865  
ACUS01 KWNS 311628  
SWODY1  
SPC AC 311626  
 
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1126 AM CDT MON AUG 31 2026  
 
VALID 311630Z - 011200Z  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF  
THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES INTO WESTERN NEW YORK...THE CENTRAL  
PLAINS...AND LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY INTO THE GREAT BASIN...  
   
..SUMMARY  
 
ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON  
INTO TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES INTO  
WESTERN NEW YORK, THE CENTRAL PLAINS, AND LOWER COLORADO RIVER  
VALLEY INTO THE GREAT BASIN. SEVERE HAIL AND STRONG/DAMAGING WINDS  
SHOULD BE THE MAIN THREATS.  
   
..UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES INTO WESTERN NEW YORK  
 
A CLOSED MID/UPPER-LEVEL LOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND  
SASKATCHEWAN/MANITOBA WILL MOVE GENERALLY EASTWARD TODAY, WITH A  
MID-LEVEL ANTICYCLONE REMAINING CENTERED OVER THE MID MS  
VALLEY/MID-SOUTH THROUGH THE PERIOD. BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES, A  
BELT OF ENHANCED WESTERLY MID-LEVEL WINDS WILL OVERSPREAD PARTS OF  
THE UPPER MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES. A RATHER MOIST AND STRONGLY  
UNSTABLE AIRMASS IS EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS  
PORTIONS OF WI/MI AHEAD OF A WEAK FRONT. WHILE THERE ARE STILL SOME  
CONCERNS ABOUT CONVECTIVE INITIATION AND OVERALL THUNDERSTORM  
COVERAGE, IT APPEARS THAT A WEAK MID-LEVEL PERTURBATION OVER EASTERN  
NE/WESTERN IA LATE THIS MORNING WILL TRACK NORTHEASTWARD TOWARDS WI  
BY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. THIS FEATURE MAY AID THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS  
PARTS OF WI INTO THE U.P. OF MI.  
 
GIVEN STRONG TO VERY STRONG INSTABILITY AND MODERATE TO STRONG  
DEEP-LAYER SHEAR FORECAST, WIDELY SPACED SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF  
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL APPEAR POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE  
EVENING ACROSS THESE AREAS, IF CONVECTION DEVELOPS. CONSIDERED  
GREATER HAIL PROBABILITIES TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS SCENARIO, BUT WARM  
LOW-LEVEL TEMPERATURES (AROUND 850 MB) AND MIXED SIGNALS IN  
HIGH-RESOLUTION GUIDANCE CAST ENOUGH UNCERTAINTY ON COVERAGE TO  
DEFER UPGRADING WITH THIS UPDATE. THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO SPREAD FROM  
LOWER MI INTO WESTERN NY TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.  
INCREASING LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND RELATED INSTABILITY MAY SUPPORT AN  
ISOLATED THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS WITH THIS ACTIVITY, EVEN THOUGH  
LAPSE RATES ALOFT SHOULD REMAIN MODEST.  
   
..CENTRAL PLAINS  
 
HIGH-BASED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE  
HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES/FRONT RANGE, AND SPREAD  
EAST-NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS THROUGH THE  
EVENING. WHILE LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE/INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN LIMITED  
ACROSS EASTERN CO AND VICINITY, STEEPENED LOW/MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES  
AMID A VERY WELL-MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER MAY STILL SUPPORT ISOLATED  
STRONG TO SEVERE DOWNDRAFT WINDS WITH THIS ACTIVITY. OCCASIONAL HAIL  
MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH THE STRONGEST CORES. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE  
FARTHER EAST ACROSS NE ALONG/NEAR A WEAK FRONT REMAINS UNCERTAIN.  
BUT, ANY CONVECTION WHICH CAN DEVELOP AND BE SUSTAINED ACROSS THIS  
AREA MAY ALSO POSE AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT.  
   
..LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY INTO THE GREAT BASIN  
 
A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER CA WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS  
NV TODAY AND AID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER  
WARMS INTO THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS PARTS OF THE LOWER CO RIVER VALLEY  
AND GREAT BASIN. SOME ENHANCEMENT TO THE MID-LEVEL FLOW IS FORECAST,  
WHICH SHOULD SUPPORT SUSTAINED UPDRAFTS AND POSSIBLY A FEW TRANSIENT  
SUPERCELLS, PRIMARILY ACROSS FAR EASTERN NV, SOUTHWEST UT, AND  
NORTHWEST AZ. ISOLATED SEVERE HAIL COULD OCCUR WITH THESE CELLS.  
BUT, STRONG TO SEVERE WIND GUSTS WILL PROBABLY BECOME THE PRIMARY  
RISK WITH TIME GIVEN STEEP LOW-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND TENDENCY FOR  
CONVECTION TO CLUSTER THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING.  
   
..COASTAL/SOUTHEAST TEXAS INTO SOUTHERN LOUISIANA  
 
REFERENCE NHC FORECASTS/ADVISORIES FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON PTC  
FIVE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO  
SUGGEST THAT LOW-LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THIS  
SYSTEM WILL ONLY MODESTLY STRENGTHEN BEFORE LANDFALL TOMORROW. AS  
SUCH, THE DEGREE OF LOW-LEVEL SHEAR APPEARS TOO LIMITED TO WARRANT  
LOW SEVERE WIND OR TORNADO PROBABILITIES AT THIS TIME.  
 
..GLEASON/MOORE.. 08/31/2026  
 
 
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