


Severe Storm Outlook Narrative (AC)
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
189 ACUS03 KWNS 150729 SWODY3 SPC AC 150729 Day 3 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0229 AM CDT Thu May 15 2025 Valid 171200Z - 181200Z ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...EASTERN VIRGINIA...CENTRAL AND EASTERN MARYLAND...DELAWARE...SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND LATE SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWESTERN INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS... ...SUMMARY... Severe thunderstorms are possible Saturday across parts of the Mid Atlantic, and late Saturday into Saturday night across parts of the southeastern Great Plains. ...Discussion... Downstream of a persistent, prominent mid-level ridge across the southern mid-latitude and subtropical eastern Pacific, models indicate that large-scale troughing will continue to dig inland of the Pacific coast through this period. It appears that this will include one notable embedded smaller-scale perturbation digging across the Sierra Nevada, toward the Four Corners, and a trailing perturbation digging across the Pacific Northwest coast. Farther downstream, it appears that one or two more modest short wave impulses, within a belt of westerlies emanating from the subtropical eastern Pacific, may accelerate across the northern Mexican Plateau through the southern Great Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, around the northwestern periphery of broad mid/upper ridging centered over the Gulf Basin. To the north of this ridge, large-scale ridging within the mid-latitude westerlies is forecast to overspread much of the interior U.S., with a remnant downstream cyclone and associated troughing progressing across parts of the Northeast and Mid Atlantic. In lower levels, models generally indicate that a significant cold front will advance southeast of the lower Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, while stalling across parts of the Mid South into central Great Plains. However, this is likely to be preceded by a weaker front, largely driven or reinforced by outflow from Friday/Friday night convection. ...Mid Atlantic... Strong convectively augmented westerly lower/mid-tropospheric flow (in excess of 50 kt in the 850-700 mb layer) is likely to spread east of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, coincident with the convective outflow boundary by early Saturday. The extent and intensity of continuing convective development along the gust front at the outset of the period remains unclear. However, if the severe storm cluster from Friday night does not maintain strength with a continuing risk for severe wind gusts into and across the Mid Atlantic early Saturday, it is possible that destabilization ahead of the surface boundary could become sufficient for considerable re-intensification of thunderstorm activity along it, before it advances offshore. ...Southeastern Great Plains... Beneath steep lower/mid-tropospheric lapse rates, models indicate that seasonably moist air will maintain a reservoir of large CAPE along and south of the initial pre-frontal wind shift/convective outflow, roughly across the Ark-La-Texas, and east of a sharpening dryline, across western North Texas toward the Del Rio TX area by late afternoon. Aided by forcing for ascent and strengthening westerly mid/upper flow associated with the subtropical perturbations, isolated to scattered supercells may initiate and propagate off the retreating dryline by late afternoon. Other strong to severe thunderstorm development is possible, aided by forcing for ascent associated with warm advection, where mid-level inhibition will be weaker along and north of the initial pre-frontal wind shift, and perhaps near the surface front across northern Oklahoma into north central Arkansas. ..Kerr.. 05/15/2025 $$