Forecast Discussions mentioning any of "HRRR" "RAP" "RR" "RUC13" "RUC" received at GSD on 10/03/12


AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DENVER/BOULDER CO
313 PM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS PLAINS HAVE PERSISTED A BIT LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED...PROBABLY DUE TO A BIT MORE SUBSIDENCE WITH NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT. SHORT TERM MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A WEAKENING NORTHERLY SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT BY 00Z WITH FLOW BECOMING EASTERLY THEN SOUTHEAST DURING THE EVENING. WILL CONTINUE THIS TREND OF DECREASING WINDS. OTHERWISE...FLOW ALOFT TO BECOME MORE NORTHWEST AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INTO COLORADO FROM THE GREAT BASIN. WINDS TO CONTINUE A BIT GUSTY OVER THE HIGHER RIDGES OVERNIGHT. A COOL NIGHT EXPECTED TONIGHT UNDER CLEAR SKIES... ALTHOUGH WINDS AND SOME WARMING ALOFT ACROSS MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS WILL KEEP MINS FROM PLUMMETING. ACROSS PLAINS...SHOULD SEE OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER AND MID 40S MOST AREAS... SLIGHTLY COOLER IN LOW LYING AREAS. SOME POSSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FROST FAR EASTERN PLAINS LATE TONIGHT BUT LOOKS TOO LOCALIZED. ON TUESDAY...DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TO PREVAIL WITH UPPER RIDGE OVER STATE. BOTH NAM AND GFS SHOW 700 MB TEMPS WARMING TO AROUND +11 DEGREES C. THUS...SHOULD SEE TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST OF PLAINS WARMING INTO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 80S. MODELS SUGGEST SOME MIXING OF THE NORTHWEST WINDS DURING THE AFTERNOON MAINLY NEAR THE WYOMING BORDER ALONG WITH HUMIDITY READINGS IN THE TEENS. WINDS AND HUMIDITY MAY BRIEFLY REACH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THRESHOLDS...THOUGH DURATION LOOKS BRIEF. SOME UNCERTAINTIES ON STATUS OF FUELS GIVEN RECENT PRECIPITATION. SO NO FIRE WEATHER HILITES AT THIS TIME. .LONG TERM...MAJOR CHANGES ON THE WAY FOR MUCH OF THE LONGER TERM THIS WEEK...ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF COLDER TEMPERATURES FROM THURSDAY ONWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND. INITIALLY AN UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL CARVE OUT ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES BEFORE SWEEPING ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO AND THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT AS THE NAM BRINGS AN INITIAL SURGE EARLIER IN THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY WHILE GFS IS LATER. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE TRICKY AND WILL PLAY MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FOR NOW WITH READINGS IN THE 60S AND SOME LOWER 70S OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CWA. THE COLDER AIR WILL BLAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AS IN PREVIOUS DAYS...MOISTURE STILL LOOKS SUSPECT AND RATHER LIMITED SO WILL KEEP POPS IN THE 20-30 PERCENT RANGE...HIGHEST OVER THE FAR EAST PLAINS. GIVEN THE COLD AIR THERE COULD EVEN BE SOME RAIN MIX WITH SNOW ON THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY BUT DOUBT IF THERE WILL BE LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATION. THURSDAY WILL BE COOL AND GENERALLY DRY WITH READINGS ONLY IN THE 50S. ANOTHER DISTURBANCE AND SHOT OF REINFORCING COLD AIR IS PROGGED TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN COLORADO LATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH EVEN COLDER TEMPERATURES FORECAST. THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM SO WILL BUMP POPS UP A BIT WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE AND AGAIN COULD BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SOME RAIN/SNOW MIX ON THE PLAINS. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MODEL DIFFERENCES ON HOW THE WEEKEND PATTERN EVOLVES...AND HOW THE CUTOFF LOW OFF WEST COAST BEHAVES. WON`T GET TOO EXCITED YET BUT CERTAINLY BEARS WATCHING FOR OUR BEST CHANCE OF POSSIBLE SNOWFALL. CERTAINLY FROM THURSDAY AM AND THRU THE WEEKEND WE WILL HAVE SOME FROST/FREEZE POTENTIAL SO TIME TO START FINISHING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...INCLUDING ANY GARDEN FOOD REMAINS AND SHUTTING DOWN SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. && .AVIATION...SURFACE WINDS FINALLY SHOWING MORE OF A NORTHEAST COMPONENT IN RESPONSE TO NORTHEAST SURFACE GRADIENT. BOTH HRRR AND RUC INDICATE NORTHEAST WINDS TO PERSIST UNTIL 22Z WITH SPEEDS AROUND 12 KTS...THEN WEAKEN AND BECOME EASTERLY BY 00Z. THIS TREND LOOKING ON TRACK. WINDS TO BECOME SOUTHERLY DURING THE EVENING AS DRAINAGE PATTERN DEVELOPS WITH SPEEDS AROUND 8 KTS. LATEST NAM SHOWS WINDS BECOMING NORTHWEST AROUND 16Z TIME WHILE GFS CONTINUES MORE OF A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME MIXING OF THE NORTHWEST WIND...WILL LEAN TOWARD THE NAM SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. OTHERWISE VFR TO CONTINUE WITH UNLIMITED CEILING. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...D-L LONG TERM....ENTREKIN AVIATION...D-L
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS INDIANAPOLIS IN
1025 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... AVIATION SECTION UPDATED && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 AN UPPER TROUGH SLOWLY LIFTING OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR RAIN IN THE FORECAST TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THIS FEATURE FINALLY LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA AND ALLOWS THINGS TO DRY OUT. THURSDAY NIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND USHER IN COOLER TEMPERATURES. AFTER THAT UPPER PATTERN IS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND COULD SEE SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW AND HAVE SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION DUE TO THIS. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 CURRENT PRECIP SHIELD NEAR THE KENTUCKY TENNESSEE BORDER IS MATCHING UP NICELY WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AT 300K IN THE NAM. GFS IS A BIT FURTHER SOUTH WITH THE ISENTROPIC LIFT CURRENTLY...AND THUS IT BRINGS IN THE PRECIPITATION SLOWER TODAY IF AT ALL. THIS SEEMS TO BE RESULTING FROM A SLOWER NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW IN THE GFS. OTHER MODELS ARE QUICKER WITH THE NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE LOW AND NOT AS FAR EAST. WILL FOLLOW THE 300K ISENTROPIC LIFT IN THE NAM FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF POPS INTO THE AREA...RESULTING IN A SLIGHTLY SLOWER ARRIVAL THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST BUT HIGHER POPS BY AFTERNOON SPREADING FURTHER NORTH. THIS ARRIVAL OF PRECIP IN THE SOUTH AROUND 18Z IS SIMILAR TO THAT SEEN IN THE 3Z HRRR AND THE 6Z RAP. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WERE SIMILAR SO USED A MAV/MET AVERAGE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TO SEE IF SHOWERS MOVE NORTH QUICKER THAN FORECAST BUT AT THIS POINT LOOKS UNLIKELY BEFORE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODELS HAVE SOME DISTINCT DISAGREEMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW. GFS TAKES THE SURFACE LOW FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST THAN NAM/12Z ECMWF/UKMET OR SREFS UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND AS A RESULT IT/S QPF FIELDS BARELY BRING PRECIPITATION INTO THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES AND PRODUCE NOTHING IN THE NORTH OR WEST UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE LOW SWINGS A BIT WEST. LOOKING AT THE UPPER LEVEL Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE AS WELL AS LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS FIELDS EVEN IN THE GFS THE QPF DOESN/T SEEM TO MATCH UP. THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING ARRIVES BY MIDDAY MONDAY ACROSS THE AREA AND FRONTOGENESIS ARRIVES IN THE SOUTH BY 0Z AND LIFTS NORTH THROUGH THE AREA FROM 0 TO 12Z TUESDAY. BOTH IMPLY QPF ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. UKMET SOLUTION MATCHES UP FAIRLY WELL WITH NAM AND SREFS ARE ALSO IN THIS CAMP. THEREFORE PREFER A NAM/SREF SOLUTION THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. ISENTROPIC LIFT AND GOOD JET DYNAMICS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES WILL BE IN PLACE TONIGHT AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY CATEGORICAL POPS IN THE EAST TAPERING TO HIGH CHANCE IN THE NORTHWEST. A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL ALSO BE ADVECTED IN ACROSS THE SOUTH AND EAST AND THUS INCLUDE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER THERE AS WELL. TUESDAY SHOULD SEE THE ARRIVAL OF MORE INSTABILITY. AGAIN THE UPPER LEVEL JET WILL BE PARKED OVER THE AREA AND ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE AND WENT WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS ALL BUT THE NORTHWEST WITH A CHANCE FOR THUNDER ACROSS THE SAME AREA AS THE LIKELY POPS. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THE UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES OVER THE AREA WITH THE TROUGH AXIS MOVING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH THE AREA DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. FORCING IS A BIT WEAKER DURING THIS TIME BUT SUFFICIENT TO INCLUDE CHANCES FOR RAIN. AFTER THE TROUGH AXIS GETS EAST OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT IN THE WAY OF FORCING AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AS A RESULT. FOR TEMPERATURES LEANED COOLER THAN GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS WITH SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER AND RAIN. FOR LOWS FAVORED WARMER GUIDANCE FOR SAME REASON. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CHALLENGE TO THE EXTENDED WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE MODEL DIFFERENCES ESPECIALLY RELATED TO QPF. MODELS ARE IN A BIT BETTER AGREEMENT TO START THE EXTENDED OFF AS THE ALL KEYING IN ON A POTENT NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH THAT WILL BE PIVOTING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO ONTARIO ON FRIDAY. FAST UPPER FLOW AROUND THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT QUICKLY THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA THURSDAY NIGHT AND TO AROUND A CINCINNATI TO MEMPHIS LINE BY 12Z FRIDAY. THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM ALONG WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY PER THE MODELS SHOULD RESULT IN AT LEAST A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SHORTLY AFTER 00Z FRIDAY. SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD RESULT IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY. BY 00Z DAY...THE MODELS START TO HAVE BIG DIFFERENCES. MODELS ARE ALL SHOWING A VERY LARGE AREA OF WEST CENTRAL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING SOUTHEAST TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT. HOWEVER...THE 12Z AND 00Z ECMWF RUNS ARE MUCH STRONGER AND FURTHER NORTHEAST WITH A SOUTHWEST SYSTEM THAN ANY OTHER EXTENDED MODEL PER COLLABORATION WITH THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER. THIS RESULTS IN THE EURO MOVING A WAVE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY ON SATURDAY AND RESULTANT OVERRUNNING AND A LARGE AREA OF QPF ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THE OTHER MODELS ARE WELL SOUTHWEST WITH THE OVERRUNNING AND QPF. THAT SAID...KEPT SMALL POPS FROM THE REGIONAL ENSEMBLE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE EVENT THE THE EURO ENDS UP VERIFYING BETTER AND/OR ANY WAVE IN THE FAST ZONAL FLOW ALOFT HAPPENS TO SQUEEZE OUT SOME LIGHT QPF. AT ANY RATE...ALL MODELS AGREE ON THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA ON SUNDAY WITH A DRY COLUMN. SO SHOULD NOT SEE ANY SHOWERS THEN. REGIONAL ENSEMBLES LOOK PRETTY REASONABLE WITH TEMPERATURES STARTING OUT ABOVE NORMAL IN THE 70S ON THURSDAY AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY COLDER WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AND ONLY IN THE 50S BY SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 30S BY SATURDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 15Z IND TAF UPDATE/... RADAR TRENDS INDICATE SHRA OVER SOUTHERN INDIANA AND KENTUCKY SLOWLY MAKING PROGRESS NORTHWARD. HOWEVER..DRY NORTHEAST WINDS WITH DEW POINT TEMPS IN THE MID 40S WERE HELPING TO ERODE THE APPROACHING PRECIP AND KEEP VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUING. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF DEEPER MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING LOW. ONGOING TAF HANDLES THIS WELL AND HAVE MADE ONLY MINOR CHANGES BASED UPON OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION BELOW /DISCUSSION FOR THE 011200Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 640 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 VFR CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MVFR AND THEN IFR LATE AS RAIN OVERSPREADS THE TAF SITES FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. THE RAIN SHIELD SHOULD BE NEAR BMG BY 20Z...IND AND HUF BY 23Z AND LAF BY 02Z TUESDAY. LEFT WINDS WILL BE NORTHEAST AROUND 10 KNOTS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...CP NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...CP LONG TERM....KOCH AVIATION...MK/JP
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS INDIANAPOLIS IN
640 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 AN UPPER TROUGH SLOWLY LIFTING OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR RAIN IN THE FORECAST TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THIS FEATURE FINALLY LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA AND ALLOWS THINGS TO DRY OUT. THURSDAY NIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND USHER IN COOLER TEMPERATURES. AFTER THAT UPPER PATTERN IS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND COULD SEE SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW AND HAVE SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION DUE TO THIS. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 CURRENT PRECIP SHIELD NEAR THE KENTUCKY TENNESSEE BORDER IS MATCHING UP NICELY WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AT 300K IN THE NAM. GFS IS A BIT FURTHER SOUTH WITH THE ISENTROPIC LIFT CURRENTLY...AND THUS IT BRINGS IN THE PRECIPITATION SLOWER TODAY IF AT ALL. THIS SEEMS TO BE RESULTING FROM A SLOWER NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW IN THE GFS. OTHER MODELS ARE QUICKER WITH THE NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE LOW AND NOT AS FAR EAST. WILL FOLLOW THE 300K ISENTROPIC LIFT IN THE NAM FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF POPS INTO THE AREA...RESULTING IN A SLIGHTLY SLOWER ARRIVAL THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST BUT HIGHER POPS BY AFTERNOON SPREADING FURTHER NORTH. THIS ARRIVAL OF PRECIP IN THE SOUTH AROUND 18Z IS SIMILAR TO THAT SEEN IN THE 3Z HRRR AND THE 6Z RAP. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WERE SIMILAR SO USED A MAV/MET AVERAGE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TO SEE IF SHOWERS MOVE NORTH QUICKER THAN FORECAST BUT AT THIS POINT LOOKS UNLIKELY BEFORE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODELS HAVE SOME DISTINCT DISAGREEMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW. GFS TAKES THE SURFACE LOW FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST THAN NAM/12Z ECMWF/UKMET OR SREFS UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND AS A RESULT IT/S QPF FIELDS BARELY BRING PRECIPITATION INTO THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES AND PRODUCE NOTHING IN THE NORTH OR WEST UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE LOW SWINGS A BIT WEST. LOOKING AT THE UPPER LEVEL Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE AS WELL AS LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS FIELDS EVEN IN THE GFS THE QPF DOESN/T SEEM TO MATCH UP. THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING ARRIVES BY MIDDAY MONDAY ACROSS THE AREA AND FRONTOGENESIS ARRIVES IN THE SOUTH BY 0Z AND LIFTS NORTH THROUGH THE AREA FROM 0 TO 12Z TUESDAY. BOTH IMPLY QPF ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. UKMET SOLUTION MATCHES UP FAIRLY WELL WITH NAM AND SREFS ARE ALSO IN THIS CAMP. THEREFORE PREFER A NAM/SREF SOLUTION THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. ISENTROPIC LIFT AND GOOD JET DYNAMICS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES WILL BE IN PLACE TONIGHT AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY CATEGORICAL POPS IN THE EAST TAPERING TO HIGH CHANCE IN THE NORTHWEST. A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL ALSO BE ADVECTED IN ACROSS THE SOUTH AND EAST AND THUS INCLUDE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER THERE AS WELL. TUESDAY SHOULD SEE THE ARRIVAL OF MORE INSTABILITY. AGAIN THE UPPER LEVEL JET WILL BE PARKED OVER THE AREA AND ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE AND WENT WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS ALL BUT THE NORTHWEST WITH A CHANCE FOR THUNDER ACROSS THE SAME AREA AS THE LIKELY POPS. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THE UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES OVER THE AREA WITH THE TROUGH AXIS MOVING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH THE AREA DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. FORCING IS A BIT WEAKER DURING THIS TIME BUT SUFFICIENT TO INCLUDE CHANCES FOR RAIN. AFTER THE TROUGH AXIS GETS EAST OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT IN THE WAY OF FORCING AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AS A RESULT. FOR TEMPERATURES LEANED COOLER THAN GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS WITH SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER AND RAIN. FOR LOWS FAVORED WARMER GUIDANCE FOR SAME REASON. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CHALLENGE TO THE EXTENDED WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE MODEL DIFFERENCES ESPECIALLY RELATED TO QPF. MODELS ARE IN A BIT BETTER AGREEMENT TO START THE EXTENDED OFF AS THE ALL KEYING IN ON A POTENT NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH THAT WILL BE PIVOTING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO ONTARIO ON FRIDAY. FAST UPPER FLOW AROUND THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT QUICKLY THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA THURSDAY NIGHT AND TO AROUND A CINCINNATI TO MEMPHIS LINE BY 12Z FRIDAY. THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM ALONG WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY PER THE MODELS SHOULD RESULT IN AT LEAST A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SHORTLY AFTER 00Z FRIDAY. SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD RESULT IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY. BY 00Z DAY...THE MODELS START TO HAVE BIG DIFFERENCES. MODELS ARE ALL SHOWING A VERY LARGE AREA OF WEST CENTRAL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING SOUTHEAST TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT. HOWEVER...THE 12Z AND 00Z ECMWF RUNS ARE MUCH STRONGER AND FURTHER NORTHEAST WITH A SOUTHWEST SYSTEM THAN ANY OTHER EXTENDED MODEL PER COLLABORATION WITH THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER. THIS RESULTS IN THE EURO MOVING A WAVE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY ON SATURDAY AND RESULTANT OVERRUNNING AND A LARGE AREA OF QPF ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THE OTHER MODELS ARE WELL SOUTHWEST WITH THE OVERRUNNING AND QPF. THAT SAID...KEPT SMALL POPS FROM THE REGIONAL ENSEMBLE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE EVENT THE THE EURO ENDS UP VERIFYING BETTER AND/OR ANY WAVE IN THE FAST ZONAL FLOW ALOFT HAPPENS TO SQUEEZE OUT SOME LIGHT QPF. AT ANY RATE...ALL MODELS AGREE ON THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA ON SUNDAY WITH A DRY COLUMN. SO SHOULD NOT SEE ANY SHOWERS THEN. REGIONAL ENSEMBLES LOOK PRETTY REASONABLE WITH TEMPERATURES STARTING OUT ABOVE NORMAL IN THE 70S ON THURSDAY AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY COLDER WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AND ONLY IN THE 50S BY SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 30S BY SATURDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 011200Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 640 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 VFR CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MVFR AND THEN IFR LATE AS RAIN OVERSPREADS THE TAF SITES FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. THE RAIN SHIELD SHOULD BE NEAR BMG BY 20Z...IND AND HUF BY 23Z AND LAF BY 02Z TUESDAY. LEFT WINDS WILL BE NORTHEAST AROUND 10 KNOTS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...CP NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...CP LONG TERM....KOCH AVIATION...MK
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS INDIANAPOLIS IN
426 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 AN UPPER TROUGH SLOWLY LIFTING OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR RAIN IN THE FORECAST TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THIS FEATURE FINALLY LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA AND ALLOWS THINGS TO DRY OUT. THURSDAY NIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND USHER IN COOLER TEMPERATURES. AFTER THAT UPPER PATTERN IS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND COULD SEE SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW AND HAVE SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION DUE TO THIS. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 CURRENT PRECIP SHIELD NEAR THE KENTUCKY TENNESSEE BORDER IS MATCHING UP NICELY WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AT 300K IN THE NAM. GFS IS A BIT FURTHER SOUTH WITH THE ISENTROPIC LIFT CURRENTLY...AND THUS IT BRINGS IN THE PRECIPITATION SLOWER TODAY IF AT ALL. THIS SEEMS TO BE RESULTING FROM A SLOWER NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW IN THE GFS. OTHER MODELS ARE QUICKER WITH THE NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE LOW AND NOT AS FAR EAST. WILL FOLLOW THE 300K ISENTROPIC LIFT IN THE NAM FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF POPS INTO THE AREA...RESULTING IN A SLIGHTLY SLOWER ARRIVAL THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST BUT HIGHER POPS BY AFTERNOON SPREADING FURTHER NORTH. THIS ARRIVAL OF PRECIP IN THE SOUTH AROUND 18Z IS SIMILAR TO THAT SEEN IN THE 3Z HRRR AND THE 6Z RAP. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WERE SIMILAR SO USED A MAV/MET AVERAGE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TO SEE IF SHOWERS MOVE NORTH QUICKER THAN FORECAST BUT AT THIS POINT LOOKS UNLIKELY BEFORE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODELS HAVE SOME DISTINCT DISAGREEMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW. GFS TAKES THE SURFACE LOW FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST THAN NAM/12Z ECMWF/UKMET OR SREFS UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND AS A RESULT IT/S QPF FIELDS BARELY BRING PRECIPITATION INTO THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES AND PRODUCE NOTHING IN THE NORTH OR WEST UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE LOW SWINGS A BIT WEST. LOOKING AT THE UPPER LEVEL Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE AS WELL AS LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS FIELDS EVEN IN THE GFS THE QPF DOESN/T SEEM TO MATCH UP. THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING ARRIVES BY MIDDAY MONDAY ACROSS THE AREA AND FRONTOGENESIS ARRIVES IN THE SOUTH BY 0Z AND LIFTS NORTH THROUGH THE AREA FROM 0 TO 12Z TUESDAY. BOTH IMPLY QPF ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. UKMET SOLUTION MATCHES UP FAIRLY WELL WITH NAM AND SREFS ARE ALSO IN THIS CAMP. THEREFORE PREFER A NAM/SREF SOLUTION THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. ISENTROPIC LIFT AND GOOD JET DYNAMICS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES WILL BE IN PLACE TONIGHT AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY CATEGORICAL POPS IN THE EAST TAPERING TO HIGH CHANCE IN THE NORTHWEST. A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL ALSO BE ADVECTED IN ACROSS THE SOUTH AND EAST AND THUS INCLUDE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER THERE AS WELL. TUESDAY SHOULD SEE THE ARRIVAL OF MORE INSTABILITY. AGAIN THE UPPER LEVEL JET WILL BE PARKED OVER THE AREA AND ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE AND WENT WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS ALL BUT THE NORTHWEST WITH A CHANCE FOR THUNDER ACROSS THE SAME AREA AS THE LIKELY POPS. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THE UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES OVER THE AREA WITH THE TROUGH AXIS MOVING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH THE AREA DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. FORCING IS A BIT WEAKER DURING THIS TIME BUT SUFFICIENT TO INCLUDE CHANCES FOR RAIN. AFTER THE TROUGH AXIS GETS EAST OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT IN THE WAY OF FORCING AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AS A RESULT. FOR TEMPERATURES LEANED COOLER THAN GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS WITH SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER AND RAIN. FOR LOWS FAVORED WARMER GUIDANCE FOR SAME REASON. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CHALLENGE TO THE EXTENDED WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE MODEL DIFFERENCES ESPECIALLY RELATED TO QPF. MODELS ARE IN A BIT BETTER AGREEMENT TO START THE EXTENDED OFF AS THE ALL KEYING IN ON A POTENT NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH THAT WILL BE PIVOTING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO ONTARIO ON FRIDAY. FAST UPPER FLOW AROUND THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT QUICKLY THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA THURSDAY NIGHT AND TO AROUND A CINCINNATI TO MEMPHIS LINE BY 12Z FRIDAY. THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM ALONG WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY PER THE MODELS SHOULD RESULT IN AT LEAST A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SHORTLY AFTER 00Z FRIDAY. SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD RESULT IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY. BY 00Z DAY...THE MODELS START TO HAVE BIG DIFFERENCES. MODELS ARE ALL SHOWING A VERY LARGE AREA OF WEST CENTRAL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING SOUTHEAST TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT. HOWEVER...THE 12Z AND 00Z ECMWF RUNS ARE MUCH STRONGER AND FURTHER NORTHEAST WITH A SOUTHWEST SYSTEM THAN ANY OTHER EXTENDED MODEL PER COLLABORATION WITH THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER. THIS RESULTS IN THE EURO MOVING A WAVE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY ON SATURDAY AND RESULTANT OVERRUNNING AND A LARGE AREA OF QPF ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THE OTHER MODELS ARE WELL SOUTHWEST WITH THE OVERRUNNING AND QPF. THAT SAID...KEPT SMALL POPS FROM THE REGIONAL ENSEMBLE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE EVENT THE THE EURO ENDS UP VERIFYING BETTER AND/OR ANY WAVE IN THE FAST ZONAL FLOW ALOFT HAPPENS TO SQUEEZE OUT SOME LIGHT QPF. AT ANY RATE...ALL MODELS AGREE ON THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA ON SUNDAY WITH A DRY COLUMN. SO SHOULD NOT SEE ANY SHOWERS THEN. REGIONAL ENSEMBLES LOOK PRETTY REASONABLE WITH TEMPERATURES STARTING OUT ABOVE NORMAL IN THE 70S ON THURSDAY AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY COLDER WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AND ONLY IN THE 50S BY SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 30S BY SATURDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 010900Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 426 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 NO CHANGES NEEDED TO THE TAFS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... CEILINGS ABOVE 050 AND UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITY EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH 011800Z. MODEL DATA SUGGEST AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN MAY BEGIN AFFECTING THE TAF SITES FROM THE SOUTH AFTER 011800Z. SURFACE WINDS MAY APPROACH 15 KTS FROM 060-090 DEGREES TOWARDS MIDDAY ON MONDAY...ESPECIALLY AT KBMG/KHUF/KIND. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...CP NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...CP LONG TERM....KOCH AVIATION...JAS/MK
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS INDIANAPOLIS IN
343 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... THE SYNOPSIS...NEAR TERM...SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 AN UPPER TROUGH SLOWLY LIFTING OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR RAIN IN THE FORECAST TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THIS FEATURE FINALLY LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA AND ALLOWS THINGS TO DRY OUT. THURSDAY NIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND USHER IN COOLER TEMPERATURES. AFTER THAT UPPER PATTERN IS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND COULD SEE SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW AND HAVE SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION DUE TO THIS. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 CURRENT PRECIP SHIELD NEAR THE KENTUCKY TENNESSEE BORDER IS MATCHING UP NICELY WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AT 300K IN THE NAM. GFS IS A BIT FURTHER SOUTH WITH THE ISENTROPIC LIFT CURRENTLY...AND THUS IT BRINGS IN THE PRECIPITATION SLOWER TODAY IF AT ALL. THIS SEEMS TO BE RESULTING FROM A SLOWER NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW IN THE GFS. OTHER MODELS ARE QUICKER WITH THE NORTHWARD MOVEMENT OF THE LOW AND NOT AS FAR EAST. WILL FOLLOW THE 300K ISENTROPIC LIFT IN THE NAM FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF POPS INTO THE AREA...RESULTING IN A SLIGHTLY SLOWER ARRIVAL THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST BUT HIGHER POPS BY AFTERNOON SPREADING FURTHER NORTH. THIS ARRIVAL OF PRECIP IN THE SOUTH AROUND 18Z IS SIMILAR TO THAT SEEN IN THE 3Z HRRR AND THE 6Z RAP. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WERE SIMILAR SO USED A MAV/MET AVERAGE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TO SEE IF SHOWERS MOVE NORTH QUICKER THAN FORECAST BUT AT THIS POINT LOOKS UNLIKELY BEFORE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 FORECAST FOCUS IS ON POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODELS HAVE SOME DISTINCT DISAGREEMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW. GFS TAKES THE SURFACE LOW FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST THAN NAM/12Z ECMWF/UKMET OR SREFS UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND AS A RESULT IT/S QPF FIELDS BARELY BRING PRECIPITATION INTO THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES AND PRODUCE NOTHING IN THE NORTH OR WEST UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE LOW SWINGS A BIT WEST. LOOKING AT THE UPPER LEVEL Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE AS WELL AS LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS FIELDS EVEN IN THE GFS THE QPF DOESN/T SEEM TO MATCH UP. THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING ARRIVES BY MIDDAY MONDAY ACROSS THE AREA AND FRONTOGENESIS ARRIVES IN THE SOUTH BY 0Z AND LIFTS NORTH THROUGH THE AREA FROM 0 TO 12Z TUESDAY. BOTH IMPLY QPF ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. UKMET SOLUTION MATCHES UP FAIRLY WELL WITH NAM AND SREFS ARE ALSO IN THIS CAMP. THEREFORE PREFER A NAM/SREF SOLUTION THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. ISENTROPIC LIFT AND GOOD JET DYNAMICS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES WILL BE IN PLACE TONIGHT AND THIS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY CATEGORICAL POPS IN THE EAST TAPERING TO HIGH CHANCE IN THE NORTHWEST. A SMALL AMOUNT OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL ALSO BE ADVECTED IN ACROSS THE SOUTH AND EAST AND THUS INCLUDE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER THERE AS WELL. TUESDAY SHOULD SEE THE ARRIVAL OF MORE INSTABILITY. AGAIN THE UPPER LEVEL JET WILL BE PARKED OVER THE AREA AND ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE AND WENT WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS ALL BUT THE NORTHWEST WITH A CHANCE FOR THUNDER ACROSS THE SAME AREA AS THE LIKELY POPS. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THE UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES OVER THE AREA WITH THE TROUGH AXIS MOVING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH THE AREA DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. FORCING IS A BIT WEAKER DURING THIS TIME BUT SUFFICIENT TO INCLUDE CHANCES FOR RAIN. AFTER THE TROUGH AXIS GETS EAST OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT IN THE WAY OF FORCING AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AS A RESULT. FOR TEMPERATURES LEANED COOLER THAN GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS WITH SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER AND RAIN. FOR LOWS FAVORED WARMER GUIDANCE FOR SAME REASON. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 341 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CHALLENGE TO THE EXTENDED WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE MODEL DIFFERENCES ESPECIALLY RELATED TO QPF. MODELS ARE IN A BIT BETTER AGREEMENT TO START THE EXTENDED OFF AS THE ALL KEYING IN ON A POTENT NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH THAT WILL BE PIVOTING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO ONTARIO ON FRIDAY. FAST UPPER FLOW AROUND THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT QUICKLY THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA THURSDAY NIGHT AND TO AROUND A CINCINNATI TO MEMPHIS LINE BY 12Z FRIDAY. THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM ALONG WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY PER THE MODELS SHOULD RESULT IN AT LEAST A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SHORTLY AFTER 00Z FRIDAY. SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD RESULT IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY. BY 00Z DAY...THE MODELS START TO HAVE BIG DIFFERENCES. MODELS ARE ALL SHOWING A VERY LARGE AREA OF WEST CENTRAL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING SOUTHEAST TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT. HOWEVER...THE 12Z AND 00Z ECMWF RUNS ARE MUCH STRONGER AND FURTHER NORTHEAST WITH A SOUTHWEST SYSTEM THAN ANY OTHER EXTENDED MODEL PER COLLABORATION WITH THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER. THIS RESULTS IN THE EURO MOVING A WAVE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY ON SATURDAY AND RESULTANT OVERRUNNING AND A LARGE AREA OF QPF ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THE OTHER MODELS ARE WELL SOUTHWEST WITH THE OVERRUNNING AND QPF. THAT SAID...KEPT SMALL POPS FROM THE REGIONAL ENSEMBLE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE EVENT THE THE EURO ENDS UP VERIFYING BETTER AND/OR ANY WAVE IN THE FAST ZONAL FLOW ALOFT HAPPENS TO SQUEEZE OUT SOME LIGHT QPF. AT ANY RATE...ALL MODELS AGREE ON THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA ON SUNDAY WITH A DRY COLUMN. SO SHOULD NOT SEE ANY SHOWERS THEN. REGIONAL ENSEMBLES LOOK PRETTY REASONABLE WITH TEMPERATURES STARTING OUT ABOVE NORMAL IN THE 70S ON THURSDAY AND GETTING PROGRESSIVELY COLDER WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AND ONLY IN THE 50S BY SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 30S BY SATURDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 010600Z TAFS/... ISSUED AT 1240 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 CEILINGS ABOVE 050 AND UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITY EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH 011800Z. MODEL DATA SUGGEST AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN MAY BEGIN AFFECTING THE TAF SITES FROM THE SOUTH AFTER 011800Z. SURFACE WINDS MAY APPROACH 15 KTS FROM 060-090 DEGREES TOWARDS MIDDAY ON MONDAY...ESPECIALLY AT KBMG/KHUF/KIND. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...CP NEAR TERM...CP SHORT TERM...CP LONG TERM....KOCH AVIATION...JAS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
1132 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 902 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CHANGE WAS TO INCREASE THE WINDS FOR THE DAY OVER THE EAST HALF OF THE AREA. LATEST VAD WINDS FROM THE RADAR SHOW WINDS OF 30KTS ABOVE THE SURFACE. LATEST NAM MIXED LAYER WINDS HAVE STRENGTHENED TO MATCH THE MOS OUTPUT...SUGGESTING GUSTS MAY REACH 40 MPH EAST OF A STRATTON NEBRASKA TO RUSSELL SPRINGS LINE DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. AFTER THAT THE STRONGER WINDS MOVE SOUTH. DID HOLD ONTO THE SLIGHT CHANCES OVER THE EAST HALF DURING THE MORNING SINCE THE LEFT EXIT OF THE 300MB JET WILL BE OVER THE AREA. IF ANY STORMS DO DEVELOP THEY WILL BE WIDELY SCATTERED AT BEST AND MOVE OUT BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE LEFT EXIT OF THE JET MOVES SOUTHEAST. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 216 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOW LONG WAVE TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH TWO CLOSED LOW CENTERS OVER NEW ENGLAND AND ANOTHER OVER THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A LARGE SCALE RIDGE EXTENDS NORTH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS...WITH NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE A COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CWA. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT NEAR AN AXIS OF H85 FRONTOGENESIS IN THE NORTHWEST. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE CWA BY THE AFTERNOON...WITH SUBSIDENCE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST. I LEFT LINGERING POPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE EAST THROUGH THE IN PROXIMITY TO FRONT WHERE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE LIGHT QPF. PRECIP AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LOW WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH AT THE MOST. OVERALL TREND SHOULD BE CLEARING BY THIS EVENING WITH SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE AREA FROM THE WEST. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 TO 15F COOLER THAN SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S/70S ACROSS THE CWA. THE AIR MASS TONIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR LAST FEW COOL-DOWNS...SO I USED THAT AS A BASIS FOR MY LOW TEMPERATURE FORECAST. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS EXPECTED TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP INTO THE LOW 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 336 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURE WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S/LOW 80S. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. OVERALL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH THE AMOUNT OF SPREAD BETWEEN MODELS ON THIS FEATURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON TEMPERATURE FORECAST WED. LARGE SCALE ASCENT BUILDS OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THIS FRONT AS ITS PARENT TROUGH MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS. BEST MOISTURE ADVECTION/LIFT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTH...SO I KEPT CHANCE POPS MAINLY NORTH OF I-70. A DEFINITE CHANGE TO THE WEATHER BY LATE IN THE WEEK AS MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE USHERED IN BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A SURFACE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON THURSDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. FORECAST GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED LATE FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BROAD TROUGH WITH CLOSED LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL SWING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...BUT DISAGREE ON THE MAGNITUDE AND SPEED OF THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER CLOSED LOW WILL BE DEEPENING OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO MOVE ONSHORE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP THE REGION UNDER NEAR ZONAL TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. NEAR THE SURFACE...A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR WILL SLIDE DOWN FROM CANADA AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY THE WEEKEND. THIS NEXT SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL ONLY ALLOW HIGHS TO CLIMB INTO THE 40S AND MAYBE LOW 50S ON SATURDAY. THIS WILL ALSO BE OUR BEST CHANCE TO HAVE OUR FIRST HARD FREEZE THIS SEASON AS MODELS AGREE THAT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S BOTH SAT AND SUN MORNINGS. AS FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES...MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT A COLD WET WEEKEND IS A HIGH PROBABILITY. BEST POSSIBILITY LOOKS TO BE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE NEXT COLD SURGE SLIDES SOUTHWARD. THE COLDER MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE HINTED THAT A CHANCE FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX MAY BE POSSIBLE IN SOME PARTS OF THE TRI STATE REGION. GIVEN THAT THIS IS PRETTY LATE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WILL WAIT AND SEE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES. FOR NOW...HAVE JUST KEPT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1129 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 VFR CONDITIONS FORECAST FOR THE 18Z TAFS. GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON FOR BOTH SITES...ALTHOUGH A GRADUAL DECREASE CAN BE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT TONIGHT AS MIXING CEASES AND A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN. DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TUESDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE AREA. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...JTL SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...PMM AVIATION...JTL
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
