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Storm Prediction Center Aug 23, 2026 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

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Aug 23, 2026 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook Updated: Sun Aug 23 06:09:56 UTC 2026 ( |  | ) Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table Categorical Graphic Probabilistic Tornado Graphic Day 1 Tornado Risk Area (sq. mi.)

Aug 23, 2026 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

Updated: Sun Aug 23 06:09:56 UTC 2026 ( |  | )

Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

Categorical Graphic

Probabilistic Tornado Graphic

Day 1 Tornado Risk

Area (sq. mi.)

Area Pop.

Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area

No Risk Areas Forecast

Probabilistic Damaging Wind Graphic

Day 1 Wind Risk

Area (sq. mi.)

Area Pop.

Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area

CIG1

318,669

4,218,010

Salt Lake City, UT...West Valley City, UT...Provo, UT...West Jordan, UT...Billings, MT...

15 %

98,117

2,369,291

Salt Lake City, UT...West Valley City, UT...West Jordan, UT...Billings, MT...Ogden, UT...

5 %

652,472

65,287,453

New York, NY...Phoenix, AZ...Tucson, AZ...New Orleans, LA...Mesa, AZ...

Probabilistic Large Hail Graphic

Day 1 Hail Risk

Area (sq. mi.)

Area Pop.

Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area

CIG1

74,190

335,069

Bismarck, ND...Mandan, ND...Dickinson, ND...Pierre, SD...Sterling, CO...

15 %

54,058

236,221

Great Falls, MT...Dickinson, ND...Pierre, SD...

5 %

295,456

36,154,043

New York, NY...Newark, NJ...Buffalo, NY...Jersey City, NJ...Rochester, NY...

SPC AC 230609

Day 1 Convective Outlook

NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK

0109 AM CDT Sun Aug 23 2026

Valid 231200Z - 241200Z

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF

THE NORTHERN PLAINS...MUCH OF CENTRAL MONTANA...AND PORTIONS OF THE

EASTERN GREAT BASIN...

...SUMMARY...

Strong-to-severe thunderstorms capable of large hail and damaging

winds will be possible across portions of the northern Rockies and

northern Plains. Additional severe thunderstorms capable of damaging

winds will be possible across portions of northern Utah.

... Synopsis ...

A sub-tropical mid-level ridge will remain in place across much of

the West on Sunday, with a large-scale trough taking shape across

much of the East. A seasonably strong short-wave trough will crest

the ridge over southern Canada, with an attendant jet streak in its

basal region moving across Montana. Broadly northwest mid-level flow

will exist from the northern Plains east toward the Appalachians,

between the western ridge and eastern trough.

... Intermountain West ...

A well-mixed boundary layer will develop during the afternoon as

cooler mid-level temperatures associated with the approaching

short-wave trough overspread the northern Rockies. Scattered

thunderstorms should develop during the early to mid-afternoon

within an environment with steepening mid-level lapse rates.

Effective shear on the order of 30-40 knots will support multicell

clusters and transient supercell structures capable of producing

large hail and damaging wind gusts.

Farther south, multicell clusters should develop across eastern

Nevada and western Utah during the late afternoon. Modest mid-level

flow on the north side of the subtropical ridge, coupled with steep

low-level lapse rates (inverted-V profiles) should support efficient

downward momentum transfer with any sustained thunderstorm updraft.

... Northern Plains south into the Central High Plains ...

A plume of steep mid-level lapse rates will advect out from the

northern Rockies and overspread a moistening warm sector. The result

will be afternoon MUCAPE values between 2000-3000 J/kg. Although

vertical shear is not overly strong, forecast soundings/hodographs

suggest enough shear to support multicells and transient supercell

structures. Large hail will be possible with these initial

thunderstorms. With time, congealing outflows should support some

potential for upscale growth toward an MCS. Steep lapse rates will

support severe winds (some significant) with any organized

thunderstorm cluster.

... Northeast US ...

Early morning convection should dissipate enough to support at least

filtered sunshine during the late morning and early afternoon. This

will support temperatures warming into the 70Fs to perhaps low 80Fs.

This, when combined with upper 50Fs to low 60Fs dewpoints will

support between 500-1000 J/kg MUCAPE during the afternoon. Vertical

ascent downstream of the eastern trough will support clusters of

thunderstorms across the region. Modest mid-level lapse rates should

limit a more robust hail threat, but the degree of ascent and

instability will support a marginal risk of severe hail and damaging

wind.

... Northern Gulf Coast toward the Coastal Carolinas ...

Strong diurnal heating of a moist boundary layer (dewpoint

temperatures in the 70Fs) should support MUCAPE values between

3000-4000 J/kg during the afternoon. High precipitable water values

will support water-loaded updrafts capable of producing isolated

damaging downbursts with the strongest cells.

... Southern Arizona ...

Seasonably strong southeasterly mid-level flow will develop along

the periphery of the mid-upper-level ridge. This enhanced flow will

overspread a deeply mixed boundary layer (inverted-V) during the

afternoon. In spite of the deeply mixed boundary layer, precipitable

water values in excess of 1" will exist across the area during the

late afternoon. This will support at least isolated thunderstorm

clusters capable of producing damaging wind gusts.

... Southeast Kansas, Northeast Oklahoma, Southwest Missouri, and

Northwest Arkansas ...

A low amplitude mid-level trough will move southeast across the

Central US on Sunday, within the broader northwest flow. Although an

isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out with this feature during

the afternoon, the more likely scenario is the environment across

Kansas and Missouri remains capped during the afternoon.

By late evening, the mid-level trough/jet streak should be across

southern Missouri or northeast Arkansas, placing northeast Oklahoma

and southeast Kansas in the right entrance region of the mid-level

jet. Guidance is pretty confident in developing a strong low-level

jet across the southern Plains in response to this mid-level jet.

The result will be increasing warm-air advection/isentropic ascent

during the overnight. This will lead to scattered thunderstorm

development, with movement off to the east-southeast. Mid-level

lapse rates should only be on the order of 6.5 C/km, but

cloud-bearing shear around 30-40 knots should support strong

updrafts. DCAPE values between 500-1000 J/kg will support at least

marginally severe downbursts capable of wind damage.

..Marsh/Weinman.. 08/23/2026

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