839  
ACUS01 KWNS 171257  
SWODY1  
SPC AC 171255  
 
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0655 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2026  
 
VALID 171300Z - 181200Z  
   
..NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST
 
 
   
..SUMMARY
 
 
THE RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS APPEARS LOW, BUT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS  
WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF THE WEST, AND ACROSS THE UPPER  
MIDWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.  
   
..WESTERN STATES/COASTAL CALIFORNIA
 
 
A PROMINENT UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO SETTLE  
SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARD ALONG THE WEST COAST THROUGH TONIGHT, WITH A  
STRONG UPPER SPEED MAX NOSING ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA  
LATE TODAY INTO TONIGHT. NORTH OF THE UPPER JET, VERY COLD  
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL EXIST WHICH WILL RESULT IN A FEW HUNDRED  
J/KG SBCAPE, MAINLY FOR NORTHERN/CENTRAL COASTAL AREAS TODAY. WHILE  
GUSTY WINDS AND/OR SMALL HAIL COULD OCCUR, ORGANIZED SEVERE STORM  
POTENTIAL IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN LOW.  
   
..UPPER MIDWEST
 
 
CONSEQUENTIAL HEIGHT FALLS WILL STEADILY OCCUR REGIONALLY BY LATE  
AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT AS A LEAD SHORTWAVE TROUGH EMERGES FROM THE  
NORTHERN/CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. A RELATED SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP  
GENERALLY EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA/NORTHERN NEBRASKA TOWARD  
MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT. A MOISTURE-LIMITED WARM SECTOR, FEATURING  
MOSTLY 40S WITH A FEW LOWER 50S F SURFACE DEWPOINTS, WILL SHIFT  
NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE REGION IN ADVANCE OF AN  
EASTWARD-ACCELERATING COLD FRONT.  
 
SURFACE HEATING/BOUNDARY-LAYER MIXING WILL STEEPEN LOW-LEVEL LAPSE  
RATES INTO AFTERNOON IN VICINITY OF THE SURFACE LOW/FRONT, AND WHILE  
CAPPING MAY TEND TO LARGELY PREVAIL DURING THE DAY, A FEW  
THUNDERSTORMS COULD OCCUR BEFORE SUNSET INITIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN  
DAKOTAS AND/OR FAR EASTERN NEBRASKA. SOME CONVECTIVELY ENHANCED WIND  
GUSTS ARE PLAUSIBLE GIVEN THE STEEP LAPSE RATES AND STRONG  
DEEP-TROPOSPHERIC WIND FIELD. ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OTHERWISE  
BECOME MORE PROBABLE EAST-NORTHEASTWARD INTO EVENING AND BEYOND  
ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. INSTABILITY DOES NOT APPEAR STRONG ENOUGH  
TO SUPPORT SEVERE HAIL WITH THIS ELEVATED ACTIVITY.  
 
..GUYER/GRAMS.. 02/17/2026  
 

 
 
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