971  
ACUS02 KWNS 201640  
SWODY2  
SPC AC 201638  
 
DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1138 AM CDT FRI MAR 20 2026  
 
VALID 211200Z - 221200Z  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN  
TENNESSEE INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA...  
   
..SUMMARY
 
 
ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL TO NEAR 1  
INCH DIAMETER SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM EASTERN TENNESSEE  
INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.  
   
..TENNESSEE INTO THE CAROLINAS
 
 
A MODEST MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MIGRATE SOUTHEAST FROM THE  
MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE SOUTHEAST WITHIN A BROADER  
NORTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW REGIME ON SATURDAY. MIDLEVEL FLOW IS NOT  
FORECAST TO BE OVERLY STRONG WITH THIS SHORTWAVE, WITH AROUND 25-35  
KT NOTED IN FORECAST GUIDANCE. HOWEVER, VERTICALLY VEERING WIND  
PROFILES WITHIN THE LOWEST 2-3 KM, AND STRONGER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW  
ABOVE 500 MB WILL SUPPORT EFFECTIVE SHEAR MAGNITUDES OF AROUND 25  
KT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOW ELONGATED/STRAIGHT HODOGRAPHS.  
BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE IS FORECAST TO REMAIN MODEST, WITH SURFACE  
DEWPOINTS GENERALLY IN THE 50S, WITH SOME AREAS ACROSS THE TN VALLEY  
SEEING LOW 60S DEWPOINTS. HOWEVER, RELATIVELY STEEP MIDLEVEL LAPSE  
RATES NEAR 7 C/KM AND COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT (NEAR -15 C AT 500 MB)  
WILL SUPPORT 500-1000 J/KG MLCAPE.  
 
GIVEN MODESTLY FAVORABLE VERTICAL SHEAR AND INSTABILITY, COMBINED  
WITH WEAK LARGE-SCALE ASCENT OVERSPREADING THE REGION BY PEAK  
HEATING, A LOW RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS PRODUCING HAIL TO AROUND 1  
INCH DIAMETER APPEARS POSSIBLE, AND A LEVEL 1 OF 5 (MARGINAL) RISK  
HAS BEEN INCLUDED WITH THE DAY 2 UPDATE.  
 
..LEITMAN.. 03/20/2026  
 

 
 
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