910 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 902 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CHANGE WAS TO INCREASE THE WINDS FOR THE DAY OVER THE EAST HALF OF THE AREA. LATEST VAD WINDS FROM THE RADAR SHOW WINDS OF 30KTS ABOVE THE SURFACE. LATEST NAM MIXED LAYER WINDS HAVE STRENGTHENED TO MATCH THE MOS OUTPUT...SUGGESTING GUSTS MAY REACH 40 MPH EAST OF A STRATTON NEBRASKA TO RUSSELL SPRINGS LINE DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. AFTER THAT THE STRONGER WINDS MOVE SOUTH. DID HOLD ONTO THE SLIGHT CHANCES OVER THE EAST HALF DURING THE MORNING SINCE THE LEFT EXIT OF THE 300MB JET WILL BE OVER THE AREA. IF ANY STORMS DO DEVELOP THEY WILL BE WIDELY SCATTERED AT BEST AND MOVE OUT BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE LEFT EXIT OF THE JET MOVES SOUTHEAST. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 216 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOW LONGWAVE TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH TWO CLOSED LOW CENTERS OVER NEW ENGLAND AND ANOTHER OVER THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A LARGE SCALE RIDGE EXTENDS NORTH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS...WITH NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE A COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CWA. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT NEAR AN AXIS OF H85 FRONTOGENESIS IN THE NORTHWEST. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE CWA BY THE AFTERNOON...WITH SUBSIDENCE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST. I LEFT LINGERING POPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE EAST THROUGH THE IN PROXIMITY TO FRONT WHERE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE LIGHT QPF. PRECIP AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LOW WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH AT THE MOST. OVERALL TREND SHOULD BE CLEARING BY THIS EVENING WITH SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE AREA FROM THE WEST. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 TO 15F COOLER THAN SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S/70S ACROSS THE CWA. THE AIR MASS TONIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR LAST FEW COOL-DOWNS...SO I USED THAT AS A BASIS FOR MY LOW TEMPERATURE FORECAST. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS EXPECTED TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP INTO THE LOW 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 336 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURE WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S/LOW 80S. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. OVERALL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH THE AMOUNT OF SPREAD BETWEEN MODELS ON THIS FEATURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON TEMPERATURE FORECAST WED. LARGE SCALE ASCENT BUILDS OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THIS FRONT AS ITS PARENT TROUGH MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS. BEST MOISTURE ADVECTION/LIFT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTH...SO I KEPT CHANCE POPS MAINLY NORTH OF I-70. A DEFINITE CHANGE TO THE WEATHER BY LATE IN THE WEEK AS MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE USHERED IN BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A SURFACE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON THURSDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. FORECAST GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED LATE FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BROAD TROUGH WITH CLOSED LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL SWING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...BUT DISAGREE ON THE MAGNITUDE AND SPEED OF THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER CLOSED LOW WILL BE DEEPENING OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO MOVE ONSHORE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP THE REGION UNDER NEAR ZONAL TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. NEAR THE SURFACE...A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR WILL SLIDE DOWN FROM CANADA AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY THE WEEKEND. THIS NEXT SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL ONLY ALLOW HIGHS TO CLIMB INTO THE 40S AND MAYBE LOW 50S ON SATURDAY. THIS WILL ALSO BE OUR BEST CHANCE TO HAVE OUR FIRST HARD FREEZE THIS SEASON AS MODELS AGREE THAT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S BOTH SAT AND SUN MORNINGS. AS FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES...MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT A COLD WET WEEKEND IS A HIGH PROBABILITY. BEST POSSIBILITY LOOKS TO BE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE NEXT COLD SURGE SLIDES SOUTHWARD. THE COLDER MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE HINTED THAT A CHANCE FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX MAY BE POSSIBLE IN SOME PARTS OF THE TRI STATE REGION. GIVEN THAT THIS IS PRETTY LATE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WILL WAIT AND SEE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES. FOR NOW...HAVE JUST KEPT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 500 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT BOTH KGLD AND KMCK THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR BETWEEN 35-40KT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE TAF PERIOD WITH LLJ IN PLACE AND WINDS AT THE SURFACE GENERALLY AROUND 10KT. WINDS WILL INCREASE AT BOTH TERMINALS AFTER SUNRISE WITH GUSTS 28-30KT EXPECTED. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH AROUND 00Z AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WEAKENS...AND DAYTIME MIXING COMES TO AN END. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AS FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA...MAINLY AT KMCK WHERE VCSH IS INCLUDED THROUGH 14Z. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...JTL SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...PMM AVIATION...DR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
501 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 216 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOW LONGWAVE TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH TWO CLOSED LOW CENTERS OVER NEW ENGLAND AND ANOTHER OVER THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A LARGE SCALE RIDGE EXTENDS NORTH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS...WITH NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE A COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CWA. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT NEAR AN AXIS OF H85 FRONTOGENESIS IN THE NORTHWEST. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE CWA BY THE AFTERNOON...WITH SUBSIDENCE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST. I LEFT LINGERING POPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE EAST THROUGH THE IN PROXIMITY TO FRONT WHERE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE LIGHT QPF. PRECIP AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LOW WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH AT THE MOST. OVERALL TREND SHOULD BE CLEARING BY THIS EVENING WITH SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE AREA FROM THE WEST. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 TO 15F COOLER THAN SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S/70S ACROSS THE CWA. THE AIRMASS TONIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR LAST FEW COOL-DOWNS...SO I USED THAT AS A BASIS FOR MY LOW TEMPERATURE FORECAST. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS EXPECTED TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP INTO THE LOW 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 336 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURE WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S/LOW 80S. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. OVERALL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH THE AMOUNT OF SPREAD BETWEEN MODELS ON THIS FEATURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON TEMPERATURE FORECAST WED. LARGE SCALE ASCENT BUILDS OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THIS FRONT AS ITS PARENT TROUGH MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS. BEST MOISTURE ADVECTION/LIFT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTH...SO I KEPT CHANCE POPS MAINLY NORTH OF I-70. A DEFINITE CHANGE TO THE WEATHER BY LATE IN THE WEEK AS MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE USHERED IN BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A SURFACE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON THURSDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. FORECAST GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED LATE FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BROAD TROUGH WITH CLOSED LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL SWING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...BUT DISAGREE ON THE MAGNITUDE AND SPEED OF THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER CLOSED LOW WILL BE DEEPENING OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO MOVE ONSHORE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP THE REGION UNDER NEAR ZONAL TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. NEAR THE SURFACE...A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR WILL SLIDE DOWN FROM CANADA AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY THE WEEKEND. THIS NEXT SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL ONLY ALLOW HIGHS TO CLIMB INTO THE 40S AND MAYBE LOW 50S ON SATURDAY. THIS WILL ALSO BE OUR BEST CHANCE TO HAVE OUR FIRST HARD FREEZE THIS SEASON AS MODELS AGREE THAT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S BOTH SAT AND SUN MORNINGS. AS FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES...MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT A COLD WET WEEKEND IS A HIGH PROBABILITY. BEST POSSIBILITY LOOKS TO BE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE NEXT COLD SURGE SLIDES SOUTHWARD. THE COLDER MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE HINTED THAT A CHANCE FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX MAY BE POSSIBLE IN SOME PARTS OF THE TRI STATE REGION. GIVEN THAT THIS IS PRETTY LATE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WILL WAIT AND SEE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES. FOR NOW...HAVE JUST KEPT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 500 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT BOTH KGLD AND KMCK THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR BETWEEN 35-40KT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE TAF PERIOD WITH LLJ IN PLACE AND WINDS AT THE SURFACE GENERALLY AROUND 10KT. WINDS WILL INCREASE AT BOTH TERMINALS AFTER SUNRISE WITH GUSTS 28-30KT EXPECTED. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH AROUND 00Z AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WEAKENS...AND DAYTIME MIXING COMES TO AN END. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AS FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA...MAINLY AT KMCK WHERE VCSH IS INCLUDED THROUGH 14Z. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...PMM AVIATION...DR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
338 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 216 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOW LONGWAVE TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH TWO CLOSED LOW CENTERS OVER NEW ENGLAND AND ANOTHER OVER THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A LARGE SCALE RIDGE EXTENDS NORTH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS...WITH NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE A COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CWA. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT NEAR AN AXIS OF H85 FRONTOGENESIS IN THE NORTHWEST. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE CWA BY THE AFTERNOON...WITH SUBSIDENCE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST. I LEFT LINGERING POPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE EAST THROUGH THE IN PROXIMITY TO FRONT WHERE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE LIGHT QPF. PRECIP AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LOW WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH AT THE MOST. OVERALL TREND SHOULD BE CLEARING BY THIS EVENING WITH SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE AREA FROM THE WEST. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 TO 15F COOLER THAN SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S/70S ACROSS THE CWA. THE AIRMASS TONIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR LAST FEW COOL-DOWNS...SO I USED THAT AS A BASIS FOR MY LOW TEMPERATURE FORECAST. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS EXPECTED TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP INTO THE LOW 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 336 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURE WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S/LOW 80S. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. OVERALL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH THE AMOUNT OF SPREAD BETWEEN MODELS ON THIS FEATURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON TEMPERATURE FORECAST WED. LARGE SCALE ASCENT BUILDS OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THIS FRONT AS ITS PARENT TROUGH MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS. BEST MOISTURE ADVECTION/LIFT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTH...SO I KEPT CHANCE POPS MAINLY NORTH OF I-70. A DEFINITE CHANGE TO THE WEATHER BY LATE IN THE WEEK AS MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE USHERED IN BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A SURFACE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON THURSDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. FORECAST GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED LATE FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BROAD TROUGH WITH CLOSED LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL SWING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...BUT DISAGREE ON THE MAGNITUDE AND SPEED OF THE SYSTEM. ANOTHER CLOSED LOW WILL BE DEEPENING OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO MOVE ONSHORE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP THE REGION UNDER NEAR ZONAL TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. NEAR THE SURFACE...A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR WILL SLIDE DOWN FROM CANADA AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY THE WEEKEND. THIS NEXT SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL ONLY ALLOW HIGHS TO CLIMB INTO THE 40S AND MAYBE LOW 50S ON SATURDAY. THIS WILL ALSO BE OUR BEST CHANCE TO HAVE OUR FIRST HARD FREEZE THIS SEASON AS MODELS AGREE THAT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S BOTH SAT AND SUN MORNINGS. AS FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES...MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT A COLD WET WEEKEND IS A HIGH PROBABILITY. BEST POSSIBILITY LOOKS TO BE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE NEXT COLD SURGE SLIDES SOUTHWARD. THE COLDER MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE HINTED THAT A CHANCE FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX MAY BE POSSIBLE IN SOME PARTS OF THE TRI STATE REGION. GIVEN THAT THIS IS PRETTY LATE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WILL WAIT AND SEE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES. FOR NOW...HAVE JUST KEPT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1122 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 ONE BATCH OF PRECIPITATION HAS ENDED WITH THE NEXT BATCH DEVELOPING TO OUR NORTHWEST AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND RATHER STRONG LEFT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE JET MOVES TOWARDS THE AREA. SATELLITE AND RADAR TRENDS INDICATE EXPANDING RETURNS AND CLOUDS. NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW MUCH WILL MAKE IT HERE AND THE AFFECT ON THE TAF SITES. IT DOES LOOK LIKE CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VFR. AFTER PRECIPITATION THERE WILL BE CLEARING. ALSO A FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH...AND WILL SEE GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE BECOMING MUCH LIGHTER. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...PMM AVIATION...BULLER
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
217 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 216 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOW LONGWAVE TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH TWO CLOSED LOW CENTERS OVER NEW ENGLAND AND ANOTHER OVER THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A LARGE SCALE RIDGE EXTENDS NORTH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS...WITH NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE A COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CWA. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT NEAR AN AXIS OF H85 FRONTOGENESIS IN THE NORTHWEST. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE CWA BY THE AFTERNOON...WITH SUBSIDENCE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST. I LEFT LINGERING POPS IN PLACE ACROSS THE EAST THROUGH THE IN PROXIMITY TO FRONT WHERE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE LIGHT QPF. PRECIP AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LOW WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH AT THE MOST. OVERALL TREND SHOULD BE CLEARING BY THIS EVENING WITH SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE AREA FROM THE WEST. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 TO 15F COOLER THAN SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S/70S ACROSS THE CWA. THE AIRMASS TONIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR LAST FEW COOL-DOWNS...SO I USED THAT AS A BASIS FOR MY LOW TEMPERATURE FORECAST. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS EXPECTED TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP INTO THE LOW 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURE WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S/LOW 80S. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. OVERALL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH THE AMOUNT OF SPREAD BETWEEN MODELS ON THIS FEATURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON TEMPERATURE FORECAST WED. LARGE SCALE ASCENT BUILDS OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THIS FRONT AS ITS PARENT TROUGH MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS. BEST MOISTURE ADVECTION/LIFT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTH...SO I KEPT CHANCE POPS MAINLY NORTH OF I-70. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 239 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY WILL BE DRY AS AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE RIDGE AND SURFACE RIDGE MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. MONDAY NIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES APPROACH THE MID 30S FROM MCCOOK SOUTHEAST TO HILL CITY...WHICH MAY CAUSE LOW LYING AREAS TO SEE PATH CY FROST. WILL KEEP A MENTION OF FROST OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR NOW SINCE MOST MODELS HAVE LOWS JUST ABOVE FROST CRITERIA. HOWEVER WITH DEW POINTS NEAR 30 DEGREES AT SUNRISE...CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS...LOWS MAY BE A FEW DEGREES TOO WARM. ON A SIDE NOTE THE AVERAGE FIRST FREEZE FOR THE TRI-STATE AREA USUALLY OCCURS IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS. TUESDAY NIGHT THE SHORT WAVE RIDGE MOVES SOUTH AS AN UPPER LEVEL LONG WAVE TROUGH DROPS OUT OF CANADA INTO THE NORTHWEST US WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT AHEAD OF IT. MODELS DIFFER ON THE SPEED OF THE COLD FRONT...WITH THE NAM/SREF AND SOME OF THE 12Z GEFS MEMBERS MOVING THE FRONT HALFWAY THROUGH THE AREA BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. THE 12Z GFS HAS SPED THE FRONTAL PASSAGE UP SOME. GIVEN THE CURRENT FASTER TREND...AND THE FACT THE NAM HAD THE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE SURFACE TROUGH FOR SUNDAY...AM LEANING TOWARDS THE FASTER FRONTAL PASSAGE FOR LATE TUESDAY/EARLY WEDNESDAY. A FASTER FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL PLACE THE FRONT AHEAD OF THE BETTER 1000-500MB MOISTURE...SO AM NOT EXPECTING MUCH IF ANY PRECIP. WITH THE FRONT AT THIS POINT. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY GENERAL MODEL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THE FRONTAL TIMING FOR WEDNESDAY AS MENTION PREVIOUSLY...RESULTING IN A DRY FRONTAL PASSAGE. MODELS INCREASE THE 1000-500MB RELATIVE HUMIDITY BEHIND THE FRONT AND AHEAD OF THE MAIN SHORT WAVE TROUGH...HOWEVER MODELS STILL DIFFER AS TO HOW FAR SOUTH THE TROUGH WILL DIG AND HOW FAST THE TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MODELS CONSENSUS IS LEANING TOWARDS KEEPING THE MAJORITY OF THE TROUGH FURTHER NORTH...BUT THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THE ENTIRE AREA MAY RECEIVE RAINFALL SO HAVE AT LEAST SLIGHT PRECIP. CHANCES FOR THE ENTIRE AREA WED. NIGHT. THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BROADENS OVER THE NORTHERN CONUS AS IT MOVES EAST. TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH/COLD FRONT DIVES SOUTH THROUGH THE FLOW...MOVING OVER THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...GIVING THE AREA A SHOT AT PRECIP. THROUGH SUNDAY. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TEMPERATURES WILL BE 5 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT LOW LYING AREAS WILL BE AT RISK FOR FROST AS TEMPERATURES DIP TO THE MID 30S. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1122 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 ONE BATCH OF PRECIPITATION HAS ENDED WITH THE NEXT BATCH DEVELOPING TO OUR NORTHWEST AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND RATHER STRONG LEFT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE JET MOVES TOWARDS THE AREA. SATELLITE AND RADAR TRENDS INDICATE EXPANDING RETURNS AND CLOUDS. NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW MUCH WILL MAKE IT HERE AND THE AFFECT ON THE TAF SITES. IT DOES LOOK LIKE CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VFR. AFTER PRECIPITATION THERE WILL BE CLEARING. ALSO A FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH...AND WILL SEE GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE BECOMING MUCH LIGHTER. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...JTL AVIATION...BULLER
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
123 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 ...UPDATE TO SYNOPSIS... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 121 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 WV IMAGERY AND 00Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATE A CLOSED OFF UPPER LEVEL LOW DRIFTING EASTWARD ACROSS THE ARK-LA-TEX REGION. MEANWHILE, A +90KT UPPER LEVEL JET IS DIVING SOUTH-SOUTHEAST ACROSS MONTANA INTO EASTERN WYOMING. NEAR THE SURFACE, A POOL OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE EXTENDS NORTHWARD ACROSS WEST TEXAS INTO SOUTHWEST KANSAS WITH H85 DEWPOINTS UP AROUND 8C. A SURFACE TROUGH IS EDGING SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH THROUGH NEBRASKA. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TOMORROW) ISSUED AT 143 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 LATEST RAP WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE 12Z NAM AND THEY BOTH VERIFIED FAIRLY WELL WITH THE LOCATION OF THE SURFACE LEE TROUGH WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS FAR WESTERN KANSAS. AHEAD OF THIS SURFACE BOUNDARY A 0-1KM THETA-E RIDGE AXIS EXTENDED NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. THIS FEATURE IS FORECAST TO MOVE VERY LITTLE THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT AND WILL BE THE AREA WHERE THE BETTER LOW LEVEL FORCING WILL BE LATE TODAY AS 500MB TEMPERATURE COOL AND INSTABILITY IMPROVES. WILL THEREFORE RETAIN MENTION OF LATE DAY/EARLY NIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THE UPPER LEVEL JET LOCATED OVER MONTANA EARLIER TODAY WILL DIVE SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS AND BY EARLY MONDAY THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THIS JET IS FORECAST TO BE LOCATED OVER WESTERN KANSAS. BUFR SOUNDINGS ALSO SUGGESTING MOISTURE WILL BE PRESENT AROUND THE 700MB LEVEL EARLY IN THE DAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS. BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE UPPER JET, BETTER 700MB MOISTURE ALONG WITH SOME FRONTOGENESIS WILL RETAIN MENTION OF PRECIPITATION EARLY IN THE DAY. BUFR SOUNDING WIND PROFILES INDICATED 30KTS AT 800MB LEVEL BEHIND THIS FRONT WITH MEAN MIXED LEVEL WINDS SUGGESTING WINDS SPEEDS IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE WILL BE POSSIBLE. 850MB TEMPERATURES AT 00Z TUESDAY SUGGESTS HIGHS WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 70S WHICH WERE SIMILAR TO THE MOSGUIDE, AND CONSMOS. THIS ALSO ONLY A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST SO GIVEN A SLIGHT SUPER NEAR THE SURFACE THE PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 75 TO NEAR 80 DEGREE RANGE STILL APPEARS ON TRACK. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 401 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 NORTHERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW WILL PERSIST TUESDAY ON THE BACK SIDE OF AN UPPER LOW. IN THE ABSENCE OF LEE TROUGHING, PLEASANT WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED. IT WILL BE FAIRLY COOL IN THE LOWER 40S IN THE MORNING GIVEN THE DRY AIR AND LIGHT WINDS. THE AFTERNOON WILL TURN OUT PLEASANT WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S AND LIGHT WINDS. A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL PROGRESS SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF CANADA INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY WEDNESDAY. AHEAD OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT, TEMPERATURES SHOULD REACH INTO THE UPPER 70S IN PLACES LIKE SCOTT CITY AND DIGHTON, WITH WARMER 80S FROM DODGE CITY INTO SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. SOME MID-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM AFTER THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE MOVES THROUGH AND THE JET STREAK APPROACHES. SO A FEW RAIN SHOWERS CANNOT BE RULED OUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY FROM DODGE CITY NORTHWARD TO THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR. THERE ARE MAJOR DISAGREEMENTS AMONG THE VARIOUS MODELS BY THURSDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE ECMWF DEVELOPS A POSITIVELY TILTED UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH FROM WINNIPEG SOUTHWESTWARD TO THE CALIFORNIA COAST, WHILE THE GFS DEVELOPS A LARGE TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION, WITH A CUTOFF LOW OFF OF THE WEST COAST. INTERESTINGLY, EVEN THOUGH THE PATTERNS ARE DIFFERENT IN THE GFS/ECMWF, THEY BOTH SHOW MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND SOME POSSIBLE LIGHT RAIN FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. OTHER THAN THAT, BOTH MODELS SHOW SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH FAIRLY COOL HIGHS MAINLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND LOWS DROPPING INTO THE 40S. BY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THE GFS KEEPS A NORTHWESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW REGIME OVER THE PLAINS AS UPPER TROUGHING PERSISTS OVER THE GREAT LAKES. THIS WOULD BE A COOL AND MAINLY DRY REGIME. THE ECMWF INDICATES ISENTROPIC LIFT AS LOW LEVEL COOL AIR BECOMES WEDGED UNDERNEATH THE WEST- SOUTHWESTERLY MID-LEVEL FLOW. THIS WOULD YIELD A CLOUDY PATTERN WITH PERHAPS SOME AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AND POSSIBLY EVEN SNOW BY SUNDAY NIGHT. THE UKMET IS SIMILAR TO THE ECMWF AT DAY 6 WHILE THE GEM AGREES MORE WITH THE GFS. DUE TO THE GREAT UNCERTAINTY, WE JUST OPTED TO GO WITH THE ALLBLEND INITIALIZATION, WHICH FEATURES COOL BUT DRY WEATHER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1200 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS OVERNIGHT POTENTIALLY AFFECTING KDDC AND KGCK. OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AS FOR WINDS, A COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH OUT OF WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA EARLY THIS MORNING, WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTH INTO AND ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS BY LATE THIS MORNING. AS A RESULT, LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OVERNIGHT WILL BECOME NORTHERLY 20 TO 30KT BY MID DAY MONDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 75 43 74 50 / 20 0 0 0 GCK 73 42 75 49 / 20 0 0 0 EHA 73 45 76 50 / 20 0 0 0 LBL 75 45 75 49 / 20 0 0 0 HYS 73 40 74 50 / 20 0 0 0 P28 78 47 74 52 / 20 0 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...JJOHNSON SHORT TERM...BURGERT LONG TERM...FINCH AVIATION...JJOHNSON
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
1131 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1122 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 COMPLETED AN UPDATE EARLIER. INITIALLY WAS TO REFINE POPS/WX AND OTHER HOURLY GRIDS FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING. MAIN CHANGE TO ADD SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE 06Z TO 18Z TIME FRAME. RATHER STRONG LEFT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE JET WILL BE AFFECTING DURING THIS TIME ALONG WITH STRONG MID LEVEL MESOSCALE FORCING. THETA-E LAPSE RATES INDICATE THERE SHOULD BE A DECENT RESPONSE TO THE LIFT. FOR THE LAST HOUR OR TWO CLOUDS AND RADAR RETURNS HAVE BEEN INCREASING TO THE NORTHWEST WITH SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION MAKING IT TO THE GROUND. SOUNDINGS WOULD INDICATE THAT AIR MASS INITIALLY SATURATED AT 700 MB. BUT WITH THE LIFT...LAPSE RATES...AND SAME ELEVATED CAPE/LITTLE CINH...SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME VERY LIGHT QPF. ADJUSTED WINDS PER LATEST RUC THROUGH THE REST OF TONIGHT INTO EARLY TOMORROW. INCREASED THE SPEEDS BEHIND THE FRONT. OTHERWISE JUST DID NORMAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HOURLY GRIDS. && .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 1259 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING A SHORTWAVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. HOWEVER H8-7 LAYER MEAN RH IS LIMITED AND DYNAMICS ARE WEAK. THERE IS ENOUGH CAPE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SO WILL GO WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE FA THIS EVENING WITH SOME CHANCE POPS IN THE EAST NEAR THE SURFACE TROUGH. DYNAMICS WILL WEAKEN AS THE SHORTWAVE EXITS BY 06Z MONDAY. POPS WILL BE LOWERED TO NIL AT THIS POINT AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY AS SUBSIDENCE BUILDS INTO NORTHWEST KANSAS. MIN TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL FALL INTO THE UPPER 40S IN EASTERN COLORADO WITH AROUND 50S ELSEWHERE. MAX TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL RANGE FROM 70 TO 75. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 239 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY WILL BE DRY AS AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE RIDGE AND SURFACE RIDGE MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. MONDAY NIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES APPROACH THE MID 30S FROM MCCOOK SOUTHEAST TO HILL CITY...WHICH MAY CAUSE LOW LYING AREAS TO SEE PATH CY FROST. WILL KEEP A MENTION OF FROST OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR NOW SINCE MOST MODELS HAVE LOWS JUST ABOVE FROST CRITERIA. HOWEVER WITH DEW POINTS NEAR 30 DEGREES AT SUNRISE...CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS...LOWS MAY BE A FEW DEGREES TOO WARM. ON A SIDE NOTE THE AVERAGE FIRST FREEZE FOR THE TRI-STATE AREA USUALLY OCCURS IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS. TUESDAY NIGHT THE SHORT WAVE RIDGE MOVES SOUTH AS AN UPPER LEVEL LONG WAVE TROUGH DROPS OUT OF CANADA INTO THE NORTHWEST US WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT AHEAD OF IT. MODELS DIFFER ON THE SPEED OF THE COLD FRONT...WITH THE NAM/SREF AND SOME OF THE 12Z GEFS MEMBERS MOVING THE FRONT HALFWAY THROUGH THE AREA BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. THE 12Z GFS HAS SPED THE FRONTAL PASSAGE UP SOME. GIVEN THE CURRENT FASTER TREND...AND THE FACT THE NAM HAD THE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE SURFACE TROUGH FOR SUNDAY...AM LEANING TOWARDS THE FASTER FRONTAL PASSAGE FOR LATE TUESDAY/EARLY WEDNESDAY. A FASTER FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL PLACE THE FRONT AHEAD OF THE BETTER 1000-500MB MOISTURE...SO AM NOT EXPECTING MUCH IF ANY PRECIP. WITH THE FRONT AT THIS POINT. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY GENERAL MODEL TREND HAS BEEN TO SPEED UP THE FRONTAL TIMING FOR WEDNESDAY AS MENTION PREVIOUSLY...RESULTING IN A DRY FRONTAL PASSAGE. MODELS INCREASE THE 1000-500MB RELATIVE HUMIDITY BEHIND THE FRONT AND AHEAD OF THE MAIN SHORT WAVE TROUGH...HOWEVER MODELS STILL DIFFER AS TO HOW FAR SOUTH THE TROUGH WILL DIG AND HOW FAST THE TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MODELS CONSENSUS IS LEANING TOWARDS KEEPING THE MAJORITY OF THE TROUGH FURTHER NORTH...BUT THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THE ENTIRE AREA MAY RECEIVE RAINFALL SO HAVE AT LEAST SLIGHT PRECIP. CHANCES FOR THE ENTIRE AREA WED. NIGHT. THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BROADENS OVER THE NORTHERN CONUS AS IT MOVES EAST. TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH/COLD FRONT DIVES SOUTH THROUGH THE FLOW...MOVING OVER THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...GIVING THE AREA A SHOT AT PRECIP. THROUGH SUNDAY. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TEMPERATURES WILL BE 5 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT LOW LYING AREAS WILL BE AT RISK FOR FROST AS TEMPERATURES DIP TO THE MID 30S. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1122 PM MDT SUN SEP 30 2012 ONE BATCH OF PRECIPITATION HAS ENDED WITH THE NEXT BATCH DEVELOPING TO OUR NORTHWEST AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND RATHER STRONG LEFT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE JET MOVES TOWARDS THE AREA. SATELLITE AND RADAR TRENDS INDICATE EXPANDING RETURNS AND CLOUDS. NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW MUCH WILL MAKE IT HERE AND THE AFFECT ON THE TAF SITES. IT DOES LOOK LIKE CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VFR. AFTER PRECIPITATION THERE WILL BE CLEARING. ALSO A FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH...AND WILL SEE GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE BECOMING MUCH LIGHTER. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...BULLER SHORT TERM...FS LONG TERM...JTL AVIATION...BULLER
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
1208 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 1212 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 AT 12Z SUNDAY AN UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK EXTENDED FROM NORTHWEST MONTANA INTO SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. AT THE 500MB LEVEL A -14 TO -15C THERMAL TROUGH EXTENDED FROM NORTH DAKOTA INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. ANOTHER COLDER UPPER LEVEL THERMAL TROUGH WAS LOCATED NEAR THE LEFT EXIT REGION THE UPPER LEVEL JET LOCATED NEAR SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA CANADA. AT THE 700MB LEVEL A +5 TO +7C THERMAL RIDGE EXTENDED FROM SOUTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA INTO NORTHEAST COLORADO WITH SOME 700-600MB MOISTURE AND MID LEVEL INSTABILITY PRESENT IN THIS AREA BASED ON THE NORTH PLATTE SOUNDING AND RAP. MOSAIC RADAR LOOP ALSO PICKED UP ON A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA. NEAR THE SURFACE A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE STRETCHED FROM CENTRAL NEBRASKA INTO WEST CENTRAL KANSAS WITH A WEDGE OF HIGHER MOISTURE PRESENT AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH BASED THE EARLY MORNING STATUS/FOG, LOW TO MID 50S SURFACE DEWPOINTS, AND +10 TO +12C 850MB DEWPOINTS. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TOMORROW) ISSUED AT 143 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 LATEST RAP WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE 12Z NAM AND THEY BOTH VERIFIED FAIRLY WELL WITH THE LOCATION OF THE SURFACE LEE TROUGH WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS FAR WESTERN KANSAS. AHEAD OF THIS SURFACE BOUNDARY A 0-1KM THETA-E RIDGE AXIS EXTENDED NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. THIS FEATURE IS FORECAST TO MOVE VERY LITTLE THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT AND WILL BE THE AREA WHERE THE BETTER LOW LEVEL FORCING WILL BE LATE TODAY AS 500MB TEMPERATURE COOL AND INSTABILITY IMPROVES. WILL THEREFORE RETAIN MENTION OF LATE DAY/EARLY NIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THE UPPER LEVEL JET LOCATED OVER MONTANA EARLIER TODAY WILL DIVE SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS AND BY EARLY MONDAY THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THIS JET IS FORECAST TO BE LOCATED OVER WESTERN KANSAS. BUFR SOUNDINGS ALSO SUGGESTING MOISTURE WILL BE PRESENT AROUND THE 700MB LEVEL EARLY IN THE DAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS. BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE UPPER JET, BETTER 700MB MOISTURE ALONG WITH SOME FRONTOGENESIS WILL RETAIN MENTION OF PRECIPITATION EARLY IN THE DAY. BUFR SOUNDING WIND PROFILES INDICATED 30KTS AT 800MB LEVEL BEHIND THIS FRONT WITH MEAN MIXED LEVEL WINDS SUGGESTING WINDS SPEEDS IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE WILL BE POSSIBLE. 850MB TEMPERATURES AT 00Z TUESDAY SUGGESTS HIGHS WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 70S WHICH WERE SIMILAR TO THE MOSGUIDE, AND CONSMOS. THIS ALSO ONLY A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST SO GIVEN A SLIGHT SUPER NEAR THE SURFACE THE PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 75 TO NEAR 80 DEGREE RANGE STILL APPEARS ON TRACK. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 401 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 NORTHERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW WILL PERSIST TUESDAY ON THE BACK SIDE OF AN UPPER LOW. IN THE ABSENCE OF LEE TROUGHING, PLEASANT WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED. IT WILL BE FAIRLY COOL IN THE LOWER 40S IN THE MORNING GIVEN THE DRY AIR AND LIGHT WINDS. THE AFTERNOON WILL TURN OUT PLEASANT WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S AND LIGHT WINDS. A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL PROGRESS SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF CANADA INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY WEDNESDAY. AHEAD OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT, TEMPERATURES SHOULD REACH INTO THE UPPER 70S IN PLACES LIKE SCOTT CITY AND DIGHTON, WITH WARMER 80S FROM DODGE CITY INTO SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. SOME MID-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM AFTER THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE MOVES THROUGH AND THE JET STREAK APPROACHES. SO A FEW RAIN SHOWERS CANNOT BE RULED OUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY FROM DODGE CITY NORTHWARD TO THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR. THERE ARE MAJOR DISAGREEMENTS AMONG THE VARIOUS MODELS BY THURSDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE ECMWF DEVELOPS A POSITIVELY TILTED UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH FROM WINNIPEG SOUTHWESTWARD TO THE CALIFORNIA COAST, WHILE THE GFS DEVELOPS A LARGE TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION, WITH A CUTOFF LOW OFF OF THE WEST COAST. INTERESTINGLY, EVEN THOUGH THE PATTERNS ARE DIFFERENT IN THE GFS/ECMWF, THEY BOTH SHOW MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND SOME POSSIBLE LIGHT RAIN FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. OTHER THAN THAT, BOTH MODELS SHOW SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH FAIRLY COOL HIGHS MAINLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND LOWS DROPPING INTO THE 40S. BY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THE GFS KEEPS A NORTHWESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW REGIME OVER THE PLAINS AS UPPER TROUGHING PERSISTS OVER THE GREAT LAKES. THIS WOULD BE A COOL AND MAINLY DRY REGIME. THE ECMWF INDICATES ISENTROPIC LIFT AS LOW LEVEL COOL AIR BECOMES WEDGED UNDERNEATH THE WEST- SOUTHWESTERLY MID-LEVEL FLOW. THIS WOULD YIELD A CLOUDY PATTERN WITH PERHAPS SOME AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AND POSSIBLY EVEN SNOW BY SUNDAY NIGHT. THE UKMET IS SIMILAR TO THE ECMWF AT DAY 6 WHILE THE GEM AGREES MORE WITH THE GFS. DUE TO THE GREAT UNCERTAINTY, WE JUST OPTED TO GO WITH THE ALLBLEND INITIALIZATION, WHICH FEATURES COOL BUT DRY WEATHER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1200 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS OVERNIGHT POTENTIALLY AFFECTING KDDC AND KGCK. OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AS FOR WINDS, A COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH OUT OF WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA EARLY THIS MORNING, WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTH INTO AND ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS BY LATE THIS MORNING. AS A RESULT, LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OVERNIGHT WILL BECOME NORTHERLY 20 TO 30KT BY MID DAY MONDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 40 74 50 82 / 0 0 0 0 GCK 41 75 49 81 / 0 0 0 0 EHA 42 76 50 82 / 0 0 0 0 LBL 42 75 49 82 / 0 0 0 0 HYS 41 74 50 81 / 0 0 0 0 P28 46 74 52 85 / 0 0 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BURGERT SHORT TERM...BURGERT LONG TERM...FINCH AVIATION...JJOHNSON
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS JACKSON KY
236 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 236 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 SURGE OF MOISTURE HAS MOVED INTO THE COUNTIES BORDERING TN/VA. THE LATEST HRRR SEEMS TO HAVE A DECENT HANDLE OF THIS PRECIPITATION SHIELD...ALTHOUGH IT DOES APPEAR TO BE A TAD TOO FAST. HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORCAST...MAINLY FOR A SLIGHTLY SPEEDIER TIMING TO THE MEASURABLE RAIN. TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO RUNNING WARMER...WITH DEW POINTS IN THE 50S CWA-WIDE NOW AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER. AS SUCH...THINK LOW TO MID 50S WILL BE THE BOTTOM END...EVEN IN THE NORTH. UPDATE ISSUED AT 1050 PM EDT SUN SEP 30 2012 MADE A FEW MORE TWEAKS TO THE FORECAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. RADAR DATA AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE PAST FEW HOURS HAVE SHOWN THAT SOME LIGHT RAIN HAS BEEN REACHING THE GROUND IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TENNESSEE. THIS ACTIVITY HAS NOT BEEN HANDLED VERY WELL BY THE MODELS THUS FAR...SO THE FORECAST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE LATEST OBSERVED TRENDS. THE TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES ALONG AND NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE BORDER COULD BEGIN SEEING ACCUMULATING RAINFALL BY 6Z TONIGHT. THE RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE SPREADING SLOWLY NORTHWARD DURING THE NIGHT...AND WILL BE WELL NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE BORDER BY 12Z ON MONDAY. THE SKY COVER GRIDS HAVE ALSO BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY SKIES ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. THE QPF...POP12...AND WEATHER TYPE GRIDS WERE ALSO UPDATED TO REFLECT THE CHANGES MADE TO THE HOURLY PRECIPITATION PROBABILITY FORECAST GRIDS. THE REST OF THE FORECAST WAS ON TRACK WITH NO OTHER CHANGES MADE. UPDATE ISSUED AT 743 PM EDT SUN SEP 30 2012 MADE A FEW MINOR UPDATES TO THE FORECAST GRIDS FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. BOTH VISUAL OBSERVATION AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW QUITE CLEARLY THAT SKIES ACROSS EASTERN AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY HAVE BECOME BROKEN TO OVERCAST WITH ALTOSTRATUS AND CIRROSTRATUS CLOUDS. THESE CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH THIS AND TONIGHT. INCREASED CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE BOARD THROUGH 15Z TOMORROW TO ACCOUNT FOR THE OBSERVED TRENDS. WILL ALSO BE REMOVING SOME STALE WORDING FROM THE ZONE TEXT PRODUCT. WILL MONITOR THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AND LATEST MODEL DATA TO DETERMINE IF FURTHER UPDATES TO THE FORECAST WILL BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 250 PM EDT SUN SEP 30 2012 SHORTWAVE RIDGING CONTINUES TO DOMINATE EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS AFTERNOON WITH A CUT OFF LOW OVER NEW ENGLAND...AND ANOTHER CUT OFF LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE SYSTEM OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL BE OUR MAIN CONCERN OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS AS THIS CUT OFF SYSTEM DRIFTS NORTHWARD INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. AS FOR TONIGHT...HIGH CLOUDS WILL REMAIN ON THE INCREASE AND GROW THICKER THROUGH THE NIGHT. COULD BE A BIT OF A GRADIENT WITH TEMPERATURES TONIGHT...AS AREAS IN THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST MAY DECOUPLE QUICKLY THIS EVENING WITH TEMPERATURES QUICKLY FALLING THROUGH THE 50S. MEANWHILE...THE MORE ROBUST CLOUD COVER IN THE SOUTH MAY KEEP CONDITIONS A BIT MILDER. THUS...GOING TO SHOW A BIT OF A GRADIENT FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. THE LOWEST READINGS WILL REMAIN IN THE UPPER 40S IN THE SHELTERED VALLEYS WITH MID 50S IN THE SOUTHWEST. ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL KICK INTO FULL GEAR AROUND DAYBREAK TOMORROW MORNING NEAR THE TENNESSEE BORDER AND SPREAD NORTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY. A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL DEVELOP AND PUSH NORTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON A WET DAY...SO HAVE BUMPED UP POPS ACCORDINGLY. BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...DOWNSLOPING SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL LIKELY BRING A BIT OF A LULL TO EASTERN KENTUCKY. IN FACT...ALTHOUGH POPS HAVE BEEN LOWERED...WE COULD END UP DRY FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME LATE TOMORROW AND TOMORROW EVENING. A WEAK EMBEDDED WAVE IN THE SOUTHERLY FLOW MAY REGENERATE SHOWERS AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM LATE MONDAY NIGHT...SO BROUGHT SOME HIGH POPS BACK INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES GO...WENT A BIT HIGHER IN THE DOWNSLOPING AREAS IN THE SOUTHEAST SINCE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WARM UP AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE EARLY DAY RAIN. LOWS MONDAY NIGHT WILL REMAIN MILD WITH DAMP CONDITIONS. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 332 PM EDT SUN SEP 30 2012 THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT AT THE START OF THE PERIOD ON TUESDAY MORNING WITH AN UPPER LOW OVER MISSOURI AND TROUGHING EXTENDING INTO THE WESTERN GULF. THIS LOW IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOUTHERN STREAM AND ON THE NORTHERN STREAM...THE IS AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. BY TUESDAY MORNING...THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA WITH EASTERN KENTUCKY INITIALLY BEING EFFECTED BY OVER RUNNING FROM THE FRONT AND THEN BEING DOMINATED BY THE UPPER LOW. TUESDAY WILL START OUT WITH SOME WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE AND THEN MORPH MORE INTO OCCASIONAL INSTABILITY SHOWERS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. BY THURSDAY...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL HAVE BUILT INTO THE AREA. THIS IS WHERE THE MODELS REALLY START TO DIVERGE. THE GFS IS TRYING TO DEVELOP A SHARP TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS...WHILE THE ECMWF HAS MORE OF A BROAD TROUGH ACROSS MOST OF THE CONUS. THE FORECAST HAS A FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WHICH IS MORE LIKE THE GFS. THE ECMWF DOES NOT HAVE A FRONT MOVING THROUGH UNTIL SUNDAY. WILL KEEP THE PRECIPITATION IN THERE FOR NOW FOR FRIDAY...HOWEVER WOULD NOT BE TOO SURPRISED TO SEE IT EVENTUALLY FALL OUT OF THE FORECAST. AFTER THURSDAY NIGHT...CONFIDENCE DROPS OFF SHARPLY. THE TEMPERATURES ARE A BIT MORE MODERATE AT THE END OF THE PERIOD. PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS WERE MUCH COLDER. HAVE ADJUSTED THE TEMPERATURES TO MATCH THE CURRENT WARMER TREND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 236 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 LIGHT RAIN WILL OVERTAKE THE AREA FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH THE DAY. VFR CONDITIONS WILL HOLD ON THROUGH 12Z...WITH MVFR CONDITIONS TAKING HOLD BETWEEN 12 AND 16Z...AND THEN IFR CONDITIONS AFTER 00Z. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...GEOGERIAN SHORT TERM...KAS LONG TERM....JJ AVIATION...GEOGERIAN
