LIVE MAP (ABOVE) ... SPC 1200Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1227 AM CDT Sat May 02 2026
Valid 021200Z - 031200Z
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHERN
GEORGIA...EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE INTO NORTH AND CENTRAL
FLORIDA...
...SUMMARY...
Strong to severe storms are possible across southern Georgia into
northern/central Florida this morning into the early evening.
...Synopsis...
An upper-level trough will bring enhanced west-southwesterly flow
aloft across the southeast into the Gulf Coast Saturday. A cold
front extending across the northern Florida Peninsula into the Gulf
will shift south and east through the afternoon, as a focus of
severe thunderstorm development. Thunderstorm activity is expected
at the beginning of the period, some of which perhaps may be strong.
...Southern Georgia into central Florida...
Thunderstorm activity will likely be ongoing at the start of the
period early Saturday morning across the Gulf into the Florida
Panhandle and southern Georgia. A few stronger transient supercells
will be possible, mainly offshore south of the Florida coast where
better instability will overlap increasing upper-level flow.
Thunderstorm activity will increase in coverage inland and across
southern Georgia into the eastern Florida Panhandle and northern
Florida Peninsula through the morning into the afternoon. Moderately
unstable and strongly sheared profiles across the region will
support potential for damaging winds and large hail, especially with
embedded supercells. Given storm motions parallel to the southwest
to northeast oriented cold front, supercells will likely struggle to
remain discrete. As the low-level jet becomes displaced to the north
by late morning into the afternoon, mode may becoming increasingly
more clustered/linear. This may reduce the hail potential through
time.
Before the low-level jet shifts northward, risk for a tornado will
be possible across the northern peninsula near the front. There is a
narrow zone in north Florida where marginally stronger low-level
shear and boundary-layer destabilization may favorably align
mid/late morning for a higher tornado risk. Overall, confidence is
low in favorable overlap, with potential largely occurring outside
of peak daytime heating and with the low-level jet beginning to
shift northward. As mentioned, there is also concern about storm
motions and lack of more discrete supercells. This leads to too much
uncertainty in introducing higher tornado probabilities at this
time.
A Slight Risk was maintained across southern Georgia into the
eastern Florida Panhandle and northern/central Florida for the main
threats of damaging wind and large hail.
..Thornton/Lyons.. 05/02/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKsND
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CLICK for this month's BIG night sky ... | RADAR FULL MAP SCREEN |
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MOBILE DEVICE? Turn sideways. Weather conditions directly above are near Lakefront. Top tabs refer to O'Hare (official).
Archives for the SPC Convective Outlook are updated daily (approximately) with a live map at the beginning of each article. Follow the link at the end of the article to check for current updates on the NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center website. Also, see Archives for Chicago's hourly weather data on CARDINAL NEWS Magazine.
CONVECTIVE | TORNADO | WIND | HAIL
O'Hare International Airport KORD
(Arlington Heights South)
Chicago Executive Airport KPWK
(Arlington Heights North)
Saturday, May 2, 2026
SPC May 2, 2026 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Friday, May 1, 2026
SPC May 2, 2026 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
LIVE MAP (ABOVE) ... SPC 0100Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0723 PM CDT Fri May 01 2026
Valid 020100Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS
OF THE CENTRAL GULF COAST...
...SUMMARY...
Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts will be possible this
evening into tonight along the central Gulf Coast.
...Discussion...
Thunderstorm activity will continue across portions of the central
Gulf Coast this evening. While the more favorably unstable air mass
remains mostly offshore, occasional strong cells/clusters may track
inland with potential for damaging winds as large scale ascent
increasing through the evening/overnight period. Closer to the front
offshore, a few transient supercells and a tornado may be possible.
Overall, the threat inland remains isolated and a Marginal risk was
maintained this evening to account for this potential.
..Thornton.. 05/02/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKj9F
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0723 PM CDT Fri May 01 2026
Valid 020100Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS
OF THE CENTRAL GULF COAST...
...SUMMARY...
Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts will be possible this
evening into tonight along the central Gulf Coast.
...Discussion...
Thunderstorm activity will continue across portions of the central
Gulf Coast this evening. While the more favorably unstable air mass
remains mostly offshore, occasional strong cells/clusters may track
inland with potential for damaging winds as large scale ascent
increasing through the evening/overnight period. Closer to the front
offshore, a few transient supercells and a tornado may be possible.
