Severe Weather & SPC Outlooks
Stay ahead of dangerous storms with Storm Prediction Center outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and probabilistic severe weather forecasts. Know the risk before storms develop.
Availability, coverage, update frequency, and alert delivery vary by data source, region, subscription plan, device permissions, and service conditions. WeatherAI supplements official sources and is not an emergency notification service. For life-safety decisions, rely on your national weather service, local emergency management, and official warning channels. SPC products cover the United States; outlook and discussion availability follows SPC issuance.
Professional Severe Weather Intelligence
WeatherAI brings you the same tools professional meteorologists and storm chasers rely on, Storm Prediction Center outlooks that show the risk of tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds days in advance.
Illustrative examples, not current warnings or outlooks
Example: Day 1 Convective Outlook
An outlook card can show the SPC risk category for your location along with the primary hazards called out for that day, such as tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts.
Example: Mesoscale Discussion
A mesoscale discussion can show its SPC number, the area under consideration, and the forecaster's reasoning about whether a watch may be needed.
Example: Probabilistic Outlook
A probabilistic view can show the tornado, wind, or hail probability within 25 miles of a point, plus any Conditional Intensity Group indicating how intense that hazard could be if it occurs.
Complete SPC Outlook Coverage
Multi-Day Outlooks
Convective outlooks out to Day 8: categorical and probabilistic outlooks for Days 1 to 3, and the Day 4-8 severe probabilities for the week ahead. See how the severe weather risk is trending before storms develop.
Risk Level Categories
Marginal, Slight, Enhanced, Moderate, and High risk levels. Understand the severity at a glance with color-coded maps.
Probabilistic Forecasts
Tornado, hail, and wind probabilities. When issued, Conditional Intensity Groups (CIG1–CIG3, depending on the hazard) communicate increasing potential intensity if that hazard occurs.
Mesoscale Discussions
Mesoscale discussions appear in the Severe Weather Hub as SPC issues them, with the forecaster's reasoning and the area under consideration.
Fire Weather Outlooks
Critical fire weather conditions and elevated fire weather areas. Essential during dry, windy periods.
Location-Based Alerts
Get notified when your location falls within an elevated risk area. Know when a high-risk day is coming.
Watches, Storm Reports, and Alert Timelines
Estimated Population Affected
See how many people, homes, and square miles a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch covers, drawn from U.S. Census Bureau estimates, with the watch outline over the latest radar.
Storm Report Trends
Explore storm reports from the past 24 hours, including reported hail sizes, peak wind gusts, and report counts by hour and state. Included free.
Alert Timeline
See which alerts are active, their scheduled end times, and when multiple alerts are in effect. The timeline spans the past six hours and the next two days.
Who Uses SPC Outlooks?
Tornado Alley Residents
Challenge: Living in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, or other high-risk areas means severe weather is a real threat.
Check the Day 1-3 outlooks each morning during spring. Know days in advance when conditions favor supercells and tornadoes so you can prepare.
Storm Chasers & Enthusiasts
Challenge: Planning chase targets requires understanding mesoscale details.
Use probabilistic outlooks and mesoscale discussions to identify the best target areas. Get MCD updates as SPC issues them as forecasters refine the setup.
Event Planners
Challenge: Outdoor events require accurate severe weather forecasts days ahead.
Check the Day 1, 2 and 3 outlooks when planning outdoor activities. Make informed decisions about postponements when risk levels are elevated.
Emergency Managers
Challenge: Protecting communities requires advance awareness of severe weather threats.
Monitor outlook trends across multiple days. Coordinate emergency response resources when Moderate or High risk days are forecast.
How a Severe Weather Day Unfolds
Watching the risk build
SPC convective outlooks show the categorical risk for your area days ahead, and you can turn on notifications for when the outlook risk level changes. That is often the first signal that a quiet week is about to get busy.
Reading the short-fuse products
When a mesoscale discussion is issued, the Severe Weather Hub shows it alongside active watches and warnings, with the discussion text and the area it outlines. Chat can summarize a dense product if you want the short version first.
Use Case
WeatherAI for Storm Chasers
SPC outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and real-time storm tracking for serious chasers.
Use Case
Emergency Preparedness
Be ready for tornadoes, severe storms, and dangerous weather events.
Learn More
How to Read SPC Outlooks
Understand the 5-level risk scale and what it means for your area.
Know the Risk Before Storms Develop
Download WeatherAI and get SPC outlooks on your iPhone. Free to download for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.
Open the camera on your iPhone
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SPC outlook?
Storm Prediction Center outlooks rate the probability of severe weather on a 5-level scale: Marginal, Slight, Enhanced, Moderate, and High risk. WeatherAI displays these outlooks with color-coded maps.
What's the difference between a watch and a warning?
A watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather to develop. A warning means severe weather is imminent or occurring. Warnings require immediate action.
What qualifies as severe weather?
The NWS defines severe thunderstorms as producing hail 1 inch or larger, wind gusts of 58 mph or greater, or tornadoes. WeatherAI displays supported NWS severe weather alerts.
Related Reading & Tools
Deepen the topic with explainers, calculators, and adjacent features.
Guide
How to Read SPC Outlooks
Decode severe weather outlooks, probability maps, and categorical risk levels before storms arrive.
Guide
NWS Outlook vs Watch vs Warning
Know how alert wording changes from early awareness to immediate action.
Guide
Tornado Formation, Types, and Safety
Understand how tornadoes form, how warning signals develop, and what to do when a tornado threatens.
Seasonal Hub
Severe Weather Season Guide
A seasonal hub for tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, and storm-prep reading.