Severe Storm Outlook Narrative (AC)
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
498 ACUS02 KWNS 280541 SWODY2 SPC AC 280539 Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1239 AM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026 Valid 291200Z - 301200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN GEORGIA AND NORTHERN FLORIDA... ...SUMMARY... Widely scattered severe storms capable of mainly damaging winds appear possible Wednesday afternoon and early evening over southern Georgia and northern Florida. Isolated severe storms capable of severe wind gusts and large hail may occur over the northern High Plains Wednesday afternoon through evening. ...Synopsis... An upper low will remain quasi-stationary over the Mid-Atlantic with associated troughing extending south along the Atlantic Coast. Some mid-level flow enhancement is forecast across the Carolinas into GA Wednesday afternoon in conjunction with a weak disturbance moving through the base of the trough. Elsewhere, an upper high will remain anchored over the southern Rockies with a series of perturbations rotating through the western into northern periphery of that feature. At the surface, a cool front will settle south into the southeast Atlantic coastal areas and central and eastern Gulf states by afternoon with the boundary extending northwest into the central Plains. Farther west, a lee cyclone is forecast to deepen over the northern High Plains with an associated lee trough extending into the central High Plains. ...Southeast... Temperatures in the mid to upper 90s coupled with dewpoints in the 70s are expected to yield a strongly unstable, prefrontal air mass by afternoon with MLCAPE up to 3000-4000 J/kg. The glancing influence of the mid-level wave passing to the immediate north will combine with modest frontal convergence to foster scattered thunderstorms by afternoon from central and southern AL into southern GA and northern FL. While the strongest deep-layer shear is expected to remain across the post-frontal air mass, a modest increase in mid-level flow will overspread the frontal zone. That, along with the strong buoyancy, high precipitable water content, and steepening low-level lapse rates will be supportive of damaging wet microbursts, especially if some cold pool organization can occur. ...Northern High Plains... Steep low/mid-level lapse rates and resultant moderate instability (e.g., MLCAPE of 1500-2500 J/kg) are forecast by afternoon to the east of the surface low and lee trough. Strong daytime heating and the approach of a weak mid-level disturbance from the west are expected to erode the cap, allowing for widely scattered storm development from late afternoon into evening. Model soundings indicate a vertically veering wind profile with 30-35 kt of effective bulk shear, which suggests the potential for high-based, transient supercell structures with an associated risk for localized severe wind gusts and marginally severe hail. There is some model signal for a potentially greater severe wind gust threat developing over western into central ND Wednesday evening. Should that signal persist, an upgrade to Level 2/Slight Risk may be required. ...Southern New England... A zone of enhanced low-level shear is forecast to develop to the immediate east of the deep-layer cyclone over the Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday. Clouds and precipitation are expected to limit air mass destabilization within the zone of stronger shear, which should preclude a severe weather threat. However, if later model runs indicate stronger instability than is currently forecast, low severe weather probabilities may be required. ..Mead.. 07/28/2026 $$