Overall, the threat inland remains isolated and a Marginal risk was
maintained this evening to account for this potential.
..Thornton.. 05/02/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKj9F
SPC May 1, 2026 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
LIVE MAP (ABOVE) ... SPC 1630Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1124 AM CDT Fri May 01 2026
Valid 011630Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM
SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS TO THE UPPER COAST OF TEXAS...AND THE CENTRAL
GULF COAST INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
...SUMMARY...
Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts and hail will be
possible today across parts of south-central and southeast Texas,
and this evening into tonight along the central Gulf Coast.
...Synopsis...
Late morning water-vapor imagery shows a potent mid-level shortwave
trough moving east across Far West TX and Chihuahua. This upper
feature will move quickly east and weaken while moving into
increasingly confluent flow through the base of a larger-scale
eastern U.S. trough. As a weak cyclone develops east along a
west-east draped front from south TX northeastward to the mouth of
the MS River, strengthening low to mid-level flow associated with
warm advection will overspread the northern Gulf of America into the
FL Panhandle tonight.
Strong to locally severe thunderstorm clusters have episodically
developed and moved east across south-central TX this morning
immediately downstream of the upper disturbance. Localized
hail/wind may accompany the stronger storms through the mid-late
afternoon. A shallow post-frontal stable layer near the surface and
weak instability lended confidence in removing low tornado
probabilities over TX this outlook update. See MCD #632 regarding
short-term details.
Farther east, little in the way of destabilization is currently
depicted by the latest model guidance to the north of the front,
specifically from near Lake Pontchartrain eastward over the near
shore waters to the south of Mobile Bay and the western FL
Panhandle. North of the boundary, a low risk for large hail will be
maintained as a couple of stronger elevated storms intensify later
this evening into the overnight and traverse eastward in tandem with
increasing large-scale ascent/strengthening flow fields. Near and
immediately south of the front, have focused the tornado and wind
probabilities this outlook update to the proximity of surface-based
inflow parcels potentially being realized by organized storm modes.
..Smith/Chalmers.. 05/01/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKZQD
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1124 AM CDT Fri May 01 2026
Valid 011630Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM
SOUTH-CENTRAL TEXAS TO THE UPPER COAST OF TEXAS...AND THE CENTRAL
GULF COAST INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
...SUMMARY...
Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts and hail will be
possible today across parts of south-central and southeast Texas,
and this evening into tonight along the central Gulf Coast.
...Synopsis...
Late morning water-vapor imagery shows a potent mid-level shortwave
trough moving east across Far West TX and Chihuahua. This upper
feature will move quickly east and weaken while moving into
increasingly confluent flow through the base of a larger-scale
eastern U.S. trough. As a weak cyclone develops east along a
west-east draped front from south TX northeastward to the mouth of
the MS River, strengthening low to mid-level flow associated with
warm advection will overspread the northern Gulf of America into the
FL Panhandle tonight.
Strong to locally severe thunderstorm clusters have episodically
developed and moved east across south-central TX this morning
immediately downstream of the upper disturbance. Localized
hail/wind may accompany the stronger storms through the mid-late
afternoon. A shallow post-frontal stable layer near the surface and
weak instability lended confidence in removing low tornado
probabilities over TX this outlook update. See MCD #632 regarding
short-term details.
Farther east, little in the way of destabilization is currently
depicted by the latest model guidance to the north of the front,
specifically from near Lake Pontchartrain eastward over the near
shore waters to the south of Mobile Bay and the western FL
Panhandle. North of the boundary, a low risk for large hail will be
maintained as a couple of stronger elevated storms intensify later
this evening into the overnight and traverse eastward in tandem with
increasing large-scale ascent/strengthening flow fields. Near and
immediately south of the front, have focused the tornado and wind
probabilities this outlook update to the proximity of surface-based
inflow parcels potentially being realized by organized storm modes.
..Smith/Chalmers.. 05/01/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKZQD
SPC May 1, 2026 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
LIVE MAP (ABOVE) ... SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0731 AM CDT Fri May 01 2026
Valid 011300Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE TEXAS
HILL COUNTRY INTO THE UPPER TEXAS COAST...AND ACROSS THE CENTRAL
GULF COAST INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
...SUMMARY...
Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts and hail will be
possible today across parts of south-central and southeast Texas,
and this evening into tonight along the central Gulf Coast.