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
114 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS INDICATED A MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE FROM THE WRN GREAT LAKES TO JAMES BAY BETWEEN A LOW OVER NRN NEW ENGLAND AND A TROUGH FROM MANITOBA INTO NORTH DAKOTA. AT THE SFC...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NEAR PICKLE LAKE ONTARIO INTO ERN MN. RADAR SHOWED SOME WEAK REFLECTIVITIES N CNTRL MN ALIGNED WITH WEAK TO MODERATE MID LEVEL EVEN THOUGH SFC OBS INDICATED LITTLE MORE THAN SOME MID CLOUDS. OTHERWISE...HIGH CLOUDS SPREADING ACROSS UPPER MI AND WEAK SW WINDS HAVE KEPT TEMPS FROM FALLING OFF AS MUCH WITH READINGS IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S INLAND AND NEAR 50 ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR. AS THE MANITOBA MID LEVEL TROUGH PROGRESSES TO THE EAST TODAY AND TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL ALSO SPREAD ACROSS UPPER MI. SINCE THERE IS LITTLE MOISTURE INFLOW INTO THE RELATIVELY DRY AIR MASS AND THE STRONGER 850-500 MB QVECTOR CONV REMAINS NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR...RAIN CHANCES WILL BE MINIMAL. HOWEVER...WITH THE BAND OF 850-600 MB FGEN MOVING INTO THE WEST THIS EVENING...SOME ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES MAY BE POSSIBLE. POTENTIAL FOR ANY LAKE ENHANCED PCPN WITH NRLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT ALSO WILL BE MINIMAL WITH 850 MB TEMPS ONLY DROPPING TO AROUND 5C (LAKE SFC TEMPS WERE IN THE 11C TO 14C RANGE). EVEN WITH INCREASING MID/HIGH CLOUDS...WAA WILL HELP PUSH TEMPS INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S. CLOUDS WITH LINGERING 925-850 MB MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL HOLD MIN READINGS IN THE 40S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CONCERN PAST 12Z TUE IS WITH A DEEP UPPER TROUGH MOVING INTO THE AREA THU...AND STAYING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FIRST FOR WED INTO EARLY WED NIGHT...AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL SHEAR OFF AND MOVE SE OF THE CWA...WHICH MAY PRODUCE SOME RAIN OVER THE FAR ERN CWA. PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH CHANCE POPS OVER THE FAR E LOOKS GOOD SO WILL LEAVE THAT MOSTLY UNCHANGED. THEN FOR THE MAIN EVENT THU THROUGH SUN. MAIN IDEA FROM THE MODELS IS THAT AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES INTO THE REGION...THE SRN END OF THE TROUGH WILL BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED RESULTING IN THE TROUGH DEEPENING AND CLOSING OFF SOMEWHERE OVER OR NEAR THE CWA. COMPLICATING MATTERS...ENERGY FROM THE TROUGH WILL SPLIT BETWEEN THE SRN END AND THE MORE NRN END (OVER FAR NRN ONTARIO)...AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THE ENERGY WILL GO TO THE SRN VS. NRN END. THIS SEEMS TO BE ONE REASON WHY MODELS HAVE POOR RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY AND POOR AGREEMENT WITH HOW TO HANDLE THIS SYSTEM. LATEST RUN OF THE GFS (00Z/01) IS MORE LIKE THE LAST COUPLE RUNS OF THE ECMWF...BRINGING A MODERATELY DEEPENING SFC LOW FROM WRN LAKE SUPERIOR AROUND 12Z THU TO JAMES BAY BY 18Z FRI. THERE ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF...BUT THE LATEST RUN AGREES MORE WITH THE ECMWF THAN THE LAST RUN WITH SHOWING THE LOW RAPIDLY DEEPENING AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE CWA. THE GEM HAS THE SAME GENERAL IDEA BUT FARTHER N OVER ONTARIO. THE IDEA OF A DEEPENING SYSTEM MOVING UP THE WRN SIDE OF LAKE SUPERIOR SEEMS LIKE A REASONABLE AND FAMILIAR SCENARIO...BUT THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BE VERY TRICKY TO FORECAST. EVEN IF MODEL AGREEMENT WAS GREAT WITH THIS SYSTEM...THE FACT THAT THE TRACK OF THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM IS HARD TO FORECAST THIS FAR OUT COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THE SYSTEM HAS NOT MOVED INTO THE N AMERICAN PROFILING NETWORK YET WOULD STILL LEAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THE FORECAST FOR THU/FRI. FOR THIS REASON...AT THIS TIME IT IS NEARLY FUTILE TO MAKE LARGE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST FOR THU/FRI BASED ONLY ON THE LAST RUN OF THE MODELS...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE RUN TO RUN DISCONTINUITY FROM THE MODELS AND THE FACT THAT THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE HUGE BEARING ON THE FORECAST. THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ARE MORE CERTAIN WITH THIS SYSTEM...LIKE THE COLD AIR AND NW LOW LEVEL WINDS BEHIND THE SYSTEM. 850MB TEMPS FALL BELOW 0C BY LATE THU...AND GET PROGRESSIVELY COLDER THROUGH FRI NIGHT (ALTHOUGH THE GFS WITH 850MB TEMPS OF -7C TO -9C AT 12Z SAT IS 3-4C COLDER THAN THE ECMWF). THIS WILL LEAD TO LAKE ENHANCE/EFFECT RAIN/SNOW IN NW WIND SNOWBELTS BEHIND THE SYSTEM INTO SUN...WITH DECREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LATE SAT INTO SUN MAKING FOR MORE SCATTERED COVERAGE. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WRN UPPER MI WHERE LOW LEVEL TEMPS WILL BE COOLER. ANOTHER MORE CERTAIN ASPECT WITH THE SYSTEM IS WLY GALES BEHIND THE LOW...ESPECIALLY IF THE SFC LOW STICKS TO THE LAKE LONGER THAN MODELS SHOW AS IS COMMON THIS TIME OF YEAR. WITH THE LOW DEEPENING AS IT MOVES OVER OR NEARBY AND GOOD PRESSURE GRADIENT AND COLD AIR BEHIND THE SYSTEM...GALES SHOULD BE ON THE STRONG SIDE AND WIND ADVISORIES/WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED ON LAND AS WELL...PARTICULARLY OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND ERN UPPER MI NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 113 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE AIRMASS IS TOO DRY TO SUPPORT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHRA OR EVEN LOW CLOUDS. AFTER THE COLD FROPA...SOME LOWER CLDS MIGHT ARRIVE AT IWD/CMX TOWARD LATE AFTN WITH AN UPSLOPE NW FLOW AND THEN AT SAW LATER IN THE EVNG. ALTHOUGH THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MVFR CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT IMPACT THESE SITES...THE MOST FAVORABLE UPSLOPE AND MOISTENING IS LIKELY AT KSAW WHERE IFR CIGS ARE MORE LIKELY. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH LAKE SUPERIOR TODAY INTO TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF MODERATE NRLY WINDS TO 25 KNOTS OVER CNTRL AND ERN LAKE SUPERIOR IS EXPECTED JUST BEHIND THE FRONT LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL STAY BELOW 20 KNOTS INTO THURSDAY BEFORE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTS INTO NORTHERN ONTARIO AND BRINGS WEST GALES THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JLB LONG TERM...TITUS AVIATION...07 MARINE...JLB
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
757 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS INDICATED A MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE FROM THE WRN GREAT LAKES TO JAMES BAY BETWEEN A LOW OVER NRN NEW ENGLAND AND A TROUGH FROM MANITOBA INTO NORTH DAKOTA. AT THE SFC...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NEAR PICKLE LAKE ONTARIO INTO ERN MN. RADAR SHOWED SOME WEAK REFLECTIVITIES N CNTRL MN ALIGNED WITH WEAK TO MODERATE MID LEVEL EVEN THOUGH SFC OBS INDICATED LITTLE MORE THAN SOME MID CLOUDS. OTHERWISE...HIGH CLOUDS SPREADING ACROSS UPPER MI AND WEAK SW WINDS HAVE KEPT TEMPS FROM FALLING OFF AS MUCH WITH READINGS IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S INLAND AND NEAR 50 ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR. AS THE MANITOBA MID LEVEL TROUGH PROGRESSES TO THE EAST TODAY AND TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL ALSO SPREAD ACROSS UPPER MI. SINCE THERE IS LITTLE MOISTURE INFLOW INTO THE RELATIVELY DRY AIR MASS AND THE STRONGER 850-500 MB QVECTOR CONV REMAINS NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR...RAIN CHANCES WILL BE MINIMAL. HOWEVER...WITH THE BAND OF 850-600 MB FGEN MOVING INTO THE WEST THIS EVENING...SOME ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES MAY BE POSSIBLE. POTENTIAL FOR ANY LAKE ENHANCED PCPN WITH NRLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT ALSO WILL BE MINIMAL WITH 850 MB TEMPS ONLY DROPPING TO AROUND 5C (LAKE SFC TEMPS WERE IN THE 11C TO 14C RANGE). EVEN WITH INCREASING MID/HIGH CLOUDS...WAA WILL HELP PUSH TEMPS INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S. CLOUDS WITH LINGERING 925-850 MB MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL HOLD MIN READINGS IN THE 40S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CONCERN PAST 12Z TUE IS WITH A DEEP UPPER TROUGH MOVING INTO THE AREA THU...AND STAYING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FIRST FOR WED INTO EARLY WED NIGHT...AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL SHEAR OFF AND MOVE SE OF THE CWA...WHICH MAY PRODUCE SOME RAIN OVER THE FAR ERN CWA. PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH CHANCE POPS OVER THE FAR E LOOKS GOOD SO WILL LEAVE THAT MOSTLY UNCHANGED. THEN FOR THE MAIN EVENT THU THROUGH SUN. MAIN IDEA FROM THE MODELS IS THAT AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES INTO THE REGION...THE SRN END OF THE TROUGH WILL BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED RESULTING IN THE TROUGH DEEPENING AND CLOSING OFF SOMEWHERE OVER OR NEAR THE CWA. COMPLICATING MATTERS...ENERGY FROM THE TROUGH WILL SPLIT BETWEEN THE SRN END AND THE MORE NRN END (OVER FAR NRN ONTARIO)...AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THE ENERGY WILL GO TO THE SRN VS. NRN END. THIS SEEMS TO BE ONE REASON WHY MODELS HAVE POOR RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY AND POOR AGREEMENT WITH HOW TO HANDLE THIS SYSTEM. LATEST RUN OF THE GFS (00Z/01) IS MORE LIKE THE LAST COUPLE RUNS OF THE ECMWF...BRINGING A MODERATELY DEEPENING SFC LOW FROM WRN LAKE SUPERIOR AROUND 12Z THU TO JAMES BAY BY 18Z FRI. THERE ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF...BUT THE LATEST RUN AGREES MORE WITH THE ECMWF THAN THE LAST RUN WITH SHOWING THE LOW RAPIDLY DEEPENING AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE CWA. THE GEM HAS THE SAME GENERAL IDEA BUT FARTHER N OVER ONTARIO. THE IDEA OF A DEEPENING SYSTEM MOVING UP THE WRN SIDE OF LAKE SUPERIOR SEEMS LIKE A REASONABLE AND FAMILIAR SCENARIO...BUT THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BE VERY TRICKY TO FORECAST. EVEN IF MODEL AGREEMENT WAS GREAT WITH THIS SYSTEM...THE FACT THAT THE TRACK OF THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM IS HARD TO FORECAST THIS FAR OUT COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THE SYSTEM HAS NOT MOVED INTO THE N AMERICAN PROFILING NETWORK YET WOULD STILL LEAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THE FORECAST FOR THU/FRI. FOR THIS REASON...AT THIS TIME IT IS NEARLY FUTILE TO MAKE LARGE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST FOR THU/FRI BASED ONLY ON THE LAST RUN OF THE MODELS...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE RUN TO RUN DISCONTINUITY FROM THE MODELS AND THE FACT THAT THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE HUGE BEARING ON THE FORECAST. THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ARE MORE CERTAIN WITH THIS SYSTEM...LIKE THE COLD AIR AND NW LOW LEVEL WINDS BEHIND THE SYSTEM. 850MB TEMPS FALL BELOW 0C BY LATE THU...AND GET PROGRESSIVELY COLDER THROUGH FRI NIGHT (ALTHOUGH THE GFS WITH 850MB TEMPS OF -7C TO -9C AT 12Z SAT IS 3-4C COLDER THAN THE ECMWF). THIS WILL LEAD TO LAKE ENHANCE/EFFECT RAIN/SNOW IN NW WIND SNOWBELTS BEHIND THE SYSTEM INTO SUN...WITH DECREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LATE SAT INTO SUN MAKING FOR MORE SCATTERED COVERAGE. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WRN UPPER MI WHERE LOW LEVEL TEMPS WILL BE COOLER. ANOTHER MORE CERTAIN ASPECT WITH THE SYSTEM IS WLY GALES BEHIND THE LOW...ESPECIALLY IF THE SFC LOW STICKS TO THE LAKE LONGER THAN MODELS SHOW AS IS COMMON THIS TIME OF YEAR. WITH THE LOW DEEPENING AS IT MOVES OVER OR NEARBY AND GOOD PRESSURE GRADIENT AND COLD AIR BEHIND THE SYSTEM...GALES SHOULD BE ON THE STRONG SIDE AND WIND ADVISORIES/WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED ON LAND AS WELL...PARTICULARLY OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND ERN UPPER MI NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 751 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 ANY LINGERING SHALLOW FOG AT KSAW WILL DISSIPATE BY 13Z. OTHERWISE... A COLD FNT WL CROSS UPR MI TODAY...BUT THE AIRMASS IS TOO DRY TO SUPPORT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHRA OR EVEN LO CLDS. THE BEST CHC OF SHRA WL BE AFTER THE COLD FROPA...WHEN SOME LOWER CLDS MIGHT ARRIVE AT IWD/CMX TOWARD LATE AFTN WITH AN UPSLOPE NW FLOW AND THEN AT SAW LATER IN THE EVNG. ALTHOUGH THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MVFR CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT IMPACT THESE SITES...THE MOST FAVORABLE UPSLOPE AND MOISTENING IS LIKELY AT KSAW WHERE IFR CIGS ARE MORE LIKELY. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH LAKE SUPERIOR TODAY INTO TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF MODERATE NRLY WINDS TO 25 KNOTS OVER CNTRL AND ERN LAKE SUPERIOR IS EXPECTED JUST BEHIND THE FRONT LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL STAY BELOW 20 KNOTS INTO THURSDAY BEFORE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTS INTO NORTHERN ONTARIO AND BRINGS WEST GALES THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JLB LONG TERM...TITUS AVIATION...JLB MARINE...JLB
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
519 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS INDICATED A MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE FROM THE WRN GREAT LAKES TO JAMES BAY BETWEEN A LOW OVER NRN NEW ENGLAND AND A TROUGH FROM MANITOBA INTO NORTH DAKOTA. AT THE SFC...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NEAR PICKLE LAKE ONTARIO INTO ERN MN. RADAR SHOWED SOME WEAK REFLECTIVITIES N CNTRL MN ALIGNED WITH WEAK TO MODERATE MID LEVEL EVEN THOUGH SFC OBS INDICATED LITTLE MORE THAN SOME MID CLOUDS. OTHERWISE...HIGH CLOUDS SPREADING ACROSS UPPER MI AND WEAK SW WINDS HAVE KEPT TEMPS FROM FALLING OFF AS MUCH WITH READINGS IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S INLAND AND NEAR 50 ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR. AS THE MANITOBA MID LEVEL TROUGH PROGRESSES TO THE EAST TODAY AND TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL ALSO SPREAD ACROSS UPPER MI. SINCE THERE IS LITTLE MOISTURE INFLOW INTO THE RELATIVELY DRY AIR MASS AND THE STRONGER 850-500 MB QVECTOR CONV REMAINS NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR...RAIN CHANCES WILL BE MINIMAL. HOWEVER...WITH THE BAND OF 850-600 MB FGEN MOVING INTO THE WEST THIS EVENING...SOME ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES MAY BE POSSIBLE. POTENTIAL FOR ANY LAKE ENHANCED PCPN WITH NRLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT ALSO WILL BE MINIMAL WITH 850 MB TEMPS ONLY DROPPING TO AROUND 5C (LAKE SFC TEMPS WERE IN THE 11C TO 14C RANGE). EVEN WITH INCREASING MID/HIGH CLOUDS...WAA WILL HELP PUSH TEMPS INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S. CLOUDS WITH LINGERING 925-850 MB MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL HOLD MIN READINGS IN THE 40S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 MAIN CONCERN PAST 12Z TUE IS WITH A DEEP UPPER TROUGH MOVING INTO THE AREA THU...AND STAYING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FIRST FOR WED INTO EARLY WED NIGHT...AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL SHEAR OFF AND MOVE SE OF THE CWA...WHICH MAY PRODUCE SOME RAIN OVER THE FAR ERN CWA. PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH CHANCE POPS OVER THE FAR E LOOKS GOOD SO WILL LEAVE THAT MOSTLY UNCHANGED. THEN FOR THE MAIN EVENT THU THROUGH SUN. MAIN IDEA FROM THE MODELS IS THAT AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES INTO THE REGION...THE SRN END OF THE TROUGH WILL BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED RESULTING IN THE TROUGH DEEPENING AND CLOSING OFF SOMEWHERE OVER OR NEAR THE CWA. COMPLICATING MATTERS...ENERGY FROM THE TROUGH WILL SPLIT BETWEEN THE SRN END AND THE MORE NRN END (OVER FAR NRN ONTARIO)...AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF THE ENERGY WILL GO TO THE SRN VS. NRN END. THIS SEEMS TO BE ONE REASON WHY MODELS HAVE POOR RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY AND POOR AGREEMENT WITH HOW TO HANDLE THIS SYSTEM. LATEST RUN OF THE GFS (00Z/01) IS MORE LIKE THE LAST COUPLE RUNS OF THE ECMWF...BRINGING A MODERATELY DEEPENING SFC LOW FROM WRN LAKE SUPERIOR AROUND 12Z THU TO JAMES BAY BY 18Z FRI. THERE ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF...BUT THE LATEST RUN AGREES MORE WITH THE ECMWF THAN THE LAST RUN WITH SHOWING THE LOW RAPIDLY DEEPENING AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE CWA. THE GEM HAS THE SAME GENERAL IDEA BUT FARTHER N OVER ONTARIO. THE IDEA OF A DEEPENING SYSTEM MOVING UP THE WRN SIDE OF LAKE SUPERIOR SEEMS LIKE A REASONABLE AND FAMILIAR SCENARIO...BUT THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BE VERY TRICKY TO FORECAST. EVEN IF MODEL AGREEMENT WAS GREAT WITH THIS SYSTEM...THE FACT THAT THE TRACK OF THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM IS HARD TO FORECAST THIS FAR OUT COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT THE SYSTEM HAS NOT MOVED INTO THE N AMERICAN PROFILING NETWORK YET WOULD STILL LEAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THE FORECAST FOR THU/FRI. FOR THIS REASON...AT THIS TIME IT IS NEARLY FUTILE TO MAKE LARGE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST FOR THU/FRI BASED ONLY ON THE LAST RUN OF THE MODELS...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE RUN TO RUN DISCONTINUITY FROM THE MODELS AND THE FACT THAT THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE HUGE BEARING ON THE FORECAST. THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ARE MORE CERTAIN WITH THIS SYSTEM...LIKE THE COLD AIR AND NW LOW LEVEL WINDS BEHIND THE SYSTEM. 850MB TEMPS FALL BELOW 0C BY LATE THU...AND GET PROGRESSIVELY COLDER THROUGH FRI NIGHT (ALTHOUGH THE GFS WITH 850MB TEMPS OF -7C TO -9C AT 12Z SAT IS 3-4C COLDER THAN THE ECMWF). THIS WILL LEAD TO LAKE ENHANCE/EFFECT RAIN/SNOW IN NW WIND SNOWBELTS BEHIND THE SYSTEM INTO SUN...WITH DECREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LATE SAT INTO SUN MAKING FOR MORE SCATTERED COVERAGE. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WRN UPPER MI WHERE LOW LEVEL TEMPS WILL BE COOLER. ANOTHER MORE CERTAIN ASPECT WITH THE SYSTEM IS WLY GALES BEHIND THE LOW...ESPECIALLY IF THE SFC LOW STICKS TO THE LAKE LONGER THAN MODELS SHOW AS IS COMMON THIS TIME OF YEAR. WITH THE LOW DEEPENING AS IT MOVES OVER OR NEARBY AND GOOD PRESSURE GRADIENT AND COLD AIR BEHIND THE SYSTEM...GALES SHOULD BE ON THE STRONG SIDE AND WIND ADVISORIES/WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED ON LAND AS WELL...PARTICULARLY OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND ERN UPPER MI NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 125 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 EVEN THOUGH SOME HI CLDS WL ARRIVE OVERNGT...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS INTO AT LEAST MID AFTN WITH DRY HI PRES DOMINATING. A COLD FNT WL CROSS UPR MI TODAY...BUT THE AIRMASS IS TOO DRY TO SUPPORT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHRA OR EVEN LO CLDS. THE BEST CHC OF SHRA WL BE AFTER THE COLD FROPA...WHEN SOME LOWER CLDS MIGHT ARRIVE AT IWD/CMX TOWARD LATE AFTN WITH AN UPSLOPE NW FLOW AND THEN AT SAW LATER IN THE EVNG. ALTHOUGH SOME GUIDANCE INDICATES MVFR CONDITIONS MIGHT IMPACT THESE SITES...UPSTREAM OBS IN THE PLAINS SHOW VERY DRY AIR FOLLOWING THE FROPA...WHICH WOULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR -SHRA/MVFR CIGS. THE INCOMING AIRMASS IS ALSO NOT COLD ENUF TO SUPPORT LAKE EFFECT CLDS. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH LAKE SUPERIOR TODAY INTO TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF MODERATE NRLY WINDS TO 25 KNOTS OVER CNTRL AND ERN LAKE SUPERIOR IS EXPECTED JUST BEHIND THE FRONT LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL STAY BELOW 20 KNOTS INTO THURSDAY BEFORE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTS INTO NORTHERN ONTARIO AND BRINGS WEST GALES THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JLB LONG TERM...TITUS AVIATION...KC MARINE...JLB
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS DULUTH MN
1238 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .AVIATION...06Z TAF ISSUANCE A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHLAND EARLY THIS MORNING. THE RESULT WILL BE A CHANGE IN WINDS FROM A LIGHT SOUTHERLY DIRECTION TO THE NORTHWEST. AN AREA OF LOW CLOUDS/BR/FG MAY IMPACT KDLH BEFORE THE FRONT ARRIVES. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FRONT IS GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE A DRY FRONT...WITH MAINLY MID AND HIGH CLOUDS...BUT A FEW SPRINKLES OR AN ISOLATED SHOWER WILL BE POSSIBLE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 818 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ AVIATION.../00Z TAF ISSUANCE/ VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE TAF PERIOD. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY...SWITCHING WINDS FROM A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION TO THE NORTHWEST. A FEW SPRINKLES OR SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE BUT THE FRONT SHOULD GENERALLY MOVE THROUGH DRY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 316 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ SHORT TERM...SFC HIGH HAD DRIFTED OVER NORTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR AS OF 20Z WITH DRY AIR ENTRENCHED OVER THE FA. SFC WIND WAS TURNING FROM THE SE TO THE S AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING A COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH NORTHEAST MINNESOTA BY MIDNIGHT AND NW WI BY 12Z MONDAY. EXPECT THIS TO BE A DRY FROPA WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY FORECAST SOUNDINGS FROM ALL MODELS WHICH ARE DRY BELOW 10K FT. HAVE ADDED A MENTION OF PATCHY FOG TO THE NEAR SHORE WATERS FROM TWO HARBORS TO THE TWIN PORTS AND PORT WING WI AS WELL AS INLAND TO SUW WHICH THE LATEST HI RES MODELS HRRR AND NARRE AGREE ON THIS DEVELOPMENT. BEHIND THE FRONT LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY A NW WIND IS EXPECTED AND IT WILL HELP USHER IN COOLER AIR. HOWEVER...WITH PLENTY OF SUN EXPECTED...LOOK FOR MAX TEMPS IN THE 60S TO NEAR 70 NEAR PBH AND BRD. THE SFC RIDGE AXIS OVERLAYS THE FA MONDAY NIGHT AND EXPECT RADIATIONAL COOLING WITH A CLEARING SKY TO PRODUCE MIN TEMPS IN THE 30S...TO AROUND 45 NEAR PBH. THE WARMER TEMPS NEAR PBH ARE DUE TO LINGERING CLOUDS. LONG TERM...[TUESDAY - SATURDAY]... SNOW IS APPEARING MORE AND MORE LIKELY FOR LATER THIS WEEK. THE EXPECTED TREND IS FOR WARMER THAN NORMAL WEATHER ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY TO COME TO AN END BY THURSDAY WHEN A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE SYSTEM...WHICH THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH...WILL USHER IN RAIN AND MUCH COLDER WEATHER FOR THURSDAY. THE PCPN COULD TRANSITION TO SNOW OR A RAIN/SNOW MIXTURE THURSDAY NIGHT. PERIODS OF RAIN AND SNOW COULD CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND AS THE COLD WEATHER STICKS AROUND IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM. IT IS UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT WHETHER THE SNOW WILL HAPPEN...BUT IT IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKELY...ESPECIALLY FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT. DO NOT WANT TO MAKE ANY GUESSES ABOUT ACCUMULATION AT THIS POINT SINCE THE SYSTEM IS STILL FAR OUT. AT THIS POINT...DID NOT FORECAST ANY PERIODS OF PURE SNOW...BUT SOME PERIODS OF A RAIN/SNOW MIXTURE. AVIATION.../18Z TAF ISSUANCE/ VFR CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ACROSS NE MINNESOTA AND NW WISCONSIN THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THE LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL SWITCH TO NORTHWESTERLY TONIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT...AND THE WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE TOMORROW MORNING. THERE MAY BE FOG SOUTH OF KDLH...BUT AT THIS TIME...DO NOT THINK IT WILL AFFECT THE TERMINAL. THERE MAY BE ISOLATED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS TOMORROW MORNING NEAR KDLH AND KHIB. && .POINT TEMPS/POPS... DLH 65 39 63 45 / 10 0 0 0 INL 64 33 66 43 / 10 0 0 0 BRD 68 35 70 45 / 10 0 0 0 HYR 66 39 68 45 / 10 10 0 0 ASX 67 39 64 46 / 10 10 0 0 && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. LS...NONE. && $$ AVIATION...CANNON
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS BILLINGS MT
609 AM MDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...VALID FOR TDY AND TUE... UPDATE TO ADD AREAS OF FOG TO EASTERN ZONES WHERE SHOWERS OCCURRED YESTERDAY. KBHK WAS REPORTING FOG THIS MORNING AND NEARBY LOCATIONS HAD SMALL TEMPERATURE/DEWPOINT SPREADS. RAP SOUNDINGS CAPTURED THE ONGOING FOG AND DISSIPATED IT BY 15Z. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MODELS HAVE MAINTAINED CONSISTENCY WITH THE UPCOMING PATTERN CHANGE FROM THEIR PREVIOUS RUNS. FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT...ALL MODELS WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN SHOWING AN ANTICYCLONIC/DRY NW FLOW OVER THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...TRANSITIONING TO A FAST ZONAL FLOW TONIGHT AS A STRONG PACIFIC JET SINKS S THROUGH WESTERN CANADA. A STRONG SHORTWAVE...SEEN FROM THE GULF OF AK EXTENDING S ALONG THE BC COAST IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING...WILL ROTATE SE THROUGH THE PERIOD...REACHING MT ON TUE. THE GFS...ECMWF AND CANADIAN MODELS WERE VERY SIMILAR WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE ENSUING TROUGH TUE THROUGH TUE NIGHT. THE WRF WAS SLOWER THAN THE OTHER MODELS IN MOVING ENERGY SOUTHWARD IN THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE TROUGH. WILL FOLLOW THE CONSISTENT GFS AND ECMWF FOR THE FORECAST. THE AIRMASS WILL BE DRY THROUGH TUE...THEN MOISTEN UP FROM NW TO SE TUE NIGHT. EARLY MORNING SATELLITE IMAGERY AND BLENDED PRECIPITABLE WATERS INDICATED A LARGE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE WITH THE SYSTEM...SO MOISTURE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE SYSTEM AS IT MOVES IN ON TUE NIGHT. THE GFS AND ECMWF CONTINUED TO INDICATE QPF MOVING INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. THE GFS HAD THE FRONT SINKING S THROUGH THE AREA AFTER 00Z WED. NORTHERLY LOW TO MID LEVEL UPSLOPE FLOW...LIFT FROM THE TROUGH AND GOOD INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRECIPITATION OVER THE AREA. ONLY CHANGE TO POPS WAS TO TAPER THEM BACK OVER THE E DURING THE EVENING BASED ON EXPECTED TIMING OF THE PRECIPITATION. THE COLD AIR WILL MOVE IN SLOWLY TUE NIGHT AND MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATED THE BEST CHANCES FOR FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL BE NEAR 5000 FT AGL AND ABOVE. THUS WILL CONTINUE THE MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW W OF KBIL AND KEEP KBIL AND AREAS E ALL RAIN TUE NIGHT. NOTED THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE REMAINED HIGH IN THE ATMOSPHERE TUE NIGHT AND WAS NOT VERY DEEP...SO ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT. AS FOR TODAY...MIXING WILL BE LIMITED TO BETWEEN 800 AND 700 MB DUE TO A SUBSIDENCE INVERSION...THUS HAVE LOWERED TEMPERATURES A BIT. HUMIDITIES WILL BE IN THE 20S AND WINDS WILL NOT BE VERY STRONG. WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT DUE TO A LEE TROUGH OVER THE AREA...AND OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE HIGHER DUE TO A WARM 850 MB AIRMASS. HAVE RAISED THE MINS A FEW DEGREES AND INCREASED WIND SPEEDS. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON TUE...WILL COMBINE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S...AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. EXPECT WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE NW TUE AFTERNOON...THEN STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL OVERTAKE THE REGION TUE NIGHT. WILL CONTINUE THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR TUE AND TUE NIGHT. ARTHUR .LONG TERM...VALID FOR WED...THU...FRI...SAT...SUN... LONG TERM MODELS CONSISTENCY STILL ON TRACK FOR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER SYSTEM TO IMPACT OUR FORECAST AREA AT MIDWEEK. THE WRF MODEL IS A DRIER OUTLIER WHICH WE ARE GENERALLY DISCOUNTING AT THIS TIME...BUT EVEN ITS SOLUTION TAKES THE ENERGY FURTHER WEST INTO IDAHO ALLOWING MUCH COOLER AIR AND UPSLOPE TO DEVELOP INTO OUR REGION. THEREFORE...INHERITED TRENDS OF VERY COOL AND WET FORECAST FOR MID WEEK LOOK ON TRACK. LOOK FOR TEMPERATURE CHANGE BETWEEN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY TO BE ON THE ORDER OF 25 TO 30 DEGREES. PRECIPITATION TYPE IS STILL A QUESTION MARK FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. FROM A BROAD PERSPECTIVE AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT DYNAMIC COOLING...UPSLOPE FLOW AND 850MB TEMP PROGGS...IT SEEMS BEST ODDS FOR LOWER ELEVATION SNOW OR A MIX OF SNOW AND RAIN IS WEST OF A ROUNDUP TO BRIDGER LINE. BILLINGS MAY SEE SOME MIXED PRECIPITATION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WEDNESDAY MORNING. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED IN THE BEARTOOTHS AND THEIR FOOTHILLS INCLUDING RED LODGE. AT THIS TIME...THE LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE LOOKS TO HAVE A DISTINCT NORTHERLY COMPONENT WHICH WILL FAVOR NORTH FACING SLOPES WHICH SOMETIMES LIMITS AMOUNTS FROM NYE TO ABSAROKEE...AND HITS HIGHER TERRAIN AROUND RED LODGE AND ROSCOE. THE NORTHERLY COMPONENT COULD ALSO LIMIT PRECIPITATION IN THE BILLINGS AREA AND SECTIONS OF WHEATLAND COUNTY WHICH CAN EXPERIENCE DOWNSLOPE WITH A NORTHERLY WIND. THE WEDNESDAY SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVES OUT BY THURSDAY MORNING LEAVING AN UNSEASONABLY COOL AIR MASS IN ITS WAKE. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY THE ECMWF HAS BEEN SUGGESTING ANOTHER POCKET OF SHORT WAVE ENERGY DROPPING INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE CYCLONIC FLOW OVER THE ROCKIES AND PRODUCING A GOOD SHOT OF UPSLOPE AND PRECIPITATION INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS. THE GFS HAS TRENDED JUST A BIT TOWARD THIS SOLUTION AS WELL WITH MUCH COOLER TEMPS FOR FRIDAY. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE AN UNSETTLED AND RATHER COOL FORECAST FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WORK WEEK. BT && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE REGION AND TAF ROUTES TODAY. LOOK FOR WESTERLY SURFACE WINDS TO INCREASE IN THE KLVM VICINITY BY 18Z...REACHING 15 TO 25 KNOTS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. BT && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS... TDY TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN ------------------------------------------------------- BIL 076 056/080 040/044 033/047 032/045 029/049 031/053 0/U 00/N 66/R 40/B 33/O 11/B 00/B LVM 074 046/080 033/040 026/044 025/040 023/046 024/048 0/U 00/N 66/O 41/B 43/O 11/B 00/B HDN 078 047/084 042/047 034/048 033/047 030/050 033/054 0/U 00/N 56/R 41/B 23/R 11/B 00/B MLS 074 050/082 042/047 033/047 032/047 030/050 033/053 0/U 00/N 56/R 31/B 11/B 11/B 11/B 4BQ 072 050/084 040/048 035/047 032/047 030/049 033/052 0/U 00/U 46/R 31/B 22/R 11/B 10/B BHK 070 044/076 034/047 032/045 031/046 030/049 031/051 0/U 00/U 56/O 32/W 12/R 11/B 11/B SHR 072 043/083 042/044 030/045 030/044 027/045 029/049 0/U 00/U 36/R 51/B 24/O 21/B 01/U && .BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR ZONE 117. FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT FOR ZONES 123>133. WY...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT FOR ZONES 274-284. && $$ WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
1238 PM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .AVIATION...18Z KGRI TAF...VFR CONDS WILL PREVAIL AT KGRI FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY CONCERN THROUGH THE PERIOD. EXPECT MID LEVEL CLOUD DECK TO CONTINUE TO CLEAR ACROSS THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...WITH GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS TO 30KTS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TIL AROUND 00Z. THEREAFTER...WINDS WILL SLOWLY RELAX DURING THE EVENING HOURS...EVENTUALLY BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT AS AN AREA OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. WINDS WILL THEN GENERALLY REMAIN LIGHT AND WESTERLY ACROSS THE REGION ON TUESDAY...AS THE SURFACE HIGH SLIDES FURTHER SOUTH INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 453 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE HIGH TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON WEDNESDAY AND PRECIPITATION TIMING/COVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS MORNING. REFLECTIVITY AT 09Z SHOWED SHOWERS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IN THE VICINITY OF A SURFACE BOUNDARY. THESE SHOWERS WERE HEADING SOUTH. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALSO INDICATED SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES. HRRR AND RUC BOTH HAVE REFLECTIVITY CONTINUING THROUGH 18Z. GOING TO LEAVE POPS IN FOR THE MORNING HOURS WITH CHANCES DIMINISHING AROUND NOON FOR OUR CWA AS THE COLD FRONT TRANSITIONS FARTHER SOUTH OUT OF THE REGION. THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE BREEZY WITH SUSTAINED NORTHERLY WIND SPEEDS AROUND 20 KNOTS AS ATMOSPHERIC MIXING GETS TO UP TO AROUND 700MB. WIND GUSTS WILL BE CLOSER TO 30 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO CALM DOWN AROUND 23Z WITH A CONTINUING TREND THEREAFTER. NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE BETWEEN 25 AND 35 PERCENT AT ITS DRIEST POINT THIS AFTERNOON...SO THE OUTLOOK AREA SHOULD BE SAFE FROM ANY FIRE WEATHER HEADLINES AT THIS TIME. KANSAS FUEL STATUS IS UNFAVORABLE AT THIS TIME...BUT NEBRASKA STILL REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR FIRE GROWTH UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. WEDNESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE RAISED A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...MAINLY FOR NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF THE CWA TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SLOWER TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT. THE THOUGHT IS ENOUGH DAYTIME HEATING WILL OCCUR BEFORE THE COLD AIR ADVECTION BEGINS TO TAKE CONTROL OF TEMPERATURES. THE GFS...GEM...AND THE EC ARE STRONGER THAN THE NAM WITH REGARDS TO SURFACE...1000MB-500MB...AND 1000MB- 850MB COLD AIR ADVECTION...AND THE BULK OF THIS COLD AIR ADVECTION DOESN/T REACH THE CWA UNTIL 00Z. LOWERED LOW TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS COLDER AIRMASS. THE NAM...HOWEVER...IS MUCH QUICKER THAN THE OTHER MODELS PREVIOUS MENTIONED WITH REGARDS TO THE TIMING OF THE COLD AIR. OF COURSE...THIS SCENARIO COULD CHANGE AS IT HAS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. NEIGHBORS AGAINST OUR CWA GENERALLY LEANED TOWARDS THE WARMER TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE DECENT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE SREF...GFS...EC...AND NAM ARE ALL IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TIMING AND COVERAGE. THE COLD FRONT WILL BE THE MAIN FACTOR LEADING TOWARDS PRECIPITATION TIMING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA...AS ENOUGH MOISTURE SHOULD BE PRESENT IN THE LOWER TO MID LEVELS FOR STRATIFORM RAIN. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. CHANCES DIMINISH LATER IN THE DAY AS THE SURFACE LOW PROGGED TO BE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION PUSHES EASTWARD...WITH THE SOUTHEASTWARD EXTENDING COLD FRONT FOLLOWING SUIT. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WERE ALSO MADE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY AND IN RETURN LOWERED TEMPERATURES THAT NIGHT. TUESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE RAISED SLIGHTLY ACROSS THE CWA BUT DID NOT CHANGE LOWS ON WEDNESDAY. WENT WITH THE LATEST RUNS OF THE BCCONSALL FOR HIGHS ON MONDAY AND WENT WITH THE ADJMAVBC FOR TUESDAY HIGHS...WITH SOME SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS. TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED ON TUESDAY MORNING. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED SEVERAL DEGREES ON THURSDAY AS A RESULT OF THE STRONGER COLD AIRMASS PROGGED TO ENTER THE OUTLOOK AREA. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD AND MAY EVEN APPROACH 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON SATURDAY BEHIND YET ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT. NORMAL HIGHS ARE RIGHT AROUND 70 DEGREES AND WE WILL BE SEEING HIGHS PRIMARILY IN THE 50S. THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AND WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON PRECIPITATION TYPE. THURSDAY...A FEW VERY LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRIMARILY DURING THE MORNING HOURS FOR AREAS EAST OF HIGHWAY 281. THE COLD FRONT WILL HAVE ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THE ENTIRE CWA AND EXPECT COLD AIR ADVECTION THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY RESULTING IN HIGHS THAT ONLY REACH INTO THE 50S. FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COOL AND A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL BE KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR BY LATE DAY...LIKELY TO SWING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY FOR NOW...BUT THERE ARE SOME HINTS THAT SLIGHT POPS MAY BE NEEDED FOR LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS THE COLD FRONT NEARS. FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...THERE WILL BE A DECENT CHANCE OF A LIGHT COLD RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES LATE FRIDAY NIGHT UNTIL JUST AFTER DAWN SATURDAY MORNING WILL ONLY BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS WESTERN ZONES AND MAY BE COLD ENOUGH FOR A FEW WET SNOW FLAKES TO MIX IN. WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FORECAST ALL RAIN FOR NOW...BUT WILL NEED TO CLOSELY MONITOR MODEL FORECAST TRENDS IN THE COMING DAYS. THE 00Z GEM AND 00Z ECMWF ARE THE COLDEST AND WETTEST MODEL RUNS AND FOCUS THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING LIGHT PRECIPITATION OVER OUR WESTERN COUNTIES AS WELL AS ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS. EXPECT MODELS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE VARYING SWINGS IN FRONTAL POSITION UNTIL WE GET A BIT CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT. THE NEW CONSALL BLEND WAS A GOOD DEAL COOLER THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST FOR SATURDAY AND GIVEN THE CURRENT MODEL TRENDS DECIDED TO LOWER SATURDAY TEMPERATURES EVEN FURTHER. AREAS THAT SEE LITTLE TO NO SUNSHINE MAY NOT GET OUT OF THE 40S FOR HIGHS ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...IF WE DO SEE A LITTLE SUN THEN EXPECT HIGHS WILL MAKE THE 50S. SUNDAY...DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD SEE SOME SLIGHT MODERATION WITH MORE SUNSHINE...ALTHOUGH HIGHS WILL LIKELY STILL ONLY BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && $$ AVIATION...ROSSI SHORT TERM...GUERRERO LONG TERM...WESELY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
