Severe Storm Outlook Narrative (AC)
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Issued by NWS
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419 ACUS01 KWNS 120559 SWODY1 SPC AC 120557 Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1257 AM CDT Sun May 12 2024 Valid 121200Z - 131200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM EAST TX INTO WESTERN/CENTRAL LA... ...SUMMARY... Scattered strong to severe storms are possible later today and tonight from east Texas into western and central Louisiana. Large hail, locally damaging winds, and a couple tornadoes will be possible. More isolated strong to severe storms will be possible across parts of the central and southern High Plains into central Texas, and also near the upper Great Lakes region. ...Synopsis... A positively tilted mid/upper-level trough will move eastward from the southern Rockies towards the southern Great Plains through the day. A weak surface low may become established across the southern High Plains, within a broader surface trough. A surface boundary across TX will try to move northward as a warm front, though persistent convection could limit its progress through the forecast period. Farther north, a deep-layer cyclone will move across northern Ontario, with the southern portion of this system affecting parts of the upper Great Lakes through the day. A cold front attendant to this system will move across the northern Great Plains into parts of MN/WI. ...Central/east TX into the lower MS Valley... A front draped from central TX into LA will separate very rich low-level moisture to the south from a cooler and more modestly moist airmass to the north. Convection may increase in coverage along/north of the front through the morning, within a low-level warm advection regime. Initial development will likely be elevated north of the front, though moderate buoyancy and sufficient deep-layer shear could still support a supercell or two with a threat of large hail and locally gusty winds. Stronger heating/destabilization south of the front may eventually support surface-based storm development near the boundary, potentially from south-central into southeast TX. Rich low-level moisture, moderate to strong buoyancy, and sufficient deep-layer shear will support the potential for a few supercells. There may be a tendency for convection to organize into clusters, with some potential for embedded cells to become slightly undercut by the outflow-reinforced front over time. However, low-level shear/SRH will be more than sufficient for a tornado threat with any supercell that can remain surface-based. A 5% tornado probability area has been introduced, though some adjustment of its position may be required depending on trends regarding the frontal location later today. Hail and damaging wind will also be possible, with a conditional risk for very large hail if cells can remain discrete. There will be some potential for a forward-propagating cluster to move east-southeastward toward the lower MS Valley later tonight, though the inland advance of the front with time and eastward extent remains uncertain. ...Parts of the southern/central High Plains... While richer moisture will stay confined to central/south TX, a narrow corridor of moderate destabilization will be possible along the surface trough/effective dryline from the TX South Plains vicinity northward into western KS. Greater storm coverage is expected across the northern portion of this corridor across western KS, in closer proximity to the primary mid/upper-level trough. Cool temperatures aloft and steep lapse rates will support a hail threat with the strongest storms. However, with weak low-level flow and only modest deep-layer shear, convection may only be weakly organized. Deep-layer flow/shear will increase southward along the dryline into the OK/TX Panhandles and the TX South Plains. Isolated supercell development will be possible along the dryline during the afternoon, with an attendant threat of hail and locally gusty winds. The longevity of any supercells may be relatively limited, due to the limited width of the best instability corridor. There is some chance for a longer-lived supercell to develop near the front/dryline intersection somewhere across the TX Big Country, and then propagate southeastward along the instability gradient. However, the boundary position and most favored corridor for such a scenario remain uncertain at this time. ...Upper Great Lakes vicinity... Moisture will likely remain rather limited across the upper Great Lakes vicinity in advance of the cold front, However, strong heating will support some destabilization, with MLCAPE potentially increasing into the 500-1000 J/kg range. Moderate west-northwesterly midlevel flow will support some potential for organized convection, and a few stronger cells/clusters may pose a threat for localized severe gusts and perhaps some hail this afternoon and evening. ..Dean/Squitieri.. 05/12/2024 $$