PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1 PM CDT TUE 16 APR 2002

...OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST LATER TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE:
ALL OF MINNESOTA
WESTERN WISCONSIN

OTHER ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE FROM NORTH CENTRAL TX NORTHWARD TO THE CANADIAN BORDER TODAY.

A POTENT UPPER TROUGH IS FORECAST TO ROTATE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY...WITH DEEP SURFACE LOW MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHERN MINNESOTA BY THIS EVENING. A VERY WARM/MOIST AIRMASS IS IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF THE UPPER MIDWEST STATES...COMBINED WITH DAYTIME HEATING HAS RESULTED IN HIGH INSTABILITY VALUES THIS AFTERNOON. NUMEROUS STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP ALONG A COLD FRONT FROM VICINITY OF THE WESTERN MINNESOTA BORDER SOUTHWESTWARD INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL RACE NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE EVENING/NIGHT WITH THE LIKELIHOOD OF WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. STRONG WINDS ALOFT ALSO SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES. ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY REMAIN SEVERE UNTIL LATER TONIGHT...TRACKING ACROSS IOWA INTO WISCONSIN.

THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO AND TELEVISION AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES...WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY.

JACK HALES
LEAD FORECASTER, STORM PREDICTION CENTER