654 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .AVIATION...12Z KGRI TAF. A FEW WEAK SHOWERS HAVE PASSED THROUGH KGRI. THERE ARE STILL A FEW SPRINKLES ON RADAR NEAR ORD...BUT THESE ARE INSIGNIFICANT AND WILL KEEP ALL MENTION OF ADDITIONAL RAIN OUT OF THE TAF FOR NOW AS ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATING RAINFALL SEEMS UNLIKELY. MID CLOUDS WILL HANG AROUND THROUGH THE MORNING BUT EXPECT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES BY AFTERNOON. THE NORTH WIND WILL INCREASE IN STRENGTH THROUGH THE MORNING AND COULD BE RATHER GUSTY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON WITH SOME GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 453 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE HIGH TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON WEDNESDAY AND PRECIPITATION TIMING/COVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS MORNING. REFLECTIVITY AT 09Z SHOWED SHOWERS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IN THE VICINITY OF A SURFACE BOUNDARY. THESE SHOWERS WERE HEADING SOUTH. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALSO INDICATED SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES. HRRR AND RUC BOTH HAVE REFLECTIVITY CONTINUING THROUGH 18Z. GOING TO LEAVE POPS IN FOR THE MORNING HOURS WITH CHANCES DIMINISHING AROUND NOON FOR OUR CWA AS THE COLD FRONT TRANSITIONS FARTHER SOUTH OUT OF THE REGION. THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE BREEZY WITH SUSTAINED NORTHERLY WIND SPEEDS AROUND 20 KNOTS AS ATMOSPHERIC MIXING GETS TO UP TO AROUND 700MB. WIND GUSTS WILL BE CLOSER TO 30 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO CALM DOWN AROUND 23Z WITH A CONTINUING TREND THEREAFTER. NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE BETWEEN 25 AND 35 PERCENT AT ITS DRIEST POINT THIS AFTERNOON...SO THE OUTLOOK AREA SHOULD BE SAFE FROM ANY FIRE WEATHER HEADLINES AT THIS TIME. KANSAS FUEL STATUS IS UNFAVORABLE AT THIS TIME...BUT NEBRASKA STILL REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR FIRE GROWTH UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. WEDNESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE RAISED A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...MAINLY FOR NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF THE CWA TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SLOWER TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT. THE THOUGHT IS ENOUGH DAYTIME HEATING WILL OCCUR BEFORE THE COLD AIR ADVECTION BEGINS TO TAKE CONTROL OF TEMPERATURES. THE GFS...GEM...AND THE EC ARE STRONGER THAN THE NAM WITH REGARDS TO SURFACE...1000MB-500MB...AND 1000MB- 850MB COLD AIR ADVECTION...AND THE BULK OF THIS COLD AIR ADVECTION DOESN/T REACH THE CWA UNTIL 00Z. LOWERED LOW TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS COLDER AIRMASS. THE NAM...HOWEVER...IS MUCH QUICKER THAN THE OTHER MODELS PREVIOUS MENTIONED WITH REGARDS TO THE TIMING OF THE COLD AIR. OF COURSE...THIS SCENARIO COULD CHANGE AS IT HAS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. NEIGHBORS AGAINST OUR CWA GENERALLY LEANED TOWARDS THE WARMER TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE DECENT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE SREF...GFS...EC...AND NAM ARE ALL IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TIMING AND COVERAGE. THE COLD FRONT WILL BE THE MAIN FACTOR LEADING TOWARDS PRECIPITATION TIMING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA...AS ENOUGH MOISTURE SHOULD BE PRESENT IN THE LOWER TO MID LEVELS FOR STRATIFORM RAIN. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. CHANCES DIMINISH LATER IN THE DAY AS THE SURFACE LOW PROGGED TO BE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION PUSHES EASTWARD...WITH THE SOUTHEASTWARD EXTENDING COLD FRONT FOLLOWING SUIT. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WERE ALSO MADE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY AND IN RETURN LOWERED TEMPERATURES THAT NIGHT. TUESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE RAISED SLIGHTLY ACROSS THE CWA BUT DID NOT CHANGE LOWS ON WEDNESDAY. WENT WITH THE LATEST RUNS OF THE BCCONSALL FOR HIGHS ON MONDAY AND WENT WITH THE ADJMAVBC FOR TUESDAY HIGHS...WITH SOME SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS. TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED ON TUESDAY MORNING. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED SEVERAL DEGREES ON THURSDAY AS A RESULT OF THE STRONGER COLD AIRMASS PROGGED TO ENTER THE OUTLOOK AREA. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD AND MAY EVEN APPROACH 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON SATURDAY BEHIND YET ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT. NORMAL HIGHS ARE RIGHT AROUND 70 DEGREES AND WE WILL BE SEEING HIGHS PRIMARILY IN THE 50S. THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AND WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON PRECIPITATION TYPE. THURSDAY...A FEW VERY LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRIMARILY DURING THE MORNING HOURS FOR AREAS EAST OF HIGHWAY 281. THE COLD FRONT WILL HAVE ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THE ENTIRE CWA AND EXPECT COLD AIR ADVECTION THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY RESULTING IN HIGHS THAT ONLY REACH INTO THE 50S. FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COOL AND A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL BE KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR BY LATE DAY...LIKELY TO SWING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY FOR NOW...BUT THERE ARE SOME HINTS THAT SLIGHT POPS MAY BE NEEDED FOR LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS THE COLD FRONT NEARS. FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...THERE WILL BE A DECENT CHANCE OF A LIGHT COLD RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES LATE FRIDAY NIGHT UNTIL JUST AFTER DAWN SATURDAY MORNING WILL ONLY BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS WESTERN ZONES AND MAY BE COLD ENOUGH FOR A FEW WET SNOW FLAKES TO MIX IN. WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FORECAST ALL RAIN FOR NOW...BUT WILL NEED TO CLOSELY MONITOR MODEL FORECAST TRENDS IN THE COMING DAYS. THE 00Z GEM AND 00Z ECMWF ARE THE COLDEST AND WETTEST MODEL RUNS AND FOCUS THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING LIGHT PRECIPITATION OVER OUR WESTERN COUNTIES AS WELL AS ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS. EXPECT MODELS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE VARYING SWINGS IN FRONTAL POSITION UNTIL WE GET A BIT CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT. THE NEW CONSALL BLEND WAS A GOOD DEAL COOLER THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST FOR SATURDAY AND GIVEN THE CURRENT MODEL TRENDS DECIDED TO LOWER SATURDAY TEMPERATURES EVEN FURTHER. AREAS THAT SEE LITTLE TO NO SUNSHINE MAY NOT GET OUT OF THE 40S FOR HIGHS ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...IF WE DO SEE A LITTLE SUN THEN EXPECT HIGHS WILL MAKE THE 50S. SUNDAY...DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD SEE SOME SLIGHT MODERATION WITH MORE SUNSHINE...ALTHOUGH HIGHS WILL LIKELY STILL ONLY BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && $$ SHORT...GUERRERO LONG TERM/AVIATION...WESELY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
453 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE HIGH TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON WEDNESDAY AND PRECIPITATION TIMING/COVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS MORNING. REFLECTIVITY AT 09Z SHOWED SHOWERS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IN THE VICINITY OF A SURFACE BOUNDARY. THESE SHOWERS WERE HEADING SOUTH. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALSO INDICATED SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES. HRRR AND RUC BOTH HAVE REFLECTIVITY CONTINUING THROUGH 18Z. GOING TO LEAVE POPS IN FOR THE MORNING HOURS WITH CHANCES DIMINISHING AROUND NOON FOR OUR CWA AS THE COLD FRONT TRANSITIONS FARTHER SOUTH OUT OF THE REGION. THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE BREEZY WITH SUSTAINED NORTHERLY WIND SPEEDS AROUND 20 KNOTS AS ATMOSPHERIC MIXING GETS TO UP TO AROUND 700MB. WIND GUSTS WILL BE CLOSER TO 30 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO CALM DOWN AROUND 23Z WITH A CONTINUING TREND THEREAFTER. NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE BETWEEN 25 AND 35 PERCENT AT ITS DRIEST POINT THIS AFTERNOON...SO THE OUTLOOK AREA SHOULD BE SAFE FROM ANY FIRE WEATHER HEADLINES AT THIS TIME. KANSAS FUEL STATUS IS UNFAVORABLE AT THIS TIME...BUT NEBRASKA STILL REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR FIRE GROWTH UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. WEDNESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE RAISED A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...MAINLY FOR NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF THE CWA TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SLOWER TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT. THE THOUGHT IS ENOUGH DAYTIME HEATING WILL OCCUR BEFORE THE COLD AIR ADVECTION BEGINS TO TAKE CONTROL OF TEMPERATURES. THE GFS...GEM...AND THE EC ARE STRONGER THAN THE NAM WITH REGARDS TO SURFACE...1000MB-500MB...AND 1000MB- 850MB COLD AIR ADVECTION...AND THE BULK OF THIS COLD AIR ADVECTION DOESN/T REACH THE CWA UNTIL 00Z. LOWERED LOW TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS COLDER AIRMASS. THE NAM...HOWEVER...IS MUCH QUICKER THAN THE OTHER MODELS PREVIOUS MENTIONED WITH REGARDS TO THE TIMING OF THE COLD AIR. OF COURSE...THIS SCENARIO COULD CHANGE AS IT HAS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. NEIGHBORS AGAINST OUR CWA GENERALLY LEANED TOWARDS THE WARMER TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE DECENT ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE SREF...GFS...EC...AND NAM ARE ALL IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TIMING AND COVERAGE. THE COLD FRONT WILL BE THE MAIN FACTOR LEADING TOWARDS PRECIPITATION TIMING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA...AS ENOUGH MOISTURE SHOULD BE PRESENT IN THE LOWER TO MID LEVELS FOR STRATIFORM RAIN. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. CHANCES DIMINISH LATER IN THE DAY AS THE SURFACE LOW PROGGED TO BE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION PUSHES EASTWARD...WITH THE SOUTHEASTWARD EXTENDING COLD FRONT FOLLOWING SUIT. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WERE ALSO MADE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY AND IN RETURN LOWERED TEMPERATURES THAT NIGHT. TUESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE RAISED SLIGHTLY ACROSS THE CWA BUT DID NOT CHANGE LOWS ON WEDNESDAY. WENT WITH THE LATEST RUNS OF THE BCCONSALL FOR HIGHS ON MONDAY AND WENT WITH THE ADJMAVBC FOR TUESDAY HIGHS...WITH SOME SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS. TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED ON TUESDAY MORNING. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED SEVERAL DEGREES ON THURSDAY AS A RESULT OF THE STRONGER COLD AIRMASS PROGGED TO ENTER THE OUTLOOK AREA. .LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD AND MAY EVEN APPROACH 15 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON SATURDAY BEHIND YET ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT. NORMAL HIGHS ARE RIGHT AROUND 70 DEGREES AND WE WILL BE SEEING HIGHS PRIMARILY IN THE 50S. THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AND WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON PRECIPITATION TYPE. THURSDAY...A FEW VERY LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRIMARILY DURING THE MORNING HOURS FOR AREAS EAST OF HIGHWAY 281. THE COLD FRONT WILL HAVE ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THE ENTIRE CWA AND EXPECT COLD AIR ADVECTION THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY RESULTING IN HIGHS THAT ONLY REACH INTO THE 50S. FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COOL AND A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL BE KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR BY LATE DAY...LIKELY TO SWING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY FOR NOW...BUT THERE ARE SOME HINTS THAT SLIGHT POPS MAY BE NEEDED FOR LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS THE COLD FRONT NEARS. FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...THERE WILL BE A DECENT CHANCE OF A LIGHT COLD RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES LATE FRIDAY NIGHT UNTIL JUST AFTER DAWN SATURDAY MORNING WILL ONLY BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS WESTERN ZONES AND MAY BE COLD ENOUGH FOR A FEW WET SNOW FLAKES TO MIX IN. WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE FORECAST ALL RAIN FOR NOW...BUT WILL NEED TO CLOSELY MONITOR MODEL FORECAST TRENDS IN THE COMING DAYS. THE 00Z GEM AND 00Z ECMWF ARE THE COLDEST AND WETTEST MODEL RUNS AND FOCUS THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING LIGHT PRECIPITATION OVER OUR WESTERN COUNTIES AS WELL AS ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS. EXPECT MODELS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE VARYING SWINGS IN FRONTAL POSITION UNTIL WE GET A BIT CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT. THE NEW CONSALL BLEND WAS A GOOD DEAL COOLER THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST FOR SATURDAY AND GIVEN THE CURRENT MODEL TRENDS DECIDED TO LOWER SATURDAY TEMPERATURES EVEN FURTHER. AREAS THAT SEE LITTLE TO NO SUNSHINE MAY NOT GET OUT OF THE 40S FOR HIGHS ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...IF WE DO SEE A LITTLE SUN THEN EXPECT HIGHS WILL MAKE THE 50S. SUNDAY...DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD SEE SOME SLIGHT MODERATION WITH MORE SUNSHINE...ALTHOUGH HIGHS WILL LIKELY STILL ONLY BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1153 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ AVIATION...06Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE TERMINAL...BUT NOTHING BELOW 10000FT AGL ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT MEASURABLE RAINFALL COULD BE OBSERVED AT KGRI...PRIMARILY BETWEEN SUNRISE AND LATE MORNING MONDAY...BUT AT THIS TIME THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION BEING REALIZED AT KGRI ARE TOO LOW FOR INSERTION INTO THE TAF. THE SURFACE WIND WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND VARIABLE THROUGH 09Z BEFORE BECOMING MORE ESTABLISHED FROM THE NORTH/NORTHWEST. A STRONG NORTH/NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WIND WILL BE REALIZED AT THE TERMINAL ON MONDAY...SUSTAINED NEAR 22KTS AND GUSTING TO NEAR 29KTS. VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...GUERRERO LONG TERM/AVIATION...WESELY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
1153 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 .AVIATION...06Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE TERMINAL...BUT NOTHING BELOW 10000FT AGL ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT MEASURABLE RAINFALL COULD BE OBSERVED AT KGRI...PRIMARILY BETWEEN SUNRISE AND LATE MORNING MONDAY...BUT AT THIS TIME THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION BEING REALIZED AT KGRI ARE TOO LOW FOR INSERTION INTO THE TAF. THE SURFACE WIND WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND VARIABLE THROUGH 09Z BEFORE BECOMING MORE ESTABLISHED FROM THE NORTH/NORTHWEST. A STRONG NORTH/NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WIND WILL BE REALIZED AT THE TERMINAL ON MONDAY...SUSTAINED NEAR 22KTS AND GUSTING TO NEAR 29KTS. VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1012 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ UPDATE...KUEX INDICATES ANY LINGERING CONVECTION ACROSS THE REGION HAS FINALLY PUSHED OUT OF OUR CWA. LOSS OF DIABATIC HEATING SHOULD PREVENT ANY ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FROM BEING REALIZED THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z. BEYOND 06Z HOWEVER...A MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS...CURRENTLY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS...WILL PUSH EAST/SOUTHEAST WITH PERHAPS ENOUGH MID LEVEL THERMAL ADVECTION AND DPVA FOR ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION OVER OUR AREA. ALSO...EVENING UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES A ~100KT UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK OVER MONTANA AND WYOMING. THIS UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT...WITH THE LEFT-FRONT QUADRANT OF THIS JET STREAK PERHAPS PROVIDING ENOUGH OF AN INDIRECT THERMAL CIRCULATION THUS ALSO ENHANCING CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION AFTER 06Z. QPF FIELDS FROM THE NAM...OPERATIONAL GFS...EC AND SREF-MEAN ALL ALSO SUGGEST LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL BE REALIZED OVER OUR WEST/NORTHWESTERN CWA AND AS A RESULT OF ALL THIS...WENT AHEAD CONTINUED CARRYING 20% ACROSS OUR WEST/NORTHWEST 06Z-12Z. INCREASING MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WITH THE APPROACH OF MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS WILL PROMOTE AT LEAST MODEST POTENTIAL INSTABILITY...WITH THE NAM AND OPERATIONAL GFS BOTH SUGGESTING DEEP LAYER MUCAPE VALUES OF ~50J/KG OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. GIVEN ALL THIS...CERTAINLY DO NOT ANTICIPATE MUCH CONVECTION BUT AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT AND WILL CONTINUE CARRYING THUNDER MENTION IN THE FORECAST OVERNIGHT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 356 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ SHORT TERM...THROUGH LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON. THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY ISSUES AT HAND DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...THE FIRST BEING A POSSIBLE BUT STILL FAIRLY UNCERTAIN RISK FOR A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...AND THE SECOND MAIN ISSUE BEING ELEVATED TO NEAR- CRITICAL FIRE DANGER ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. ALSO OF CONCERN IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH POST-FRONTAL RAIN WILL DEVELOP MAINLY DURING THE MORNING HOURS MONDAY. FOR ALL FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSION PLEASE SEE THE SEPARATE SECTION BELOW. 20Z OBJECTIVE SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES A NORTH-SOUTH TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING FROM NORTH CENTRAL NEB TO NORTHWEST KS...SEPARATING A LIGHT/VARIABLE TO LIGHT/SOUTHERLY WIND REGIME TO THE EAST FROM A STRONGER NORTHERLY COMPONENT TO THE WEST. WITHIN AND NEAR THE IMMEDIATE TROUGH AXIS...INCLUDING MAINLY THE WESTERN 1/4 OF THE CWA...SURFACE DEWPOINTS HAVE INCREASED TODAY BETWEEN THE MID 40S AND MID 50S...AND THERE ARE EVEN NOW SIGNS OF A LOW LEVEL CUMULUS FIELD STARTING TO SHOW ITS HAND. MEANWHILE...ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE CENTRAL/EASTERN CWA...DEWPOINTS HAVE AGAIN DONE THEIR SEEMINGLY DAILY CRASH WELL INTO THE 30S IN MOST AREAS...ONCE AGAIN BELOW FORECAST VALUES. ACTUAL HIGH TEMPS ARE WORKING OUT PRETTY WELL...WITH NEARLY ALL AREAS WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF 80. OTHER THAN THE NEWLY DEVELOPED CUMULUS FIELD IN PARTS OF THE WEST...VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWS THAT MOST OF THE THICKER HIGH CIRRUS FROM EARLIER TODAY HAS VACATED EAST OF THE CWA...WHILE A FEW LEGITIMATE SHOWERS/NEWLY DEVELOPED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY OCCURRING BOTH SOUTHWEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE CWA IN NORTH CENTRAL NEB AND NORTHWEST KS. WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY AND SHORT TERM MODEL DATA DEPICTS AN ALMOST DUE NORTHERLY MID LEVEL FLOW OVER THE CWA...WITH THE PRIMARY SYNOPTIC SCALE LOWS CONSISTING OF A DEEP CLOSED CIRCULATION OVER THE NORTHEAST STATES...A VERY SLOW MOVING CLOSED MID LEVEL LOW CENTERED OVER EASTERN OK...AND A PROGRESSIVE OPEN WAVE AND ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK DIPPING OUT OF SOUTHERN CANADA INTO THE MT/ND/SD REGION. STARTING WITH THE MOST IMMEDIATE ISSUE OVER THE NEXT 6 HOURS OR SO...HAVE MAINTAINED 20-30 PERCENT SHOWER/STORM CHANCES LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING FOR AREAS PRIMARILY WEST OF AN ORD- KEARNEY-PLAINVILLE LINE AND ESPECIALLY DAWSON...GOSPER AND FURNAS COUNTIES WHICH ARE ABOUT THE ONLY PARTS OF THE CWA WITHIN THE MOIST AXIS AND RESULTANT INSTABILITY AXIS...WITH 20Z MESOSCALE ANALYSIS SUGGESTING THAT A NARROW CORRIDOR OF MLCAPE AT LEAST INTO THE 500-1000 J/KG RANGE IS NOW IN PLACE IN THIS AREA. MEANWHILE...THE EASTERN HALF TO TWO THIRDS OF THE CWA HAS ESSENTIALLY NO CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY AT THIS HOUR...AND THIS WILL NOT CHANGE HEADING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WITH DEEP LAYER 0-6KM BULK SHEAR ONLY AVERAGING AROUND 20 KT...AM NOT EXPECTING A LEGITIMATE SEVERE THREAT WITH THIS EVENT...BUT THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO GET SOME SEMI-ORGANIZED MULTICELL STORMS OR A FEW QUASI-LINEAR CLUSTERS GOING...WITH SMALL HAIL AND WINDS TO AROUND 50 MPH VERY POSSIBLE. FOLLOWING THE REFLECTIVITY PROGS OF THE LATEST HRRR AND ALSO 12Z 4KM-WRF NMM...THERE COULD BE A DECENT LULL IN SHOWER/STORM ACTIVITY ONCE THE MID EVENING HOURS ARRIVE AND THE LOW LEVELS START TO STABILIZE A BIT. FOR THE LATE NIGHT 06Z-12Z POP/WEATHER GRIDS...OPTED TO BLANKET A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDER ACROSS ROUGHLY THE NORTHWEST 2/3 OF THE CWA INCLUDING THE TRI-CITIES...IN ASSOCIATION WITH INCREASING SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING AND A RESULTANT SOUTHWEST-NORTHEAST BAND OF MID LEVEL SATURATION DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE PARENT SHORTWAVE DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW WIDESPREAD THIS LATE NIGHT PRECIPITATION MIGHT BE...WITH BOTH THE LATEST ECMWF/GFS SUGGESTING IT COULD BE NARROW BUT FAIRLY SOLID BAND OF MEASURABLE RAIN...WHILE THE NAM IS MUCH DRIER THROUGH SUNRISE ALONG WITH THE 4KM WRF-NMM. AT ANY RATE...NOT EXPECTING ANY LATE NIGHT STORMS TO BE ALL THAT STRONG LET ALONE SEVERE. KEPT LOW TEMPS TONIGHT SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS FORECAST AND MET/MAV GUIDANCE BLEND...GENERALLY RIGHT AROUND 50. FOR THE MONDAY DAYTIME HOURS...BY SUNRISE A WELL DEFINED SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF CROSSING THROUGH THE CWA...AND REALLY THE MOST PROMINENT WEATHER FEATURE THROUGH THE DAY WILL BE THE QUITE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS IN ITS WAKE...AS NORTH WINDS AVERAGE 20-25 MPH SUSTAINED THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY AND GUSTS 30-35 MPH...BUT SHOULD AVERAGE AT LEAST 5 MPH SHORT OF ADVISORY CRITERIA. AS FOR PRECIP CHANCES DURING THE DAY...AM STARTING TO WONDER IF THE FORECAST 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS DURING THE MORNING HOURS ACROSS ROUGHLY THE SOUTHEAST 2/3 OF THE CWA IS HIGH ENOUGH...AS THE LATEST ECMWF/GFS ARE NOW SHOWING POTENTIAL FOR A MORE ORGANIZED NARROW BAND OF LIGHT BUT MEASURABLE RAINFALL PASSING THROUGH FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. HOWEVER...WITH MOST OF THE SATURATION ABOVE 700MB AM HESITANT TO GET TOO CARRIED AWAY WITH POPS...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT BOTH THE 18Z NAM AND 12Z WRF-NMM SHOW A MUCH MORE HIT AND MISS...LESS ORGANIZED BAND. STAYED WITH THE THEME FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST...AND LEFT THIS MORNING PRECIP RISK AS JUST SHOWERS WITH NO THUNDER MENTION...ALTHOUGH SUPPOSE A FEW ROGUE LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. ALSO IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS FORECAST...LEFT THE AFTERNOON 18Z-00Z PERIOD PRECIP FREE...BUT THERE A FEW HINTS IN LATEST MODELS THAT A FEW SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO THE AFTERNOON PERIOD ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN/SOUTHERN CWA...AND THE NEXT SHIFTS WILL WANT TO SEE IF MAYBE THIS RAIN MENTION NEEDS EXTENDED IN TIME A BIT. BY THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THE ENTIRE CWA SHOULD BE RAIN-FREE AND SEEING PLENTY OF SUN...AS THE PARENT MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS AND RESULTANT MID LEVEL SATURATION STARTS TO FOCUS EAST OF THE AREA. TEMP WISE...LOWERED HIGHS 2-3 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS IN MOST AREAS...FOLLOWING THE RAW 12Z NAM SOLUTION CLOSELY AND RANGING FROM LOW 70S NORTHWEST TO UPPER 70S SOUTHEAST. DID LOWER DEWPOINTS SEVERAL DEGREES ESPECIALLY DURING THE MID-LATE AFTERNOON WITH WIDESPREAD LOW-MID 30S AND EVEN UPPER 20S NORTHWEST. LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH BEHIND THE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WITH RIDGE AXIS SETTLING ACROSS NEBRASKA AND WESTERN KANSAS MONDAY NIGHT. THE RIDGE DOES WEAKEN...HOWEVER IN THE COOLER...DRY AIRMASS WITH LIGHT WINDS AND GOOD RADIATIONAL CONDITIONS...WE ARE LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME CHILLY OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES. SFC DPS DROP TO THE 20S AND LOWER 30S AND ITS LOOKING LIKE OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL AGAIN FALL INTO THE TEMPERATURE RANGE FAVORABLE FOR FROST...IN THE LOW/MID 30S. THESE LOCATIONS HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED SIMILAR LOW TEMPS THIS SEASON OR COLDER AND WILL NOT MENTION FROST...BUT WILL NEED TO MONITOR FOR FREEZE CONDITIONS FOR LOCATIONS THAT HAVE YET TO FREEZE. THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS WASHES OUT/SHIFTS EAST ON TUESDAY WITH RETURN FLOW SETTING UP AHEAD OF A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW IN MANITOBA...ASSOCIATED WITH UPSTREAM TROUGH ALONG THE US/CANADIAN BORDER. SHORTWAVE RIDGING NOSES ONTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS IN BETWEEN UPPER LOW TO THE SOUTHEAST AND TROUGH ENTERING THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE TUESDAY...BUT WITH COOL START TO THE DAY AND LESS MIXING WILL AIM FOR HIGHS IN THE MID 70S VS NEAR 80F. WEDNESDAY IS REALLY ONE OF THE TRICKIER DAYS DUE TO TIMING OF COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. UPPER LOW PRESSURE TROUGH REACHES THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND ROCKIES WITH THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVING INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA BY 12Z WEDNESDAY. THERE ARE IMPRESSIVE PRESSURE RISES OF 10+MB PROGGED BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE NEB PANHANDLE. IN GENERAL MODELS HAVE TRENDED FASTER WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH THE BOUNDARY THROUGH AT LEAST OUR WESTERN THIRD CWA...IF NOT HALF OF THE CWA BY 18Z. WITH THE FASTER TREND...HAVE SHARPENED TEMP GRADIENT NW/SE WITH AND LOWERED HIGHS IN OUR NORTHWEST TO THE LOW 70S. IF FRONT TRENDS ANY FASTER...COULD SEE TEMPS FALLING DURING THE AFTERNOON AND OUR NW ZONES MAY NOT REACH 70F. THIS BEING SAID...IF FRONT IS SLOWER AND MORE IN LINE WITH ECMWF VS NAM/GFS...TEMPS MAY BE WARMER THAN CURRENT FORECAST. PCPN CHCS INCREASE WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN INCREASING UPPER DYNAMICS AS TROUGH CROSSES THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE 12Z GFS AND GEM ARE DEEPER WITH TROUGH THAN THE MORE PROGRESSIVE 00Z AND 12Z RUNS OF THE ECMWF. HAVE CONCERNS THAT ECMWF IS TOO PROGRESSIVE WITH SYSTEM...AND GFS/GFS ENSEMBLE LOOKS TO BE DECENT COMPROMISE BETWEEN ECMWF AND GEM SOLUTIONS. IF THE DEEPER TROUGH SOLUTIONS VERIFY WE COULD SEE A DECENT CHC FOR RAIN...BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE CONSISTENCY BEFORE RAISING POPS. THE TROUGH AXIS DEPARTS THURSDAY MORNING...WITH PCPN ENDING W/E. THEREAFTER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORKWEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEKEND...PATTERN WILL BE INFLUENCED BY UPPER TROUGH ENCOMPASSING MUCH OF THE INTERIOR CONUS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL AND THERE WILL BE SOME HIT OR MISS CHCS FOR RAIN SHOWERS AS ENERGY TRANSLATES THRU FLOW. FIRE WEATHER...ALTHOUGH FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST TO FALL JUST A BIT SHORT OF CRITICAL THRESHOLDS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON THANKS TO RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES HOLDING AT LEAST SLIGHTLY ABOVE 20 PERCENT...THE CURRENTLY FORECAST COMBINATION OF SUSTAINED NORTHERLY WINDS AROUND 25 MPH/GUSTS 30-35 MPH AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FALLING INTO THE 22-26 PERCENT RANGE FOR A FEW HOURS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE CONTINUATION OF ELEVATED TO NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE DANGER WORDING IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. BASED ON RAINFALL TRENDS OVER THE PAST MONTH AND OFFICIAL FIRE GROWTH FUEL STATUS FROM FIRE MANAGERS...THE NEBRASKA COUNTIES WILL GENERALLY BE UNDER THE GUN MORE SO THAN KS. ONE FACTOR THAT MIGHT BE JUST ENOUGH TO SPARE US FROM DROPPING TO 20 PERCENT OR LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS THAT HIGH TEMPS WERE LOWERED 2-3 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST. HOWEVER...DEWPOINTS WERE ALSO DROPPED AT LEAST 5 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST IN MOST AREAS DURING THE KEY MID-LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...NOW ADVERTISED BETWEEN THE UPPER 20S AND MID 30S IN MOST COUNTIES. NEXT FEW SHIFTS WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THESE DEWPOINT/RH TRENDS...AS ONLY A SLIGHT DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENT COULD REQUIRE HEADLINE ISSUANCE FOR AT LEAST A SMALL PART OF MAINLY THE WESTERN CWA. LOOKING BEYOND MONDAY...WILL ALSO HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR OUR NEXT POTENTIALLY NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE DANGER SITUATION...AS NORTHERLY WINDS INCREASE AGAIN BEHIND THE NEXT COLD FRONT. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && $$ AVIATION/UPDATE...BRYANT SHORT TERM/FIRE WEATHER...PFANNKUCH LONG TERM...FAY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WILMINGTON NC
1040 AM EDT MON OCT 1 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE AREA TODAY...AS LOW PRESSURE OVER MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING MOVES INTO TENNESSEE TONIGHT. THE LOW WILL LIFT TO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES BY WEDNESDAY. ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE FORECAST AREA TUESDAY NIGHT...MOVING OFF THE COAST LATE WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST LATE WEEK INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1040 AM MONDAY...WARM FRONT MAKING SLOW PROGRESS THROUGH THE AREA NOW JUST SOUTH OF CONWAY AND NORTH OF KINGSTREE. ONLY A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS REMAIN ACROSS NORTHERN MOST AREAS DUE TO THE BROAD ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE ON THE 305K SURFACE. NAM AND HRRR SHOW A LULL FOR SEVERAL HOURS AS AN AREA OF LOWER RH IN THE MID LEVELS...CAPTURED WELL BY THE NAM AND SHOWN ON THE 1200 UTC CHS RAOB MOVES TO THE NORTH. I HAVE TRIMMED BACK POPS FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS THEN RAMPING BACK UP AS SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY POSSIBLY DEVELOPS. HAVE ADJUSTED POPS TO LIKELY LATE TONIGHT AS ANOTHER SWATH OF RAIN DEVELOPS VIA SURFACE CONVERGENCE AND MOVES ONSHORE. AS FOR TEMPERATURES...LOWER 80S MAY BE A TALL ORDER FOR NORTHEASTERN AREAS DUE TO THE PROGRESS OF THE WARM FRONT AND OVERCAST SKIES. WALKED BACK EXPECTED HIGHS A COUPLE OF DEGREES IN THESE AREAS WITH THE CAVEAT FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS MAY BE NECESSARY WITH THE MIDDAY UPDATE. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 AM MONDAY...AMPLIFIED PATTERN OVER THE EASTERN US WILL MAINTAIN DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST TUE. DEEP MOISTURE WILL BE PLENTIFUL WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES EXCEEDING 2 INCHES TUE MORNING AND REMAINING AT OR ABOVE 2 INCHES INTO WED. PLENTIFUL MOISTURE COMBINED WITH ENHANCEMENT ALOFT FROM PASSING SHORTWAVES AND WEAKLY DIVERGENT UPPER PATTERN ALONG WITH DIURNAL INSTABILITY SHOULD MAKE FOR A FAIRLY ACTIVE PERIOD...AT LEAST UNTIL A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION DURING WED. ONCE THE FRONT ARRIVES FORECAST CONFIDENCE DECREASES AS THE BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO STALL...BUT ITS EXACT LOCATION REMAINS IN QUESTION. SOLUTIONS RANGE FROM IT STALLING ALONG OR JUST INLAND OF THE COAST TO OVER THE WATERS ON WED. WHILE THE DISTANCE IS NOT SIGNIFICANT TIMING THE ARRIVAL AND THE AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL DRY AIR IS. HIGH UNCERTAINTY COMBINED WITH WESTWARD EXPANSION OF MID LEVEL WESTERN ATLANTIC RIDGE AND ITS SUBSIDENCE ALONG WITH INCREASING DRY AIR FROM LOW LEVEL WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING AN END TO PRECIP DURING WED. MOISTURE ALOFT WILL ENSURE CLOUD COVER REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. TUE INTO WED WILL BE THE HIGH POP PORTION OF THE FORECAST WITH LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL REQUIRED. THINGS DRY OUT WED. WILL CARRY LOW CHANCE ALONG THE COAST WITH SLIGHT CHANCE INLAND. STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL HELP KEEP HIGHS ABOVE CLIMO TUE AND WED DESPITE CLOUD COVER AND RAIN CHANCES. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...CLOUD COVER...AND MIXING WILL ALSO KEEP LOWS ABOVE CLIMO. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 3 AM MONDAY...MID LEVEL TROUGH LIFTING NORTHEAST AT THE START OF THE PERIOD WILL HELP PUSH THE FRONT STALLED NEAR THE COAST FARTHER OFFSHORE THU INTO FRI. INITIALLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BE SOUTHWEST...BUT AS THE 5H TROUGH LIFTS NORTHEAST THE MID LEVEL PATTERN BECOMES PROGRESSIVE. THIS RESULTS IN FLOW ALOFT BECOMING WESTERLY WHICH HELPS MOVE THE FRONT OFF THE COAST. AS THE FRONT HEADS EAST HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST SPREADING LOW AND MID LEVEL DRY AIR OVER THE REGION. MOISTURE ABOVE 500 MB WILL MAINTAIN HIGH CLOUDS BUT PRECIP IS NOT ANTICIPATED ON THU. DEEP DRY AIR ARRIVES THU NIGHT INTO FRI AT WHICH POINT PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES DROP WELL BELOW 1 INCH. WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT CONTINUE FRI BUT SAT LOW LEVEL FLOW STARTS TO VEER TO NORTHEAST AS SURFACE RIDGE AXIS BECOMES ELONGATED. RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS OFFSHORE DURING SAT AND RETURN FLOW SETS UP AHEAD OF NEXT COLD FRONT...WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT REACH THE REGION SUN. REGARDLESS RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE MOISTURE IN THE REGION AND MAY LEAD TO SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION EARLY NEXT WEEK. BOTH HIGHS AND LOWS WILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE CLIMO THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH A SUBTLE COOLING TREND LATE IN THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /12Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 12Z...IFR STRATUS ENTRENCHED THROUGHOUT THE CWA. THE WARM FRONT WILL WAVE NORTHWARD TODAY...BUT THE STRATUS WILL LIKELY TRY TO HOLD IN FOR MOST OF THE MORNING. THINK THE COASTAL TERMINALS WILL SEE CONDITIONS IMPROVING FIRST...AS THE WARM FRONT EASES ONSHORE WITH A WIND SHIFT TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST. CONVECTION MAY REFIRE THIS AFTERNOON...BEST CHANCE ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE SOLAR INSOLATION WILL BE THE HIGHEST. TONIGHT...ANOTHER SLUG OF MOISTURE WILL MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTH WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS. VISIBILITIES COULD BRIEFLY GO IFR IN THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WITH MAINLY MVFR CEILINGS. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...UNSETTLED WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH A STALLED FRONT COULD PRODUCE PERIODS OF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1040 AM MONDAY...ALL IS RELATIVELY QUIET OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AS 41013 IS SHOWING A LESS THAN ROBUST FOUR KNOTS WITH SEAS JUST OVER TWO FEET. NO CHANGES TO THE FORECAST WITH THE MORNING UPDATE. SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 AM MONDAY...SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THE 15 TO 20 KT TUE WILL DECREASE ON WED AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE COAST FROM THE WEST. FRONT IS SLOW TO MOVE OFF THE COAST WED...SO SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE INTO AFTERNOON...BUT PROXIMITY TO THE FRONT WILL KEEP GRADIENT WEAK THUS SPEEDS WILL ONLY BE 10 KT OR SO WED. FRONT PUSHES OFF THE COAST LATE WED OR WED NIGHT WITH LIGHT OFFSHORE FLOW BEHIND IT. NO COLD ADVECTION AND WEAK GRADIENT WILL KEEP FLOW UNDER 10 KT THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. SEAS WILL FLIRT WITH 6 FT AWAY FROM SHORE IN STRONGER SOUTHERLY FLOW TUE INTO TUE NIGHT AND HEADLINES MAY BE REQUIRED. SEAS WILL SUBSIDE WED AND WED NIGHT AS WINDS DECREASE AND EVENTUALLY BECOME OFFSHORE. LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 3 AM MONDAY...LIGHT WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW EARLY IN THE PERIOD WILL BECOME VARIABLE THU NIGHT INTO FRI AS STALLED COLD FRONT SLOWLY MOVES EAST. LACK OF ANY SIGNIFICANT GRADIENT OR COLD ADVECTION WILL KEEP SPEEDS UNDER 10 KT. LIGHT OFFSHORE FLOW FOLLOWED BY LIGHT VARIABLE WINDS WILL KEEP SEAS AROUND 2 FT THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ NEAR TERM...15 SHORT TERM...III LONG TERM...III AVIATION...43
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GRAND FORKS ND
1043 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .DISCUSSION... MINOR UPDATES THIS MORNING. FORECAST CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON (SEE FIRE DISCUSSION BELOW). NAM TEMPS CAME IN A BIT COOLER FOR THIS AFTN WHILE HRRR AND NAM WINDS WERE BOTH GENTLER THAN PREV FCST. GIVEN GOOD ADIABATIC MIXING...DID NOT DROP WINDS AS MUCH AS 12Z GUIDANCE. STILL EXPECT NORTH NORTHWEST FLOW FOR MOST OF AREA THIS AFTN. DAYTIME HIGHS SHOULD BE WARMEST IN SOUTHERN VALLEY AND COOLEST IN THE NORTHWEST WHERE OVERNIGHT LOWS WERE THE COLDEST. RIDGE AXIS WILL MOVE ACROSS AFT 00Z...RESULTING IN LIGHTER WINDS AND A SHIFT TO A SOUTHERLY COMPONENT BY MIDNIGHT. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDS WITH NNW FLOW GUSTING INTO THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTH BY LATE EVENING AS SFC RIDGE MOVES ACROSS VALLEY. && .FIRE WEATHER... WITH EXTREMELY DRY FUELS IN PLACE...RAPID FIRE GROWTH IS EXPECTED TODAY...ESPECIALLY OVER WEST-CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AS A RESULT...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON OVER NORTHWEST AND WEST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA. RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL FALL TO AROUND 25 TO 30 PERCENT OVER THIS AREA. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN TO 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH SOME GUSTS AROUND 25 MPH. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY BEGIN TO DIMINISH A BIT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS AS A SFC RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE REGION. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION ON TUESDAY...AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS MANITOBA DURING THE DAY...WITH WARM TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY. AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE 70S...RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW 20 PERCENT ALONG AND WEST OF THE RED RIVER VALLY...AND BELOW 25 PERCENT FARTHER EAST. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049- 052>054. MN...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR MNZ001>009- 013>017-022>024-027>032-040. && $$ SPEICHER/MAKOWSKI
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS STATE COLLEGE PA
817 PM EDT TUE OCT 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAKENING STORM SYSTEM MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY WILL PUSH A COMPLEX FRONTAL SYSTEM THROUGH THE STATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS IN FROM THE SOUTH...WITH WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN STORE FOR WEDNESDAY INTO FRIDAY. SHOWERS AND NOTICEABLY COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN FOR THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... LATEST RADAR SHOWS LITTLE MORE THAN SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS RACING NE ACROSS THE AREA. THIS TREND TOWARD JUST A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT A THE SYSTEM TO OUR WEST WEAKENS AND OUR UPPER HEIGHTS ACTUALLY RISE. HAVE LOWERED POPS TO LOW CHANCE AND SLIGHT CHANCE LEVELS. HRRR SHOWS IT DRY OVER MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH DAYLIGHT SO MAY EVEN DROP THEM FURTHER IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE. OVERNIGHT TEMPS WON/T DIP FAR AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER KEEP THWART COOLING. MAY SEE A COUPLE OF BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS ACROSS THE SW EARLY...BUT STRATOCU DECK WILL RE- ESTABLISH OVERNIGHT IN LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW WITH POSS OF AREAS OF DRIZZLE. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... STUBBORN STRATOCU DECK WILL MIX OUT BY MID/LATE MORNING ACROSS THE WEST...BUT MAY HOLD ON LONGER IN THE EAST WITH DEEPER MOISTURE ALONG QUICKLY WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. KEPT JUST A MENTION OF A SHOWER IN THE EAST WITH THIS FEATURE...BUT MAY BE OVERDOING IT. AS SUBTROPICAL HIGH NOSES IN FROM THE SOUTH...8H TEMPS IN THE MID TEENS COULD ALLOW THE TEMPS TO GET 10-15F ABOVE NORMAL. SFC WINDS VEER FROM SE TO SW DURING THE DAY...WHICH IS USUALLY A GOOD DIRECTION FOR DOWNSLOPE AND THEREFORE A BETTER CHANCE AT CLEARING UP AT LEAST THE SERN COS. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... GENERAL FLOW PATTERN ==================== THE 2 OCT 00 AND 12 UTC GLOBAL MODEL AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE REMAINS IN AGREEMENT ON THE LARGE SCALE FLOW REGIME FCST ACROSS NOAM. HIGH LATITUDE REX BLOCK IN THE NERN PAC WILL BE LESS MIGRATORY THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST 24 HOURS AGO...WHICH SHOULD ENSURE BROAD TROUGHING DOWNSTREAM OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONUS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODEL DIAGNOSTICS/PREFERENCES ============================= CONCERNING THE MID-UPPER TROUGH WEAKENING/ACCELERATING NEWD OUT OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON D3...THE 12Z NAM IS ON THE SLOWER/MORE AMPLIFIED SIDE OF MODEL SPREAD WITH LIFTING THE ENERGY NORTHWARD THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE NORTHEAST THURSDAY. OVERALL...THE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS FEATURE. THE LAST TWO RUNS OF THE ECMWF ARE STRONGER THAN THE NAM/GFS WITH THE SHORTWAVE ROTATING THROUGH THE NRN PLAINS/UPPER MS VLY SAT-SUN. THIS LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE PCPN PATTERN EVOLVING EWD THROUGH THE OH VLY INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION...PARTICULARLY ON DAY 6 (SUN). A COMPROMISE SOLUTION SUPPORTS HIGH END CHC TO LOW LKLY POPS ON DAY 5. THE ECMWF IS MORE BULLISH THAN THE GFS FOR PCPN FOR DAY 6...AS IT DEVELOPS AN AREA OF LOW PRES OVR THE MID-ATLC PIEDMONT. THE MODEL DIFFS WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE IMPACT THE TRACK OF ASSOC SURFACE CYCLONE DEEPENING OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES THUR-FRI...AND EWD PROGRESSION OF STRONG TRAILING COLD FRONT PUSHING EWD THROUGH THE MIDWEST/OH VLY. A ECMWF/UKMET BLEND IS PREFERRED HERE AS A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SOLUTION. THE GFS LOOKS MORE PROGRESSIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY ROTATING WITHIN THE MEAN TROUGH OVR THE GREAT LAKES REGION. WEATHER IMPACTS ================ LATE-WEEK WARM SPELL FOLLOWED BY SIGNIFICANT COOL DOWN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK... WEAKENING SYSTEM EJECTING NEWD FROM THE MS VLY WILL ACCELERATE NEWD THRU THE NORTHEAST STATES ON THUR...FOLLOWED BY S/W RIDGING AND SFC HI PRES THURS NGT INTO FRI. THURS AND FRIDAY LOOK MILD AND MAINLY DRY. FRIDAY COULD BE THE WARMEST DAY AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING EWD THROUGH THE MIDWEST. FRONTAL SHOWERS MAY REACH THE NW MTNS BY THE FRI AFTN...WITH MORE ORGANIZED RAINS LKLY FRI NGT INTO SAT AS THE WELL-DEFINED COLD FRONT SHIFTS SEWD THROUGH CENTRAL PA. PCPN MAY CONTINUE ON SUNDAY IF THE ECMWF SOLUTION VERIFIES. THE MAIN WEATHER IMPACT THIS PERIOD WILL BE A SHOT OF UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR INVADING THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPS CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE EARLY SEASON COOL DOWN IS WELL-ADVERTISED AND SUPPORTED BY BELOW NORMAL 500MB HEIGHTS AND 850MB TEMPS IN THE ENSEMBLE MEANS. THIS MIGHT LEAD TO THE FIRST LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS OF THE SEASON OVR THE WRN MTNS...WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR EARLY OCTOBER. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... LOW CIGS CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY AS THE EVENING CONTINUES. TODAYS RAINFALL AND LOW CIGS HAVE COUPLED TO ALLOW FOR IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. EXPECT THESE CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE EVENING. BANDS OF -DZ SHOULD FORM OVER THE NW MTNS AND THE LAURELS TONIGHT...BETWEEN 04-10Z. EXPECT THE IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE UNTIL MORNING...ESPECIALLY THE LOW STRATOCU DECK. THE NOSE OF DRY AIR SHOULD ADVECT INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MORNING...HOWEVER THIS SHOULD ONLY CEASE ANY PRECIPITATION. EXPECT THE STUBBORN STRATOCU DECK TO REMAIN ENTRENCHED OVER THE REGION UNTIL IT MIXES OUT BY MID/LATE MORNING ACROSS THE WEST...BUT MAY HOLD ON LONGER IN THE EAST WITH DEEPER MOISTURE ALONG A QUICKLY WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. CONDITIONS EVENTUALLY GET TO VFR AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH LIGHT SOUTH/SW WINDS...BY 18Z. OUTLOOK... WED...AM LOW CIGS/FOG...GRADUALLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS. THU...AM LOW CIGS/FOG POSSIBLE EAST. OTHERWISE NO SIG WX. FRI...NO SIG WX EXPECTED. SAT-SUN...MAINLY VFR...MVFR LIKELY IN SHOWERS. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...LA CORTE/RXR NEAR TERM...LA CORTE/RXR SHORT TERM...RXR LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...CERU/RXR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS STATE COLLEGE PA
