STORM PREDICTION CENTER...NWS/NCEP...NORMAN OK
DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK...REF AWIPS GRAPHIC PGWE46 KWBC.

VALID 241300Z - 251200Z

THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR
EASTERN OKLAHOMA...EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS...EXTREME NORTHEAST
TEXAS...ARKANSAS...AND THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MISSOURI TO THE RIGHT
OF A LINE FROM 25 SSE BLV 20 W PAH MEM 25 SSW GLH 40 NNE TYR 20 NNE
DUA 40 N BVO 35 ENE JEF 25 SSE BLV.

THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM
45 SW GLS 35 SSE TPL 30 SE SJT 30 S END 35 NE P28 30 WNW SLN
15 ESE FNB 10 NE UIN 20 N CMI 25 ESE IND 25 S SDF 35 S BNA
10 SSE TCL 20 SSW MOB.

GEN TSTMS ARE FCST TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 40 SW PSX 45 NNW VCT
20 WSW AUS JCT 35 SW SJT 40 SW END 40 NNW DDC 10 SSE HLC GRI
15 W SPW 20 ESE MSP 55 SW IWD 40 W MQT 55 WNW PLN 35 WSW APN
25 E FNT 20 SE FDY 40 SSE LUK 35 W LOZ 30 NNW CHA 15 SSW GAD
20 SE SEM 20 WSW PNS.

...SYNOPSIS...

STRONG VORTICITY MAXIMUM OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL LIFT
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS.  ASSOCIATED CYCLOGENESIS IS ALREADY UNDERWAY IN SOUTHEAST
COLORADO...WITH DEEP LOW EXPECTED TO TRACK ACROSS KANSAS/IOWA/
WISCONSIN DURING THE PERIOD.  BY EARLY THIS EVENING...THE COLD
FRONT SHOULD EXTEND FROM THE LOW CENTER NEAR OMAHA NEBRASKA THROUGH
WESTERN MISSOURI INTO EAST TEXAS.

...SOUTHERN PLAINS AND MIDDLE/LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY...

STRONG QG-FORCING WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND
TONIGHT...EVIDENT IN 06Z ETA FORECAST 12 HOUR 500 MB HEIGHT FALL
CENTER IN EXCESS OF 200 METERS SPREADING FROM KANSAS TO WISCONSIN.
12Z SOUNDINGS FROM OUN/LZK/SHV HAVE STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR...WITH
ESTIMATED 0-3 KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITY VALUES OF 600-700 M2/S2 IN
WARM ADVECTION REGIME.  MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE RATHER STEEP FROM
SGF SOUTHWESTWARD INTO TEXAS...WITH 700-500 MB VALUES OF 7.5 TO 8.5
C/KM.  THIS HAS RESULTED IN MODERATE ELEVATED INSTABILITY AT
OUN/SHV WITH MUCAPE OF 1000-1300 J/KG.

MAIN FORECAST PROBLEM WITH THIS SYSTEM IS STABLE BOUNDARY LAYER
FROM CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS ON NORTH.  RAPID LOW LEVEL
ADVECTIONS WILL BRING 60S F DEWPOINTS NORTHWARD ACROSS MUCH OF
EASTERN OKLAHOMA DURING THE DAY...BUT UNCERTAINTY ABOUT SURFACE
BASED INSTABILITY EXISTS OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN
MISSOURI.  PRESENCE OF STRONG WIND FIELDS...SUFFICIENT SHEAR FOR
SUPERCELLS/TORNADOES...STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES...AND STRONG QG-
FORCING WITH DEEPENING CYCLONE INDICATE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD
DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME TORNADOES.

INITIAL MCS SHOULD LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS TEXAS INTO PORTIONS OF
MISSOURI AND IOWA DURING THE MORNING.  NEW CONVECTION CURRENTLY
DEVELOPING ALONG THE COLD FRONT/DRYLINE OVER WEST TEXAS SHOULD
GRADUALLY INCREASE AS IT MOVES EASTWARD INTO MOISTURE AXIS BY THE
MIDDAY HOURS.  A SQUALL LINE WITH INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL SHOULD MOVE INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHEAST TEXAS BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS...THEN SPREAD RAPIDLY
EAST ACROSS MISSOURI/ARKANSAS/LOUISIANA DURING THE EVENING HOURS.
EMBEDDED BOW ECHOES AND ISOLATED SUPERCELLS AHEAD OF THE LINE WILL
HAVE ENHANCED POTENTIAL FOR TORNADO PRODUCTION.

A GRADUAL WEAKENING TREND IS ANTICIPATED AFTER 06Z AS THE ACTIVITY
CROSSES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.  HOWEVER...DAMAGING WINDS WILL
REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NIGHT GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE LOW
LEVEL WIND FIELDS AND DYNAMIC FORCING.

...EASTERN KANSAS/NORTHERN MISSOURI...

DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS...THUNDERSTORMS WILL
LIKELY DEVELOP BENEATH THE COLD CORE UPPER TROUGH WHERE LAPSE RATES
WILL BE STEEPEST.  COMBINATION OF STRONG VERTICAL WIND
SHEAR...SBCAPE OF 500-1000 J/KG...AND WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS OF 4000
TO 6000 FEET AGL SUGGEST THUNDERSTORMS WITH MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL
ARE POSSIBLE.

..CRAVEN.. 02/24/01