887  
ACUS02 KWNS 250526  
SWODY2  
SPC AC 250524  
 
DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1224 AM CDT SAT JUL 25 2026  
 
VALID 261200Z - 271200Z  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE UPPER  
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO UPPER MIDWEST...  
   
..SUMMARY
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF MAINLY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS  
ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES INTO  
PORTIONS OF THE MID MISSOURI VALLEY ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.  
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
A DOMINANT UPPER HIGH WILL REMAIN ANCHORED OVER THE CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN PLAINS WITH AN ASSOCIATED RIDGE EXTENDING NORTH INTO  
CENTRAL CANADA. WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE, A BELT OF  
ENHANCED MID-LEVEL FLOW WILL EXTEND FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST  
THROUGH SOUTH-CENTRAL CANADA INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND MIDDLE OH  
VALLEY. A SERIES OF WEAK MID-LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL TRANSLATE  
THROUGH THE STREAM OF HIGHER-MOMENTUM FLOW, THE MOST NOTABLE OF  
WHICH IS A SHORT-WAVE TROUGH THAT WILL CREST THE RIDGE AXIS OVER  
SK/MB. MODEST HEIGHT FALLS ARE EXPECTED DOWNSTREAM FROM THAT FEATURE  
FROM NORTHERN MN INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES SUNDAY NIGHT/EARLY  
MONDAY.  
 
AT THE SURFACE, A COOL FRONT ATTENDING THE SK/MB SYSTEM WILL ADVANCE  
THROUGH THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS INTO THE ND-MN RED RIVER VALLEY. A  
WEAK FRONT WILL SETTLE SOUTH THROUGH NORTHERN PARTS OF MN AND WI  
BEFORE STALLING, WHILE A SEPARATE FRONTAL SYSTEM EXTENDS FROM THE  
SOUTHEAST INTO THE MIDWEST WITH ANOTHER BOUNDARY.  
 
...UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES INTO THE MID MISSOURI  
AND OHIO VALLEYS...  
CAPPING ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE AND THE SUBTLE NATURE OF  
MECHANISMS TO SUSTAIN FORCING FOR ASCENT LEAD TO CONSIDERABLE  
UNCERTAINTY IN THE LOCATION, AREAL COVERAGE, AND INTENSITY OF  
THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. THAT BEING SAID, A FEW  
EARLY-DAY THUNDERSTORMS APPEAR POSSIBLE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST  
WITHIN A ZONE OF WARM ADVECTION AND AIDED BY THE GLANCING INFLUENCE  
OF A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. THE  
STORMS WOULD LIKELY BE ELEVATED WITHIN A PLUME OF MODERATE  
INSTABILITY AND AMPLE VERTICAL SHEAR, SUGGESTING SOME POTENTIAL FOR  
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  
 
BY AFTERNOON, A RESERVOIR OF MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY IS  
FORECAST ACROSS THE MIDWEST WITH THE VARIOUS MODELS INDICATING THE  
POTENTIAL FOR DIURNALLY ENHANCED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AT VARIOUS  
LOCATIONS FROM THE MID MO VALLEY INTO LOWER MI. CONFIDENCE IN ANY  
ONE SCENARIO REMAINS LOW, AND AS SUCH, A MODEST EXPANSION OF THE  
LEVEL 1/MARGINAL RISK WAS MADE ACROSS PARTS OF THE OH VALLEY TO  
ACCOUNT FOR THE BROAD RANGE OF POTENTIAL OUTCOMES. GIVEN THE DEGREE  
OF INSTABILITY AND SEASONABLY STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR, HIGHER SEVERE  
WEATHER PROBABILITIES AND RELATED CONDITIONAL INTENSITY GROUPS MAY  
BECOME NECESSARY ONCE FORECAST DETAILS BECOME MORE CLEAR.  
 
AS ALLUDED TO IN THE SYNOPSIS, STRONGER FORCING FOR ASCENT TIED TO  
THE APPROACHING CANADIAN DISTURBANCE AND SURFACE FRONT MAY SUPPORT A  
MORE FOCUSED AREA OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER MN SUNDAY NIGHT.  
SUBSEQUENT UPSCALE GROWTH INTO A FORWARD-PROPAGATING MCS APPEARS  
POSSIBLE, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR A SWATH OF SEVERE  
WIND GUSTS.  
 
   
..SOUTHEAST
 
 
ONE OR MULTIPLE WEAK DISTURBANCES ALOFT ARE EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD  
THE REGION, ALONG WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN MID/UPPER-LEVEL WINDS.  
IN RESPONSE, A WEAK SURFACE LOW MAY DEVELOP ACROSS UPSTATE SC, ALONG  
A SUBTLE FRONT/CONFLUENCE ZONE IN THE AREA. THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON  
ALONG THE FRONT AND DEVELOPING SEA-BREEZE BOUNDARIES WITHIN A VERY  
MOIST AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS. STEEP LOW-LEVEL LAPSES AND  
HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER CONTENT WILL ENHANCE DOWNDRAFT POTENTIAL  
WITH AN ASSOCIATED RISK FOR LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS.  
 
..MEAD.. 07/25/2026  
 

 
 
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