707 PM EDT TUE OCT 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAKENING STORM SYSTEM MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY WILL PUSH A COMPLEX FRONTAL SYSTEM THROUGH THE STATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS IN FROM THE SOUTH...WITH WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN STORE FOR WEDNESDAY INTO FRIDAY. SHOWERS AND NOTICEABLY COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN FOR THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... LATEST RADAR SHOWS LITTLE MORE THAN SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS RACING NE ACROSS THE AREA. THIS TREND TOWARD JUST A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT A THE SYSTEM TO OUR WEST WEAKENS AND OUR UPPER HEIGHTS ACTUALLY RISE. HAVE LOWERED POPS TO LOW CHANCE AND SLIGHT CHANCE LEVELS. HRRR SHOWS IT DRY OVER MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH DAYLIGHT SO MAY EVEN DROP THEM FURTHER IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE. OVERNIGHT TEMPS WON/T DIP FAR AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER KEEP THWART COOLING. MAY SEE A COUPLE OF BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS ACROSS THE SW EARLY...BUT STRATOCU DECK WILL RE- ESTABLISH OVERNIGHT IN LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW WITH POSS OF AREAS OF DRIZZLE. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... STUBBORN STRATOCU DECK WILL MIX OUT BY MID/LATE MORNING ACROSS THE WEST...BUT MAY HOLD ON LONGER IN THE EAST WITH DEEPER MOISTURE ALONG QUICKLY WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. KEPT JUST A MENTION OF A SHOWER IN THE EAST WITH THIS FEATURE...BUT MAY BE OVERDOING IT. AS SUBTROPICAL HIGH NOSES IN FROM THE SOUTH...8H TEMPS IN THE MID TEENS COULD ALLOW THE TEMPS TO GET 10-15F ABOVE NORMAL. SFC WINDS VEER FROM SE TO SW DURING THE DAY...WHICH IS USUALLY A GOOD DIRECTION FOR DOWNSLOPE AND THEREFORE A BETTER CHANCE AT CLEARING UP AT LEAST THE SERN COS. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... GENERAL FLOW PATTERN ==================== THE 2 OCT 00 AND 12 UTC GLOBAL MODEL AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE REMAINS IN AGREEMENT ON THE LARGE SCALE FLOW REGIME FCST ACROSS NOAM. HIGH LATITUDE REX BLOCK IN THE NERN PAC WILL BE LESS MIGRATORY THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST 24 HOURS AGO...WHICH SHOULD ENSURE BROAD TROUGHING DOWNSTREAM OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONUS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODEL DIAGNOSTICS/PREFERENCES ============================= CONCERNING THE MID-UPPER TROUGH WEAKENING/ACCELERATING NEWD OUT OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON D3...THE 12Z NAM IS ON THE SLOWER/MORE AMPLIFIED SIDE OF MODEL SPREAD WITH LIFTING THE ENERGY NORTHWARD THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE NORTHEAST THURSDAY. OVERALL...THE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS FEATURE. THE LAST TWO RUNS OF THE ECMWF ARE STRONGER THAN THE NAM/GFS WITH THE SHORTWAVE ROTATING THROUGH THE NRN PLAINS/UPPER MS VLY SAT-SUN. THIS LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE PCPN PATTERN EVOLVING EWD THROUGH THE OH VLY INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION...PARTICULARLY ON DAY 6 (SUN). A COMPROMISE SOLUTION SUPPORTS HIGH END CHC TO LOW LKLY POPS ON DAY 5. THE ECMWF IS MORE BULLISH THAN THE GFS FOR PCPN FOR DAY 6...AS IT DEVELOPS AN AREA OF LOW PRES OVR THE MID-ATLC PIEDMONT. THE MODEL DIFFS WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE IMPACT THE TRACK OF ASSOC SURFACE CYCLONE DEEPENING OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES THUR-FRI...AND EWD PROGRESSION OF STRONG TRAILING COLD FRONT PUSHING EWD THROUGH THE MIDWEST/OH VLY. A ECMWF/UKMET BLEND IS PREFERRED HERE AS A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SOLUTION. THE GFS LOOKS MORE PROGRESSIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY ROTATING WITHIN THE MEAN TROUGH OVR THE GREAT LAKES REGION. WEATHER IMPACTS ================ LATE-WEEK WARM SPELL FOLLOWED BY SIGNIFICANT COOL DOWN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK... WEAKENING SYSTEM EJECTING NEWD FROM THE MS VLY WILL ACCELERATE NEWD THRU THE NORTHEAST STATES ON THUR...FOLLOWED BY S/W RIDGING AND SFC HI PRES THURS NGT INTO FRI. THURS AND FRIDAY LOOK MILD AND MAINLY DRY. FRIDAY COULD BE THE WARMEST DAY AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING EWD THROUGH THE MIDWEST. FRONTAL SHOWERS MAY REACH THE NW MTNS BY THE FRI AFTN...WITH MORE ORGANIZED RAINS LKLY FRI NGT INTO SAT AS THE WELL-DEFINED COLD FRONT SHIFTS SEWD THROUGH CENTRAL PA. PCPN MAY CONTINUE ON SUNDAY IF THE ECMWF SOLUTION VERIFIES. THE MAIN WEATHER IMPACT THIS PERIOD WILL BE A SHOT OF UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR INVADING THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPS CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE EARLY SEASON COOL DOWN IS WELL-ADVERTISED AND SUPPORTED BY BELOW NORMAL 500MB HEIGHTS AND 850MB TEMPS IN THE ENSEMBLE MEANS. THIS MIGHT LEAD TO THE FIRST LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS OF THE SEASON OVR THE WRN MTNS...WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR EARLY OCTOBER. && .AVIATION /23Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... SCATTERED LINGERING PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO PROPAGATE THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN PA EARLY THIS EVENING. EXPECT THESE SHOWERS TO CONTINUE THROUGH MID EVENING BEFORE DRY AIR ADVECTS IN BY MIDNIGHT. LOW CIGS REMAIN IN PLACE THOUGH WITH WIDESPREAD MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. CIGS MAY POP UP IN THE SW FOR A BIT LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS DRY SLOT NOSES INTO W PA...BUT STRATOCU DECK WILL RE- ESTABLISH ITSELF ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT IN LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW WITH POSS OF VERY LIGHT SHOWERS AND/OR AREAS OF DRIZZLE. SO WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. STUBBORN STRATOCU DECK WILL MIX OUT BY MID/LATE MORNING ACROSS THE WEST...BUT MAY HOLD ON LONGER IN THE EAST WITH DEEPER MOISTURE ALONG QUICKLY WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. CONDITIONS EVENTUALLY GET TO VFR AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH LIGHT SOUTH/SW WINDS. OUTLOOK... WED...AM LOW CIGS/FOG...GRADUALLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS. THU...AM LOW CIGS/FOG POSSIBLE EAST. OTHERWISE NO SIG WX. FRI...NO SIG WX EXPECTED. SAT-SUN...MAINLY VFR...MVFR LIKELY IN SHOWERS. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...LA CORTE/RXR NEAR TERM...LA CORTE/RXR SHORT TERM...RXR LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...CERU/RXR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1246 PM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... ONGOING CONVECTION. && .DISCUSSION... QUICK UPDATE TO INCREASE POPS THROUGH CENTRAL PART OF CWA TO ACCOUNT FOR ONGOING CONVECTION. EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1038 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ UPDATE... CONVECTION DEVELOPING NORTH CENTRAL. DISCUSSION... A SMALL AREA OF CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED IS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD INTO KERR COUNTY. THE CURRENT RAP MODEL SHOWS CONVECTION CONTINUING THROUGH ABOUT NOON...BUT IS MISPLACED TO THE WEST. HAVE UPDATED POPS AND WX TO SHOW A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DOWN INTO MEDINA AND WESTERN BEXAR COUNTIES. WILL SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES FOR THE AFTERNOON. MAY NEED TO INCREASE POPS FURTHER. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 619 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ AVIATION... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL GENERATE ISOLD SHRA/TSRA TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. FOR NOW...DUE TO UNCERTAINTY ON LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT...WILL LEAVE MENTION OUT OF TAFS. HOWEVER...ONE OR MORE TAFS MAY HAVE TO BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE MENTION WHEN IT BECOMES MORE CERTAIN. VFR SKIES WILL PREVAIL WITH CLOUDS ABOVE 4K FT. DAYTIME MIXING WILL CREATE N TO NW WINDS 8 TO 15 KTS WITH SOME GUSTS TO 20 KTS. DECOUPLING AND A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ALLOW FOR WINDS DECREASING TO 5 KTS OR LESS TONIGHT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 328 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ DISCUSSION... MAIN CHANGE THIS MORNING IS TO ADD ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FCST FOR TODAY AND THIS EVENING. CONVECTIVE COMPLEX OVER THE TRANS-PECOS REGION HAS BEEN MOVING SSE OVERNIGHT AND IS ENTERING NORTHWEST VAL VERDE COUNTY. THIS IS A HARBINGER OF THINGS TO COME FOR TODAY. THERE IS GOOD MODEL CONSENSUS FOR ISOLATED CONVECTION ACROSS OUR CWFA TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THIS IS DUE TO AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS FEATURE WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS OUR CWFA ALONG THE BACKSIDE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF. THE HI-RES ARW AND NMM DO A GOOD JOB CAPTURING THIS FEATURE AND ASSOCIATED QPF. COOLER TEMPS ALOFT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ELEVATED CLOUD BASES MEAN THAT SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THRU THIS EVENING WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL WITH OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. HIGHS TODAY WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 80 ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY TO UPPER 80S SOUTHWEST. THE UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL FINALLY MOVE OFF TO THE EAST ON TUESDAY. THIS WILL PLACE THE BEST UPPER LEVEL FORCING ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE TROF. THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH OVER BAJA CALIFORNIA WILL BUILD EASTWARD TOWARDS TEXAS WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY WHILE A WEAK COLD FRONT WASHES OUT ACROSS NORTHERN TEXAS ON THURSDAY. THIS PATTERN WILL KEEP SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS RAIN-FREE THRU THE END OF THE WEEK. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE HILL COUNTRY SATURDAY NIGHT BUT UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT IS WEAK SO DO NOT EXPECT SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL. THE PATTERN OF COOL NIGHTS FOLLOWED BY WARM AFTERNOONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY THRU WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT GULF MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO ADVECT INLAND ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AS THE SFC HIGH SHIFTS EASTWARD. THIS WILL RESULT IN MORE HUMID CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL ALSO SHOW A WARMING TREND AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES WITH THE DEPARTURE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF AND ARRIVAL OF WEAK RIDGING ALOFT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 60 83 61 88 69 / 20 - 0 0 - AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 59 82 55 87 66 / 20 - 0 0 - NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 61 83 57 88 66 / 20 - 0 0 - BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 58 80 58 86 68 / 20 - 0 0 - DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 62 84 62 92 67 / 10 - 0 0 - GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 59 81 58 86 67 / 10 - 0 0 - HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 60 83 58 89 64 / 20 - 0 0 - SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 60 83 57 88 66 / 20 - 0 0 - LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 59 83 58 88 67 / 10 - 0 0 - SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 61 82 60 88 67 / 20 - 0 0 - STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 61 83 60 89 67 / 20 - 0 0 - && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ MESOSCALE/AVIATION...24 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...05 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...33
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1038 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .UPDATE... CONVECTION DEVELOPING NORTH CENTRAL. && .DISCUSSION... A SMALL AREA OF CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED IS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD INTO KERR COUNTY. THE CURRENT RAP MODEL SHOWS CONVECTION CONTINUING THROUGH ABOUT NOON...BUT IS MISPLACED TO THE WEST. HAVE UPDATED POPS AND WX TO SHOW A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DOWN INTO MEDINA AND WESTERN BEXAR COUNTIES. WILL SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES FOR THE AFTERNOON. MAY NEED TO INCREASE POPS FURTHER. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 619 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ AVIATION... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL GENERATE ISOLD SHRA/TSRA TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. FOR NOW...DUE TO UNCERTAINTY ON LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENT...WILL LEAVE MENTION OUT OF TAFS. HOWEVER...ONE OR MORE TAFS MAY HAVE TO BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE MENTION WHEN IT BECOMES MORE CERTAIN. VFR SKIES WILL PREVAIL WITH CLOUDS ABOVE 4K FT. DAYTIME MIXING WILL CREATE N TO NW WINDS 8 TO 15 KTS WITH SOME GUSTS TO 20 KTS. DECOUPLING AND A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ALLOW FOR WINDS DECREASING TO 5 KTS OR LESS TONIGHT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 328 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012/ DISCUSSION... MAIN CHANGE THIS MORNING IS TO ADD ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FCST FOR TODAY AND THIS EVENING. CONVECTIVE COMPLEX OVER THE TRANS-PECOS REGION HAS BEEN MOVING SSE OVERNIGHT AND IS ENTERING NORTHWEST VAL VERDE COUNTY. THIS IS A HARBINGER OF THINGS TO COME FOR TODAY. THERE IS GOOD MODEL CONSENSUS FOR ISOLATED CONVECTION ACROSS OUR CWFA TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THIS IS DUE TO AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS FEATURE WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS OUR CWFA ALONG THE BACKSIDE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF. THE HI-RES ARW AND NMM DO A GOOD JOB CAPTURING THIS FEATURE AND ASSOCIATED QPF. COOLER TEMPS ALOFT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ELEVATED CLOUD BASES MEAN THAT SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THRU THIS EVENING WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL WITH OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. HIGHS TODAY WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 80 ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY TO UPPER 80S SOUTHWEST. THE UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL FINALLY MOVE OFF TO THE EAST ON TUESDAY. THIS WILL PLACE THE BEST UPPER LEVEL FORCING ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE TROF. THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH OVER BAJA CALIFORNIA WILL BUILD EASTWARD TOWARDS TEXAS WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY WHILE A WEAK COLD FRONT WASHES OUT ACROSS NORTHERN TEXAS ON THURSDAY. THIS PATTERN WILL KEEP SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS RAIN-FREE THRU THE END OF THE WEEK. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE HILL COUNTRY SATURDAY NIGHT BUT UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT IS WEAK SO DO NOT EXPECT SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL. THE PATTERN OF COOL NIGHTS FOLLOWED BY WARM AFTERNOONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY THRU WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT GULF MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO ADVECT INLAND ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AS THE SFC HIGH SHIFTS EASTWARD. THIS WILL RESULT IN MORE HUMID CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL ALSO SHOW A WARMING TREND AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES WITH THE DEPARTURE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF AND ARRIVAL OF WEAK RIDGING ALOFT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 83 60 83 61 88 / - 20 - 0 0 AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 83 59 82 55 87 / - 20 - 0 0 NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 84 61 83 57 88 / 10 20 - 0 0 BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 81 58 80 58 86 / 10 20 - 0 0 DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 88 62 84 62 92 / 10 10 - 0 0 GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 82 59 81 58 86 / - 10 - 0 0 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 84 60 83 58 89 / 20 20 - 0 0 SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 84 60 83 57 88 / 10 20 - 0 0 LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 83 59 83 58 88 / - 10 - 0 0 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 84 61 82 60 88 / 10 20 - 0 0 STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 84 61 83 60 89 / 10 20 - 0 0 && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ MESOSCALE/AVIATION...24 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...05 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...33
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SAN ANGELO TX
1205 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012 .DISCUSSION... SEE 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... PREDOMINANTLY A VFR FORECAST THE NEXT 24 HOURS. COULD SEE SOME MVFR VISIBILITIES AT KBBD FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS EARLY THIS MORNING...OTHERWISE VFR EXPECTED. A FEW SHOWERS MAY AFFECT THE KSJT AND KSOA TERMINALS JUST BEFORE DAYBREAK WITH ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF THE TERMINALS MONDAY AFTERNOON. WENT WITH VICINITY SHOWERS MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR NOW AND WILL LEAVE MENTION OF THUNDER OUT OF THE FORECAST DUE TO TIMING/CONFIDENCE ISSUES. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1023 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ UPDATE... TO ADD SLIGHT CHANCE POPS AND LOWER OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES... DISCUSSION... DISTURBANCES CONTINUE TO ROTATE AROUND AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CENTERED OVER THE ARKLATEX REGION. THIS DISTURBANCES ARE PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH...ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND PARTS OF WEST TEXAS. THERE IS CURRENTLY A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE PERMIAN BASIN...AND THIS WILL LIKELY CLIP PARTS OF CROCKETT COUNTY. IN ADDITION...ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IS QUICKLY MOVING SOUTH THROUGH THE PANHANDLE. THIS MAY AFFECT...AT LEAST THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE CWA...AND THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE LATEST HRRR MODEL RUN. I ADDED IN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT...FOR MAINLY THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA. FINALLY...I LOWERED TEMPERATURES BY A FEW DEGREES ACROSS THE AREA...AS WINDS REMAIN LIGHT AND DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S. OTHERWISE...NO OTHER CHANGES NEEDED AT THIS TIME. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 706 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ DISCUSSION... SEE AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVERNIGHT. BBD MAY SEE A VICINITY SHOWER OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS...AND SOME FOG DEVELOPING AFTER 09Z FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. HIGH RESOLUTION RAP MODEL BRINGS THE ACTIVITY IN THE PANHANDLE NEAR THE WESTERN TERMINALS LATER TONIGHT...BUT DO NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE ENOUGH TO MENTION IN THE TAFS FOR SJT AND SOA. MODELS DEVELOP SHOWERS AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON...SO HAVE INCLUDED VCSH FOR ABI...SOA...AND SJT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 346 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ SHORT TERM... CLOUD COVERAGE IS ON A DECREASING TREND AND EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING ACROSS OUR AREA. SOMEWHAT GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL DIMINISH AND BECOME LIGHT BY EARLY TONIGHT. THE CHANCE FOR CONVECTION WHICH DEVELOPS IN NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO/SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO TO SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO MOVE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST INTO OUR AREA LATER TONIGHT LOOKS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE A MENTIONABLE POP...SO WILL LEAVE OUT FOR NOW. ANTICIPATE THAT SOME MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS /FROM UPSTREAM CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT/ WILL TRAVERSE OUR COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. CANNOT RULE OUT A POSSIBILITY FOR SOME PATCHY FOG DEVELOPMENT LATER TONIGHT WITH WEAK WINDS AND TEMPERATURES COOLING TO NEAR THE DEWPOINT VALUES. WITH THIS BEING THE SECOND NIGHT REMOVED FROM THE RAINFALL EVENT HOWEVER...AND WITH SOME INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER POSSIBLE...NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO MENTION IN THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. THIS CAN BE MONITORED THIS EVENING. ON MONDAY...HAVE INCLUDED A SLIGHT CHANCE POP FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF OUR AREA. AN UPPER JET MAX WILL DIVE SOUTH THROUGH THE HIGH PLAINS AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF AN UPPER TROUGH...PLACING OUR AREA IN THE LEFT FRONT QUADRANT DURING THE AFTERNOON. DURING THAT TIME...COLD AIR ADVECTION ALOFT /500MB TEMPERATURES DROPPING TO MINUS 13 TO MINUS 15 DEG C / WILL BE COINCIDENT WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES WARMING TO OR ABOVE 80 DEGREES. LONG TERM... THIS WEEK WILL FEATURE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES AS THE UPPER LEVEL JET STREAM CONTINUES TO DIVE SOUTH INTO THE U.S. PUSHING COLD FRONTS INTO WC TX. THIS PATTERN CAN MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT TEMPERATURES THOUGH. THE CANADIAN/GFS/AND ECMWF ALL INDICATE AN AMPLIFICATION IN THE UPPER RIDGE ACROSS ACROSS THE WESTERN PROVINCES OF CANADA THIS WEEK. THIS TYPE OF PATTERN IS VERY FAVORABLE FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF SURGES OF CANADIAN AIRMASSES TO PLUNGE SOUTH INTO THE U.S. AND EVENTUALLY WC TX. AFTER A BEAUTIFUL WEATHER DAY ON TUESDAY...A WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT AND RESULT IN A WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW INTO WEDNESDAY WHEN TEMPERATURES COULD REACH THE MID TO UPPER 80S. AS A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT...IT WILL SEND A CANADIAN COLD FRONT INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY. FOR THIS REASON...TRENDED COOLER FOR THE BIG COUNTRY ON THURSDAY AND FORECASTED HIGHS MAY BE SLIGHTLY COOLER. AFTER A SLIGHT WARMING TREND ON FRIDAY...THE NEXT CANADIAN FRONT IS PROGGED TO ENTER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE BIG COUNTRY SATURDAY MORNING...AND THEN SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE DAY. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY FORM ALONG THE FRONT. THE MODELS PROG STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS THE RIGHT REAR ENTRANCE OF A JET MAX CAUSES AN ISENTROPIC WARM AIR ADVECTION PATTERN TO DEVELOP ATOP THE COLD AIR. THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS FRONT WILL BE HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY. SINCE THERE IS STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY....WILL START WITH HIGHS NEAR 70. BUT THESE TEMPS MAY BE COOLER. WENT AHEAD AND ADDED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR LIGHT RAIN AND MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES FOR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. 26 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ABILENE 78 58 81 54 77 / 10 10 20 5 5 SAN ANGELO 79 58 82 56 78 / 10 20 20 10 0 JUNCTION 78 58 82 53 81 / 10 10 20 10 0 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ 99/99/24
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS AMARILLO TX
1140 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 .AVIATION... /06 UTC TAFS/ THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RACE SOUTH OVER THE SOUTHERN TX PANHANDLE AND WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE KAMA TERMINAL SHORTLY. GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE NEAR THE TERMINAL SO WILL LET THE CURRENT AWW CONTINUE UNTIL IT EXPIRES AT 05Z. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE TERMINALS SHORTLY...WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH. DESPITE THE RECENT RAINFALL...NOT EXPECTING AREAS OF FOG TO DEVELOP AS NORTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL DRAW IN THE DRIER AIR UPSTREAM. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE VALID TAF FORECAST PERIOD ALTHOUGH WILL SEE WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 20-25 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS BY 14Z MONDAY. WINDS WILL DIMINISH IN TYPICAL DIURNAL FASHION AFTER 00Z TUESDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING BUT CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW TO MENTION IN THE FORECAST. CLK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 640 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ AVIATION... /00 UTC TAFS/ ONGOING CONVECTION CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE WESTERN TX PANHANDLE...AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT KAMA/KDHT. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN SOUTHWESTERN KS AND ARE ALSO MOVING TO THE SOUTH. HAVE LEFT OUT MENTION OF TSRA IN AT KGUY AS LATEST HRRR AND TT WRF SHOW THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE TERMINAL. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND AMEND AS NECESSARY. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS THIS EVENING WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH BEHIND A WEAK COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE NORTH THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST BUT WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 20-25 KTS SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BEHIND THIS FRONT. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE VALID TAF FORECAST PERIOD. CLK PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 337 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/ DISCUSSION... PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH TOMORROW AND COOLER TEMPERATURES LATE WEEK ARE THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP FROM THE NORTHWEST TX PANHANDLE AND NORTHEAST NM...NORTH INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE DIVING DOWN WITHIN THE NORTH/NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WAS ACTING ON AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO TRIGGER THIS CONVECTION. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH IS ALSO DRAPED NORTH/NORTHEAST TO SOUTH/SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE AREA...WHICH MAY ALSO HELP TO FOCUS CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LAPS/RUC ANALYSIS DATA SHOW A CORRIDOR OF 1000-1500 MLCAPES ACROSS THE PANHANDLES...WITH FAIRLY WEAK DEEP LAYER SHEAR IN THE 20-30 KT RANGE. GIVEN THIS COMBINATION...COULD SEE A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO WANE LATE THIS EVENING...BUT WITH THE NOSE OF THE UPPER JET CURRENTLY DIGGING SOUTH ALONG THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES DRAWING CLOSER TO THE PANHANDLES OVERNIGHT...CAN/T RULE OUT A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS/WEAK THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT. THIS DIGGING UPPER JET AND ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIVING SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS WILL HELP TO SEND A WEAK COLD FRONT SOUTH THROUGH THE CWA LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. WON/T SEE MUCH OF A COOL DOWN BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT. THE LFQ OF AN 80-100 KT NORTH/SOUTH UPPER JET WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE PANHANDLES ON MONDAY...ACTING WITH SOME LOW TO MID- LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS TO SUPPORT A CHANCE OF A FEW SHOWERS AND WEAK THUNDERSTORMS /AS INSTABILITY REMAINS WEAK/ ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA. ANY PRECIPITATION WILL SLIDE EAST/SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA BY EARLY MONDAY EVENING. DRY AND WARMING CONDITIONS ARE THEN ON TAP TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY IN BETWEEN COLD FRONTS. A DEEPENING LEE TROUGH AHEAD OF THE NEXT UPPER TROUGH DIGGING ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES WILL HELP TEMPS REBOUND INTO THE 80S BY WEDNESDAY. NEXT COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE PARENT UPPER TROUGH PUSHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS...KNOCKING HIGHS BACK INTO THE 60S AND 70S ON THURSDAY. NOT EXPECTING ANY PRECIP WITH THE FRONT AS MOISTURE WILL BE LACKING AND UPPER DYNAMICS STAY TO OUR NORTH. FRIDAY WILL BRING A BRIEF REBOUND IN TEMPS AHEAD OF THE NEXT STRONGER COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO PLOW THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. AS THE ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH/JET DIG ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS...FORCING FROM THE RRQ OF THE UPPER JET WILL GRAZE THE NORTHEAST CWA FRIDAY NIGHT...POSSIBLE TEAMING WITH THE FRONT TO BRING A FEW SHOWERS TO THIS PORTION OF THE AREA. BEYOND THAT...RAIN CHANCES CURRENTLY LOOK MINIMAL FOR THE WEEKEND AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND DRIER AIR BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT. WILL AIM FOR HIGHS IN THE 60S FOR THE WEEKEND...WITH LATE WEEK/WEEKEND LOWS MAINLY IN THE 40S ALTHOUGH A FEW UPPER 30S MAY CREEP INTO NORTHERN AREAS. KB FIRE WEATHER... NO ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK. BREEZY NORTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP MONDAY BEHIND A COLD FRONT BUT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN ABOVE 20 PERCENT. KB && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && $$ 05/15
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SPOKANE WA
531 PM PDT Tue Oct 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A strong cold front will bring breezy to locally windy conditions through this evening then decreasing overnight into Wednesday. These gusty north winds will result in areas of blowing dust for central Washington and heighten the fire danger for much of the Inland Northwest. The second half of the week will be cooler than average. Some parts of northeast Washington and north Idaho may experience a hard freeze by early Thursday morning. The dry and cool weather will continue into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Quick update to this evenings forecast. Radar clearly shows the cold front moving into the northern Palouse at the moment. Meanwhile the 3.9 micron satellite imagery has done a great job of showing the dust cloud spreading southward from the Okanogan Valley into the western Columbia Basin. Web cams have shown blowing dust reducing visibilities to less than 1 mile at times. Have issued a blowing dust advisory for most of the Basin and Palouse this evening. Will probably have to update this to add the Pomeroy area. Meanwhile a few showers are clipping the northern Panhandle. Web cams and surface observations don`t show any rain reaching the valleys, but some of these showers are likely reaching the higher mountains. HRRR model shows that this activity should only last a few hours. Updated the snow levels, lowering them to around 4000 feet for the northern Panhandle. RJ && .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS...A strong cold front is moving south across the region this evening. At 2330Z, this front has just passed through Spokane/Coeur d`Alene Area and through the Moses Lake Area. This front has kicked up a dust cloud with visibilities down to between 3 to 6 miles and locally down to 1 mile near tilled soils. The front is expected to reach KPUW and KLWS between 0200-0300Z this evening with winds shifting out of the north-northwest and MVFR visibilities possible due to the blowing dust. Winds will shift to out of the northeast overnight (except at KEAT, which will back to the northwest), but should become less gusty as the surface decouples from the free atmosphere above. Weaker winds overnight should allow dust to settle with improving visibilities into the early morning hours. /SVH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 37 60 32 59 34 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Coeur d`Alene 36 60 31 59 31 59 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Pullman 35 60 30 58 29 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lewiston 41 66 38 65 38 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Colville 32 65 30 64 29 64 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Sandpoint 38 58 30 56 30 58 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Kellogg 34 53 30 57 32 57 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Moses Lake 40 67 33 65 33 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 45 65 37 65 41 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Omak 37 67 31 66 34 66 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT this evening for Northern and Central Idaho Panhandle (Zone 101). WA...Red Flag Warning until 10 PM PDT this evening for East Washington Northeast (Zone 686)-East Washington Northern Columbia Basin (Zone 673)-East Washington Okanogan Highlands (Zone 687)-East Washington Okanogan/Methow Valleys (Zone 684). Blowing Dust Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for Moses Lake Area-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Washington Palouse. Red Flag Warning until 8 PM PDT this evening for East Washington Central Cascade Mountains (Zone 682)-East Washington Central Cascade Valleys (Zone 677)-East Washington North Cascades (Zone 685)-East Washington South Central Cascade Mountains (Zone 680)-East Washington South Central Cascade Valleys (Zone 676). AIR QUALITY ALERT until Noon PDT Thursday for East Slopes Northern Cascades-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau- Wenatchee Area. Wind Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for Okanogan Valley- Waterville Plateau. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
626 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 THE MAIN FOCUS THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK IS WITH A POTENT COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION EARLY ON THURSDAY AND BRING AN END TO THIS FIRST RUN OF INDIAN SUMMER. ANOTHER DAY OF PLEASANT AND DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AS WE REMAIN SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN TWO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN BETWEEN OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. THIS RIDGE AXIS WILL SLOWLY DRIFT TO THE EAST TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW AS THE MID LEVEL TROUGH TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THE OTHER TROUGH OVER SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA MAKE SOME SLOW PROGRESS EASTWARD. WITH THE CORE OF THE RIDGE OVERHEAD FOR MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD...SKIES WILL BE CLEAR WITH WINDS LIGHT FROM THE SURFACE ON UP THROUGH 15KFT. THIS SETUP SHOULD PRODUCE SOME RADIATIONAL FOG THAT FORMS IN LOW SPOTS AND VALLEYS...PARTICULARLY ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN. LOW LEVEL WINDS AROUND 925MB DO PICK UP TOWARD DAYBREAK ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...BUT ARE STILL LIGHT ENOUGH AT 10KTS THAT SOME RIVER VALLEY FOG SHOULD FORM. THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY AS THE TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS BECOMES MORE NEGATIVELY TILTED AND A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW FORMS IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WITH SURFACE WINDS INCREASING OUT OF THE SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION. THE CORE OF THE WARMEST LOW LEVEL AIR REMAINS OFF TO THE WEST...BUT WITH FULL SUNSHINE AND SOUTHERLY WINDS SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLIMB UP INTO THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80. THIS SETUP MAY LEAD TO SOME FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WHICH ARE OUTLINED IN THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION IN THIS AFD DOWN BELOW. THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE IS WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE ALONG WITH HOW LIKELY IT WILL BE THAT IT WILL RAIN AS THE FRONT COMES THROUGH. THERE IS NOT A LOT OF CONSISTENCY AMONGST THE 02.12Z GUIDANCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WITH THE COLD FRONT AND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THE 02.12Z NAM AND GFS ARE THE FASTEST WITH THE COLD FRONT REACHING EASTERN WISCONSIN BY 18Z THURSDAY...THOUGH THE NAM SHOWS A MUCH MORE OCCLUDED LOW TO THE NORTH ON THURSDAY. THE CONCERNING PART OF THE LAST FEW MODEL RUNS HAS BEEN THE TREND TOWARD GOING WITH A DRIER SOLUTION DESPITE THE STRONG DYNAMIC FORCING. GIVEN THE LATEST TRENDS...IT APPEARS THAT THE BETTER CHANCES FOR THE CROSSOVER IN FORCING AND MOISTURE WILL BE ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA INTO FAR SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN THURSDAY MORNING ALONG AND JUST BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. INSTABILITY LOOKS MARGINAL AT BEST...BUT SOME OF THE CONVECTIVE MODELS DO SHOW SOME STORMS DEVELOPING AS THE FRONT COMES THROUGH...SO HAVE LEFT SOME ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION IN ON THURSDAY MORNING. COLD AIR WILL QUICKLY MOVE IN ACROSS THE REGION WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES LIKELY COMING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BEFORE DROPPING OR STABILIZING THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. WINDS WILL ALSO BECOME GUSTY UP TO 25-30KTS THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AS THE DRY SLOT MOVES IN WHICH WILL HELP TO LIKELY END THE COLORFUL FOLIAGE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT THROUGH MUCH OF THE REGION OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 NOT MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD FROM THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE 02.12Z GFS PUSHES FOR A COLDER SOLUTION WITH A SYSTEM DROPPING THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY WHILE THE 02.12Z ECMWF IS WARMER AFTER THE INITIAL COLD SURGE GOING INTO MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND LINGERS SOME PRECIPITATION ALONG THE INVERTED TROUGH THIS WEEKEND. THERE AT LEAST IS AGREEMENT THAT TEMPERATURES WILL STAY BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH 850MB TEMPERATURES DROPPING DOWN TO -6C FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION KICKS BACK IN SUNDAY NIGHT. BEYOND THAT...THE 02.12Z GFS ADVECTS COLDER AIR BACK IN WHILE THE 02.12Z ECMWF STRONGLY ADVECTS WARMER AIR IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE GFS HAS AT LEAST HAD SOME CONSISTENCY TO IT WITH THE MONDAY SYSTEM...SO FEEL A LITTLE STRONGER TOWARD GOING IN THAT DIRECTION FOR NOW WITH KEEPING THE COOLER AIR AROUND INTO NEXT WEEK. PRECIPITATION TYPES COULD BE AN ISSUE...BUT ITS RATHER BORDERLINE RIGHT NOW FOR WHETHER IT WOULD BE COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A MIX OF RAIN/SNOW. THE INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED THIS WEEKEND AS WELL FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES IF THE HIGH DOES NOT BUILD IN AS STRONGLY AS THE GFS IS FORECASTING. && .AVIATION...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY 626 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 MAIN CONCERN IS VALLEY FOG POTENTIAL LATE TONIGHT EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AT KLSE. OUTSIDE OF THIS VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD...CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHTER WINDS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT SETTING UP IDEAL RADIATIONAL FOG CONDITIONS. THE ONE CAVEAT IS BUFKIT SOUNDINGS FROM THE 02.21Z RAP AND 02.18Z NAM SHOWING INCREASING LOW LEVEL WINDS LATE TONIGHT. WILL LIKELY BE SOME FOG IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT...BUT WITH THIS INCREASE IN WIND WILL LIKELY SEE IT MORE PATCHY IN NATURE. FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE THE BCFG WITH A SCATTERED DECK AT 300 FEET AND WILL WATCH MODEL TRENDS THIS EVENING FOR ANY POTENTIAL RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITIES. && .FIRE WEATHER...WEDNESDAY 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 DRY CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH MAY LEAD TO SOME NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DAKOTAS AND MINNESOTA TOMORROW WITH WARM AND DRY SOUTHERLY WINDS IN PLACE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE 20-30 PERCENT RANGE IN THE AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA THOUGH WINDS WILL BE TOO LOW AT 10-20MPH TO SUPPORT RED FLAG CONDITIONS. GIVEN THE DRY CONDITIONS ALREADY IN PLACE AND THE FACT THAT A LOT OF VEGETATION IS LIKELY DEAD TO DO A KILLING FREEZE LAST WEEK...FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR CRITICAL. DUE TO THE LIGHT WINDS...NO FIRE WEATHER WATCHES OR RED FLAG WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...HALBACH LONG TERM...HALBACH AVIATION...RABERDING FIRE WEATHER...HALBACH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