...Synopsis and Discussion...
Early morning satellite imagery shows several shortwave troughs,
including one within the southern stream over northern Mexico and
another moving into Ohio Valley within the base of a large cyclone
centered over the northern Ontario/Quebec border vicinity. Recent
surface analysis places a weak front from Deep South Texas
northeastward through the western Gulf and central Plaquemines
Parish, continuing through the north-central Gulf and across
northern Florida. Numerous showers and thunderstorms are currently
ongoing north of the front and downstream of the northern Mexico
shortwave from the Texas Hill County eastward to the Upper Texas
Coast.
Thermodynamic conditions across these region are expected to remain
largely unchanged throughout much of the day, with modest elevated
instability persisting amid the moist southwesterly mid-level flow.
Some modest increase in the mid-level flow is anticipated as the
shortwave trough continues eastward through TX and into the Lower
Mississippi Valley. An attendant increase in large-scale ascent is
expected as well. Resulting increase in the deep-layer shear could
result in slightly more organized storm structures and greater
overall storm intensity this afternoon despite numerous preceding
showers and thunderstorms, and little change in the overall
thermodynamics. Large hail and damaging gusts are the primary risks
with the strongest storms.
A surface low is expected to develop ahead of the shortwave trough
over the western Gulf, before then tracking quickly northeastward as
the shortwave continues eastward. This low will likely be just off
the Deep South Texas Coast by 00Z Saturday, and off of southern
Plaquemines Parish by 06Z. Elevated thunderstorms are expected
across the Lower MS Valley amid a combination of warm-air advection
and large-scale ascent ahead of the shortwave. The strongest storms
may be capable of producing small hail. The surface low may also
track far enough north for the warm sector to advect into the
near-coastal regions of southeast Louisiana, far southern
Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western/central Florida
Panhandle. If this occurs, surface-based storms could develop,
enhancing the potential for damaging gusts as well as introducing a
low-probability tornado risk.
..Mosier/Dean.. 05/01/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKKnh
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0731 AM CDT Fri May 01 2026
Valid 011300Z - 021200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE TEXAS
HILL COUNTRY INTO THE UPPER TEXAS COAST...AND ACROSS THE CENTRAL
GULF COAST INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
...SUMMARY...
Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts and hail will be
possible today across parts of south-central and southeast Texas,
and this evening into tonight along the central Gulf Coast.
...Synopsis and Discussion...
Early morning satellite imagery shows several shortwave troughs,
including one within the southern stream over northern Mexico and
another moving into Ohio Valley within the base of a large cyclone
centered over the northern Ontario/Quebec border vicinity. Recent
surface analysis places a weak front from Deep South Texas
northeastward through the western Gulf and central Plaquemines
Parish, continuing through the north-central Gulf and across
northern Florida. Numerous showers and thunderstorms are currently
ongoing north of the front and downstream of the northern Mexico
shortwave from the Texas Hill County eastward to the Upper Texas
Coast.
Thermodynamic conditions across these region are expected to remain
largely unchanged throughout much of the day, with modest elevated
instability persisting amid the moist southwesterly mid-level flow.
Some modest increase in the mid-level flow is anticipated as the
shortwave trough continues eastward through TX and into the Lower
Mississippi Valley. An attendant increase in large-scale ascent is
expected as well. Resulting increase in the deep-layer shear could
result in slightly more organized storm structures and greater
overall storm intensity this afternoon despite numerous preceding
showers and thunderstorms, and little change in the overall
thermodynamics. Large hail and damaging gusts are the primary risks
with the strongest storms.
A surface low is expected to develop ahead of the shortwave trough
over the western Gulf, before then tracking quickly northeastward as
the shortwave continues eastward. This low will likely be just off
the Deep South Texas Coast by 00Z Saturday, and off of southern
Plaquemines Parish by 06Z. Elevated thunderstorms are expected
across the Lower MS Valley amid a combination of warm-air advection
and large-scale ascent ahead of the shortwave. The strongest storms
may be capable of producing small hail. The surface low may also
track far enough north for the warm sector to advect into the
near-coastal regions of southeast Louisiana, far southern
Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western/central Florida
Panhandle. If this occurs, surface-based storms could develop,
enhancing the potential for damaging gusts as well as introducing a
low-probability tornado risk.
..Mosier/Dean.. 05/01/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TSKKnh
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