605  
ACUS02 KWNS 161728  
SWODY2  
SPC AC 161726  
 
DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1226 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2026  
 
VALID 171200Z - 181200Z  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR PARTS OF  
WESTERN MT/NORTHERN ID...AND ALSO FOR PARTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST AND  
NORTHERN GREAT LAKES...  
   
..SUMMARY  
 
STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY ACROSS  
PARTS OF WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTHERN IDAHO, AND ALSO ACROSS PARTS  
OF THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION.  
   
..PARTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES  
 
A MID/UPPER-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH INITIALLY OVER CENTRAL SK/AB IS  
FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BY THE  
END OF THE PERIOD. MULTIPLE LOW-AMPLITUDE VORTICITY MAXIMA MAY  
PRECEDE THIS SHORTWAVE WITHIN WEST-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. A  
SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY  
NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR, AS A TRAILING COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE  
DAKOTAS AND MN. A REMNANT SURFACE FRONT INITIALLY DRAPED FROM  
NORTHERN IL/IN INTO CENTRAL WI IS FORECAST TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD AS  
AN EFFECTIVE WARM FRONT.  
 
DETAILS OF CONVECTIVE EVOLUTION REMAIN UNCERTAIN THROUGH THE PERIOD  
ACROSS THE REGION. AN ELEVATED STORM CLUSTER AND POSSIBLE MCS MAY BE  
ONGOING AT THE START OF THE PERIOD NEAR NORTHEAST MN AND ADJACENT  
PORTIONS OF ONTARIO, WITH OTHER CONVECTION POSSIBLE TO THE COOL SIDE  
OF THE EFFECTIVE WARM FRONT ACROSS WI. IN THE WAKE OF MORNING  
CONVECTION, AT LEAST ISOLATED DIURNAL STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE  
POSSIBLE ALONG THE COLD FRONT, AND ALSO NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH  
THE EFFECTIVE WARM FRONT. WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR, MODERATE BUOYANCY  
AND SUFFICIENT DEEP-LAYER SHEAR WILL CONDITIONALLY SUPPORT A THREAT  
FOR ORGANIZED CELLS/CLUSTERS, WITH A THREAT OF HAIL AND DAMAGING  
WINDS. ANY PERSISTENT SUPERCELL COULD ALSO POSE AT LEAST A BRIEF  
TORNADO THREAT, ESPECIALLY IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE SURFACE LOW  
AND WARM FRONT. ONE OR MORE STORM CLUSTERS MAY EVOLVE FRIDAY NIGHT  
AND MOVE EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION,  
POTENTIALLY POSING AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT.  
 
NO UPGRADE IN PROBABILITIES HAS BEEN AT THIS TIME, DUE TO  
UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING RECOVERY IN THE WAKE OF MORNING CONVECTION  
ACROSS NORTHERN WI AND UPPER MI, AND ALSO REGARDING STORM COVERAGE  
ALONG THE COLD FRONT INTO EASTERN MN. HOWEVER, SLIGHT RISK (LEVEL 2  
OF 5) EQUIVALENT PROBABILITIES MAY EVENTUALLY BE NEEDED FOR SOME  
PART OF THE REGION.  
   
..WESTERN MT/NORTHERN ID  
 
A FAVORABLE THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE IS AGAIN EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF  
WESTERN MT AND VICINITY ON FRIDAY, WITH STEEP LAPSE RATES AND MLCAPE  
POTENTIALLY IN THE 1000-1500 J/KG RANGE. DEEP-LAYER FLOW MAY BE  
SOMEWHAT WEAKER (COMPARED TO D1/THURSDAY) AS A MID/UPPER-LOW MOVES  
WELL TO THE NORTHWEST, BUT BACKED SURFACE WINDS AND MODEST VEERING  
WITH HEIGHT WILL STILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT EFFECTIVE SHEAR FOR  
OCCASIONAL STORM ORGANIZATION. ISOLATED HAIL AND SEVERE GUSTS COULD  
ACCOMPANY THE STRONGEST STORMS. SOME GUIDANCE SUGGESTS POTENTIAL FOR  
OUTFLOW-DRIVEN STORM CLUSTERING, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CORRIDOR OF  
LOCALLY GREATER WIND POTENTIAL, THOUGH THIS SCENARIO REMAINS  
UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME.  
   
..PARTS OF THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE SOUTHEAST  
 
A BROAD AREA OF NEBULOUS DAMAGING-WIND POTENTIAL IS EXPECTED TO  
EVOLVE FROM PARTS OF THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE SOUTHEAST, MAINLY  
DURING THE AFTERNOON. ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY VICINITY, RICH MOISTURE  
AND MODERATE BUOYANCY WITHIN A WEAKLY CAPPED ENVIRONMENT WILL RESULT  
IN DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS. DEEP-LAYER  
FLOW/SHEAR WILL REMAIN QUITE WEAK, WHICH SHOULD LIMIT STORM  
ORGANIZATION.  
 
A SIMILAR THERMODYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT WILL EXTEND INTO PARTS OF THE  
MID-SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST. WEAK NORTHWESTERLY LOW/MIDLEVEL FLOW MAY  
ALLOW FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL SOUTHEASTWARD MOVING CLUSTERS ACROSS  
PARTS OF TN/MS/AL, THOUGH WEAK DEEP-LAYER SHEAR SHOULD TEMPER STORM  
ORGANIZATION.  
 
DUE TO THE DISORGANIZED NATURE OF ANY DAMAGING-WIND THREAT, WIND  
PROBABILITIES HAVE BEEN WITHHELD, THOUGH ADDITION OF PROBABILITIES  
ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION IS POSSIBLE, IF TRENDS SUPPORT ANY  
MESOSCALE CORRIDORS OF GREATER THREAT.  
   
..FLORIDA  
 
MOST CAM GUIDANCE SUGGESTS VIGOROUS STORM DEVELOPMENT JUST OFFSHORE  
OF THE FL GULF COAST FRIDAY MORNING, IN ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK  
MIDLEVEL TROUGH/LOW. THE MORNING CONVECTION MAY TEND TO REMAIN JUST  
OFFSHORE, BUT ADDITIONAL STORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED BY AFTERNOON  
ACROSS MUCH OF THE PENINSULA. WEAK DEEP-LAYER SHEAR AND UNCERTAINTY  
REGARDING MESOSCALE DETAILS PRECLUDES THE INTRODUCTION OF WIND  
PROBABILITIES, THOUGH LOCALIZED STRONG TO SEVERE GUSTS CANNOT BE  
RULED OUT.  
 
..DEAN.. 07/16/2026  
 
 
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