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Mar- 4-2004 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Public Severe Weather Outlook

The SPC is forecasting an outbreak of severe thunderstorms today and tonight across portions of the United States. This is an extremely dangerous situation. Please read the latest public statement about this event.

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1630 UTC Day 1 Outlook Graphic
      
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   SPC AC 041630
   
   DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK  
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1030 AM CST THU MAR 04 2004
   
   VALID 041630Z - 051200Z
   
   THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 20 SSE
   ADM 30 WNW MWL 35 N ABI 60 N ABI 10 NE FSI 15 ENE OKC 30 NE BVO 35
   NNW JLN 35 NNE JLN 15 NNE UMN 10 N FYV 15 ENE MLC 20 SSE ADM.
   
   THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 35 W
   SJT 60 NE BGS 25 ENE LTS 30 N CNU 20 S SZL 45 N POF ARG TXK TYR AUS
   45 N HDO 65 W JCT 35 W SJT.
   
   THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 20 SE
   P07 15 ENE MAF 50 ENE AMA 25 E HUT 35 N MLI 15 SE CGX 15 SE IND 35
   WSW UOX 25 SW LCH ...CONT... 45 S CRP 50 S LRD.
   
   GEN TSTMS ARE FCST TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM ELP 35 W TUS 35 NW
   GBN 35 WSW PRC 20 SSE 4BL 45 SE GUC 35 NNW EHA 40 WNW CNK 40 E SUX
   35 NW FRM 70 S DLH 15 SW IWD 25 WSW MQT 55 ENE ESC 30 SW APN 10 NW
   DTW 35 SSE MIE 40 SSW MSL 20 SW 7R4.
   
   ...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS OVER PORTIONS OF NWRN
   TX/CENTRAL AND ERN OK/EXTREME NWRN AR/SWRN MO/SERN KS...
   
   ...THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS OVER PORTIONS OF CNTRL/NERN TX
   NEWD INTO AR...
   
   ...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM THE SRN PLAINS NEWD INTO
   THE SRN GREAT LAKES...
   
   ...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
   FROM PORTIONS OF TX/OK EWD INTO WRN AR/SWRN MO/SERN KS WITH THE
   POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TORNADOES AND WIDESPREAD DAMAGING
   WINDS...
   
   ...SYNOPSIS...
   CLOSED MID/UPPER-LEVEL LOW IN NRN MEXICO IS FORECAST TO ACCELERATE
   NEWD INTO THE TX PANHANDLE BY LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE UPPER
   MIDWEST BY FRIDAY MORNING. A 100 KT MID-LEVEL JET STREAK WILL LIFT
   OUT OF THE BASE OF THE TROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...RESULTING IN THE
   SYSTEM TO BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED AND CREATE AN EXTREMELY DIFFLUENT
   UPPER LEVEL PATTERN AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM. AS THIS OCCURS...SURFACE
   LOW IN SWRN TX WILL DEEPEN AND MOVE NEWD INTO N CENTRAL OK BY 00Z
   AND INTO IA BY SUNRISE FRIDAY MORNING. ATTENDANT WARM FRONT ACROSS
   OK AND AR SHOULD LIFT NWD AHEAD OF THE NEWD MOVING SURFACE
   CYCLONE...WHILE TRAILING PACIFIC FRONT/DRYLINE PUSHES EWD ACROSS THE
   SRN PLAINS TO THE MS RIVER BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
   
   ...SRN PLAINS/LOWER MS VALLEY NWD THROUGH THE MIDDLE MS VALLEY/SRN
   GREAT LAKES...
   
   UNUSUALLY WARM/MOIST AIRMASS IS CHARACTERIZED BY DEWPOINTS IN THE
   MID TO UPPER 60S SOUTH OF THE RETREATING WARM FRONT. BINOVC ACROSS
   SWRN/NWRN TX IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT NEWD ACROSS THE HIGH RISK AREA
   THIS AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES REACHING AT LEAST THE LOWER 70S.
   THESE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH 7C/KM MID LAPSE RATES WILL
   YIELD MLCAPES FROM 1000 TO 2000 J/KG...STRONGER THAN THE MODELS
   FORECAST. EXTREMELY STRONG WIND FIELDS ARE RESULTING IN DEEP LAYER
   SHEAR OF 70 KT WITH 1KM SRH FROM 400-500 M2/S2 IN THE WARM SECTOR.
   AS THE STRONG FORCING SPREADS ACROSS THE AREA...ENVIRONMENT WILL BE
   FAVORABLE FOR NUMEROUS SUPERCELLS WITH THE POTENTIAL OF VERY
   DAMAGING WINDS AND STRONG TORNADOES. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR THE
   STRONGEST TORNADOES WILL EXTEND FROM NWRN TX ACROSS CENTRAL/ERN OK
   WHERE THE STRONGEST LARGE SCALE FORCING...INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL
   BE PRESENT. IF THE STORMS DO DEVELOP INTO A LINE AS OPPOSED TO MORE
   CELLULAR STORMS...THEN WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS WOULD BE THE
   GREATER THREAT. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO SERN KS/WRN
   AR/SRN MO THIS EVENING WITH STORMS CONSOLIDATING INTO A SQUALL LINE
   AND WIND DAMAGE BECOMING THE MAIN THREAT.
   
   A SQUALL HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED SOUTH OF THE SURFACE LOW ALONG THE
   PACIFIC FRONT IN WRN TX. THIS LINE OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO
   INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES INTO A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS ACROSS
   SWRN/CENTRAL TX WITH MLCAPES UP TO 2500 J/KG. THE LINE OF STORMS
   SHOULD ALSO ACCELERATE TO 50-60 KT AS THE UPPER JET MAX MOVES INTO
   THE REGION. A FEW TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE LINE WITH
   STORMS THAT CAN MAINTAIN ROTATION...BUT THE LINEAR FORCING AND
   STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL WINDS SUGGEST WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE IS
   LIKELY..ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE MODERATE RISK AREA.
   
   ..IMY/JEWELL.. 03/04/2004
   
   ...NOTICE...
   FOR USERS DECODING THE POINTS PARAGRAPH HEREIN...LATITUDE AND
   LONGITUDE POINTS FOR THE CATEGORICAL AND PROBABILISTIC OUTLOOK
   GRAPHICS ALSO ARE LOCATED IN A SEPARATE PRODUCT UNDER THE WMO
   HEADINGS WUUS01 PTSDY1...WUUS02 PTSDY2...AND WUUS03 PTSDY3.  THE
   INCLUSION OF POINTS IN THIS PRODUCT WILL EVENTUALLY BE DISCONTINUED.
   
   NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED FOR 2000Z
        
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