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May- 8-2003 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Public Severe Weather Outlook

The SPC is forecasting an outbreak of severe thunderstorms today and tonight across portions of the United States. This is an extremely dangerous situation. Please read the latest public statement about this event.

Categorical Graphic
1630 UTC Day 1 Outlook Graphic

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Probabilistic Graphics (more info)
Tornado   Damaging Wind   Large Hail
1630 UTC Tornado probabilities graphic   1630 UTC Damaging wind probabilities graphic   1630 UTC Large hail probabilities graphic
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   STORM PREDICTION CENTER...NWS/NCEP...NORMAN OK 
   DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK...REF AWIPS GRAPHIC PGWE46 KWNS.
   
   VALID 081630Z - 091200Z
   
   THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NERN KS...SERN
   NEB...AND EXTREME NWRN MO TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 35 E EMP SLN
   25 WNW CNK 35 ESE HSI LNK 40 NE FNB 20 ENE MKC 35 E EMP.
   
   SURROUNDING THE HIGH RISK AREA...THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS
   ACROSS PORTIONS OF SERN IA...NWRN MO...CENTRAL/ERN KS...AND SERN
   NEB TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 20 W HUT 15 ESE RSL 35 N RSL 30 SW
   EAR 20 NW GRI 25 SSW SUX 45 SW FOD DSM SZL 10 NNW BVO 25 NNE END 30
   SSW HUT 20 W HUT.
   
   THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM
   30 SE ECG DAN AVL HSV 20 N UOX LIT 45 SE PGO PRX 10 N ACT
   40 WNW AUS 25 NNE JCT 35 ENE SJT 35 NNE FSI 40 SSW END 20 NNW P28
   20 S HLC 40 SSW IML 40 NW IML 25 NNW BUB OTG 30 ENE MKT 30 SSE EAU
   30 ENE VOK 35 N MKE AZO 20 SSW FDY 35 SE DAY HTS BKW 25 SSW EKN
   MRB 35 S CXY 20 S ACY.
   
   GEN TSTMS ARE FCST TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 15 SE CHS TUP
   40 SSW HOT 45 ESE DAL 10 WNW LRD ...CONT... 10 NW DRT 35 NNE FSI
   25 NW P28 35 SSW HLC GLD 10 ESE COS 20 NNE DRO 50 NNW NID
   50 NW SFO ...CONT... 10 SW OTH 25 W RDM 40 SE BKE 15 WSW 4BQ
   50 NNE MOT ...CONT... 60 NNW GFK 40 WNW BRD 20 NNE RHI DTW
   ...CONT... 20 ENE ERI 15 S JFK.
   
   GEN TSTMS ARE FCST TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 75 W CAR 35 SSW HUL
   20 S BGR 15 SE CON 35 W GFL 20 ESE MSS.
   
   ...TORNADO OUTBREAK IS POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF ERN KS...
   SERN NEB AND NWRN MO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
   
   ...SYNOPSIS...
   STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND 80 KT MID LEVEL JET MAX WILL MOVE
   RAPIDLY NEWD FROM NM INTO KS THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE LOW ASSOCIATED
   WITH THIS SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DEEPEN AND EJECT NEWD FROM ERN CO
   INTO N CENTRAL KS BY LATE AFTERNOON. WARM FRONT FROM CENTRAL KS EWD
   INTO EXTREME SRN MO IS MOVING NWD AND EXTEND EWD FROM THE SURFACE
   LOW NEAR THE KS/NEB BORDER EWD INTO SRN IL...WHILE THE DRYLINE IS
   EXPECTED TO EXTEND SWD ACROSS CENTRAL KS/OK/TX. 
   
   ...CENTRAL PLAINS EWD INTO THE MID MS / LOWER OH VALLEY...
   DRIER MID LEVEL AIR/CLEARING IS SPREADING NEWD ACROSS NWRN OK/WRN
   KS AND WILL OVERSPREAD MUCH OF THE MODERATE AND HIGH RISK AREAS BY
   LATE AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE 80S...STEEP LAPSE
   RATES AND DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S WILL RESULT IN MLCAPE VALUES 
   APPROACHING 3500 J/KG IN THE WARM SECTOR. STRONGEST FORCING WILL
   SPREAD INTO KS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR
   CAPPING INVERSION TO BE LIFTED...WITH STORMS DEVELOPING EAST OF THE
   DRYLINE AND ALONG/SOUTH OF WARM FRONT BY MID AFTERNOON. ONCE STORMS
   DEVELOP...THEY WILL BE LOCATED WITHIN A STRONGLY SHEARED
   ENVIRONMENT WITH DEEP LAYER SHEAR AROUND 70 KT. STORMS SHOULD
   RAPIDLY EVOLVE INTO SUPERCELLS. THE STRENGTH OF THE INSTABILITY AND
   SHEAR INDICATES THAT VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL OCCUR
   WITH THESE STORMS. ALSO...STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR...ESPECIALLY EAST
   OF THE SURFACE LOW WILL RESULT IN BACKED BOUNDARY WINDS...
   SUGGESTING TORNADOES ARE ALSO LIKELY. SOME MAY BE QUITE STRONG
   GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SHEAR. 
   
   THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SHIFT NEWD OVERNIGHT ACROSS AN
   INCREASINGLY STABLE ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER...THE STRENGTH OF THE
   UPPER LEVEL FORCING AND INSTABILITY SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO
   MAINTAIN A THREAT OF SEVERE HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE THROUGH THE
   OVERNIGHT HOURS.     
   
   ...S CENTRAL KS SWD INTO TX...
   12Z OUN SOUNDING SHOWED THE BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE TO EAST OF THE
   DRYLINE WAS FAIRLY DEEP...UP TO 800 MB. DESPITE THE WARMING THAT
   WILL OCCUR ALOFT...SURFACE TEMPERATURES WARMING TO NEAR 90 DEGREES
   WITH LOWER 70 DEWPOINTS WILL RESULT IN MLCAPES NEAR 4000 J/KG. A
   FEW THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP EAST OF THE DRYLINE AROUND 21Z AS
   SRN TAIL OF KS SHORTWAVE TROUGH BRUSHES THE AREA. THE STRONG
   INSTABILITY PLUS 50 TO 70 KT DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR
   SUPERCELLS. ALTHOUGH SHEAR WILL BE SOMEWHAT LESS FAVORABLE FOR
   TORNADOES THAN ACROSS THE MODERATE/HIGH RISK AREAS...STORMS THAT
   DEVIATE FROM THE MEAN FLOW WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES.
   HOWEVER...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
   WINDS.
   
   ...TN AND OH VALLEYS...
   COMPLEX OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS CONTINUE TO TRACK EWD THROUGH NERN
   AR AND SHOULD MOVE MORE ENEWD AS IT ENCOUNTERS DEEPER SWLY FLOW
   ALOFT. MLCAPES WILL BE FROM 1500-2000 J/KG AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR
   SHOULD BE 40-50 KT WITH A THREAT OF SUPERCELLS AND A FEW
   TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS.
   
   ...VA AREA...
   WEAK COLD FRONT STRETCHES ACROSS NRN VA THIS MORNING AND SHOULD
   MOVE LITTLE THROUGH THE DAY. STORMS SHOULD INTENSIFY NEAR THIS
   BOUNDARY AS LIFTING IS AIDED BY A MID LEVEL SPEED MAX MOVING IN
   FROM WV. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS FAVORABLE FOR STORMS WITH MID LEVEL
   ROTATION...WITH SEVERE HAIL AND SOME WIND DAMAGE LIKELY. 
   
   ..IMY.. 05/08/03
   
   NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED FOR 2000Z
        
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