SPC Apr 2, 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
0756 AM CDT Thu Apr 02 2026

Valid 021300Z - 031200Z

...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EASTERN
IOWA...NORTHERN ILLINOIS...AND FAR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN...

...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing a few tornadoes appear
probable across parts of eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and
southern Wisconsin this afternoon. Additionally, damaging
thunderstorm winds will be possible from eastern Iowa northeast into
Michigan.

...Synopsis...
Early morning satellite and radar imagery show an extensive warm
conveyor, with embedded showers and thunderstorms, extending from
the southern Plains into the Upper Midwest, with some westward
branching noted over the Mid MO Valley. This warm conveyor is
associated with shortwave trough currently progressing through the
central Plains. Recent surface analysis places a surface low just
ahead of this wave over central KS, with a warm front extending
eastward from the low into the middle OH Valley and a dryline
extending south-southwestward from this low through the TX Trans
Pecos.

Expectation is for this shortwave to eject quickly northeastward
throughout the day, maintaining a negative tilt as it progresses
through the Mid MO Valley and Upper Midwest before ending the period
over northeastern Ontario. The associated surface low will move
quickly northeastward as well, progressing across southern and
eastern IA and southern WI before occluding over upper MI tonight.
Warm front attendant to this low will move northward as well,
bringing low 60s dewpoints into eastern IA, northern IL, and
southern WI before a cold front moves through. Strong to severe
thunderstorms are possible along and ahead of the cold front over
much of the Mid MS and Lower OH Valleys, with the highest potential
for severe thunderstorms from eastern Iowa, northern IL, and far
southern WI.

...Northern MO/Southern IA across southern WI/northern IL into Lower
MI...
Extensive area of showers and thunderstorms is currently ongoing
from central TX into the Upper Midwest, within the warm conveyor
mentioned in the synopsis. Moderate to strong southerly low-level
flow exists within this warm sector. Progression of the negatively
tilted shortwave and associated surface low mentioned in the
synopsis will lead to a strengthening of this low-level flow, with
attendant moisture advection into more of the Mid MS Valley. Some
eastward displacement of the warm conveyor is anticipated, leaving
the potential for airmass destabilization ahead of the surface low
and cold front. This is supported by most of the guidance, which
depicts a corridor of surface-based buoyancy and little to no
convective inhibition from eastern IA/northern IL into central/east
TX by the early afternoon.

Best forcing for ascent within this corridor will be over the Upper
Midwest and Mid MS Valley, particularly from southern/eastern IA
into northern IL/southern WI, as both the shortwave and surface low
move through the region. The strongest vertical shear will be over
this region as well, supporting the potential for supercells with
the initial, more cellular development. Very strong low-level shear
supports a heightened tornado potential with any supercells,
including the possibility of strong (EF2+) tornadoes. Given the
linear forcing along the approaching cold front, a transition to a
more linear storm mode is anticipated, although there is some
uncertainty to how fast this transition occurs. The strength of the
low-level flow supports a continued risk for tornadoes within any
convective lines, but the primary hazard once any lines develop will
become strong gusts. Kinematic fields are strong enough to support
60 to 80 mph gusts. Additionally, despite weakening buoyancy, strong
ascent and robust kinematic fields support the potential for
damaging gusts across much of Lower MI later tonight.

...Mid MS and Lower OH Valleys into the Mid-South...
As previously mentioned, showers and thunderstorms are currently
ongoing from central TX into the Upper Midwest, within the extensive
warm conveyor mentioned in the synopsis. There is some potential for
reintensification of these showers and thunderstorms late this
afternoon/early evening from central/eastern IL into the northeast
AR/MO Bootheel, supported my modest destabilization and increasing
ascent. Storm structures will likely be somewhat shallow, but strong
flow will still support the potential for damaging gusts within any
bowing line segments. A brief tornado is possible as well.

Airmass destabilization is also anticipated west of this warm
conveyor, but ahead of the cold front, from central IL into
central/southern MO and northern AR. Much of this area will be
displaced south and west of the departing shortwave trough and
surface low, limiting large-scale ascent. However, some modest
ascent is possible along a weak lagging upper trough, which could be
enough to promote additional development. If updrafts can be
maintained, parameters support the potential for strong to severe
storms capable. Large hail is the primary risk, but a
low-probability tornado risk exists as well.

..Mosier/Bentley.. 04/02/2026


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SPC Apr 2, 2026 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

LIVE MAP (ABOVE) ... SPC 1200Z Day 1 Outlook


Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0102 AM CDT Thu Apr 02 2026

Valid 021200Z - 031200Z

...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN
IOWA...NORTHERN ILLINOIS...AND FAR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN...

...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing a few tornadoes appear
probable across parts of eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and
southern Wisconsin this afternoon. Additionally, damaging
thunderstorm winds will be possible from eastern Iowa northeast into
Michigan.

... Overview ...

A negatively tilted trough will quickly lift northward through the
Plains and across the Great Lakes today and tonight. As this occurs,
a modest surface low will race northeast from north-central Kansas
this morning into Ontario by Friday morning. Attendant to this
surface low, a west-east oriented warm front will lift northward
across the Great Lakes during the day and a north-south cold front
will push east across the region during the late afternoon and
overnight.