1124 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY 259 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS ARE ON PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING AND TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT. CURRENTLY AS OF 20Z...WATER VAPOR LOOP AND RAP 500MB HEIGHT ANALYSIS SHOWED RIDGING NEAR THE U.S. WEST COAST...A SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPPING DOWN INTO SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA AND NORTH DAKOTA...UPPER LOWS OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND NEW ENGLAND...AND RIDGING OVER THE FORECAST AREA. OTHER THAN SOME CIRRUS STREAMING NORTHEAST ACROSS IOWA AHEAD OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS UPPER LOW...MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES EXIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY REGION. THIS IS DUE TO PLENTIFUL DRY AIR SEEN ON 12Z SOUNDINGS FROM ABR...MPX AND GRB...WHERE DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS OF 10C OR MORE EXISTED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE TROPOSPHERE. AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE WAS SITUATED ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES WHILE A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM THE MANITOBA/ONTARIO BORDER SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA. SHARP 850MB TEMPERATURE GRADIENT EXISTS BETWEEN THESE TWO SURFACE FEATURES...NOTED BY 12Z SOUNDING DATA OF 15C AT INL AND MPX COMPARED TO 8C AT GRB. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A SIMILAR SHARP GRADIENT IN CURRENT TEMPERATURES....FROM THE LOWER 80S IN WESTERN MINNESOTA TO THE UPPER 60S IN EASTERN WISCONSIN. TONIGHT AND MONDAY...SHORTWAVE TROUGH COMING INTO NORTH DAKOTA IS PROGGED TO SPLIT APART INTO TWO BY THE 30.12Z GFS/UKMET/CANADIAN AND ECMWF...WITH PART OF IT HEADING INTO NORTHWEST ONTARIO AND THE OTHER DROPPING SOUTH INTO NEBRASKA BY LATE MONDAY. THIS SCENARIO CREATES SOME ISSUES FOR PRECIPITATION TO OCCUR...SINCE THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING GETS SPLIT AROUND THE FORECAST AREA. PLUS THE AIRMASS IS QUITE DRY. ALL FOUR MODELS SUGGEST A DRY FORECAST. THE 30.00Z ECMWF AND 30.12Z NAM ON THE OTHER HAND KEEP MOST OF THE TROUGH TOGETHER....DROPPING IT INTO MN AND IA DURING THE AFTERNOON. AS SUCH...STRONGER FORCING EXISTS AND A FRONTOGENETICAL BAND OF LIGHT RAIN IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON. HAVE FOLLOWED THE MAJORITY OF THE 30.12Z GUIDANCE AND PULLED OUT PRECIPITATION CHANCES ENTIRELY. BOTH SCENARIOS STILL HAVE THE COLD FRONT OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS SLIDE INTO THE FORECAST AREA WITH SIMILAR TIMING...SLOWLY MOVING THROUGH DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY MONDAY. AS SUCH...THERE COULD BE SOME SLIGHT COOLING IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA LATE IN THE DAY. OTHERWISE... 850MB TEMPS OF 10-12C AT 18Z MONDAY COMBINED WITH MID/HIGH CLOUD COVER SHOULD SUPPORT HIGHS TOPPING OUT IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. ENOUGH HIGH CLOUDS AND A SOUTHERLY GRADIENT LOOKS TO BE IN PLACE TONIGHT TO PRECLUDE ANY VALLEY FOG DEVELOPMENT. THEY SHOULD ALSO RESULT IN WARMER LOWS...ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. GOING PREVIOUS FORECAST LOWS LOOK REASONABLE...WITH THE TYPICAL WISCONSIN COLD SPOTS DROPPING INTO THE UPPER 30S DUE TO A LONGER PERIOD OF DECOUPLED WINDS. MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...THE POSSIBLY SPLIT SHORTWAVE TROUGH LOOKS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA LATE MONDAY NIGHT...WITH RIDGING BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST ON TUESDAY AS A POTENT UPPER TROUGH BEGINS TO DROP SOUTH INTO MONTANA. AGAIN WHETHER OR NOT PRECIPITATION FALLS MONDAY NIGHT DEPENDS ON HOW SPLIT APART THAT SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS... WITH THE 30.00Z ECMWF DEPICTING A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN COMPARED TO THE 30.12Z NAM/GFS/UKMET/CANADIAN/ECMWF. CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE DRY MAJORITY AS WELL AS PREVIOUS DRY FORECAST. STILL...AFTER 06Z TUESDAY...DRY WEATHER SHOULD BE THE RULE WITH SKIES CLEARING OUT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHWESTERN 2/3 OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES SHOULD STILL REMAIN SEASONABLE MONDAY NIGHT...DESPITE THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE CLOUDS AND 850MB TEMPS ONLY FALLING TO 6-8C BY 12Z TUESDAY. GENERALLY FOLLOWED A BLEND OF GUIDANCE WHICH RESULTS IN LOWS IN THE 40S. WITH SUN BACK OUT FOR TUESDAY AND THE GIVEN 850MB TEMPS...HIGHS REACHING UP INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S SEEM REASONABLE. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...THE POTENT UPPER TROUGHING DROPPING INTO MONTANA ON TUESDAY IS PROGGED TO CONTINUE DIGGING SOUTHEAST... INTO WYOMING AND PERHAPS THE DAKOTAS AS WELL BY 00Z THURSDAY. AS THIS TROUGH DIGS...IT HELPS TO KICK OUT THE STALLED UPPER LOW IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. MODEL TRENDS HAVE SHOWN A LOT OF RETROGRESSION THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS WITH THIS UPPER LOW...WHICH IS NOW SLATED TO LIFT UP THROUGH LOWER MICHIGAN ON WEDNESDAY. A DEFORMATION PRECIPITATION BAND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS UPPER LOW IS FORECAST BY THE 30.12Z NAM TO PERHAPS CLIP PORTIONS OF GRANT AND ADAMS COUNTIES ON WEDNESDAY. THE NAM IS A WESTERN OUTLIER...WITH ALL OTHER MODELS KEEPING THE BAND TRACKING NOT MUCH FARTHER WEST THAN THE CHICAGO AREA. THEREFORE...HAVE DISCOUNTED THE NAM AT THIS TIME...AND WILL FOLLOW THE MAJORITY SHOWING UPPER RIDGING HOLDING OVER THE FORECAST AREA BETWEEN THE POTENT UPPER TROUGH AND UPPER LOW. SUBSIDENCE AND DRY AIR UNDER THIS UPPER RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN DRY WEATHER FOR THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY PERIOD. DEPENDING ON CLOUD COVER AND IF IT RAINS MONDAY NIGHT...COULD BE A CONCERN FOR VALLEY FOG TUESDAY NIGHT...SINCE A SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD BE IN PLACE. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES LOOK FAIRLY MILD FOR EARLY OCTOBER WITH LOWS STILL IN THE 40S AND 850MB TEMPS OF 10-12C ON WEDNESDAY BOOSTING HIGHS INTO THE LOW TO MID 70S. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY 259 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 IN THE MEAN...THE 30.12Z ECMWF/CANADIAN/GFS AND GFS ENSEMBLES ALL CONTINUE TO FORECAST A BIG CHANGE IN THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN DURING THE LONG TERM PERIOD. BY THE WEEKEND...THERE SHOULD BE DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING IN PLACE ACROSS THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF CANADA AS WELL AS THE NORTHERN PLAINS EASTWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES. FALL WILL REALLY BE FELT THIS WEEKEND AS 850MB TEMPS PLUMMET TO BELOW -2C. PLENTY OF DIFFERENCES EXIST ON HOW WE GET TO THE WEEKEND...MOSTLY RELATED TO THAT POTENT TROUGH THE DIGS INTO WYOMING ON WEDNESDAY. THE 30.12Z ECMWF/CANADIAN/GFS ALL HAVE THE POTENT TROUGH TURNING NEGATIVE TILT AS IT COMES ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO MINNESOTA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. HOW FAR NORTHWEST THIS TURN TO NEGATIVE TILT OCCURS AND TIMING IS AT ODDS AMONGST THE MODELS...WITH THE 30.00Z ECMWF/30.12Z CANADIAN FARTHER TO THE NORTHWEST THAN THE 30.12Z GFS. THIS HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS ON HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION AND COLD AIR TIMING. IN THE CASE OF THE 30.00Z ECMWF/30.12Z CANADIAN...THEY ARE MUCH LIGHTER ON PRECIPITATION COMPARED TO THE 30.12Z GFS. NEW 30.12Z ECMWF IS COMPLETELY DRY. FOR NOW...WILL FOLLOW A CONSENSUS APPROACH WITH 20 CHANCES WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND 30-50 ON THURSDAY. ALSO OF NOTE IS THE 30.12Z ECMWF/CANADIAN ARE MUCH FASTER THAN THE GFS. MUCH COOLER DAY ANTICIPATED ON THURSDAY TOO AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES...SENDING 850MB TEMPS DOWN TO 0-4C BY 00Z FRIDAY. BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS LIKELY TOO BEHIND THE FRONT... ESPECIALLY IF THE GFS PANS OUT. MAINLY DRY WEATHER SHOULD FOLLOW FOR THURSDAY NIGHT. FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...THE 30.00Z/30.12Z ECMWF SHOW SOME FRONTOGENESIS-TYPE LIGHT RAIN OCCURRING ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA...NORTH OF A STALLED BOUNDARY FROM KANSAS TO INDIANA. THE 30.12Z GFS/CANADIAN HAVE THIS BOUNDARY MUCH FARTHER SOUTH...RESULTING IN DRY CONDITIONS. GIVEN THE GENERALLY GOOD PERFORMANCE OF THE ECMWF...NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST SOME 20 PERCENT CHANCES FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF I-90. ALL MODELS HAVE HIGH PRESSURE CROSSING THE AREA ON SUNDAY...THUS DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY 1124 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 THE MAIN FOCUS AT THE TAF SITES WILL BE WITH THE TIMING OF WHEN A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS GRADUALLY INCREASING BY DAY BREAK. THESE WINDS WILL QUICKLY SHIFT AROUND TO THE NORTHWEST AND BECOME GUSTY TO 20KTS AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH RST AROUND 14Z AND LSE AROUND 18Z. MID LEVEL CLOUD COVER WILL BE ON THE INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SOME SPRINKLES NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS WILL REMAIN VFR THOUGH THROUGHOUT WITH THE WIND GUSTS RECEDING MONDAY EVENING. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 259 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...AJ LONG TERM...AJ AVIATION...HALBACH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS NEW YORK NY
228 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM FRONT WILL REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY BEFORE DISSIPATING AND GIVING WAY TO A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE ON THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS TO OUR SOUTH THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEKEND WITH A DRY BUT UNSEASONABLY COOL AIR MASS TO FOLLOW NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/... PATCHY DRIZZLE WITH AREAS OF FOG WILL BE THE MAIN WEATHER FEATURES WITHOUT MUCH ADDITIONAL LOWERING OF TEMPERATURE OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WARM FRONT SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND SHOWN BY SOME FORECAST MODELS SUCH AS RUC AND NAM TO GO INTO EASTERN LONG ISLAND AS DIAGNOSED FROM LOW LEVEL INCREASES OF DEWPOINTS AND DECREASE IN LIFTED INDEX. A LIGHT FLOW OVERNIGHT. THE LIGHT FLOW AND SATURATED LOW LEVELS SHOULD ALSO ALLOW FOR AREAS OF FOG. SOME OF THIS FOG IS EXPECTED TO BECOME LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY/... EARLY MORNING FOG/DRIZZLE ON WED WILL GIVE WAY TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM NW OF NYC. MARGINAL INSTABILITY IS FORECAST AS SURFACE DEW POINTS APPROACH 70. THE WARM FRONT WILL BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY..BUT FOR THE TIME WILL KEEP WINDS NE IN THE MORNING AND THEN VEER THEM AROUND TO THE E/SE IN THE AFT. THE NAM WRF BRINGS THE WARM FRONT ACROSS THE AREA TUE NIGHT AND KEEPS IT JUST NORTH THROUGH ON WED. CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN THIS SCENARIO AND STAYED WITH THE MODEL SUITE WHICH SUPPORTED THE GFS AND THE FARTHER SOUTH SOLUTION. WITH THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE WARM FRONT WED/WED NIGHT...THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF CLOUD COVER WITH WARM...MUGGY CONDITIONS. PREFERRED THE SLIGHTLY COOLER MAV GUIDANCE...WITH HIGHS MID 70S TO AROUND 80. THIS IS STILL WELL ABOVE NORMAL. NORMAL HIGHS ARE AROUND 70. THE UPPER FLOW FEATURES A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE JUST OFF THE EAST COAST...AND A DEEP TROUGH OVER THE LOWER MS VLY. THUS...THE UNUSUAL WARMTH AND HUMIDITY. EXPECT ANOTHER FOGGY NIGHT WED NIGHT WITH LIGHT ONSHORE WINDS AND SATURATED LOW-LEVELS. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DENSE FOG. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE PERIOD STARTS WITH UNCERTAINTY OF WHERE THE SFC WARM FRONT WILL BE THU MORNING. HAVE CONTINUED WITH A NON-NAM SOLN...KEEPING THE BOUNDARY TO OUR S WITH A WAVE OF LOW PRES PASSING OVER OR JUST S OF THE FORECAST AREA. RAIN WITH MUGGY CONDS AND AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING WILL GRADUALLY GIVE WAY TO IMPROVING CONDS LATER IN THE DAY AS THE LOW AND UPPER SHORTWAVE SLOWLY LIFTS TO THE NE AND HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND IT. UPPER PATTERN IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ACROSS THE LOWER 48 THROUGH FRI...WITH A NEARLY ZONAL FLOW WEST OF THE ROCKIES. PROBLEMS BEGIN TO ARISE WITH THE NEXT LONGWAVE TROUGH DIGGING FROM THE PACIFIC NW TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS WEEKEND WITH LARGER DIFFERENCES IN SHORTWAVE ENERGY ONCE IT MAKES IT TO THE NORTHEAST. THIS HAS RESULTED IN DECREASED CONFIDENCE IN EXACT TIMING OF PRECIPITATION...ESPECIALLY ON SAT AHEAD OF AND WITH COLD FROPA. UPPER ENERGY AND LIFT IS LAGGING AND BOTH THE GFS AND EC ARE HINTING AT MID ATLANTIC COASTAL LOW DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASING FRONTOGENETIC FORCING DURING THE SAT NIGHT/SUN TIME PERIOD. SINCE THE TIMING OF THE UPPER FEATURES ARE IN QUESTION...HAVE USED A COMPROMISE OF THE UKMET/EC/GFS FOR THE WEEKEND AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LONG DURATION OF POPS THIS WEEKEND...DON`T THINK IT WILL BE A COMPLETE WASHOUT. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOVE NORMAL THU AND FRI AND NEAR NORMAL ON SAT WITH CLOUD COVER AND POSSIBLE SHOWERS. BEHIND THE FRONT...IT WILL BE DRY BUT UNSEASONABLY COOL INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH H85 TEMPS DROPPING TO NEAR 0C AND DAYTIME HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S AND LOWS GENERALLY IN THE 40S...WHICH IS AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR EARLY FALL. && .AVIATION /06Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... A WARM FRONT WILL REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF NYC AND LONG ISLAND OVERNIGHT. BASED ON A WEAK WAVE EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH OF THE AREA THROUGH DAYBREAK...THE EXPECTATION IS FOR THE WARM FRONT TO STAY SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS TODAY INTO TONIGHT. BASED ON ABOVE THINKING...LIFR/VLIFR CONDS IN -DZ THIS MORNING ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO SLOWLY IMPROVE AFTER DAYBREAK. UNCERTAINTY EXISTS TO WHAT EXTENT IMPROVEMENT OCCURS. DIURNAL HEATING SHOULD ALLOW VSBY TO IMPROVE AS -DZ BECOMES MORE PATCHY. MODERATE CONFIDENCE EXISTS IN IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR...OR POSSIBLY VFR ACROSS CITY TERMINALS...THIS AFTERNOON. IN TERMS OF CIGS...CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE IN MOIST LOW- LEVELS UNDER A WEAK INVERSION ONLY ALLOWING IMPROVEMENT TO IFR OR LOW- END MVFR. HIGHER CONFIDENCE IN IFR FOR EASTERN AND NORTHERN TERMINALS...WITH MVFR FOR THE NYC/NJ TERMINALS. IFR CONDS ARE LIKELY TO RETURN TOWARDS EVENING WITH LIGHT ONSHORE WINDS AND ABUNDANT MOISTURE...WITH VLIFR CONDS POSSIBLE AT THE COAST. INCREASING LIKELIHOOD FOR -DZ OR -SHRA AHEAD OF NEXT WAVE TONIGHT. LIGHT N/NE WINDS THIS MORNING...LIKELY BECOME SE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING AHEAD OF DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE WAVE TO THE SOUTH. LIGHT E/SE WINDS EXPECTED TONIGHT. OUTLOOK FOR 06Z THU-SUNDAY... .LATE TONIGHT...LIFR CONDS...POSSIBLY VLIFR...EXPECTED IN FOG AND LOW STRATUS. .THU...MORNING IFR/MVFR EXPECTED. IMPROVEMENT TO VFR POSSIBLE BY AFTERNOON. .THU NIGHT-FRI NIGHT...VFR. .SAT...VFR...POSSIBLY LOWER IN SCT SHOWERS. .SUN...VFR. && .MARINE... EXPECTING TRANQUIL CONDITIONS ON THE COASTAL WATERS WITH WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENTS IN PLACE WITH SUB SCA CONDITIONS FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SCA CONDS ARE POSSIBLE BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE THIS WEEKEND. OTHERWISE...TRANQUIL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON THE WATERS. && .HYDROLOGY... AN UPDATED RAINFALL GRAPHIC HAS BEEN POSTED INDICATING AMOUNTS EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. IN GENERAL...A FEW HUNDREDTHS IN THE CITY AND W...WITH A FEW TENTHS OUT E. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ON LI IF THE WARM FRONT GETS CLOSER THAN CURRENTLY FCST...BUT THE PROB IS LOW ATTM. && .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. NJ...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...24/DW NEAR TERM...JMC/DW/JM SHORT TERM...DW LONG TERM...24 AVIATION...NV MARINE...24/DW HYDROLOGY...JMC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
420 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 35 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 09Z... * LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS BECOMING VARIABLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING. * MVFR CEILINGS LOWERING TO IFR CEILINGS BY 12/13Z THIS MORNING...AND LINGERING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. * LIGHT SHOWERS/FOG MOVING ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING. RODRIGUEZ //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 09Z... HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE TAF WITH THIS UPDATE...GOING MORE PESSIMISTIC WITH THE CEILINGS THIS MORNING. GOOD SWATH OF MVFR/IFR CEILINGS CURRENTLY RESIDE JUST SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS AND AS THIS WEAK LOW CONTINUES NORTH...DONT SEE ANY REASON WHY THESE LOW CEILINGS WONT MOVE OVERHEAD. SO HAVE STARTED THE TAFS WITH MVFR CEILINGS BUT HAVE CONDITIONS QUICKLY DETERIORATING TO IFR CEILINGS AROUND THE 12/13Z TIME FRAME. EXPECT THESE LOW CLOUDS TO LINGER THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING...BEFORE SLOWLY LIFTING THIS AFTERNOON. LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PERSIST BEFORE BECOMING MORE VARIABLE AS THE WEAKENING LOW CENTER MOVES OVERHEAD. THEN A RETURN TO LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED LATER THIS AFTERNOON. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 09Z... * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE WITH CEILING TRENDS AS WELL AS IFR TIMING THROUGH THIS MORNING. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE WITH SHOWER/FOG TRENDS. RODRIGUEZ //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 12Z THURSDAY-12Z TUESDAY...UPDATED 00Z... THURSDAY...CHANCE SHOWERS...SLIGHT CHANCE TS. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TRS && .MARINE... 215 PM CDT A WEAK RIDGE LIES JUST TO THE WEST OF LAKE MICHIGAN WHILE AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS LIFTING NORTH ACROSS THE MID TO UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. A MODEST GRADIENT IS IN PLACE OVER FAR SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN ALLOWING NORTHEASTERLY WINDS TO FRESHEN UP SOME THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE LOW SLOWLY FILLS. TO OUR WEST...LOW PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY...AND DEEPEN AS IT LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE SPREAD IN THE DIFFERENT MODELS SOLUTIONS REGARDING THE POSITION OF THE LOW BY THURSDAY MORNING LEADING TO A LOW DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE IN DETAILS OF THE FORECAST. IN GENERAL THOUGH...EXPECT SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY. WINDS MAY BE SOMEWHAT TEMPERED BY STABLE CONDITIONS CREATED BY THE WARM ADVECTION...BUT STILL THINK THAT WINDS MAY INCREASE TO AROUND 30 KT. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE LAKE AS EARLY AS THURSDAY AFTERNOON...BUT MORE LIKELY THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW TRACKS OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION. COLD ADVECTION WILL ALLOW FOR WINDS TO MIX TO THE LAKE SURFACE AND A STRONG GRADIENT...PARTICULARLY OVER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE LAKE...WILL ALLOW WINDS TO INCREASE TO GALE FORCE. A GALE WATCH MAY BE ISSUED WHEN MODEL GUIDANCE COMES INTO BETTER AGREEMENT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD WEST OF THE GREAT LAKES THIS WEEKEND...SINKING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY LATE THIS WEEKEND...AND KEEPING LAKE MICHIGAN IN AT LEAST A MODERATE GRADIENT AND PROPPING UP WINDS. BMD && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
259 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 25 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 06Z... * LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS BECOMING VARIABLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING. * VFR CEILINGS SLOWLY LOWERING TO MVFR CEILINGS BY 10/11Z THIS MORNING...AND LINGERING INTO THE AFTERNOON. * LIGHT SHOWERS/FOG MOVING ACROSS THE TERMINALS LATER THIS MORNING. RODRIGUEZ //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 06Z... WITH A SLOWLY MOVING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING...LOWER CLOUD COVER FINALLY WORKING ITS WAY NEAR THE TERMINALS. DESPITE THIS LOW PRESSURE WEAKENING AS IT MOVES OVERHEAD THIS MORNING...VFR CEILINGS SHOULD LOWER TO HIGH END MVFR CEILINGS. HAVE CEILINGS LOWERING TO 2500FT BY THE 10/11Z TIME FRAME THIS MORNING WITH SOME SLIGHT LOWERING TO 2000FT BY MID MORNING. ALTHOUGH LOWER CEILINGS ARE CURRENTLY BEING OBSERVED CLOSER TO THE LOW CENTER...STILL AM NOT QUITE CONFIDENT HOW LOW THE CEILINGS COULD GO ONCE THIS LOW PRESSURE REACHES THE TERMINALS. AT THIS POINT...A LOWER END POSSIBILITY WOULD BE AROUND THE 1500FT RANGE BUT WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS AND ADJUST AS NEEDED. LIGHT SHOWERS SHOULD FINALLY MOVE ACROSS THE TERMINALS BY MID TO LATE MORNING AND CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH...AM NOT OVERLY CONCERNED WITH ANY REAL VIS RESTRICTION WITH THESE SHOWERS...BUT RATHER WILL WATCH FOG TRENDS AS THIS COULD PLAY A ROLE WITH SOME POSSIBLE LOWER VIS RESTRICTIONS. LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PERSIST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE BECOMING MORE VARIABLE AS THIS WEAKENING LOW CENTER MOVES OVERHEAD. THEN A RETURN TO LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED LATER THIS AFTERNOON. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 06Z... * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE WITH CEILING TRENDS AS WELL AS MVFR TIMING THROUGH THIS MORNING. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE WITH SHOWER/FOG TRENDS. RODRIGUEZ //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 12Z THURSDAY-12Z TUESDAY...UPDATED 00Z... THURSDAY...CHANCE SHOWERS...SLIGHT CHANCE TS. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TRS && .MARINE... 215 PM CDT A WEAK RIDGE LIES JUST TO THE WEST OF LAKE MICHIGAN WHILE AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS LIFTING NORTH ACROSS THE MID TO UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. A MODEST GRADIENT IS IN PLACE OVER FAR SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN ALLOWING NORTHEASTERLY WINDS TO FRESHEN UP SOME THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THE GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE LOW SLOWLY FILLS. TO OUR WEST...LOW PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY...AND DEEPEN AS IT LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE SPREAD IN THE DIFFERENT MODELS SOLUTIONS REGARDING THE POSITION OF THE LOW BY THURSDAY MORNING LEADING TO A LOW DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE IN DETAILS OF THE FORECAST. IN GENERAL THOUGH...EXPECT SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY. WINDS MAY BE SOMEWHAT TEMPERED BY STABLE CONDITIONS CREATED BY THE WARM ADVECTION...BUT STILL THINK THAT WINDS MAY INCREASE TO AROUND 30 KT. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE LAKE AS EARLY AS THURSDAY AFTERNOON...BUT MORE LIKELY THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW TRACKS OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION. COLD ADVECTION WILL ALLOW FOR WINDS TO MIX TO THE LAKE SURFACE AND A STRONG GRADIENT...PARTICULARLY OVER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE LAKE...WILL ALLOW WINDS TO INCREASE TO GALE FORCE. A GALE WATCH MAY BE ISSUED WHEN MODEL GUIDANCE COMES INTO BETTER AGREEMENT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD WEST OF THE GREAT LAKES THIS WEEKEND...SINKING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY LATE THIS WEEKEND...AND KEEPING LAKE MICHIGAN IN AT LEAST A MODERATE GRADIENT AND PROPPING UP WINDS. BMD && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
410 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 ...UPDATED SYNOPSIS AND SHORT TERM SECTIONS... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 408 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 A COMPACT BUT STRONG STORM SYSTEM CONTINUED TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS MORNING OVER WESTERN MONTANA. RAP ANALYSIS SHOWED A 90-KT JET STREAK AT 400MB ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE DEVELOPING TROUGH AXIS. ADDITIONAL JET STREAK ENERGY CONTINUED TO DIG SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. THE MID LEVEL COLD FRONT WAS MOVING TOWARD YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AS OF 08Z. NEAR THE CENTER OF THIS STORM...SNOW OBSERVATIONS WERE FOUND AT GREAT FALLS AND CUT BANK, MONTANA WHERE TEMPERATURES CONTINUED TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 30S. AHEAD OF THIS STORM SYSTEM...SKY WAS CLEAR ACROSS PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE GREAT PLAINS. SURFACE LEE TROUGH EXTENDED FROM A WEAK LOW CENTER (1003MB) JUST EAST OF CHADRON, NE SOUTH-SOUTHWESTWARD INTO EASTERN COLORADO. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 408 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH TODAY WILL REACH THE SOUTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE BY LATE AFTERNOON. A DOWNSLOPE WARM THERMAL RIDGE WILL NOSE NORTHEAST THROUGH NORTHWEST KANSAS INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WHICH IS WHERE WARMEST SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE TODAY (WITH SCATTERED HIGHS IN THE 91 TO 93F RANGE)...MAINLY NORTH OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA. ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS...UPPER 80S SHOULD BE COMMON FOR HIGHS WHICH WAS WHAT THE PREVIOUS FORECAST HAD...SO NO CHANGE OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS MADE. SURFACE WINDS LATE AFTERNOON SHOULD REACH 15 TO 18 KNOTS EAST OF A WAKEENEY TO LIBERAL LINE WHERE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESIDE. TIMING OF THE FRONT IS COMING INTO BETTER FOCUS...AND WILL LEAN ON THE NAM12 FOR TIMING. AT 06Z...FRONT SHOULD BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR STEP OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA (SYRACUSE TO WAKEENEY LINE). THE SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT COMBINED WITH THE GRADIENT ITSELF SHOULD RESULT IN SURFACE WINDS OF 25 TO 28 KNOTS SUSTAINED FOR PROBABLY A THREE-HOUR PERIOD. THIS WILL LIKELY WARRANT ISSUANCE OF A WIND ADVISORY...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUANCE OF ONE THIS FORECAST CYCLE. WILL GO AHEAD AND KEEP THE 20 POPS IN FOR AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 96 FOR LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS GIVEN SUCH STRONG LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS IN THE 06-12Z TIME FRAME TONIGHT. SREF MEANS AND ECMWF MODEL DOES SHOW A SLIGHT QPF SIGNAL...BUT ABSENCE OF QUALITY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE AN ISSUE TO GENERATE ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION SHOULD ANY RAIN SHOWERS FORM AT ALL. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 249 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE SWINGING EASTWARD OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION THURSDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING THE POSSIBILITY FOR PRECIP TO THE DAKOTAS, NEBRASKA, AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH AN ATTENDANT COLD FRONT IS PROJECTED TO PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO AND ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS EARLY THURSDAY, LITTLE IF ANY PRECIP WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL KANSAS DUE TO THE LACK OF LOW/MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. HOWEVER, A STRONG JET IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION OUT OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THURSDAY PROVIDING STRONG UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS. SO, CANNOT RULE OUT AN OUTSIDE SLIGHT CHANCE FOR LIGHT PRECIP AS FAR SOUTH AS CENTRAL KANSAS TO INCLUDE THE I-70 CORRIDOR. OTHERWISE, GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR PRECIP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY AS A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL JET CORE EJECTS OUT OF THE ROCKIES INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. THIS WILL COINCIDE WITH A COOLING OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT ALL LEVELS BRINGING GFS AND ECMWF SOUNDING PROFILES TO NEAR SATURATION FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL THURSDAY IN WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION SOUTHWARD INTO WESTERN KANSAS WILL LOWER H85 TEMPERATURES DOWN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS(C) ACROSS THE AREA WITH NEAR 10C IN FAR SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS. TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 60S(F) WITH MID TO UPPER 50S(F) POSSIBLE FURTHER NORTH NEAR THE I-70 CORRIDOR. SIMILAR HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SURGE OF COLDER AIR DROPS SOUTH INTO WESTERN KANSAS EARLY IN THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH VERY EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1225 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 LEE TROUGH DEVELOPMENT FROM EASTERN COLORADO INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA WILL KEEP SURFACE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH AT GCK, DDC, HYS TERMINALS. WIND SPEEDS WILL BE 8 TO 10 KNOTS THIS MORNING WITH AN INCREASE IN WIND SPEEDS MID-LATE MORNING TO 15 TO 18 KNOTS. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH LATE THIS EVENING WITH A WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND AN ABRUPT INCREASE IN SPEED. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED AROUND 05-07Z TIME FRAME (RIGHT AT THE END OF THE CURRENT TAF PERIOD) WITH 24 TO 28 KNOT WINDS FROM THE NORTH UPON PASSAGE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 87 46 62 42 / 0 10 0 10 GCK 87 45 62 42 / 0 10 0 10 EHA 88 45 61 42 / 0 10 0 0 LBL 88 47 62 43 / 0 10 0 0 HYS 87 45 61 40 / 0 20 10 10 P28 86 52 64 46 / 0 10 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...UMSCHEID SHORT TERM...UMSCHEID LONG TERM...JJOHNSON AVIATION...UMSCHEID
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOWS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE EXTENDING NORTH ACROSS NORTHWEST KANSAS AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA. UPSTREAM A TROUGH IS DIGGING SOUTH INTO NORTHERN IDAHO AND WESTERN MONTANA. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT DEEPENING ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA...AND A SURFACE TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING JUST WEST OF THE COLORADO/KANSAS STATE LINE. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S/LOW 90S AS SOUTHERLY FLOW ADVECTS MUCH WARMER AIR INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTH DAKOTA IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE CWA BY MIDNIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGS SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...AND WILL APPROACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY IN THE 40-45 MPH RANGE. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO GO THAT HIGH YET WITH SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUIDANCE ON MAGNITUDE OF THE WINDS...AND THE WINDOW FOR THESE CONDITIONS SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY BRIEF. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE 03Z- 09Z TIME FRAME WHEN BEST LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS ADVERTISED. DUE TO THE SPEED AND NORTHERN TRACK OF THE TROUGH AND MINIMAL MOISTURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN MEASURABLE PRECIP. I KEPT POPS LIMITED TO SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY FOR NOW...AND CONSIDERED ONLY INCLUDING MENTION OF SPRINKLES. THURSDAY...COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S/60S AND OVERNIGHT LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE MID 30S. WIND AND INCREASING CLOUDS WILL LIMIT RADIATION COOLING THURSDAY NIGHT...OTHERWISE I WOULD BE CONCERNED WITH HARD FREEZE CONDITIONS BASED ON ADVERTISED H85 TEMPS IN THE 0C-3C RANGE. FOR NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BE IN THE UPPER LIMIT OF LOCAL FROST ADVISORY CRITERIA. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE ANTICIPATED SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CHANGE STILL LOOKS ON TRACK FOR THE WEEKEND AS A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO SWEEP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DYNAMICS FROM A 105 KT JET AT 250 MB WILL ENHANCE LIFT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHEN BOTH THE GFS/EC FORECAST A SATURATED LOWER ATMOSPHERE. GIVEN 850 MB TEMPS OF ZERO TO -2C AND SATURATED AIR ABOVE -10C...ANTICIPATE LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE COLORADO COUNTIES SATURDAY MORNING AND A RAIN-SNOW MIX POSSIBLE FURTHER EAST. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LOW AND MID LEVELS WILL RAPIDLY DRY OUT SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE JET AXIS AND UPPER TROUGH SLIDE SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...ENDING PRECIP CHANCES. 850 MB TEMPERATURES OF 0 TO -2C ARE FORECAST SATURDAY MORNING... WARMING ONLY A FEW DEGREES BY LATE AFTERNOON. HIGHS WILL HOLD IN THE 40S WHICH IS 25-30 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE MIN TEMPS SATURDAY IN THE 30-32 F RANGE AND BY SUNDAY MORNING WITH LESS CLOUDS...MIN TEMPERATURES COULD DROP AS LOW AS THE UPPER 20S...MAINLY IN THE NORTHWEST...WITH LOW 30S ELSEWHERE. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH TEMPS STILL BELOW NORMAL BUT RETURNING TO THE 50S SUNDAY AND 60S MONDAY. BOTH GFS/EC HINT AT ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVING TUESDAY WITH THE AIR MASS MOVING THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION AROUND MID WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1121 PM MDT TUE OCT 2 2012 VFR EXPECTED AT BOTH KGLD AND KMCK THROUGH THE PERIOD. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH BOTH TERMINALS LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING WITH A WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND WIND SPEEDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 30KTS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 RH VALUES LOOK TO DROP TO WITHIN RED FLAG CRITERIA OVER MOST OF THE AREA HOWEVER WINDS WILL REMAIN MARGINAL...WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS OVER THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING...HOWEVER BY THAT POINT RH SHOULD RECOVER ABOVE CRITERIA. I DO NOT PLAN ON A RFW AT THIS TIME...SINCE WE LIKELY WONT MEET THE 3HR REQUIREMENT. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...DLF AVIATION...024 FIRE WEATHER...DR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS JACKSON MS
417 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SHORT TERM...IR IMAGERY THIS MORNING CLEARLY DEPICTS THE CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN LA...WITH AREA RADARS SHOWING A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISH. SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THESE STORMS DEVELOPING ALONG A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY DRAPED ROUGHLY FROM MOBILE TO JUST NORTH OF ALEXANDRIA. THE LATEST HRRR RUN VERIFIED THIS CONVECTION ALMOST PERFECTLY...AND SUGGESTS THESE STORMS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY SUNRISE AS THEY DRIFT NORTH. THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES...WHAT KIND OF CHANCE DO WE HAVE FOR SEEING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON? NWP GUIDANCE INDICATES THE UPPER LOW WILL BEGIN TO OPEN AND LIFT NORTHWARD TODAY AS THE UPPER JET STRENGTHENS OVER AL...WITH THE WEAKENING S/WV SHIFTING EAST ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH THE DAY. FORCING FOR ASCENT IN ADVANCE OF THE WAVE WILL BE RATHER POTENT ACROSS SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN AREAS TODAY...AND COUPLED WITH /1.THE AFOREMENTIONED BOUNDARY LIFTING NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA BY LATE MORNING AND /2.SURFACE HEATING RAISING SBCAPE VALUES ACROSS SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN AREAS INTO THE 600-800J/KG RANGE/ I THINK THE INGREDIENTS WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR AT LAST ISOLATED CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. BEST GUESS RIGHT NOW IS FOR THIS ACTIVITY TO START ACROSS SOUTHERN ZONES AROUND MID DAY...DRIFTING NORTHWARD/ NORTHEASTWARD WITH ADDITIONAL ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT FURTHER NORTH AND EAST AS THE DAY WEARS ON. A COMBINATION OF SETTING SUN AND THE BEST LIFT PUSHING EAST SHOULD BRING THIS ALL TO AN END BY EARLY EVENING. BASED ON CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS OFFERED BY THE MORE REASONABLE LOOKING 00Z GFS/ECMWF IT DOESN`T APPEAR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE A HUGE CONCERN...BUT GIVEN RATHER COLD TEMPS ALOFT I COULD SEE ONE OR TWO BECOMING STRONG ENOUGH TO POSE A 40 MPH WIND GUST AND SMALL HAIL RISK. ONCE THIS ALL CLEARS OUT THE FORECAST BECOMES RATHER UNEVENTFUL AS A ZONAL UPPER FLOW PATTERN TAKES SHAPE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES AND SURFACE RIDGING NOSES IN FROM THE EAST. SKIES SHOULD REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK ACCOMPANIED BY DAYTIME TEMPS CLIMBING BACK ABOVE NORMAL BY TOMORROW WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 80S. LOWS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT WILL COME IN MID-UPPER 50S FOR MOST AREAS. /BK/ .LONG TERM...THE NEXT SURFACE BOUNDARY BEGINS TO MOVE INTO NRN MS FRIDAY NIGHT. THE GFS IS ONCE AGAIN SHOWING A FASTER SWD PROGRESSION THAN THE EURO...THE LATEST EURO COMING IN SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY. THE EURO MOVES THE COLD FRONT JUST INTO THE NWRN CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA BY EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHILE THE GFS BRINGS IT INTO THE VICINITY OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE. SLOWER PROGRESSION NOTWITHSTANDING...MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE FRONT WILL USHER A COLD AIR MASS INTO THE FORECAST AREA WITH SINGLE DIGIT 850 MB TEMPS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. MODERATION OF TEMPERATURES BEGINS TUESDAY WHEN THE SURFACE HIGH CENTER LIFTS TO THE NE OF THE AREA AND 850 MB W/SWLY FLOW RETURNS. THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN DRY AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONT AND LOW LEVEL/850 MB RIDGING WILL HOLD STEADY AS IT APPROACHES. BETTER UPPER LEVEL FORCING IS EXPECTED TO THE REAR OF THE FRONT IN RESPONSE TO A BROAD UPPER TROUGH THAT WILL DIG INTO THE ERN U.S...A HEALTHY SHORTWAVE PIVOTING INTO THE MID/UPPER MS VALLEY SATURDAY NIGHT. DUE TO THE SLOWER EURO AND THE SLOWER ADVANCE OF THE GFS QPF FIELD...MEX POPS HAVE BEEN CUT SLIGHTLY FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVE KEPT THE VERY LOW RAIN CHANCES PAINTED FOR SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT AS A SECOND UPPER WAVE DIGS INTO THE LONG WAVE TROUGH. HAVE ALSO INCREASED SATURDAY HIGHS A FEW DEGREES OVER MEX NUMBERS IN LIGHT OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SLOWER FRONTAL PROGRESSION BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE EURO WHICH IS UP TO TEN DEGREES WARMER IN DELTA REGIONS THAN THE MEX FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ALSO DECREASED SUNDAY HIGHS A FEW DEGREES IN THE NORTH TO KEEP THOSE AREAS SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN AREAS FARTHER SOUTH AND SLOWED THE WARM UP THROUGH MONDAY AND TUESDAY SLIGHTLY. && .AVIATION...CLR SKIES/LGT WINDS ALLOWING MVFR VSBY IN FOG TO DEVELOP AT SEVERAL SITES THIS MORNING...AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE IFR VSBY OFF AND ON THROUGH ~13Z BEFORE THINGS TREND VFR. VFR CONDS WILL THEN PREVAIL THRU THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING BEFORE A RETURN OF MVFR VSBY BECOMES PSBL AT MOST SITES 07-13Z TOMORROW. THERE`S A CHANCE ISOLD SHWRS/TSRA WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SRN/SERN MS THIS AFTN AS AN UPPER DISTURBANCE PASSES. CALM SFC WINDS THIS MORNING BECMG SRLY 5-8KTS THIS AFTN. /BK/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 81 56 85 56 / 13 3 2 7 MERIDIAN 82 52 85 51 / 14 5 2 7 VICKSBURG 81 55 86 55 / 11 3 2 7 HATTIESBURG 84 57 87 57 / 19 8 3 4 NATCHEZ 81 56 85 57 / 15 3 2 6 GREENVILLE 80 57 86 58 / 5 3 2 7 GREENWOOD 80 55 86 56 / 7 3 2 7 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && $$ BK/03
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SPOKANE WA
1052 PM PDT Tue Oct 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS...The cold front that moved through the region on Tuesday will bring the first taste of Autumn to the area. Temperatures will actually be below normal on Wednesday with most locations seeing freezing temperatures Wednesday night. Dry and seasonable weather will continue through the rest of the week and the upcoming weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Update to the forecast to increase the shower activity over the northeast. Bonners Ferry METAR is reporting rain and a spotter east of there had a snow shower. The radar mosaic shows that the upper low has now dropped southeastward to around Libby, MT. Showers are wrapping around this low, coming from the northeast into the Panhandle. Latest HRRR runs have picked up on this idea and suggest showers could move as far west as Colville around midnight and then move off to the southeast overnight. This would actually bring a threat of showers to the Cd`A area. Accumulating snow level will be above 3000 feet but a mix of rain/snow could fall as low as 2000 feet with no accumulation. All of this activity should be into Montana by sunrise Wednesday. RJ && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFS: Winds will gradually decrease overnight. Blowing dust is not expected to be a problem for the rest of tonight. Smoke from wild fires has also been scoured out of the area by the cold front. A large fire that developed south of KOMK isn`t expected to cause smoke problems tonight due to the windy conditions. The Wenatchee Complex fires are also not expected to cause smoke problems at KEAT tonight. RJ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 37 60 32 59 34 59 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Coeur d`Alene 36 60 31 59 31 59 / 20 0 0 0 0 0 Pullman 35 60 30 58 29 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lewiston 41 66 38 65 38 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Colville 32 65 30 64 29 64 / 20 0 0 0 0 0 Sandpoint 38 58 30 56 30 58 / 30 0 0 0 0 0 Kellogg 34 53 30 57 32 57 / 20 0 0 0 0 0 Moses Lake 40 67 33 65 33 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 45 65 37 65 41 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Omak 37 67 31 66 34 66 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...AIR QUALITY ALERT until Noon PDT Thursday for East Slopes Northern Cascades-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau- Wenatchee Area. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
