National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heavy Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorms in the Midwest and Ohio Valley Tuesday

Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms appear likely Tuesday across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, with severe wind gusts in excess of 75 mph as the primary threat. Heavy to excessive rainfall may lead to considerable flash and urban flooding impacts Tuesday across portions of the Ohio Valley. A Moderate Risk (level 3 of 4) of excessive rainfall has been issued. Read More >

Automatically generated image showing areas of convective available potential energy.

 

Thumbnail of an automatically generated image showing areas of convective available potential energy. Thumbnail of an automatically generated image showing areas of convective available potential energy. Thumbnail of an automatically generated image showing areas of convective available potential energy.
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CAPE 

This is a surface based Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) measurement only.  In the cool season, elevated instability may be much higher than surface based cape.

On average, CAPE of 1000 J/Kg is usually sufficient for strong to severe storms. CAPE of 3,000 to 4,000 J/Kg or higher is usually a signal of a very volatile atmosphere that could produce severe storms if other environmental parameters are in place.

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