... Eastern Iowa east-north into Michigan ...

A strong low-level jet at the start of the forecast period will
support widespread showers and thunderstorms across the area. The
low-level jet will strengthen through the morning as the midlevel
trough approaches and the H850 low intensifies. This will maintain
showers and thunderstorms through at least midday across Iowa and
Illinois before the H850 low moves far enough north and east for the
core of the low-level jet to focus farther east, taking the
precipitation with it.

In the wake of the morning/early afternoon convection, a narrow
corridor of destabilization should occur across central/eastern Iowa
and northwest Illinois to the south of the warm front and east of
the cold front. Scattered supercells are expected to develop along
the cold front during the afternoon where MUCAPE in excess of 1000
J/kg and deep-layer shear on the order of 45 knots exists. Strong
low-level kinematic fields will support a tornado and wind threat
with these initial storms, and, despite modest lapse-rates, the
presence of supercells within a modestly unstable environment will
support some hail potential.

By late afternoon/early evening these supercells should move into a
less stable environment characterized by decreasing CAPE but
increasing low-level shear. Current expectation is that the initial
discrete storms will eventually grow upscale into one or more linear
segments, along the advancing cold front. Despite the decreasing
instability, the strength of the low-level wind field will support a
continued wind threat eastward into Lower Michigan during the
evening and overnight hours.

... Northeast Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, western Tennessee, and
western Kentucky ...

Isolated thunderstorms will be possible during the afternoon along
and ahead of the surface cold front, where modest warm-air advection
is forecast to persist through the day. Despite weakening kinematic
fields, deep-layer shear on the order of 30 knots and MUCAPE between
1000-2000 J/kg will support at least some severe potential --
including a tornado or two -- during the late afternoon and early
evening.

..Marsh/Chalmers.. 04/02/2026


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SPC Apr 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
0800 PM CDT Wed Apr 01 2026

Valid 020100Z - 021200Z

...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST TEXAS...OKLAHOMA...AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts, large hail and
tornado potential will continue across the southern and central
Plains this evening and overnight. Strong storms are also possible
from parts of the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and
Mid-Atlantic.

... 01Z Update ...

Severe thunderstorms with a history of damaging winds are currently
located across southwest Oklahoma. This complex will continue to
move northeast this evening, aided by mesoscale circulations
associated with a mesolow/MCV across western Oklahoma. As the
low-level jet increases this evening, an increase in tornado
potential will be possible across portions of Tornado Watch #86. See
Mesoscale Discussion #325 for more information.

Elsewhere, clusters of strong-to-severe thunderstorms will be
possible across southeast Kansas into southwest Missouri along a
surface boundary. Although deep-layer shear is somewhat less than
areas to the south and west, the presence of a low-level boundary,
an increasing low-level jet, and sufficient low-level instability
will continue to support some severe potential -- including
tornadoes -- for several more hours.

A hail and wind threat will also persist for several more hours
across southwest Texas where MUCAPE values between 1000-1500 J/kg
and deep-layer shear around 40 knots will support at least some
supercell threat.

..Marsh.. 04/02/2026


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SPC Apr 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
1113 AM CDT Wed Apr 01 2026

Valid 011630Z - 021200Z

...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHWEST TEXAS...WESTERN/CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...AND SOUTH-CENTRAL
KANSAS...

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF
THE OHIO VALLEY AND MID-ATLANTIC...

...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts, large hail and a few
tornadoes are likely across the southern and central Plains this
afternoon and evening. Strong to severe storms are also possible
from parts of the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and
Mid-Atlantic.

...OK/TX...
Water vapor imagery shows a potent shortwave trough moving across
northern AZ. This feature will approach the surface dryline over
west TX late this afternoon and evening, resulting in rapid and
widespread thunderstorm development from the eastern TX Panhandle
into western OK. Activity will build eastward through the evening
with a risk of very large hail, damaging wind, and a few tornadoes.

...Northern OK/KS/Southwest MO...
Latest surface analysis shows a weak boundary extending from
southwest OK into southeast KS. This boundary will lift/mix
northward today, resulting in rapid moistening/destabilization of
the air mass. Most CAM solutions suggest the potential for the
development of a few evening supercells in vicinity of this
retreating boundary over north-central OK into southeast KS. Very
large hail and a few tornadoes are possible.

...OH Valley into Mid-Atlantic...
A well-defined surface boundary currently extends from southern OH
into southern PA, with widespread clouds to the north and strong
heating to the south. This strengthening baroclinic zone will
provide the focus for thunderstorm development this afternoon and
early evening. A cluster of thunderstorms is forecast by several
CAM solutions to form over northeast KY/southern OH and track
eastward through the afternoon, posing a risk of damaging wind
gusts. Other more isolated strong storms are possible from
southeast PA into the warm/moist air mass over parts of MD/VA, with
a similar risk of gusty/damaging winds in the strongest cells.

..Hart/Wendt.. 04/01/2026


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