Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1151 PM CST Sun Feb 15 2026
Valid 161200Z - 171200Z
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL COUNTIES...
...SUMMARY...
Strong thunderstorms may impact the coastal areas of central and
southern California this afternoon and evening. These storms may
produce locally damaging wind gusts, and perhaps a brief tornado.
...Coastal central into southern CA...
A potent upper trough will move across CA during the afternoon and
evening, with a 100+ kt midlevel jet nosing across southern CA. At
the surface, low pressure will deepen as it moves into central CA,
with a cold front affecting much of the coastline after 18Z. Strong
wind convergence along the front will result in a line of shallow
convection, with embedded thunderstorms possible. This line is
likely to affect the central coastline by around 18Z, and through
the remainder of southern CA by 00Z. Strong wind gusts will be
likely, with a few locations possibly reaching over 50 kt. Weak
instability and cool surface temperatures will be mitigating factors
to tornado risk, however, embedded circulations within the line
cannot be ruled out.
...Interior Valleys...
It appears substantial precipitation will hamper
heating/destabilization for much of the day, with very little SBCAPE
evident on various model forecast soundings. As such, despite model
low-level warm advection with veering winds with height, it appears
lapses rates may not quite favor severe convection, and the low
probabilities have been removed.
...Coastal southwest OR and northern CA...Late...
Overnight, an upper trough will dive southward just off the Pacific
Northwest, with the left-exit region of the upper jet pushing into
northern CA early Tuesday morning. While surface temperatures will
be cool and in the 40s F in the wake of the earlier wave, this
secondary trough will bring cold temperatures aloft with and 500 mb
temperatures to around -35 C. As such, SBCAPE of a few hundred J/kg
will exist as the cold front moves across the coastal counties.
Low-topped convection may produce graupel, along with locally strong
wind gusts.
..Jewell/Squitieri.. 02/16/2026
Read more CHECK UPDATE ZOOM GRAPHIC
http://dlvr.it/TQzY3b
