Aug 9, 2020 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Updated: Sun Aug 9 16:16:52 UTC 2020 (20200809 1630Z Day 1 shapefile | 20200809 1630Z Day 1 KML)
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Categorical Graphic
20200809 1630 UTC Day 1 Outlook Graphic
Day 1 Risk Area (sq. mi.) Area Pop. Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area
SLIGHT 167,540 7,771,650 Minneapolis, MN...St. Paul, MN...Sioux Falls, SD...Rochester, MN...Fargo, ND...
MARGINAL 258,993 21,325,808 Chicago, IL...Milwaukee, WI...Omaha, NE...Madison, WI...Des Moines, IA...
Probabilistic Tornado Graphic
20200809 1630 UTC Day 1 Tornado Probabilities Graphic
Probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point.
Hatched Area: 10% or greater probability of EF2 - EF5 tornadoes within 25 miles of a point.
Day 1 Tornado Risk Area (sq. mi.) Area Pop. Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area
5 % 23,364 3,417,089 Minneapolis, MN...St. Paul, MN...Bloomington, MN...Plymouth, MN...Brooklyn Park, MN...
2 % 105,955 3,347,108 Rochester, MN...Fargo, ND...Duluth, MN...St. Cloud, MN...Lakeville, MN...
Probabilistic Damaging Wind Graphic
20200809 1630 UTC Day 1 Damaging Wind Probabilities Graphic
Probability of damaging thunderstorm winds or wind gusts of 50 knots or higher within 25 miles of a point.
Hatched Area: 10% of greater probability of wind gusts 65 knots or greater within 25 miles of a point.
Day 1 Wind Risk Area (sq. mi.) Area Pop. Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area
15 % 167,008 7,770,495 Minneapolis, MN...St. Paul, MN...Sioux Falls, SD...Rochester, MN...Fargo, ND...
5 % 258,519 21,155,656 Chicago, IL...Milwaukee, WI...Omaha, NE...Madison, WI...Des Moines, IA...
Probabilistic Large Hail Graphic
20200809 1630 UTC Day 1 Large Hail Probabilities Graphic
Probability of hail 1" or larger within 25 miles of a point.
Hatched Area: 10% or greater probability of hail 2" or larger within 25 miles of a point.
Day 1 Hail Risk Area (sq. mi.) Area Pop. Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area
15 % 78,625 1,578,949 Sioux Falls, SD...Fargo, ND...Grand Forks, ND...Moorhead, MN...Aberdeen, SD...
5 % 159,958 7,336,747 Omaha, NE...Minneapolis, MN...St. Paul, MN...Rochester, MN...Duluth, MN...
   SPC AC 091616

   Day 1 Convective Outlook  
   NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
   1116 AM CDT Sun Aug 09 2020

   Valid 091630Z - 101200Z

   ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS UPPER MIDWEST...

   ...SUMMARY...
   Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of the
   Upper Midwest through tonight. A few tornadoes and damaging winds
   will be possible from east-central Minnesota into northern
   Wisconsin. Large hail and damaging winds will be possible from the
   eastern Dakotas across most of Minnesota into northern Iowa.

   ...Upper Midwest...
   Two primary corridors of severe potential are expected through
   tonight.

   The first will be associated with a well-defined MCV across central
   MN. This feature should track northeast towards Lake Superior.
   Time-series of the MPX VWP has indicated widely varying low-level
   wind profiles ahead of the MCV, but has had a consistent signal for
   around 40-kt 0-6 km shear. While 12Z guidance is insistent the
   potential for a strong to extremely unstable air mass to develop by
   late afternoon, ongoing convection across north-central IA into
   southeast MN has been poorly simulated. Based on the 12Z MPX
   sounding and 16Z mesoanalysis of ML/MUCAPE fields, the expectation
   is for more moderate buoyancy to develop in cloud breaks between the
   MCV and the convection farther south. With mid 60s to low 70s
   surface dew points, potential will exist for a mesoscale cluster to
   form near the MCV with embedded supercell structures. This setup
   should tend to favor a few tornadoes and damaging winds as the
   primary hazards across east-central MN into northwest/north-central
   WI into this evening.

   The second corridor will be focused along a progressive cold front
   that should have increasing storm coverage by mid-afternoon across
   eastern ND as mid-level cooling further occurs in association with a
   Prairie Provinces shortwave trough. With a belt of fast 500-mb
   westerlies slowly shifting south through the day, the setup will be
   favorable for initial supercells that should grow into fast-moving
   linear segments by early evening. CAM guidance varies widely with
   the evolution of convection across MN this evening. The leading MCV
   will likely hinder destabilization across north-central and
   northeast MN suggesting that severe potential from the cold front
   convection will be confined to northwest MN. Other guidance suggests
   more of a southeastward-propagation towards larger buoyancy
   developing on the backside of the leading MCV as low-level moisture
   recovery occurs. This lower confidence scenario might result in a
   long-lived MCS persisting through much of tonight down the Upper MS
   Valley, as advertised by the 12Z NSSL-ARW and 00Z ECMWF. Given the
   uncertainty, no change is warranted to the broad cat 2/SLGT risk
   from the prior outlook.

   ..Grams/Marsh.. 08/09/2020

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   NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 2000Z