340 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY 340 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 CONCERN REMAINS FOCUSED ON STRONG PATTERN-CHANGING COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY AND RAIN CHANCES WITH IT. SURFACE MAP EARLY THIS MORNING HAD A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES INTO WISCONSIN AND IOWA. LIGHT/CALM WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES HAS ALLOWED SOME AREAS OF FOG TO DEVELOP ACROSS EASTERN INTO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN. VISIBILITY HOLDING AROUND 3/4SM AT VOLK FIELD IN JUNEAU COUNTY. THINKING THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE EXTENT OF THE FOG...SO NO HEADLINES EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. TEMPERATURES VARIED ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...RANGING FROM 36 DEGREES AT BLACK RIVER FALLS WI WHERE WINDS WERE CALM...TO 54 DEGREES AT CHARLES CITY AND DECORAH IOWA WHERE WINDS WERE STIRRING A BIT FROM THE SOUTHEAST. OTHERWISE...LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING A VIGOROUS MID-LEVEL TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THIS FEATURE WILL EVENTUALLY AFFECT US BY THURSDAY. 03.00Z NCEP MODEL SUITE AS WELL AS THE GEM/ECMWF ALL IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH REGARD TO OVERALL SYNOPTIC SETUP. FOR TODAY...LOOK FOR THE RIDGE AXIS OF HIGH PRESSURE TO DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT HANGS UP OVER MN INTO SD/NEB. NAM SHOWING 925MB TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE 17-19C RANGE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THIS IS UP A COUPLE DEGREES C FROM YESTERDAY. YESTERDAY/S HIGHS WERE IN THE LOWER 70S...SO MIDDLE TO UPPER 70S CAN BE EXPECTED FOR TODAY. IT WILL BE PRETTY DRY AS WELL...ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WHERE DEEPER MIXING WILL OCCUR. ALTHOUGH NO HEADLINES ARE EXPECTED...AN ELEVATED FIRE THREAT STILL EXISTS OVER THE MORE OPEN AND WIND-PRONE AREAS OF NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHEAST MN. FOR FURTHER DETAILS...SEE FIRE WEATHER SECTION BELOW. STRONG SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS WILL TAKE PLACE TONIGHT AS THAT AFOREMENTIONED VIGOROUS TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES MOVES INTO THE PLAINS. MAIN PRECIPITATION FOCUS WITH THIS CYCLOGENESIS WILL BE FOCUSED ON STRONG FRONTOGENESIS ACROSS NORTHERN MN/ND ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE STRENGTHENING LOW. DYNAMIC COOLING EXPECTED TO SPREAD SNOW ACROSS THAT AREA. MEANWHILE...A MODERATE SURGE OF 850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT ALONG OF THE ADVANCING SURFACE COLD FRONT OUT OF MN/IA TOWARD MORNING WILL COMBINE WITH NOSE OF 90KT 300MB JET FOR A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN IA. THESE SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO HOLD JUST WEST OF THE AREA THROUGH SUNRISE. FOR THURSDAY...COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SURGE EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AS SURFACE LOW CONTINUES TO DEEPEN ACROSS NORTHERN MN. 850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND LIFT AIDED BY THE NOSE OF 300MB JET WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE A GOOD CHANCE OF SHOWERS THROUGH THE MORNING. NAM ALSO SHOWING CORRIDOR OF 300-500J/KG 0-3KM MUCAPE ADVANCING INTO THE AREA IN THE 12-18Z TIME FRAME SOUTH OF I-94. SO...GIVEN THIS AND STRONG DYNAMICS OF THIS SYSTEM...CONTINUED THE ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION AS WELL. APPEARS STRONG DRY SLOT WILL OVERTAKE THE AREA IN THE AFTERNOON AS LOW OCCLUDES OVER NORTHERN MN. LOOK FOR WEST WINDS TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY AS THIS DRY SLOT MOVES INTO THE AREA. SUSTAINED WINDS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 15 TO 20 MPH RANGE WITH GUST IN THE 30-35 MPH RANGE BY AFTERNOON. IN THE MEANTIME...NAM SHOWS 925MB TEMPERATURES COLLAPSING INTO THE 5-10C BY LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS WILL MARK THE END OF THE UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER THAT THE REGION HAS BEEN ENJOYING AS OF LATE. ALSO...STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY PUT A DENT IN THE VERY COLORFUL FALL FOLIAGE THAT HAS ALSO BEEN ENJOYED AS OF LATE. CLEARING/DRY SLOT WILL CONTINUE TO BE OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AS THE LOW MOVES LITTLE ACROSS THE ARROWHEAD OF MN INTO WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. COLD AIR ADVECTION UNDER THE LOW WILL DRAG 925MB TEMPERATURES INTO THE ZERO TO -4C RANGE BY 12Z FRIDAY. AS A RESULT...OVERNIGHT LOWS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE LOWER/MIDDLE 30S. AND...WITH THE CONTINUATION OF BRISK WEST WINDS...WIND CHILLS WILL BE IN THE 20S AFTER MIDNIGHT. COOL/BLUSTERY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AS THE LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO ONTARIO. STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL PRODUCE AN EXPANSIVE AREA OF CUMULUS ALONG WITH SCATTERED RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS NORTHERN WI. BELIEVE THIS PRECIPITATION WILL STAY NORTH OF THE AREA. OTHERWISE...LOOK FOR HIGHS IN THE 40S ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN...TO THE LOWER 50S ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA INTO FAR SOUTHWEST WI. FRIDAY NIGHT WILL SEE A MID-LEVEL AND SURFACE TROUGH DROP SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN WISCONSIN FOR A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW ACROSS CLARK/TAYLOR COUNTIES AS LOWS THERE DIP INTO THE UPPER 20S. REST OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 340 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 03.00Z GFS/ECMWF CONTINUE TO SHOW OVERALL COOL/CYCLONIC FLOW OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD FOR BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. TROUGH AFFECTING THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT WILL DROP FARTHER SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA ON SATURDAY FOR A SMALL CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE EARLY MORNING MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-94...CHANGING TO ALL RAIN BY LATER IN THE MORNING. APPEARS ANY ACCUMULATING SNOW DOES NOT LOOK LIKELY AS THE GROUND WILL BE TOO WARM. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH A FAIRLY VIGOROUS EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE TROUGH/SURFACE LOW DROPPING INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY/TUESDAY. APPEARS OUR AREA WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THIS CYCLONE WITH BEST LIFT/CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION REMAINING ACROSS NORTHERN MN INTO NORTHERN WI. OTHERWISE...LOOK FOR HIGHS IN THE 40S ON SATURDAY...WARMING WELL INTO THE 50S MONDAY AND TUESDAY. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY 1153 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 FORECAST CONCERN REMAINS ON VALLEY FOG POTENTIAL AT KLSE. AT 05Z...MODEL SOUNDINGS APPEAR TO BE ON TRACK WITH THE LOW LEVEL WINDS PER BLUFF TOP OBSERVATIONS HERE AT THE OFFICE...WITH THE WINDS INCREASING JUST IN THE PAST HOUR. THE 03.02Z RAP SOUNDING DOES SHOW SOME 10 TO 12 KNOT WINDS ABOVE THE INVERSION...WITH OTHERWISE LIGHTER WINDS ELSEWHERE AND THE 03.00Z NAM DOING THE SAME FEEL VALLY FOG POTENTIAL WILL AGAIN BE MORE PATCHY IN NATURE WITH A LOWER CEILING DEVELOPING INSTEAD. GFSMOS AND GFSLAMP DATA HAVE BACKED OFF ON VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. THUS WILL GO WITH BCFG IN THE TAF. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 12 KNOTS DEVELOPING AT KRST BETWEEN 15Z- 01Z. && .FIRE WEATHER...TODAY 340 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 DRY CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 10-20 MPH WILL LEAD TO SOME ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. ALTHOUGH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE 20-30 PERCENT RANGE IN THE AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA...WINDS WILL BE TOO LOW TO SUPPORT RED FLAG CRITERIA. DUE TO THE LIGHTER WINDS...NO FIRE WEATHER HEADLINES WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 340 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DAS LONG TERM...DAS AVIATION...RABERDING FIRE WEATHER...DAS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
1153 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 THE MAIN FOCUS THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK IS WITH A POTENT COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION EARLY ON THURSDAY AND BRING AN END TO THIS FIRST RUN OF INDIAN SUMMER. ANOTHER DAY OF PLEASANT AND DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AS WE REMAIN SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN TWO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN BETWEEN OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. THIS RIDGE AXIS WILL SLOWLY DRIFT TO THE EAST TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW AS THE MID LEVEL TROUGH TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THE OTHER TROUGH OVER SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA MAKE SOME SLOW PROGRESS EASTWARD. WITH THE CORE OF THE RIDGE OVERHEAD FOR MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD...SKIES WILL BE CLEAR WITH WINDS LIGHT FROM THE SURFACE ON UP THROUGH 15KFT. THIS SETUP SHOULD PRODUCE SOME RADIATIONAL FOG THAT FORMS IN LOW SPOTS AND VALLEYS...PARTICULARLY ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN. LOW LEVEL WINDS AROUND 925MB DO PICK UP TOWARD DAYBREAK ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...BUT ARE STILL LIGHT ENOUGH AT 10KTS THAT SOME RIVER VALLEY FOG SHOULD FORM. THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY AS THE TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS BECOMES MORE NEGATIVELY TILTED AND A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW FORMS IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA WITH SURFACE WINDS INCREASING OUT OF THE SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION. THE CORE OF THE WARMEST LOW LEVEL AIR REMAINS OFF TO THE WEST...BUT WITH FULL SUNSHINE AND SOUTHERLY WINDS SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLIMB UP INTO THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80. THIS SETUP MAY LEAD TO SOME FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WHICH ARE OUTLINED IN THE FIRE WEATHER SECTION IN THIS AFD DOWN BELOW. THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE IS WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE ALONG WITH HOW LIKELY IT WILL BE THAT IT WILL RAIN AS THE FRONT COMES THROUGH. THERE IS NOT A LOT OF CONSISTENCY AMONGST THE 02.12Z GUIDANCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WITH THE COLD FRONT AND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THE 02.12Z NAM AND GFS ARE THE FASTEST WITH THE COLD FRONT REACHING EASTERN WISCONSIN BY 18Z THURSDAY...THOUGH THE NAM SHOWS A MUCH MORE OCCLUDED LOW TO THE NORTH ON THURSDAY. THE CONCERNING PART OF THE LAST FEW MODEL RUNS HAS BEEN THE TREND TOWARD GOING WITH A DRIER SOLUTION DESPITE THE STRONG DYNAMIC FORCING. GIVEN THE LATEST TRENDS...IT APPEARS THAT THE BETTER CHANCES FOR THE CROSSOVER IN FORCING AND MOISTURE WILL BE ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA INTO FAR SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN THURSDAY MORNING ALONG AND JUST BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. INSTABILITY LOOKS MARGINAL AT BEST...BUT SOME OF THE CONVECTIVE MODELS DO SHOW SOME STORMS DEVELOPING AS THE FRONT COMES THROUGH...SO HAVE LEFT SOME ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION IN ON THURSDAY MORNING. COLD AIR WILL QUICKLY MOVE IN ACROSS THE REGION WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES LIKELY COMING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BEFORE DROPPING OR STABILIZING THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. WINDS WILL ALSO BECOME GUSTY UP TO 25-30KTS THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AS THE DRY SLOT MOVES IN WHICH WILL HELP TO LIKELY END THE COLORFUL FOLIAGE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT THROUGH MUCH OF THE REGION OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 NOT MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD FROM THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE 02.12Z GFS PUSHES FOR A COLDER SOLUTION WITH A SYSTEM DROPPING THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY WHILE THE 02.12Z ECMWF IS WARMER AFTER THE INITIAL COLD SURGE GOING INTO MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND LINGERS SOME PRECIPITATION ALONG THE INVERTED TROUGH THIS WEEKEND. THERE AT LEAST IS AGREEMENT THAT TEMPERATURES WILL STAY BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH 850MB TEMPERATURES DROPPING DOWN TO -6C FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION KICKS BACK IN SUNDAY NIGHT. BEYOND THAT...THE 02.12Z GFS ADVECTS COLDER AIR BACK IN WHILE THE 02.12Z ECMWF STRONGLY ADVECTS WARMER AIR IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE GFS HAS AT LEAST HAD SOME CONSISTENCY TO IT WITH THE MONDAY SYSTEM...SO FEEL A LITTLE STRONGER TOWARD GOING IN THAT DIRECTION FOR NOW WITH KEEPING THE COOLER AIR AROUND INTO NEXT WEEK. PRECIPITATION TYPES COULD BE AN ISSUE...BUT ITS RATHER BORDERLINE RIGHT NOW FOR WHETHER IT WOULD BE COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A MIX OF RAIN/SNOW. THE INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED THIS WEEKEND AS WELL FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES IF THE HIGH DOES NOT BUILD IN AS STRONGLY AS THE GFS IS FORECASTING. && .AVIATION...THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY 1153 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 FORECAST CONCERN REMAINS ON VALLEY FOG POTENTIAL AT KLSE. AT 05Z...MODEL SOUNDINGS APPEAR TO BE ON TRACK WITH THE LOW LEVEL WINDS PER BLUFF TOP OBSERVATIONS HERE AT THE OFFICE...WITH THE WINDS INCREASING JUST IN THE PAST HOUR. THE 03.02Z RAP SOUNDING DOES SHOW SOME 10 TO 12 KNOT WINDS ABOVE THE INVERSION...WITH OTHERWISE LIGHTER WINDS ELSEWHERE AND THE 03.00Z NAM DOING THE SAME FEEL VALLY FOG POTENTIAL WILL AGAIN BE MORE PATCHY IN NATURE WITH A LOWER CEILING DEVELOPING INSTEAD. GFSMOS AND GFSLAMP DATA HAVE BACKED OFF ON VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. THUS WILL GO WITH BCFG IN THE TAF. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 12 KNOTS DEVELOPING AT KRST BETWEEN 15Z- 01Z. && .FIRE WEATHER...WEDNESDAY 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 DRY CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH MAY LEAD TO SOME NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DAKOTAS AND MINNESOTA TOMORROW WITH WARM AND DRY SOUTHERLY WINDS IN PLACE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE 20-30 PERCENT RANGE IN THE AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA THOUGH WINDS WILL BE TOO LOW AT 10-20MPH TO SUPPORT RED FLAG CONDITIONS. GIVEN THE DRY CONDITIONS ALREADY IN PLACE AND THE FACT THAT A LOT OF VEGETATION IS LIKELY DEAD TO DO A KILLING FREEZE LAST WEEK...FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR CRITICAL. DUE TO THE LIGHT WINDS...NO FIRE WEATHER WATCHES OR RED FLAG WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 312 PM CDT TUE OCT 2 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...HALBACH LONG TERM...HALBACH AVIATION...RABERDING FIRE WEATHER...HALBACH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS TAUNTON MA
941 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT...BUT A BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS EXISTS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH A COLD FRONT. DRY WEATHER FOLLOWS FRIDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION ON SATURDAY...WHICH WILL LIKELY BE FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF RAIN SOMETIME SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... 940 AM UPDATE... FORECAST ON TRACK. EXPECT CLOUDS/FOG/DRIZZLE TO PERSIST THROUGH MIDDAY...BUT CLOUDS WILL REMAIN LOCKED IN THROUGH AFTERNOON WITH PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND LIGHT WINDS /N INLAND AND E-NE NEAR COAST/. RADAR MOSAIC SHOWS BATCH OF SHOWERS LIFTING NE FROM NJ WHICH SHOULD REACH CT VALLEY AROUND MIDDAY. 3KM HRRR SHOWS ONLY SCATTERED SHOWERS AT BEST THIS AFTERNOON...PRIMARILY S OF MASS PIKE. FORECAST HIGHS ON TRACK. STILL CONCERNED 70S MAY BE A STRETCH INLAND GIVEN CLOUD COVER. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY/... TONIGHT... UPPER LEVEL RIDGING FROM THE ATLANTIC WILL CONTINUE TO NOSE INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THIS SHOULD PREVENT WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IN OUR REGION. HOWEVER...WARM ADVECTION AND DEEP MOISTURE MAY RESULT IN A FEW SHOWERS AT TIMES BUT A WASHOUT IS NOT EXPECTED. WILL RUN WITH SOME CHANCE POPS. WE ALSO EXPECT TO SEE MORE AREAS OF FOG AND PATCHY DRIZZLE GIVEN DEEP LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. LOW TEMPERATURES SHOULD ONLY FALL INTO THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60 IN MOST LOCATIONS GIVEN CLOUD COVER AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THURSDAY... SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON IN THE WARM ADVECTION PATTERN. A BETTER CHANCE OF MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL EXIST FROM THE MID AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THIS IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG SHORTWAVE LIFTING ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND AN ASSOCIATED WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE. ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO WARRANT SOME LIKELY TO LOW END CATEGORICAL POPS FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF THE REGION. HIGHEST POPS WILL BE IN OUR NORTHWEST ZONES WHERE THE BETTER DYNAMICS RESIDE. GIVEN HIGH PWAT VALUES...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN RAIN SHOWERS ARE ALSO A POSSIBILITY. INSTABILITY IS LIMITED...BUT AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO CAN/T BE RULED OUT ACROSS OUR INTERIOR ZONES. HIGH TEMPS ARE TRICKY AGAIN WITH ONSHORE FLOW ALONG THE COAST AND CLOUD COVER. SIDED WITH THE COOLER GUIDANCE AND WENT WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE UPPER 60S TO THE LOWER 70S FOR NOW. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... * DRY WEATHER FRIDAY * FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN FOR THE WEEKEND * DRY...COOL WEATHER RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK 00Z MODELS ARE IN REMARKABLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE LONG TERM FORECAST. A WEAK COLD FRONT/AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THURSDAY NIGHT...BRINGING MORE SHOWERS TO THE AREA. LOW PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH QUEBEC FRIDAY WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY. LOW PRESSURE BUILDS OUT OF THE CAROLINAS SATURDAY AND MOVES NORTHEASTWARD OVER CAPE COD AND INTO THE MARITIMES SUNDAY BRINGING ANOTHER SHOT OF RAIN TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. COOL...DRY WEATHER RETURNS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO NEW ENGLAND. DETAILS... THURSDAY NIGHT...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES OVER CAPE COD BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE NIGHT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...ANY REMAINING SHOWERS AND CLOUDS MOVE OUT...LINGERING ON THE EAST COAST THE LONGEST. THERE IS SOME MARGINAL INSTABILITY SO THUNDER IS POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT. FRIDAY...DRY DAY EXPECTED AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL OCCUR AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH QUEBEC. EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL WITH 850MB TEMPS IN THE 10 TO 12 DEGREE RANGE. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...LOW PRESSURE IN THE CAROLINAS SATURDAY WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD OVER CAPE COD AND INTO THE MARITIMES SUNDAY. THIS WILL BRING RAIN TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...PARTICULARLY SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AT THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS WILL DRAW MOISTURE UP FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. PWATS ARE HIGH...IN THE INCH TO INCH AND A HALF RANGE. THIS WILL LEAD TO PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN. MONDAY AND TUESDAY...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION BRINGING DRY...COOL WEATHER. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS... LOW...LESS THAN 30 PERCENT MODERATE...30 PERCENT TO 60 PERCENT HIGH...GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT OVERVIEW... MODERATE CONFIDENCE. IFR/LIFR PERSISTS THROUGH MIDDAY BEFORE IMPROVING TO MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON. MORE CONFIDENT ON RETURN TO IFR/LIFR THIS EVENING THROUGH THU MORNING. KBOS TAF...MODERATE CONFIDENCE. CIGS WILL HANG AROUND HIGHER END OF IFR /OVC009/ THROUGH MIDDAY BUT MVFR CIGS SHOULD PREVAIL. KBDL TAF...MODERATE CONFIDENCE. CIGS MAY REMAIN IFR THROUGH AFTERNOON /OVC008/ BUT CONFIDENCE IS HIGHER ON CIGS LIFTING TO MVFR. OUTLOOK...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... THURSDAY NIGHT...MODERATE CONFIDENCE. MAINLY VFR. PERIODS OF MVFR/IFR IN -SHRA. FRIDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE. VFR. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE. PERIODS OF MVFR/IFR IN RAIN/FOG...ESPECIALLY SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. && .MARINE... HIGH CONFIDENCE THROUGH THURSDAY THAT WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN BELOW SCA THRESHOLDS WITH A RELATIVELY WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT. MAIN CONCERN FOR MARINERS WILL BE FOR AREAS OF FOG RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITIES...PARTICULARLY DURING THE OVERNIGHT THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS. OUTLOOK...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... WINDS AND SEAS REMAIN BELOW SCA CRITERIA THROUGH THE PERIOD. WINDS INCREASE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE WATERS. SHOWERS/FOG MAY LIMIT VISIBILITIES AT TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. FRIDAY LOOKS TO BE THE ONLY DAY THAT THIS DOES NOT OCCUR. && .BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. MA...NONE. NH...NONE. RI...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...FRANK/RLG NEAR TERM...JWD SHORT TERM...FRANK LONG TERM...RLG AVIATION...JWD MARINE...FRANK/RLG
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MELBOURNE FL
1027 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... FRONTALYSIS OCCURRING OVER THE ERN GOMEX THIS MORNING...DEEP MOISTURE BAND ASSOCD WITH THE DISSIPATING FRONT WILL REMAIN OVERHEAD. LATEST RAP ANALYSIS SHOWS THE ATLC RIDGE AXIS BEGINNING TO NUDGE ITS WAY UP THE FL PENINSULA WITH A SLIGHTLY DRIER AND LESS ENERGETIC AIRMASS IN TOW. MORNING RAOBS BEAR THIS OUT WITH PWATS OFF THE KMFL/KEYW SOUNDINGS BTWN 1.5"-2.0"...INCREASING TO 2.0"-2.4" AT KXMR/KTBW/KJAX. SFC DEWPOINTS REMAIN IN THE M70S ACRS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH PENINSULA...THINNER MID/UPR LVL CLOUDS OVER THE TREASURE COAST HAVE ALLOWED TEMPS TO WARM INTO THE L/M80S WHILE THICKER CLOUDS TO THE N ARE KEEPING TEMPS IN THE M/U70S. WX ELEMENTS POINT TOWARD LOWER COVERAGE TODAY THAN IN RECENT DAYS. THE NRN CWA WITH THE DEEPEST MOISTURE WILL SEE LIMITED SFC HEATING AND DESTABILIZATION DUE TO THE THE MID/UPR LVL CLOUDS...WHILE DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR PUSHING INTO THE SRN CWA ALSO WILL RESULT IN LOWER COVERAGE...ESPECIALLY AS ENHANCES SFC HEATING WILL PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE. EARLY CONVECTION FIRING OVER THE W FL COAST IS EMBEDDED WITHIN DEEP SRLY FLOW AND WILL LARGELY MISS THE CWA...BUT DOES DISPLAY GREATER PRECIP POTENTIAL OVER THE NRN CWA. MID LVL LAPSE RATES HAVE STEEPENED SLIGHTLY...NOW RUNNING BTWN 5.0-6.0C/KM...WHILE H50 TEMPS HAVE COOLED TO BTWN -6C AND -7C. WHILE THIS WILL PROMOTE HIGHER TSRA POTENTIAL...TOTAL LTG ACTIVITY OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS HAS BEEN SO LOW THAT ANY INCREMENTAL INCREASES STILL WILL RESULT IN ISOLD COVERAGE AT BEST. PREVAILING PRECIP WILL BE LOW-TOPPED SHRAS. H85-H70 THETA-E ANALYSIS SHOWS A MAX RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE I-4 CORRIDOR DECREASING TO A LCL MIN OVR THE FL STRAITS AND THE NRN BAHAMAS. THIS LINES UP WELL WITH THE CURRENT POP CONFIG. TEMP/WIND FCST LOOKS GOOD AS WELL GIVEN THE CURRENT TREND. WILL UPDATE FCST TO REFRESH WORDING...NO SIG SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES NECESSARY. && .AVIATION... THRU 03/18Z...PREVAILING VFR...SFC WNDSHFT FM S TO E/SE AOB 12KTS ALNG THE COAST S OF KMLB...CIGS AOA FL080 N OF KVRB-KFMY. BTWN 03/18Z-03/24Z...SCT/NMRS IFR SHRAS/ISOLD LIFR TSRAS ALL SITES WITH HIGHEST POPS N OF THE I-4 CORRIDOR...SFC WNDSHFT FROM S TO E/SE AOB 12KTS BY 03/21Z INTERIOR SITES AND COASTAL SITES N OF KMLB. BTWN 04/00Z-04/03Z...SCT MVFR SHRAS/ISOLD IFR TSRAS. AFT 04/03Z...PREVAILING VFR WITH ISOLD MVFR SHRAS. && .MARINE... HI PRES RIDGE AXIS NUDGING NWD INTO CNTRL FL WILL GENERATE A GENTLE TO MODERATE S/SWRLY BREEZE THRU MIDDAY. WINDS WILL BACK TO THE E/SE BY LATE AFTN AS THE RIDGE AXIS CONTINUES TO BUILD NWD. LATEST BUOY OBS SHOW SEAS RUNNING 2-3FT NEARSHORE AND 3-4FT OFFSHORE THIS MORNING. LCL WIND WAVES STILL PREVAIL AT BUOY009 WITH DOMINANT WAVE PDS ARND 4SEC. HOWEVER...OCNL OBS SHOW PDS ARND 10SEC WHILE OTHER OFFSHORE BUOYS SHOW PDS UP TO 6-7SEC. FCST TREND LOOKS GOOD...NO SIG CHANGES NECESSARY. && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. && $$ FORECAST/AVIATION...BRAGAW RADAR/IMPACT WX.....LASCODY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LINCOLN IL
1000 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1000 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING SURFACE LOW NOW CENTERED JUST NORTH OF KANKAKEE. FAIRLY SHARP CLEARING LINE PERSISTING ALONG THE ILLINOIS/IOWA BORDER...BUT IS NOT MAKING ANY EASTWARD PROGRESS. ANOTHER CLEARING LINE CENTERED ROUGHLY ALONG I-64 IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS IS MOVING NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHEAST EDGE OF OUR FORECAST AREA. LAYER HUMIDITY PLOTS OFF THE RAP MODEL SHOW THIS SOUTHERN CLEARING AREA CONTINUING TO MAKE SOME NORTHWARD PROGRESS THROUGH THE DAY...WITH SKIES BECOMING PARTLY SUNNY SOUTH OF I-70 BY EARLY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD REMAIN GENERALLY CLOUDY...WITH SOME THIN SPOTS IN THE OVERCAST HERE AND THERE. RAP AND HRRR MODELS CONTINUING TO HOLD ON TO SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. HAVE SENT SOME UPDATED ZONES/GRIDS...MAINLY TO UPDATE HOURLY TRENDS. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 640 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 CEILINGS BELOW 1K FT AND VSBYS BELOW 3 MILES OVER EASTERN IL TAF SITES OF BMI...DEC AND CMI (WHERE DENSE FOG AT CMI WITH VSBYS AS LOW AS 1/4-1/2 MILE) WILL GRADUALLY LIFT TO MVFR LATE THIS MORNING. WESTERN TAF SITES OF PIA AND SPI WILL SEE MVFR CEILINGS 2-3K FT INTO MID MORNING AND LIFT TO 6-8K FT BY LATE MORNING. SPOTTY LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS AND PATCHY DRIZZLE WILL OCCUR TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL IL DUE TO NEARBY STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROF OVER IL. WEAK LOW PRESSURE 1013 MB NEAR PONTIAC WILL CONTINUE SLOW NORTHWARD DRIFT INTO NE IL TODAY WHILE 570 DM 500 MB LOW NEAR ST LOUIS AND 571 DM 500 MB LOW OVER NORTH LA TO SHIFT SLOWLY EAST TO THE IL/IN BORDER BY 06Z/1 AM TONIGHT AND INTO EASTERN INDIANA AND CENTRAL KY BY 12Z/7 AM THU. EXPECT CLOUDS TO SCATTER OUT FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THIS EVENING AS UPPER LEVEL TROF AXIS SHIFTS EASTWARD. SSW WINDS 5-10 KTS TODAY WILL BE SOUTH 4-8 KTS TONIGHT AND INCREASE DURING THU MORNING AS A STRONG COLD FRONT FROM NW MN INTO CENTRAL SD MOVES SE TO THE IA/IL BORDER BY 18Z/1 PM THU. KH && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 240 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY PERSISTENT UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FROM THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES TO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY...ENSURING A CONTINUATION OF MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS. WITH WEAK SURFACE LOW PRESSURE MEANDERING NORTHWARD ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS...MAY SEE A FEW SHOWERS SCATTERED AROUND THE AREA AS WELL. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS...THE DEEPEST MOISTURE AND THUS BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE CONFINED TO THE EASTERN KILX CWA. AS A RESULT...WILL FOCUS HIGHEST POPS EAST OF I-55...TAPERING DOWN TO JUST SLIGHT CHANCES FURTHER WEST IN THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT TRICKY TODAY...AS THEY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT UPON HOW MUCH SUNSHINE OCCURS. 07Z/2AM SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THE ENTIRE AREA IS CURRENTLY BLANKETED BY CLOUD COVER...AND WITH LOW PRESSURE SHIFTING ONLY VERY SLOWLY NORTHWARD...THINK MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. MAY SEE SOME BREAKS IN THE OVERCAST WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER FROM TIME TO TIME...AS WELL AS ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70 AS DRY SLOT CONTINUES TO WRAP N/NW AROUND UPPER TROUGH. RESULTING HIGHS WILL MAINLY BE IN THE LOWER 70S...WITH COOLEST READINGS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S ACROSS THE NE CWA AROUND CHAMPAIGN WHERE CLOUD COVER WILL BE MOST PERSISTENT. UPPER TROUGH WILL FINALLY GET EJECTED NORTHEASTWARD TONIGHT...IN RESPONSE TO NORTHERN STREAM WAVE DIGGING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS/UPPER MIDWEST. WILL LINGER LOW CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS INTO THE EVENING HOURS...BEFORE GOING DRY ACROSS THE BOARD AFTER MIDNIGHT. THURSDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...AS STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING COLD FRONT HELPS BOOST HIGH TEMPS INTO THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S. COLD FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO ILLINOIS DURING THE AFTERNOON...WITH MODEL CONSENSUS PLACING IT FROM JUST SOUTH OF CHICAGO TO NEAR SAINT LOUIS BY EARLY EVENING. ALL MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST ANY PRECIP THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE PRIMARILY POST-FRONTAL...MEANING MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL REMAIN DRY THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY. WILL THEREFORE CONFINE POPS TO LOCATIONS ALONG/WEST OF I-55 THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH DRY WEATHER PERSISTING FURTHER EAST. RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. GIVEN NARROW CORRIDOR OF INSTABILITY AND INCREASING WIND-SHEAR ALONG/BEHIND THE BOUNDARY...HAVE INCLUDED ISOLATED THUNDER THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FRONT WILL SINK INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY ON FRIDAY...HOWEVER UPPER-WAVE MOVING ALONG THE BOUNDARY WILL BRING A PERIOD OF OVERRUNNING RAIN TO PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT. HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES THROUGH THIS PERIOD WILL BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA...GENERALLY ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70...WITH RAIN CHANCES STEADILY DECREASING FURTHER NORTH. IN FACT...AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A CANTON TO BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL LINE MAY REMAIN COMPLETELY DRY ON FRIDAY. NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING SHARPLY COOLER CONDITIONS INTO THE REGION FOR THE END OF THE WEEK...WITH HIGH TEMPS ON FRIDAY REMAINING IN THE 50S. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ONCE UPPER WAVE TRACKS OFF TO THE EAST...FRONT WILL GET PUSHED FURTHER SOUTH OVER THE WEEKEND...RESULTING IN COOL/DRY CONDITIONS FOR BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION...CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL ALLOW OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS TO DROP INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S BOTH DAYS. AFTER THAT...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEPARTING HIGH WILL SIGNAL A WARMING TREND EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH HIGH TEMPS CLIMBING BACK INTO THE MIDDLE 60S BY TUESDAY. BARNES && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
901 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 35 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 14Z... * VARIABLE WINDS BECOMING SOUTHERLY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. * IFR CEILINGS FOR A GOOD PORTION OF TODAY...BEFORE SLOWLY RISING TO MVFR LATER THIS AFTERNOON. * SHOWERS/AREAS OF DRIZZLE TODAY...POSSIBLY REDUCING VIS TO IFR THIS MORNING. CMS //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 12Z... CONDITIONS HAVE QUICKLY DETERIORATED THIS MORNING WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THIS WEAK LOW PRESSURE AND EXPANSIVE AREA OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. IFR CEILINGS BEING REPORTED ACROSS ORD/MDW/GYY AREAS...WITH THESE LOW CLOUDS TO AFFECT DPA IN THE NEXT HOUR AND RFD TO REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. HAVE CONTINUED PESSIMISTIC TRENDS WITH LOW CEILINGS TODAY...KEEPING IFR CONDITIONS OVERHEAD FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE OVERALL TREND WITH THE CEILINGS TODAY REMAINS...AS IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THESE IFR CONDITIONS COULD LINGER EVEN INTO THE EARLY EVENING BEFORE LOW/MID LEVEL FLOW INCREASES AND REALLY HELPS STEER THIS MOISTURE OUT OF THE TERMINAL AREAS. ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME...HAVE NOT GONE THAT FAR WITH THE FORECAST AND BRING CEILINGS UP TO MVFR CONDITIONS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN EVENTUALLY SCATTERING THEM OUT TONIGHT. FOG/DRIZZLE WILL ALSO CONTINUE FOR A GOOD PORTION OF TODAY...WITH VIS RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED INTO THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE WEAKENING LOW CENTER MOVING OVERHEAD...VARIABLE WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED FOR MOST OF TODAY BEFORE SURFACE PATTERN ALLOWS FOR WINDS TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED OUT OF THE SOUTH. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THURSDAY MORNING BUT WITH SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS/GUSTS REALLY INCREASING BY MID DAY. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 14Z... * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION. * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH CEILING TRENDS TODAY...WITH LOW MEDIUM CONFIDENCE AS TO THE EXACT LENGTH OF PERIOD WHICH THE IFR CEILINGS WILL REMAIN OVER THE TERMINALS. * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH SHOWERS/DRIZZLE AND VIS TRENDS. CMS //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 00Z FRIDAY-12Z WEDNESDAY...UPDATED 12Z... THURSDAY NIGHT...CHANCE SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE TS...OTHERWISE VFR. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TUESDAY...VFR. RODRIGUEZ && .MARINE... 543 AM CDT THE WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED OVERNIGHT WITH WAVES ALSO SUBSIDING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE LAKE REMAINS SOMEWHAT RELAXED THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH LOW PRESSURE WILL BE APPROACHING THE LAKE TODAY...IT IS FAIRLY WEAK AND WILL CONTINUE A WEAKENING TREND. AFTER SOME LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE LAKE TODAY...WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS DRAWS NEAR. THIS LOW WILL SLOWLY CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH ONTARIO ON THURSDAY WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE ENTIRE LAKE WITH SPEEDS EXPECTED TO STAY IN THE 15 TO 25KT RANGE FOR THE OPEN WATERS AS WARMER AIR OVER THE COOLER LAKE WILL HELP KEEPS WINDS DOWN. THE NEARSHORE WATERS ON THURSDAY COULD EXPERIENCE SOME STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...WITH EVEN AN OUTSIDE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER WINDS FOR SOME TIME THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL THEN DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS THEN EXPECTED TO REALLY INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A CONTINUED TREND TOWARDS STRONGER WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF THE LAKE APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING WITH A PERIOD OF GALES POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY EVENING INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY. WINDS WILL BE SLOW TO DIMINISH FRIDAY AS THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE SLOWLY SHIFTING TO THE EAST...AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. RODRIGUEZ && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
700 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 35 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 12Z... * VARIABLE WINDS BECOMING SOUTHERLY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. * IFR CEILINGS FOR A GOOD PORTION OF TODAY...BEFORE SLOWLY RISING TO MVFR LATER THIS AFTERNOON. * FOG/DRIZZLE WITH VIS OF 3-5SM EXPECTED TODAY...AND BRIEF PERIODS OF VIS AROUND 2SM THIS MORNING. RODRIGUEZ //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 12Z... CONDITIONS HAVE QUICKLY DETERIORATED THIS MORNING WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THIS WEAK LOW PRESSURE AND EXPANSIVE AREA OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. IFR CEILINGS BEING REPORTED ACROSS ORD/MDW/GYY AREAS...WITH THESE LOW CLOUDS TO AFFECT DPA IN THE NEXT HOUR AND RFD TO REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. HAVE CONTINUED PESSIMISTIC TRENDS WITH LOW CEILINGS TODAY...KEEPING IFR CONDITIONS OVERHEAD FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE OVERALL TREND WITH THE CEILINGS TODAY REMAINS...AS IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THESE IFR CONDITIONS COULD LINGER EVEN INTO THE EARLY EVENING BEFORE LOW/MID LEVEL FLOW INCREASES AND REALLY HELPS STEER THIS MOISTURE OUT OF THE TERMINAL AREAS. ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME...HAVE NOT GONE THAT FAR WITH THE FORECAST AND BRING CEILINGS UP TO MVFR CONDITIONS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN EVENTUALLY SCATTERING THEM OUT TONIGHT. FOG/DRIZZLE WILL ALSO CONTINUE FOR A GOOD PORTION OF TODAY...WITH VIS RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED INTO THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE WEAKENING LOW CENTER MOVING OVERHEAD...VARIABLE WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED FOR MOST OF TODAY BEFORE SURFACE PATTERN ALLOWS FOR WINDS TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED OUT OF THE SOUTH. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THURSDAY MORNING BUT WITH SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS/GUSTS REALLY INCREASING BY MID DAY. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 12Z... * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION. * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH CEILING TRENDS TODAY...WITH LOW MEDIUM CONFIDENCE AS TO THE EXACT LENGTH OF PERIOD WHICH THE IFR CEILINGS WILL REMAIN OVER THE TERMINALS. * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH FOG/DRIZZLE AND VIS TRENDS. RODRIGUEZ //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 00Z FRIDAY-12Z WEDNESDAY...UPDATED 12Z... THURSDAY NIGHT...CHANCE SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE TS...OTHERWISE VFR. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TUESDAY...VFR. RODRIGUEZ && .MARINE... 543 AM CDT THE WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED OVERNIGHT WITH WAVES ALSO SUBSIDING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE LAKE REMAINS SOMEWHAT RELAXED THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH LOW PRESSURE WILL BE APPROACHING THE LAKE TODAY...IT IS FAIRLY WEAK AND WILL CONTINUE A WEAKENING TREND. AFTER SOME LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE LAKE TODAY...WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS DRAWS NEAR. THIS LOW WILL SLOWLY CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH ONTARIO ON THURSDAY WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE ENTIRE LAKE WITH SPEEDS EXPECTED TO STAY IN THE 15 TO 25KT RANGE FOR THE OPEN WATERS AS WARMER AIR OVER THE COOLER LAKE WILL HELP KEEPS WINDS DOWN. THE NEARSHORE WATERS ON THURSDAY COULD EXPERIENCE SOME STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...WITH EVEN AN OUTSIDE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER WINDS FOR SOME TIME THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL THEN DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS THEN EXPECTED TO REALLY INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A CONTINUED TREND TOWARDS STRONGER WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF THE LAKE APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING WITH A PERIOD OF GALES POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY EVENING INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY. WINDS WILL BE SLOW TO DIMINISH FRIDAY AS THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE SLOWLY SHIFTING TO THE EAST...AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. RODRIGUEZ && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
546 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 35 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 09Z... * LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS BECOMING VARIABLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING. * MVFR CEILINGS LOWERING TO IFR CEILINGS BY 12/13Z THIS MORNING...AND LINGERING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. * LIGHT SHOWERS/FOG MOVING ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING. RODRIGUEZ //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 09Z... HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE TAF WITH THIS UPDATE...GOING MORE PESSIMISTIC WITH THE CEILINGS THIS MORNING. GOOD SWATH OF MVFR/IFR CEILINGS CURRENTLY RESIDE JUST SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS AND AS THIS WEAK LOW CONTINUES NORTH...DONT SEE ANY REASON WHY THESE LOW CEILINGS WONT MOVE OVERHEAD. SO HAVE STARTED THE TAFS WITH MVFR CEILINGS BUT HAVE CONDITIONS QUICKLY DETERIORATING TO IFR CEILINGS AROUND THE 12/13Z TIME FRAME. EXPECT THESE LOW CLOUDS TO LINGER THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING...BEFORE SLOWLY LIFTING THIS AFTERNOON. LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PERSIST BEFORE BECOMING MORE VARIABLE AS THE WEAKENING LOW CENTER MOVES OVERHEAD. THEN A RETURN TO LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED LATER THIS AFTERNOON. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 09Z... * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE WITH CEILING TRENDS AS WELL AS IFR TIMING THROUGH THIS MORNING. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE WITH SHOWER/FOG TRENDS. RODRIGUEZ //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 12Z THURSDAY-12Z TUESDAY...UPDATED 00Z... THURSDAY...CHANCE SHOWERS...SLIGHT CHANCE TS. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TRS && .MARINE... 543 AM CDT THE WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED OVERNIGHT WITH WAVES ALSO SUBSIDING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE LAKE REMAINS SOMEWHAT RELAXED THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH LOW PRESSURE WILL BE APPROACHING THE LAKE TODAY...IT IS FAIRLY WEAK AND WILL CONTINUE A WEAKENING TREND. AFTER SOME LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE LAKE TODAY...WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS DRAWS NEAR. THIS LOW WILL SLOWLY CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH ONTARIO ON THURSDAY WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE ENTIRE LAKE WITH SPEEDS EXPECTED TO STAY IN THE 15 TO 25KT RANGE FOR THE OPEN WATERS AS WARMER AIR OVER THE COOLER LAKE WILL HELP KEEPS WINDS DOWN. THE NEARSHORE WATERS ON THURSDAY COULD EXPERIENCE SOME STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...WITH EVEN AN OUTSIDE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER WINDS FOR SOME TIME THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL THEN DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS THEN EXPECTED TO REALLY INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A CONTINUED TREND TOWARDS STRONGER WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF THE LAKE APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING WITH A PERIOD OF GALES POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY EVENING INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY. WINDS WILL BE SLOW TO DIMINISH FRIDAY AS THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE SLOWLY SHIFTING TO THE EAST...AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. RODRIGUEZ && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS JACKSON MS
