The Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010, Severe Thunderstorm Outbreak

Severe Thunderstorm Threat From the Central Plains to the Northeast; Extreme HeatRisk for the East Coast

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from the central Plains to the Northeast through this evening. Widespread damaging winds are the primary threat but hail and a tornado or two is also possible. Extremely dangerous heat continues across the Eastern U.S. Warm overnight low temperatures will provide little to no relief. Read More >

SPC AC 281626 DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 1126 AM CDT SUN MAR 28 2010 VALID 281630Z - 291200Z ...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS OVER PARTS OF GA/SC/NC AND SOUTH CENTRAL VA... ...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FL PENINSULA... MORNING SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS MULTIPLE MID/UPPER LEVEL VORTICITY MAXES ROTATING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES TODAY. ONE SYSTEM IS NOW OVER KY/TN AND WILL TRACK INTO THE UPPER OH VALLEY TONIGHT. ANOTHER VORT LOBE EXTENDS SOUTHWARD INTO AL...AND WILL OVERSPREAD THE CAROLINAS LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. AND FINALLY A THIRD SOUTHERN-STREAM FEATURE TRACKING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO TOWARD THE FL PENINSULA. EACH OF THESE WILL RESULT IN A RISK OF STRONG STORMS LATER TODAY. ...GA/CAROLINAS/SCNTRL VA... SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS FROM EASTERN AL INTO THE CAROLINAS ARE SLOWLY TRANSPORTING 50S DEWPOINTS NORTHWARD AND HELPING TO DESTABILIZE THE AIRMASS. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS PROGRESSIVELY MORE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS...WHICH WILL ALSO HELP TO PROVIDE POCKETS OF AFTERNOON MUCAPE OF UP TO 750 J/KG. MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT SECONDARY CYCLOGENESIS WILL OCCUR OVER EASTERN GA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH LOW TRACKING NORTHEASTWARD IN VICINITY OF REMNANT WEDGE FRONT INTO SC/NC. THIS ZONE WILL LIKELY BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR POTENTIAL SEVERE STORMS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ALONG THIS CORRIDOR SHOW LARGE LOOPING HODOGRAPHS AND RELATIVELY STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES...FAVORABLE FOR A FEW SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THREAT SHOULD WEAKEN A FEW HOURS AFTER DARK AS TEMPERATURES COOL QUICKLY BACK INTO THE LOWER 60S. ...FL PENINSULA... A LARGE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED OFF THE WEST COAST OF FL THIS MORNING. THESE STORMS WILL BEGIN MOVING INLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND AFFECT MUCH OF THE PENINSULA TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD ANVIL CIRRUS FROM STORMS WILL GREATLY HAMPER DAYTIME HEATING AND DESTABILIZATION. HOWEVER...DEWPOINTS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S AND STRONG DEEP LAYER EFFECTIVE SHEAR WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SUFFICIENTLY STRONG UPDRAFTS FOR SOME RISK OF DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL LATER TODAY. ..HART/GARNER.. 03/28/2010 CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 2000Z