Mar 17, 2021 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Updated: Wed Mar 17 16:06:11 UTC 2021 (20210317 1630Z Day 1 shapefile | 20210317 1630Z Day 1 KML)
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Categorical Graphic
20210317 1630 UTC Day 1 Outlook Graphic
Day 1 Risk Area (sq. mi.) Area Pop. Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area
HIGH 43,852 3,006,468 Birmingham, AL...Jackson, MS...Tuscaloosa, AL...Hoover, AL...Meridian, MS...
MODERATE 71,084 5,000,778 Memphis, TN...Montgomery, AL...Decatur, AL...Pine Bluff, AR...Monroe, LA...
ENHANCED 102,738 10,707,136 New Orleans, LA...Baton Rouge, LA...Shreveport, LA...Mobile, AL...Columbus, GA...
SLIGHT 91,657 10,820,726 Nashville, TN...Atlanta, GA...Chattanooga, TN...Clarksville, TN...Beaumont, TX...
MARGINAL 90,366 14,037,869 Houston, TX...Tulsa, OK...St. Louis, MO...Pasadena, TX...Evansville, IN...
Probabilistic Tornado Graphic
20210317 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
SIG SEVERE 154,329 11,678,252 Memphis, TN...Birmingham, AL...Baton Rouge, LA...Montgomery, AL...Columbus, GA...
45 % 8,375 456,356 Tuscaloosa, AL...Columbus, MS...Starkville, MS...Northport, AL...
30 % 35,477 2,550,112 Birmingham, AL...Jackson, MS...Hoover, AL...Meridian, MS...Greenville, MS...
15 % 71,084 5,000,778 Memphis, TN...Montgomery, AL...Decatur, AL...Pine Bluff, AR...Monroe, LA...
10 % 97,703 9,893,328 New Orleans, LA...Baton Rouge, LA...Shreveport, LA...Mobile, AL...Columbus, GA...
5 % 73,126 9,033,062 Atlanta, GA...Chattanooga, TN...Sandy Springs, GA...Macon, GA...Fort Smith, AR...
2 % 57,842 5,125,321 Nashville, TN...Clarksville, TN...Beaumont, TX...Broken Arrow, OK...Murfreesboro, TN...
Probabilistic Damaging Wind Graphic
20210317 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
SIG SEVERE 148,790 11,650,246 Memphis, TN...Birmingham, AL...Baton Rouge, LA...Montgomery, AL...Mobile, AL...
45 % 47,326 3,356,732 Birmingham, AL...Jackson, MS...Tuscaloosa, AL...Hoover, AL...Monroe, LA...
30 % 129,607 12,311,719 Memphis, TN...New Orleans, LA...Baton Rouge, LA...Montgomery, AL...Mobile, AL...
15 % 121,087 13,140,317 Nashville, TN...Atlanta, GA...Shreveport, LA...Little Rock, AR...Chattanooga, TN...
5 % 68,086 6,583,118 Tulsa, OK...Pasadena, TX...Beaumont, TX...Broken Arrow, OK...Baytown, TX...
Probabilistic Large Hail Graphic
20210317 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
SIG SEVERE 86,455 4,790,920 Birmingham, AL...Jackson, MS...Tuscaloosa, AL...Hoover, AL...Monroe, LA...
30 % 128,325 9,801,006 New Orleans, LA...Birmingham, AL...Baton Rouge, LA...Montgomery, AL...Mobile, AL...
15 % 130,455 9,847,672 Memphis, TN...Shreveport, LA...Columbus, GA...Little Rock, AR...Huntsville, AL...
5 % 119,531 22,483,757 Houston, TX...Nashville, TN...Atlanta, GA...Tulsa, OK...St. Louis, MO...
   SPC AC 171606

   Day 1 Convective Outlook  
   NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
   1106 AM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

   Valid 171630Z - 181200Z

   ...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEST-CENTRAL
   ALABAMA...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST
   LOUISIANA...FAR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...

   ...SUMMARY...
   A significant tornado outbreak is expected with numerous strong and
   a few long-track, potentially violent tornadoes. An initial round is
   expected to begin across eastern Mississippi and Alabama this
   afternoon. A separate swath should emanate from southeast Arkansas
   to Louisiana this afternoon and spread east across Mississippi and
   Alabama this evening into tonight.

   ...Deep South...
   Minor change made to the categorical HIGH risk area to expand a bit.
   Main change is to the underlying probabilities with the addition of
   a 45 tor and 45 wind. A dangerous, long-duration tornado outbreak
   expected to commence this afternoon and persist well into tonight
   with multiple rounds of heightened tornado potential.

   Ongoing convection is within an arc with a pre-frontal squall from
   far east TX to northeast AR and then in a more west/east-orientation
   from northeast AR to the AL/TN border area. The northern activity
   will tend to reinforce the surface warm front approaching the TN
   border with MS/AL this afternoon. The southwest band will likely
   persist east and should breakup into a broken band of supercells at
   some point this afternoon as low-level shear further strengthens
   across the Ark-La-Miss region. Farther east, warm-advection showers
   in southeast MS to west-central AL will likely deepen by early
   afternoon into a separate swath of several discrete supercells in an
   environment of strengthening low to deep-layer shear. Between these
   two areas, the destabilizing warm sector with warming boundary-layer
   temperatures and mid 60s to low 70s dew points, will support an
   expansive plume of 1500-2500 J/kg MLCAPE.

   By late afternoon and into early tonight, a low-level jet segment
   will strengthen to at least 50-60 kt across MS/AL as the midlevel
   trough approaches from the west, contributing to very strong
   low-level shear (0-1 km SRH in excess of 300 m2/s2). Buoyancy will
   be slow to decrease after sunset and with eastward extent based on
   the prevalence of rather rich boundary-layer dew points, Very
   favorable wind profiles (with 700-mb winds reaching 70-80 kt) will
   maintain the threat for long-track, intense tornadoes with both
   warm-sector supercells, as well as supercells within the broken band
   near and ahead of the surface wind shift progressing east across MS
   by early tonight. The strong tornado and significant damaging wind
   threat while becoming more spatially confined with time, will likely
   persist across parts of AL overnight and should spread into western
   GA before 12Z.

   ..Grams/Bentley.. 03/17/2021

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