FORECAST  
TO PIVOT EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE ROCKIES, ACROSS MUCH OF THE  
MIDDLE AND LOWER MISSOURI VALLEY BY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT, AS A BROAD  
BELT OF SEASONABLY STRONG WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW CONTINUES  
DEVELOPING TO THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES THROUGH THE MID  
ATLANTIC SEABOARD.  
 
IN LOWER LEVELS, THE LATEST MODEL OUTPUT SUGGESTS THAT INITIALLY  
DEEP SURFACE TROUGHING, ALONG AN AXIS FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO  
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS, WILL SHIFT ACROSS THE MIDDLE  
AND LOWER MISSOURI VALLEY TOWARD THE UPPER MIDWEST. HOWEVER, IT  
APPEARS THAT IT WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN AS IT DOES, AND STRONGER  
SOUTHERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS  
INTO OHIO VALLEY IS LIKELY TO MAINTAIN A NOTABLE WESTERLY COMPONENT.  
COUPLED WITH PRECEDING LOW-LEVEL DRYING ACROSS MUCH OF THE GULF  
BASIN, LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN WILL BE RATHER LIMITED BENEATH A  
WARM/DRY ELEVATED MIXED-LAYER INITIALLY OVERSPREADING MUCH OF THE  
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS THROUGH MIDDLE AND LOWER  
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.  
   
..PACIFIC COAST  
 
LOW PROBABILITIES FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAY LINGER INTO EARLY  
TUESDAY NEARLY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL AREAS. HOWEVER, THE  
PRIMARY CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL, INCLUDING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM  
DEVELOPMENT, SEEMS LIKELY TO BECOME FOCUSED ACROSS NORTHERN AND  
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COASTAL AREAS INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY TUESDAY  
AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL ACCOMPANY STRONG MID-LEVEL  
COOLING AND FORCING FOR ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIGGING MID/UPPER  
JET. STRONGER CELLS MAY BECOME CAPABLE OF PRODUCING AT LEAST SMALL  
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS, BUT IT IS NOT YET CLEAR THAT THERMODYNAMIC  
PROFILES WILL SUPPORT ACTIVITY APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING SEVERE  
LIMITS.  
   
..MID MISSOURI VALLEY INTO UPPER MIDWEST  
 
THERE APPEARS AT LEAST SOME SIGNAL IN THE LATEST MODEL OUTPUT THAT  
THE LIMITED MOISTURE RETURN, COUPLED WITH STRONG DIFFERENTIAL  
LOWER/MID-TROPOSPHERIC THERMAL ADVECTION, COULD SUPPORT WEAK  
ELEVATED CONVECTION CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LIGHTNING IN A CORRIDOR  
SPREADING NORTHEAST OF THE MIDDLE MISSOURI VALLEY TUESDAY EVENING.  
 
..KERR.. 02/15/2026  
 
 
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