SPC 1300Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0643 AM CST Fri Nov 17 2023
Valid 171300Z - 181200Z
...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST...
...SUMMARY...
Severe thunderstorms are not forecast across the contiguous United
States through tonight.
...Synopsis/Discussion...
In mid/upper levels, large-scale troughing will prevail over eastern
North America through the period. Associated cyclonic flow will be
traversed by several shortwaves, including one evident in moisture-
channel imagery from Lake Superior to eastern Kansas. The northern
part of this perturbation will move southeastward to the lower Great
Lakes, lower Ohio Valley and Ozarks by 00Z, then split, with the
northern part being absorbed into a trailing perturbation now over
the eastern Dakotas.
The southern part should extend from western NC to central MS by
12Z. An associated surface cold front -- analyzed at 11Z from Lake
Huron and southern Lower MI across central parts of IL/MO to
southwestern OK and northwest TX -- will move southeastward by 00Z
to northern NY, western PA, eastern parts of KY/TN, southern MS,
central/southern LA, and southeast TX. Low-level moisture is very
limited in the prefrontal return flow, which consists of mostly
recycled continental/polar air behind a prior front. Still, low-
density MUCAPE of 100-300 J/kg -- sometimes extending into icing
layers suitable for lightning -- may support sporadic thunder within
a near-frontal precip belt over parts of the Ohio Valley to southern
Appalachians.
Elsewhere, a southern-stream shortwave trough and associated low/
middle-level cyclone were evident over the coastal east-central FL
vicinity. These will support isolated thunder potential today over
parts of FL, then tonight in the NC Outer Banks area as the
low-level circulation moves/redevelops northeastward to the east of
the Carolinas.
In the West, an initially cut-off cyclone centered near 35N132W will
devolve to a progressive, open-wave trough by this evening, as
heights fall to its northwest from a strongly progressive shortwave
over the northeastern Pacific. The lead trough will move ashore
over CA near the end of the period. Cooling/destabilization aloft
will support episodic belts of convection -- including some
thunderstorms, across parts of north-central to coastal southern CA
today and tonight. Small hail and strong gusts may occur, but
organized severe is not expected. Diurnal heating may yield MLCAPE
up to about 500 J/kg, but with the trough still well offshore this
afternoon, deep shear and low-level hodographs still should be
limited. Colder air aloft, in the zone of strongest DCVA preceding
the trough, will support showers and isolated thunderstorms this
evening into tonight.
Strengthening lift with low-level warm advection and collocated
southwesterly moisture transport should support increasing precip
late tonight over parts of AZ, including isolated to widely
scattered thunderstorms. In the low-level source area, surface
dewpoints already are in the 60s F from portions of south-central AZ
across western Sonora, central parts of Baja and intervening waters.
..Edwards.. 11/17/2023
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