Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Memphis, TN

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
221 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

...New MESOSCALE UPDATE...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 220 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

- Another round of severe weather is expected this afternoon into
  the late evening hours. All hazards will be on the table,
  particularly damaging winds.

- Another chance for showers and thunderstorms arrives on Friday
  with a weak reinforcing cold front. Otherwise, generally dry and
  progressively cooler weather is expected through the weekend.

&&

.MESOSCALE UPDATE FOR SEVERE WEATHER...
Issued at 220 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

Large-scale forcing for ascent associated with an approaching mid-
level shortwave trough will enhance lift across the Mid-South
through this evening. This wave is accompanied by another band of
strong mid-level flow that will maintain strong deep-layer
vertical shear. The boundary layer continues to destabilize with
MLCAPE near 3000 J/kg, per the latest RAP analysis, with 0-3 km
CAPE approaching 150 J/kg in some areas. The combination of
instability and shear will maintain the convection moving into
eastern AR, and facilitate upscale growth into a mixed-mode mess
of supercells and multicell clusters/line segments. Damaging wind
and hail look to be the most likely hazards. However, 0-1 SRH is
progged to increase later this afternoon to perhaps
~150 m2/s2 (the strongest SRH seen on the SPC mesoanalysis
substantially lags behind the convection).

WFO Memphis is entering warning operations and will forego the
issuance of the SPS for subsevere storms. The latest intel
suggests that the first wave of convection will move across the
area between now and sunset with a secondary wave late this
evening. Confidence is much lower on the secondary wave, and a
lot will depend on how much recovery the air mass experiences
post-convection.

MJ

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This evening through next Monday)
Issued at 111 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

A very brief lull in convection is underway this late morning
across the Mid-South. There will be a messy convective scheme
unraveling over the next 2-3 hours as a strong cold front makes
its final approach. Severe thunderstorms are ongoing over NW AR
and SW MO, which will become our main focus for this afternoon.
According to the latest CAMs, convective mode will be
multicellular with a high potential for bowing segments,
especially across the Mississippi Delta. These bowing segments
will feature our highest damaging wind threat - most likely in
the 3-7PM time frame today. It's worth noting that there continue
to be considerable timing discrepancies even in the highest
resolution models this afternoon. The grand ensemble of the HREF
attempts to smooth out these inconsistencies, but the HRRR has
handled the observed convection best so far and it favors an
earlier solution by 2-3 hours compared to the remaining CAMs.

Hazard-wise, all threats are on the table today. As previously
alluded to, the convective mode favors a significant damaging
wind threat across north Mississippi this afternoon. While this
is the primary hazard, the low level shear profile is supportive
of embedded tornadoes, some of which could become strong (EF-2+).
Digging into some point soundings, there is noteworthy curvature
in the lowest level of the hodographs indicative of rotating
supercells. Midlevel lapse rates have been very impressive
throughout this multi-day event and will continue to support very
large hail this afternoon at over 7 degC/km. Somewhat of a
sleeper threat may be the heavy rainfall. While these storms will
be fairly progressive in their eastward movement, a training
situation may unfold across the southern half of our area. PWATs
are above the 97.5th percentile for this time of year, which will
support very efficient rainfall rates passing over the same areas
within a few hours of each other. Storm total QPF is manageable
for most of the area at around 1.5 inches through tomorrow, but
it creeps up to near 2.5 inches along our southernmost zones.
Especially with the Memphis metro, flooding will be a sneaky
hazard today.

After the convection moves through tonight, we should be all
clear of severe weather no later than 1AM. This is a very slow-
moving front and thus we'll still have some straggling post-
frontal showers over north MS for much of the day Wednesday.
Following this frontal passage and a weak reinforcing front on
Friday, cool high pressure will settle in nicely for the next few
days. Temperatures take a steady dive and end up about 10 degrees
below normal by this weekend with highs in the 60s. As southerly
flow returns on the back side of the exiting high pressure
system, we warm back up to near normal next week. However, the
long range forecast does favor a 30-40% chance of below normal
precipitation so we may be entering another mild pattern.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 111 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

Multiple TSRA clusters will track eastward out of central AR into
the Midsouth late afternoon. The HRRR model has been relatively
consistent with its depiction of convective timing of the initial
TSRA through the TAF sites.

For this evening, the HRRR has since trended toward the other
CAMs that depict SHRA and isolated TSRA near MEM over the latter
half of the late evening inbound push. There is some question
with regard to available convective instability. But should an
area of organized post-frontal SHRA develop, vertical thermal
profiles suggest at least a sparse coverage TSRA could be
supported through 08Z.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 111 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms will move through
this afternoon and evening, resulting in 1-2" of rain areawide to
mitigate fire danger. Dry conditions with minRH values below 40%
will materialize on Thursday, before additional moisture returns
on Friday. The weekend looks dry again with minRH dipping back
below 40%.

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...None.
MO...None.
MS...None.
TN...None.
&&

MESOSCALE UPDATE...MJ
PUBLIC FORECAST...CAD
AVIATION...PWB

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1156 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0425 AM     Hail             3 WNW Olive Branch      34.97N 89.87W
04/28/2026  E0.75 Inch       DeSoto             MS   Public

&&

MJ

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1205 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0222 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 SSE Garland           35.56N 89.73W
04/28/2026                   Tipton             TN   911 Call Center

            Large tree limbs down across Highway 59.

&&

MJ

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1225 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1140 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 ESE Steele            36.08N 89.83W
04/27/2026                   Pemiscot           MO   Broadcast Media

            Significant roof damage to elementary
            school.

&&

MJ

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
105 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 NNE Holladay          35.94N 88.11W
04/28/2026                   Benton             TN   Emergency Mngr

            Numerous trees and a few power lines down
            across southern Benton County.

&&

MJ

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
117 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0115 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 WNW Adair             35.73N 89.00W
04/28/2026                   Crockett           TN   Emergency Mngr

            Trees and power lines down along Joe Edwards
            Rd east of Bells.

&&

MJ

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
255 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0241 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 NNW Millington        35.35N 89.90W
04/28/2026                   Shelby             TN   Fire Dept/Rescue

            multiple trees down in the Flag City mobile
            home community in Millington.

&&