Giant Hail, 80 MPH Winds and Strong Tornadoes Set to Slam Great Plains Triple Point — SevereWX

SPC Mesoscale Discussion 0474 signals imminent severe weather action.

Numerous supercells are firing along a cold front and dryline from northern Missouri southwest into northwestern Oklahoma. SPC forecasts a 95% chance of a tornado watch within 1-2 hours as storms intensify amid extreme instability (2000-3000+ J/kg MLCAPE) and stout shear (40-50+ kts).

Key threats:

• Hail: Up to 3-3.5+ inches—baseball to softball size—thanks to steep lapse rates and buoyant hail growth zones.
• Winds: 60-80+ mph gusts from powerful downdrafts, escalating in a late MCS.
• Tornadoes: A couple possible, including strong ones, especially discrete evening supercells under a veering low-level jet.

The triple point near NW Oklahoma anchors initiation, with storms spreading northeast. Upper-70s temps and 60s dewpoints fuel the fire, while parallel flow to the front adds uncertainty to storm mode—but supercellular potential remains high.

This builds on today's Heartland severe setup, distinct from earlier KS/MO action. Trends lean toward watches covering parts of MO, KS, OK, and NE.

Stay prepared: Know your severe weather plan, monitor local NWS alerts, and have a safe spot ready. Check radar and have helmets handy for giant hail. Updates incoming as watches drop.

(Issued 1242 PM CDT, Apr 17, 2026. Valid through early evening.)