949 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .UPDATE...POPS WERE INCREASED OVER SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS FOR THIS AFTERNOON IN LIEU OF PROGGED 500-800 J/KG ML CAPE UNDER DECENT LAPSE RATES AS A WEAK LOW-LVL SOUTHERN FETCH MOISTURE TOUNGE FEEDS INTO THE AREA. IT COULD BE CONCEIVEABLE THAT ONE OR TWO OF THE ISO TSTORMS THIS AFTN COULD BE STRONG WITH SUCH COOL TEMPS ALOFT AND DECENT BL HEATING. STRONG STORM RISKS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH AND SOME SMALL HAIL. WILL PLACE STRONG STORM WORDING IN HWO FOR THIS UPDATE. ACTIVITY WILL WANE NEAR SUNSET AS INSTABILITY DECREASES AND VORT MAX SHIFTS EAST. MINOR TWEAKS TO HOURLY WX ELEMENTS TO MATCH LATEST TRENDS WERE ALSO MADE. UPDATED PRODUCTS ARE OUT AND AN UPDATED AVIATON DISCUSSION CAN BE FOUND DIRECTLY BELOW. /ALLEN/ && .AVIATION...A ROBUST UPPER LOW MOVING OVER THE REGION TODAY SHOULD RESULT IN SCATTERED CU DEVELOPMENT AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH BASES GENERALLY FROM 3 TO 6 KFT. SOME ISOLATED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON...BUT MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE CORRIDOR. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL MAINLY BE FROM THE SOUTH AND NOT TOO STRONG (LESS THAN 15 MPH). SHOWERS SHOULD END THIS EVENING WITH A CHANCE OF PATCHY FOG AND/OR LOW CLOUD DEVELOPMENT LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. DUE TO THE LATTER POTENTIAL MANY SITES CAN EXPECT A DECENT POSSIBILITY OF TEMPORARY MVFR FLIGHT CATS BETWEEN 5 AM AND 9 AM TOMORROW MORNING. /BB/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 417 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012/ SHORT TERM...IR IMAGERY THIS MORNING CLEARLY DEPICTS THE CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN LA...WITH AREA RADARS SHOWING A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISH. SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THESE STORMS DEVELOPING ALONG A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY DRAPED ROUGHLY FROM MOBILE TO JUST NORTH OF ALEXANDRIA. THE LATEST HRRR RUN VERIFIED THIS CONVECTION ALMOST PERFECTLY...AND SUGGESTS THESE STORMS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY SUNRISE AS THEY DRIFT NORTH. THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES...WHAT KIND OF CHANCE DO WE HAVE FOR SEEING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON? NWP GUIDANCE INDICATES THE UPPER LOW WILL BEGIN TO OPEN AND LIFT NORTHWARD TODAY AS THE UPPER JET STRENGTHENS OVER AL...WITH THE WEAKENING S/WV SHIFTING EAST ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH THE DAY. FORCING FOR ASCENT IN ADVANCE OF THE WAVE WILL BE RATHER POTENT ACROSS SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN AREAS TODAY...AND COUPLED WITH /1.THE AFOREMENTIONED BOUNDARY LIFTING NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA BY LATE MORNING AND /2.SURFACE HEATING RAISING SBCAPE VALUES ACROSS SOUTHERN/SOUTHEASTERN AREAS INTO THE 600-800J/KG RANGE/ I THINK THE INGREDIENTS WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR AT LAST ISOLATED CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. BEST GUESS RIGHT NOW IS FOR THIS ACTIVITY TO START ACROSS SOUTHERN ZONES AROUND MID DAY...DRIFTING NORTHWARD/ NORTHEASTWARD WITH ADDITIONAL ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT FURTHER NORTH AND EAST AS THE DAY WEARS ON. A COMBINATION OF SETTING SUN AND THE BEST LIFT PUSHING EAST SHOULD BRING THIS ALL TO AN END BY EARLY EVENING. BASED ON CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS OFFERED BY THE MORE REASONABLE LOOKING 00Z GFS/ECMWF IT DOESN`T APPEAR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE A HUGE CONCERN...BUT GIVEN RATHER COLD TEMPS ALOFT I COULD SEE ONE OR TWO BECOMING STRONG ENOUGH TO POSE A 40 MPH WIND GUST AND SMALL HAIL RISK. ONCE THIS ALL CLEARS OUT THE FORECAST BECOMES RATHER UNEVENTFUL AS A ZONAL UPPER FLOW PATTERN TAKES SHAPE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES AND SURFACE RIDGING NOSES IN FROM THE EAST. SKIES SHOULD REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK ACCOMPANIED BY DAYTIME TEMPS CLIMBING BACK ABOVE NORMAL BY TOMORROW WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 80S. LOWS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT WILL COME IN MID-UPPER 50S FOR MOST AREAS. /BK/ LONG TERM...THE NEXT SURFACE BOUNDARY BEGINS TO MOVE INTO NRN MS FRIDAY NIGHT. THE GFS IS ONCE AGAIN SHOWING A FASTER SWD PROGRESSION THAN THE EURO...THE LATEST EURO COMING IN SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY. THE EURO MOVES THE COLD FRONT JUST INTO THE NWRN CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA BY EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHILE THE GFS BRINGS IT INTO THE VICINITY OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE. SLOWER PROGRESSION NOTWITHSTANDING...MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE FRONT WILL USHER A COLD AIR MASS INTO THE FORECAST AREA WITH SINGLE DIGIT 850 MB TEMPS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. MODERATION OF TEMPERATURES BEGINS TUESDAY WHEN THE SURFACE HIGH CENTER LIFTS TO THE NE OF THE AREA AND 850 MB W/SWLY FLOW RETURNS. THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN DRY AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONT AND LOW LEVEL/850 MB RIDGING WILL HOLD STEADY AS IT APPROACHES. BETTER UPPER LEVEL FORCING IS EXPECTED TO THE REAR OF THE FRONT IN RESPONSE TO A BROAD UPPER TROUGH THAT WILL DIG INTO THE ERN U.S...A HEALTHY SHORTWAVE PIVOTING INTO THE MID/UPPER MS VALLEY SATURDAY NIGHT. DUE TO THE SLOWER EURO AND THE SLOWER ADVANCE OF THE GFS QPF FIELD...MEX POPS HAVE BEEN CUT SLIGHTLY FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVE KEPT THE VERY LOW RAIN CHANCES PAINTED FOR SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT AS A SECOND UPPER WAVE DIGS INTO THE LONG WAVE TROUGH. HAVE ALSO INCREASED SATURDAY HIGHS A FEW DEGREES OVER MEX NUMBERS IN LIGHT OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SLOWER FRONTAL PROGRESSION BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE EURO WHICH IS UP TO TEN DEGREES WARMER IN DELTA REGIONS THAN THE MEX FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ALSO DECREASED SUNDAY HIGHS A FEW DEGREES IN THE NORTH TO KEEP THOSE AREAS SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN AREAS FARTHER SOUTH AND SLOWED THE WARM UP THROUGH MONDAY AND TUESDAY SLIGHTLY. && .AVIATION... CLR SKIES/LGT WINDS ALLOWING MVFR VSBY IN FOG TO DEVELOP AT SEVERAL SITES THIS MORNING...AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE IFR VSBY OFF AND ON THROUGH ~13Z BEFORE THINGS TREND VFR. VFR CONDS WILL THEN PREVAIL THRU THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING BEFORE A RETURN OF MVFR VSBY BECOMES PSBL AT MOST SITES 07-13Z TOMORROW. THERE`S A CHANCE ISOLD SHWRS/TSRA WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SRN/SERN MS THIS AFTN AS AN UPPER DISTURBANCE PASSES. CALM SFC WINDS THIS MORNING BECMG SRLY 5-8KTS THIS AFTN. /BK/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 81 56 85 56 / 19 3 2 7 MERIDIAN 82 52 85 51 / 21 5 2 7 VICKSBURG 81 55 86 55 / 15 3 2 7 HATTIESBURG 84 57 87 57 / 23 8 3 4 NATCHEZ 81 56 85 57 / 20 3 2 6 GREENVILLE 80 57 86 58 / 5 3 2 7 GREENWOOD 80 55 86 56 / 17 3 2 7 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && $$ /
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WILMINGTON OH
1015 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING SEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES TO THE OHIO VALLEY TODAY AND THURSDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES AND A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... KILN 03.12Z RAOB INDICATED A RATHER MOIST/MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER UP TO ABOUT 875MB. VIS SATELLITE LOOP THIS MORNING HAS A RATHER WIDESPREAD BKN/OVC STRATOCUMULUS FIELD NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER...AND DEEP ENOUGH NORTHWEST OF DAYTON /2KM LAYER/ TO SUPPORT A LITTLE DRIZZLE WHICH FAA DAYTON RADAR /TDAY/ HAS PICKED UP ON NICELY. RAP MODEL HAS PICKED UP ON THIS DEEPER MOISTURE AND LIFTS IT NWWRD IN TIME AND ANY LIGHT DRIZZLE/VERY LIGHT RAIN SHOULD END BY NOON IN THE NORTHWEST. LOW CLOUDS IN THE WEST/NORTHWEST WILL BE STUBBORN AND MAY NEED TO UPDATE AND LOWER HIGH TEMPS IF BREAKS DON/T BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. IN THE SOUTH/EAST...WILL CONTINUE A SLOW TREND OF DECREASING CLOUDS. THESE AREAS MAY ALSO BE TOO WARM IN GIVEN FORECAST AND WILL TAKE A LOOK AT 15Z OBS WITH A NOTION OF DROPPING TEMPS A BIT. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... CLEARING SKIES WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTHWARD THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO COOL INTO THE LOWER 50S FOR THE MOST PART. SOME PATCHY VALLEY FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE WHERE CLEAR SKIES ARE PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. THE UPPER LOW THAT BEGAN MOVING OUT OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TODAY...WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY ON THURSDAY. A FEW MODELS HINT AT A COUPLE OF SHOWERS DEVELOPING DURING THE DAY THURSDAY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH. HAVE OPTED TO CONTINUE A DRY FORECAST FOR THE TIME BEING DUE TO THE LOW END CHANCES FOR THESE SHOWERS. OTHERWISE...THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE PARTLY CLOUDY AND SEASONABLY WARM. A DEEP AND VERTICALLY STACKED LOW CENTERED ACROSS THE CENTRAL US/CANADIAN BORDER WILL SLIDE EASTWARD ON THURSDAY NIGHT. A SURFACE COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THIS LOW ACROSS MICHIGAN SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH MISSOURI WILL PUSH EASTWARD AND INTO OUR WESTERN ZONES FRIDAY MORNING...AND ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF OUR ZONES DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. THE LAGGING FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALOFT WILL BE A SOURCE FOR CONVERGENCE AS PERIODIC SHORTWAVES RIDE EAST NORTHEAST ALONG IT. THIS WILL CREATE PERIODS OF ENHANCED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS STARTING FRIDAY MORNING AND EXTENDING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. EACH MODEL VARIES ON THEIR TIMING OF THE PASSAGE OF THESE FEATURES. NOTABLY...THE STATISTICAL MODELS FAIL TO SHOW FOCUSED QPF FIELDS DUE TO THE TIMING SPREADS...WHEREAS THE OPERATIONAL MODELS SUCH AS THE NAM AND GFS SHOW THE INDIVIDUALLY FOCUSED PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...DUE TO THE TIMING DIFFERENCES...THE POP FIELD STARTS ITS FOCUS ACROSS THE NORTH AND GRADUALLY WORKS ITS WAY SOUTH ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THE GRADUAL SOUTHWARD SHIFT WILL LIKELY HOLD TRUE FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AS EACH SUBSEQUENT WAVE FORCES THE COLD FRONT ALOFT FARTHER SOUTH. THE QPF FORECAST WAS A BLEND OF THE GFS/NAM/ECMWF WHICH YIELDS AND AREA AVERAGE OF ABOUT A HALF TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH THE SURFACE COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING INTO THE DAY FRIDAY...LOW LEVEL COLD ADVECTION WILL BE OCCURRING UNDER CLOUDY SKIES FOR THE ENTIRE TIME FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN WELL BELOW NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY FOR ALL EXCEPT PERHAPS THE SOUTHEASTERN ZONES. ON SATURDAY...RAIN COOLED...CLOUDY AND POST FRONTAL LOW LEVELS WILL LIKELY YIELD HIGH TEMPERATURES MORE THAN 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 50S. TEMPERATURES SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO THE LOW TO MIDDLE 30S. WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES...LIGHT WINDS...AND A COOL AIRMASS IN PLACE OVERNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AREAS OF FROST ACROSS THE REGION. SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS AND INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA ON MONDAY ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO REBOUND INTO THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60 BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMER ON TUESDAY ACROSS THE AREA AS SOUTHERLY FLOW CONTINUES WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VARIABLE CIGS ARE PERSISTING ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH THE GENERAL TREND FOR MORE WIDESPREAD MVFR CIGS ACROSS THE WEST. THIS IS CLOSER TO THE REMNANT WEAKENING SURFACE LOW OVER WESTERN INDIANA THAT IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS IT LIFTS NORTH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR DRIER AIR TO WORK IN ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH THROUGH THE DAY. FAIRLY GOOD 925 MB DRYING WILL PUSH UP INTO OUR AREA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR THE MVFR CIGS TO LIFT UP INTO A VFR CU FIELD BY THIS AFTERNOON...BEFORE SCATTERING OUT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES OVERNIGHT WITH PERHAPS AN INCREASE IN SOME MID LEVEL CLOUDS LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY AS A WEAKENING MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. .OUTLOOK...MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...LATTO NEAR TERM...BINAU SHORT TERM...LATTO LONG TERM...NOVAK AVIATION...JGL
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS STATE COLLEGE PA
1010 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN OCCLUDED FRONT OVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST TODAY. A FEW WEAK WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE WILL RIPPLE NORTH ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THURSDAY...BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS TO THE REGION. WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE IN STORE FOR TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES REGION FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...AND WILL BRING THE NEXT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS FOLLOWED BY MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... 10 AM UPDATE... AREAS OF FOG ARE DISSIPATING...WITH CLOUD BASES LIFTING QUICKLY THIS MORNING. HIGH PWAT AIR CONTINUING TO STREAM NORTH INTO THE REGION...ALL THE WAY FROM THE GOMEX...WILL BRING SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS /AND EVEN A FEW LOW-TOPPED TSRA NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF THE SUSQ VALLEY/. COSPA AND 12Z NAM DATA SHOWS MINIMAL CHCS FOR PRECIP TODAY. HOWEVER...LATEST RAP INDICATES AN AREA OF LIGHT SHOWERS DRIFTING NE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA VERY LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC AND SFC OBS SHOW SOME OF THESE -SHRA ALREADY SPREADING NNE FROM NRN VA...AND THE MD PANHANDLE INTO THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. AS SIGNIFICANT BREAKS IN THE STRATO/ALTOCU CLOUD LAYER DEVELOP DURING THE MIDDAY AND AFTERNOON HOURS...ML CAPE WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 500-1000 J/KG ACROSS THE SUSQ VALLEY AND POINTS EAST. THIS INSTABILITY INVOF THE AFOREMENTIONED SLOWING OCCLUDED FRONT WILL COMBINE TO BRING THE BEST CHC FOR SHRA AND SOME LOW-TOPPED TSRA NEAR...AND TO THE EAST OF A KIPT TO KSEG AND KMDT LINE. ALTHOUGH LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS AROUND 0.25 INCH ARE POSSIBLE...BASIN AVERAGE AMOUNTS OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS WILL BE MAINLY UNDER 0.10 OF AN INCH. THE WIND WILL GO WESTERLY IN THE WEST...AND VEER FROM S TO SW IN THE LOWER SUSQ LATER LATE THIS AM. THIS LLVL DOWNSLOPE FLOW OFF THE ALLEGHENY PLATEAU AND CENTRAL MTN WILL WARM AND DRY OUT THE BOUNDARY LAYER A BIT. TEMPS SHOULD REACH A MID AFTERNOON MAX AROUND 80F FOR THE SERN THIRD OF THE AREA...WHILE MOST OTHER LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL RIDGE AND VALLEY REGION WILL MAKE IT TO THE M-U70S. THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE NORTH AND WEST WILL SEE HIGH TEMPS IN THE LOWER 70S. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY/... THE UPPER TROUGH TO OUR WEST DOES SWING EAST AND LIFT NORTH A BIT TONIGHT AND WILL TRY TO SPIN UP A LITTLE WAVE ALONG THE OLD FRONT...WHICH WILL BE DRAPED OVER FAR EASTERN PA AND DOWN INTO THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. ANY COHERENT SFC LOW WILL PASS JUST TO OUR SE...BUT THE UPPER SUPPORT WILL FORCE SCT SHOWERS AS IT MOVES PAST. TIMING IS A LITTLE UNCERTAIN...WITH THE WAVE JUST BEING HANDLED IN THESE LAST FEW RUNS OF THE NCEP PROGS...BUT HAVE BUMPED THE POPS UP TO MID-CHC LEVELS OVER THE SERN PART OF THE FCST AREA TONIGHT AND KEPT THEM UP THAT HIGH FOR THE EAST DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THURS. 8H TEMPS REMAIN HIGH...AND DEWPOINTS AS WELL...SO MILD/WARM TEMPS CONTINUE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. TEMPS WILL MOST LIKELY RUN 10-12F HIGHER THAN NORMAL. SPOILED AS WE HAVE BEEN...THE TEASER I LEAVE YOU WITH IS WHAT MAY COME TO PASS LATE THIS WEEKEND. SEE BELOW FOR MORE. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... GENERAL FLOW PATTERN ==================== THE 2 OCT 00 AND 12 UTC GLOBAL MODEL AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE REMAINS IN AGREEMENT ON THE LARGE SCALE FLOW REGIME FCST ACROSS NOAM. HIGH LATITUDE REX BLOCK IN THE NERN PAC WILL BE LESS MIGRATORY THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST 24 HOURS AGO...WHICH SHOULD ENSURE BROAD TROUGHING DOWNSTREAM OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONUS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODEL DIAGNOSTICS/PREFERENCES ============================= CONCERNING THE MID-UPPER TROUGH WEAKENING/ACCELERATING NEWD OUT OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON D3...THE 12Z NAM IS ON THE SLOWER/MORE AMPLIFIED SIDE OF MODEL SPREAD WITH LIFTING THE ENERGY NORTHWARD THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE NORTHEAST THURSDAY. OVERALL...THE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS FEATURE. THE LAST TWO RUNS OF THE ECMWF ARE STRONGER THAN THE NAM/GFS WITH THE SHORTWAVE ROTATING THROUGH THE NRN PLAINS/UPPER MS VLY SAT-SUN. THIS LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE PCPN PATTERN EVOLVING EWD THROUGH THE OH VLY INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION...PARTICULARLY ON DAY 6 (SUN). A COMPROMISE SOLUTION SUPPORTS HIGH END CHC TO LOW LKLY POPS ON DAY 5. THE ECMWF IS MORE BULLISH THAN THE GFS FOR PCPN FOR DAY 6...AS IT DEVELOPS AN AREA OF LOW PRES OVR THE MID-ATLC PIEDMONT. THE MODEL DIFFS WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE IMPACT THE TRACK OF ASSOC SURFACE CYCLONE DEEPENING OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES THUR-FRI...AND EWD PROGRESSION OF STRONG TRAILING COLD FRONT PUSHING EWD THROUGH THE MIDWEST/OH VLY. A ECMWF/UKMET BLEND IS PREFERRED HERE AS A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SOLUTION. THE GFS LOOKS MORE PROGRESSIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY ROTATING WITHIN THE MEAN TROUGH OVR THE GREAT LAKES REGION. WEATHER IMPACTS ================ LATE-WEEK WARM SPELL FOLLOWED BY SIGNIFICANT COOL DOWN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK... WEAKENING SYSTEM EJECTING NEWD FROM THE MS VLY WILL ACCELERATE NEWD THRU THE NORTHEAST STATES ON THUR...FOLLOWED BY S/W RIDGING AND SFC HI PRES THURS NGT INTO FRI. THURS AND FRIDAY LOOK MILD AND MAINLY DRY. FRIDAY COULD BE THE WARMEST DAY AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING EWD THROUGH THE MIDWEST. FRONTAL SHOWERS MAY REACH THE NW MTNS BY THE FRI AFTN...WITH MORE ORGANIZED RAINS LKLY FRI NGT INTO SAT AS THE WELL-DEFINED COLD FRONT SHIFTS SEWD THROUGH CENTRAL PA. PCPN MAY CONTINUE ON SUNDAY IF THE ECMWF SOLUTION VERIFIES. THE MAIN WEATHER IMPACT THIS PERIOD WILL BE A SHOT OF UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR INVADING THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPS CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE EARLY SEASON COOL DOWN IS WELL-ADVERTISED AND SUPPORTED BY BELOW NORMAL 500MB HEIGHTS AND 850MB TEMPS IN THE ENSEMBLE MEANS. THIS MIGHT LEAD TO THE FIRST LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS OF THE SEASON OVR THE WRN MTNS...WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR EARLY OCTOBER. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AREAS OF LIFR CIGS AND VSBYS WILL PERSIST UNTIL AROUND 15Z. AFTERWARD...CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY IMPROVE TO MVFR OR VFR INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. A FEW...HIGH RESOLUTION REGION MODELS HINTS AT A FEW WEAK WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE LIFTING NE TODAY...BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND BRIEF REDUCTIONS IN CIGS AND VSBYS INTO THE MVFR CATEGORY. ALSO SOME MODELS LIKE THE NAM SHOW ANOTHER WAVE LIFTING NE ACROSS THE EAST TONIGHT. FOG COULD BECOME A PROBLEM AGAIN TONIGHT... ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT GET DECENT CLEARING. ANOTHER BATCH OF SHOWERS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NW THU AFT. A NOTABLY STRONGER COLD FRONT MOVES GRADUALLY EAST ACROSS THE STATE LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. SOME MODELS HAVE THIS FRONT STALLING FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND. OUTLOOK... THU...AM LOW CIGS POSSIBLE EAST. AREAS OF FOG EARLY. PERHAPS A SHOWER FAR EAST AND NW. FRI...A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE...MAINLY NORTH. SAT...AREAS OF RAIN AND FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE. SUN...MAINLY VFR...BUT AN ISOLATED SHOWER POSSIBLE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...DANGELO/LAMBERT NEAR TERM...LAMBERT SHORT TERM...DANGELO LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...LAMBERT/MARTIN
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MELBOURNE FL
330 PM EDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... CURRENTLY... DIURNAL CONVECTION STRUGGLING TO GET STARTED OVER THE CWA THIS AFTN...DUE IN PART TO SLIGHTLY DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR ADVECTING IN FROM THE S. LATEST RAP ANALYSIS SHOWS A MID LVL VORT MIN PARKED BTWN LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND CAPE CANAVERAL EMBEDDED WITHIN DEEP SRLY FLOW. MEANWHILE...A SLUG OF DRY LOW/MID LVL AIR IS NUDGING UP FROM S FL UNDERNEATH AN UPR LVL AIRMASS THAT IS WEAKLY CONVERGENT...AXIS OF THE H85-H70 THETA-E MINIMUM HAS WORKED ITS WAY UP FROM THE FL STRAITS INTO THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE REGION. MOISTURE AND DYNAMIC LIFT ACRS THE NRN CWA ARE MORE FAVORABLE FOR PRECIP...BUT CONTINUES UNDER THE VEIL OF A MID/UPR LVL CLOUD DECK THAT IS HAMPERING SFC HEATING AND LOW LVL DESTABILIZATION. TONIGHT... THE FCST QUANDARY...AREAS WHERE MOISTURE EXISTS ARE PLAGUED BY DEBRIS CLOUDS...AND AREAS FREE OF DEBRIS CLOUDS HAVE DIMINISHING MOISTURE. OVERALL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY REMAINS TOO HIGH TO COMPLETELY SUPPRESS DIURNAL PRECIP...BUT WILL NEED MESOSCALE BNDRY INTERACTION AS A TRIGGER MECHANISM. THESE WILL BE IN THE FORM OF THE EAST COAST SEA BREEZE AND OUTFLOW BNDRYS FROM THE CONVECTION OVER THE WEST PENINSULA. SHOULD SEE CONVECTION FIRE S OF THE I-4 CORRIDOR BY LATE AFTN. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE DRIER AND MORE STABLE NATURE OF THE AIRMASS... COVERAGE WILL BE SCT AT BEST. PRECIP ALONG AND N OF I-4 WILL STRUGGLE AS PERSISTENT CONVECTION OVER THE WRN PENINSULA WILL REINFORCE THE AFOREMENTIONED DEBRIS DECKS. HOWEVER...HIGH THETA-E AIRMASS SHOULD ALLOW A LITTLE HIGHER COVERAGE...ALBEIT BLO 50PCT. PRECIP WILL LINGER INTO THE MID EVNG HRS AND SHOULD BE SPENT BY MIDNIGHT...LEAVING ONLY A SLGT CHC OF DEBRIS RAINFALL OVERNIGHT. NO TURNOVER IN AIRMASS...MIN TEMPS WILL CONTINUE IN THE M70S. THU-FRI... LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WX PATTERN AS THE REMNANT MOISTURE PLUME FROM THE ERSTWHILE FRONTAL TROF WILL REMAIN OVER THE FL PENINSULA... KEEPING RAIN CHANCES ABV AVG ESPECIALLY OVER THE INTERIOR. AS THE ATLC RIDGE AXIS BUILDS WEST INTO THE DEEP SOUTH...IT WILL MERGE WITH A SMALL CONTINENTAL JUST S OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE COMBINED RIDGE WILL BRIDGE THE OLD FRNTL BNDRY AND GENERATE AN E/SE FLOW THRU THE H100-H70 LYR. MOISTURE AVAILABILITY WILL REMAIN HIGH ENOUGH TO SUPPORT POPS IN THE 40-50PCT RANGE BY DAY...30-40PCT AFT SUNSET ENDING BY MIDNIGHT. ONE CAVEAT TO THE NIGHTTIME PDS: AS WINDS BCM MORE SERLY...NOCTURNAL COASTAL SHRAS/TSRAS WILL BECOME PSBL AS CONVERGENT EDDIES FORM ON THE LEEWARD SIDE OF THE NRN BAHAMAS AND ADVECT TOWARD THE SPACE AND TREASURE COASTS. MAX TEMPS IN THE U80S/L90S WITH MIN TEMPS IN THE L/M70S. SAT-WED...(PREV DISC) 00Z GFS AND ECMWF HAVE AGAIN PUSHED BACK THE PROGRESSION OF DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION. HAVE KEPT 40 POP FOR SATURDAY BUT RAISED SUNDAY TO 40 PERCENT NOW...TAPERING OFF MORE NOTICEABLY TO 20 TO 30 PERCENT MONDAY AND TUE. BOTH MODELS EVENTUALLY SHUNT THE DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE AWAY FROM THE AREA AS UPPER TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS DRIVES A COLD FRONT THRU CENT FL EARLY NEXT WEEK. THERE PROBABLY WILL NOT BE TOO MUCH COOLING BEHIND THIS FRONT AS THE FLOW WILL TURN ONSHORE QUICKLY BEHIND IT...BUT THERE LOOKS TO BE NOTICEABLE DRYING. THIS SHOULD HELP PRODUCE MIN TEMPS OVER INTERIOR SECTIONS IN THE UPPER 60S FOR MON AND TUE MORNINGS. && .AVIATION... THRU 04/00Z...SCT/NMRS IFR SHRAS/ISOLD LIFR TSRAS ALL SITES WITH HIGHEST POPS N OF THE I-4 CORRIDOR...SFC WNDSHFT FROM S TO E/SE AOB 12KTS BY 03/21Z INTERIOR SITES AND COASTAL SITES N OF KMLB. BTWN 04/00Z-04/03Z...SCT MVFR SHRAS/ISOLD IFR TSRAS. AFT 04/03Z...VFR CONDS WILL PREVAIL WITH SLGT CHC OF BRIEF MVFR SHRAS. && .MARINE... TONIGHT...SFC/BNDRY LYR WINDS WILL BACK TO THE SE AS A LARGE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING FROM THE NRN BAHAMAS TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA LIFTS N ACRS THE CENTRAL PENINSULA. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO BLO 10KTS N OF THE CAPE...10-15KTS S OF THE CAPE. SEAS 2-3FT NEARSHORE AND 3-4FT OFFSHORE. SCT SHRAS/TSRAS MOVING OFFSHORE N OF THE CAPE. THU-SAT... THE ATLC RIDGE WILL EXPAND WESTWARD INTO THE DEEP SOUTH AND MERGE WITH A SMALLER RIDGE CENTERED JUST S OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE COMBINED RIDGE WILL FORCE SFC/BNDRY LYR WINDS TO BACK TO THE EAST WHERE WHERE THEY WILL REMAIN INTO THE WEEKEND. SEAS 2-3 FT...MAINLY IN AN ERLY SWELL. DOMINANT PDS INCREASING TO 11-13SEC AS THE E/NE FETCH LENGTH EXPANDS THRU THE WEEK. SAT-MON... LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS SUN AS THE LCL PGRAD WEAKENS AHEAD OF THE NEXT FRONTAL TROF. WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE N/NW BY DAYBREAK MON AS A NEW FRONTAL TROF PUSHES INTO THE STATE...THEN TO THE N/NE THRU THE DAY AS HIGH PRES BEHIND THE FRONT BUILDS QUICKLY ACRS THE GULF COAST. SEAS AOB 2FT NEARSHORE...2-3FT OFFSHORE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DAB 73 87 76 86 / 40 50 40 50 MCO 74 91 73 89 / 40 50 40 50 MLB 75 87 77 87 / 30 40 30 40 VRB 76 89 77 88 / 30 40 30 40 LEE 73 90 73 88 / 40 50 40 50 SFB 74 91 75 89 / 40 50 40 50 ORL 74 91 74 90 / 40 50 40 50 FPR 76 88 77 87 / 30 40 30 40 && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. && $$ FORECAST/AVIATION...BRAGAW RADAR/IMPACT WX.....LASCODY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
251 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 35 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 20Z... * MVFR CIGS THROUGH THIS EVENING...IFR CIGS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. * SHOWERS...POSSIBLY DRIZZLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. * STRONG/GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS THURSDAY WITH A COLD FRONT LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY THURSDAY EVENING. CMS //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 18Z... A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO SLOWLY MOVE NORTH ACROSS NORTHEAST IL WITH QUITE VARIABLE CIGS...WHICH ARE LIFTING THROUGH MVFR AND INTO VFR ACROSS CENTRAL IL AND FAIRLY CONFIDENT THIS IMPROVING TREND WILL EVENTUALLY REACH THE TERMINALS THIS EVENING. UNTIL THEN...IFR CIGS EXTEND AS CLOSE AS IKK TO GYY AND POINTS EAST...WITH PATCHY IFR WITH HEAVIER SHOWERS. ITS STILL POSSIBLE THAT IFR CIGS COULD AFFECT THE CHICAGO AREA TERMINALS THROUGH MID AFTERNOON BUT APPEARS PREVAILING CIGS WILL REMAIN MVFR...OR HIGHER AND HAVE TRENDED IN THIS DIRECTION. VISIBILITIES HAVE ALSO SLOWLY IMPROVED TO MVFR OR BETTER...BUT IFR STILL POSSIBLE WITH SHOWERS OR DRIZZLE. WINDS HAVE ALREADY TURNED LIGHT SOUTHERLY ACROSS EASTERN IL AND NORTHWEST INDIANA AND SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT SOUTH/SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE NIGHT THEN BEGIN TO INCREASE IN SPEED AFTER SUNRISE THURSDAY. SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS REGARDING HOW DEEP THE LOW LEVELS WILL MIX ON THURSDAY. THE DEEPER THE MIXING...THE STRONGER THE WINDS THAT WILL MIX TO THE SURFACE. FOR NOW HAVE TRENDED GUSTS INTO THE MID/UPPER 20 KT RANGE BUT IF DEEPING MIXING DOES DEVELOP...GUSTS INTO THE MID 30KT RANGE WILL BE POSSIBLE. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OR EARLY THURSDAY EVENING. CMS //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 20Z... * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE REGARDING MVFR CIGS...LOW CONFIDENCE REGARDING IFR CIGS. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE REGARDING SHOWERS AND END TIME. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE REGARDING WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD. CMS //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 00Z FRIDAY-12Z WEDNESDAY...UPDATED 12Z... THURSDAY NIGHT...CHANCE SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE TS...OTHERWISE VFR. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TUESDAY...VFR. RODRIGUEZ && .MARINE... 543 AM CDT THE WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED OVERNIGHT WITH WAVES ALSO SUBSIDING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE LAKE REMAINS SOMEWHAT RELAXED THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH LOW PRESSURE WILL BE APPROACHING THE LAKE TODAY...IT IS FAIRLY WEAK AND WILL CONTINUE A WEAKENING TREND. AFTER SOME LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE LAKE TODAY...WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS DRAWS NEAR. THIS LOW WILL SLOWLY CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH ONTARIO ON THURSDAY WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE ENTIRE LAKE WITH SPEEDS EXPECTED TO STAY IN THE 15 TO 25KT RANGE FOR THE OPEN WATERS AS WARMER AIR OVER THE COOLER LAKE WILL HELP KEEPS WINDS DOWN. THE NEARSHORE WATERS ON THURSDAY COULD EXPERIENCE SOME STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...WITH EVEN AN OUTSIDE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER WINDS FOR SOME TIME THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL THEN DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS THEN EXPECTED TO REALLY INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A CONTINUED TREND TOWARDS STRONGER WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF THE LAKE APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING WITH A PERIOD OF GALES POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY EVENING INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY. WINDS WILL BE SLOW TO DIMINISH FRIDAY AS THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE SLOWLY SHIFTING TO THE EAST...AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. RODRIGUEZ && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...LMZ744-LMZ745...1 PM THURSDAY TO 10 PM SATURDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...LMZ740-LMZ741-LMZ742-LMZ743...1 PM THURSDAY TO 10 PM FRIDAY. GALE WATCH...LMZ261-LMZ362-LMZ364-LMZ366-LMZ563-LMZ565-LMZ567- LMZ868...10 PM THURSDAY TO 4 AM SATURDAY. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LINCOLN IL
1212 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1000 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING SURFACE LOW NOW CENTERED JUST NORTH OF KANKAKEE. FAIRLY SHARP CLEARING LINE PERSISTING ALONG THE ILLINOIS/IOWA BORDER...BUT IS NOT MAKING ANY EASTWARD PROGRESS. ANOTHER CLEARING LINE CENTERED ROUGHLY ALONG I-64 IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS IS MOVING NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHEAST EDGE OF OUR FORECAST AREA. LAYER HUMIDITY PLOTS OFF THE RAP MODEL SHOW THIS SOUTHERN CLEARING AREA CONTINUING TO MAKE SOME NORTHWARD PROGRESS THROUGH THE DAY...WITH SKIES BECOMING PARTLY SUNNY SOUTH OF I-70 BY EARLY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD REMAIN GENERALLY CLOUDY...WITH SOME THIN SPOTS IN THE OVERCAST HERE AND THERE. RAP AND HRRR MODELS CONTINUING TO HOLD ON TO SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. HAVE SENT SOME UPDATED ZONES/GRIDS...MAINLY TO UPDATE HOURLY TRENDS. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1210 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS RETREATING INTO NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AS LOW PRESSURE LIFTS ACROSS THE CHICAGO AREA. STILL SOME CEILINGS AROUND 1500 FEET HANGING AROUND AS FAR SOUTH AS A KBMI-KCMI-KDNV LINE... BUT THESE SHOULD MAINLY BE NORTH OF THE AREA BY 20Z. OTHERWISE... VFR CEILINGS EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING... WITH SOME BREAKUP OF THE CLOUDS AS THE LOW PULLS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE STATE. ON THURSDAY...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BEGIN TO PICK UP LATE IN THE FORECAST PERIOD...WITH SOME GUSTS TO AROUND 15 KNOTS BY LATE MORNING. HOWEVER...HIGHER GUSTS ARE LIKELY DURING THE AFTERNOON. GEELHART && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 240 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY PERSISTENT UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FROM THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES TO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY...ENSURING A CONTINUATION OF MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS. WITH WEAK SURFACE LOW PRESSURE MEANDERING NORTHWARD ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS...MAY SEE A FEW SHOWERS SCATTERED AROUND THE AREA AS WELL. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS...THE DEEPEST MOISTURE AND THUS BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE CONFINED TO THE EASTERN KILX CWA. AS A RESULT...WILL FOCUS HIGHEST POPS EAST OF I-55...TAPERING DOWN TO JUST SLIGHT CHANCES FURTHER WEST IN THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT TRICKY TODAY...AS THEY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT UPON HOW MUCH SUNSHINE OCCURS. 07Z/2AM SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THE ENTIRE AREA IS CURRENTLY BLANKETED BY CLOUD COVER...AND WITH LOW PRESSURE SHIFTING ONLY VERY SLOWLY NORTHWARD...THINK MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. MAY SEE SOME BREAKS IN THE OVERCAST WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER FROM TIME TO TIME...AS WELL AS ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70 AS DRY SLOT CONTINUES TO WRAP N/NW AROUND UPPER TROUGH. RESULTING HIGHS WILL MAINLY BE IN THE LOWER 70S...WITH COOLEST READINGS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S ACROSS THE NE CWA AROUND CHAMPAIGN WHERE CLOUD COVER WILL BE MOST PERSISTENT. UPPER TROUGH WILL FINALLY GET EJECTED NORTHEASTWARD TONIGHT...IN RESPONSE TO NORTHERN STREAM WAVE DIGGING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS/UPPER MIDWEST. WILL LINGER LOW CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS INTO THE EVENING HOURS...BEFORE GOING DRY ACROSS THE BOARD AFTER MIDNIGHT. THURSDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...AS STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING COLD FRONT HELPS BOOST HIGH TEMPS INTO THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S. COLD FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO ILLINOIS DURING THE AFTERNOON...WITH MODEL CONSENSUS PLACING IT FROM JUST SOUTH OF CHICAGO TO NEAR SAINT LOUIS BY EARLY EVENING. ALL MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST ANY PRECIP THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE PRIMARILY POST-FRONTAL...MEANING MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL REMAIN DRY THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY. WILL THEREFORE CONFINE POPS TO LOCATIONS ALONG/WEST OF I-55 THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH DRY WEATHER PERSISTING FURTHER EAST. RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. GIVEN NARROW CORRIDOR OF INSTABILITY AND INCREASING WIND-SHEAR ALONG/BEHIND THE BOUNDARY...HAVE INCLUDED ISOLATED THUNDER THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FRONT WILL SINK INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY ON FRIDAY...HOWEVER UPPER-WAVE MOVING ALONG THE BOUNDARY WILL BRING A PERIOD OF OVERRUNNING RAIN TO PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT. HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES THROUGH THIS PERIOD WILL BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA...GENERALLY ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70...WITH RAIN CHANCES STEADILY DECREASING FURTHER NORTH. IN FACT...AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A CANTON TO BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL LINE MAY REMAIN COMPLETELY DRY ON FRIDAY. NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING SHARPLY COOLER CONDITIONS INTO THE REGION FOR THE END OF THE WEEK...WITH HIGH TEMPS ON FRIDAY REMAINING IN THE 50S. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ONCE UPPER WAVE TRACKS OFF TO THE EAST...FRONT WILL GET PUSHED FURTHER SOUTH OVER THE WEEKEND...RESULTING IN COOL/DRY CONDITIONS FOR BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION...CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL ALLOW OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS TO DROP INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S BOTH DAYS. AFTER THAT...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEPARTING HIGH WILL SIGNAL A WARMING TREND EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH HIGH TEMPS CLIMBING BACK INTO THE MIDDLE 60S BY TUESDAY. BARNES && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
1109 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .DISCUSSION... 255 AM CDT THE FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER ON SHOWER AND DRIZZLE CHANCES TODAY AND IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY THE TEMPERATURE ROLLER COASTER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH A STRONG AUTUMN COLD FRONT AND ITS SHOWER CHANCES MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MORNING GOES WATER VAPOR LOOP DEPICTS THE ELONGATED AND FAIRLY NARROW CLOSED LOW/UPPER TROUGH CENTERED FROM LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...NEARLY IDENTICAL PLACEMENT AS 24 HOURS AGO. THE PRIMARY MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS NEAR ST LOUIS AND NORTHERN LA WILL GENERALLY MERGE INTO ONE LOW OVER THE AREA BY EARLY EVENING. A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DEEPER MOISTURE...WITH PWATS SLIGHTLY OVER AN INCH AS INDICATED BY LAST EVES SOUNDINGS...EXISTS WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AT THE SURFACE...A 1012 MB LOW IS REFLECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL IL WHICH WILL DRIFT NORTH TO CHICAGO BY EARLY AFTERNOON. DEW POINTS IN THE MID 50S HAVE ALREADY SPREAD UP AS FAR NORTH AS SOUTHEAST WI EARLY THIS MORNING AND WITH THIS HAS DEVELOPED WIDESPREAD STRATUS AND SOME FOG AT THE CLOUD PERIPHERY NEAR THE WI BORDER. EARLY MORNING RADAR ECHOES AND OBSERVATIONS HAVE INDICATED PRIMARILY DRIZZLE WITH A SPATTERING OF LIGHT SHOWERS AROUND THE SURFACE LOW CENTER. RAP AND NAM ISENTROPIC ASCENT FORECASTS ARE FOR CONTINUED VERY GRADUAL ASCENT AROUND THIS CIRCULATION CENTER THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH ANY FOCUSED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE NOT BEING STRONG. SO BELIEVE THE DRIZZLE MAY BE THE PREDOMINANT FORM OF PRECIP THROUGH THE MORNING...WITH SPOTTY BRIEF SHOWERS. BY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE SCATTERED SHOWERS LOOK TO BE A LITTLE MORE FAVORED AS THE VORT MAX APPROACHES AND SLIGHTLY BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT EVOLVES OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH JUST BETTER QG FORCING IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THE JET MAX PROGRESSING NORTH AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH. EXPLICIT MODEL RADAR SIMULATIONS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THIS PORTRAYAL. CONTINUE WITH 40-50 PERCENT OF MEASURABLE POPS IN SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EAST OF ILLINOIS 47...THOUGH THE CHANCES FOR ACTUALLY SEEING SOME LIGHT PRECIP ARE PROBABLY MORE NEAR 70-80 PERCENT IN THESE AREAS...IT JUST MAY NOT MEASURE. AREAS TOWARD INTERSTATE 39 ARE LIKELY NOT TO SEE MUCH IF ANYTHING AT ALL DUE TO BEING WEST OF THE BETTER FORCING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. LOOKING UPSTREAM AT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN IN AND SOUTHEAST IL...READINGS WERE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. WE WILL HAVE A FAIRLY MILD STARTING POINT THANKS TO THE STRATUS...WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS IN THE LOWER 60S IN MANY AREAS FROM CHICAGO SOUTH. THE TEMPERATURE RANGE SHOULD BE SMALL...SO HAVE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE UPPER LOW HEADED FOR THE AREA SHOULD BE PICKED UP WELL BY GUIDANCE NOW...AND AN IMPRESSIVE 12-HR 500 MB TEMPERATURE FALL OF 13C WAS OBSERVED WITH THIS FEATURE LAST EVE ON THE CYLW SOUNDING. THIS WILL QUICKLY PROGRESS EAST THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS MN BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW WARM AIR ADVECTION TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE SOME LINGERING CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING IN EASTERN AREAS...ANY SHOULD QUICKLY MOVE OUT WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION PUSH. SO STILL EXPECTING A WARM-UP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE AREA. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MODEST HEIGHT FALLS AND FORCING ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY BECOME MORE IN TANDEM WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FRONT. THE DEEP MOISTURE STILL APPEARS FAIRLY NARROW...ESPECIALLY IN THE PRE-FRONTAL AIR MASS. SO TOUGH TO GO LIKELY FOR SHOWERS...BUT DO THINK AT LEAST SCATTERED WILL BE SEEN WITH THE FRONT BY MID- AFTERNOON THROUGH MID-EVE THURSDAY AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGH. DYNAMICS ALONG WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 500 J/KG OF MUCAPE ADVERTISED BY THE 03.00 AND 03.06 NAM SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS LOOK TO BE BREEZY WITH NEAR 35 MPH GUSTS ON THE WARM AIR ADVECTION SIDE OF THE FRONT. WHILE THEY LOOK TO NOT BE TOO STRONG IN THE IMMEDIATE COLD AIR ADVECTION PUSH...THEY SHOULD PICK UP ON FRIDAY AS THE ATMOSPHERIC WINDS BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL BELOW NORMAL AS 850 MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO 0C BY LATER FRIDAY AND STAY BELOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOOKING AT LOCAL CLIMATOLOGY FOR EARLY OCTOBER AND SUCH 850 MB TEMPERATURES...THE MEDIAN HIGH AT ORD IS 53 AND LOW IS 32 AND THIS REGIME SHOULD ALLOW FOR THIS CONDITIONAL CLIMATOLOGY TO PAN OUT. A FEW LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MAY NOT REACH 50. AS THE ENTIRE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA TAKES SHAPE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...THE NORTHERN STREAM JET WILL PASS ATOP THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE SHORT WAVES RIDING THE BAROCLINIC ZONE JUST TO THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ON SHOWERS IS PRETTY LOW RIGHT NOW...BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY SEEM THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR FAIRLY COLD RAIN SHOWERS WOULD BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA IF THINGS WERE ABLE TO LINE UP. ANY LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS LOOK TO PRIMARILY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE EASTERN PART OF THE LAKE...THOUGH NORTHWEST INDIANA MAY BE CLIPPED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY MAY NEED TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE ADDED FOR A LARGER PART OF THE AREA AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE REGION. MTF && .AVIATION... //ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 16Z... * VARIABLE WINDS BECOMING SOUTHERLY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. * MVFR CIGS INTO TONIGHT...WITH IFR CIGS POSSIBLE THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. * SHOWERS/AREAS OF DRIZZLE TODAY...POSSIBLY REDUCING VIS TO IFR THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. CMS //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 12Z... CONDITIONS HAVE QUICKLY DETERIORATED THIS MORNING WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THIS WEAK LOW PRESSURE AND EXPANSIVE AREA OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. IFR CEILINGS BEING REPORTED ACROSS ORD/MDW/GYY AREAS...WITH THESE LOW CLOUDS TO AFFECT DPA IN THE NEXT HOUR AND RFD TO REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. HAVE CONTINUED PESSIMISTIC TRENDS WITH LOW CEILINGS TODAY...KEEPING IFR CONDITIONS OVERHEAD FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE OVERALL TREND WITH THE CEILINGS TODAY REMAINS...AS IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THESE IFR CONDITIONS COULD LINGER EVEN INTO THE EARLY EVENING BEFORE LOW/MID LEVEL FLOW INCREASES AND REALLY HELPS STEER THIS MOISTURE OUT OF THE TERMINAL AREAS. ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME...HAVE NOT GONE THAT FAR WITH THE FORECAST AND BRING CEILINGS UP TO MVFR CONDITIONS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN EVENTUALLY SCATTERING THEM OUT TONIGHT. FOG/DRIZZLE WILL ALSO CONTINUE FOR A GOOD PORTION OF TODAY...WITH VIS RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED INTO THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE WEAKENING LOW CENTER MOVING OVERHEAD...VARIABLE WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED FOR MOST OF TODAY BEFORE SURFACE PATTERN ALLOWS FOR WINDS TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED OUT OF THE SOUTH. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THURSDAY MORNING BUT WITH SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS/GUSTS REALLY INCREASING BY MID DAY. RODRIGUEZ //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 16Z... * MEDIUM HIGH CONFIDENCE WITH WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE REGARDING MVFR CIGS...LOW CONFIDENCE REGARDING IFR CIGS. * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE REGARDING SHOWERS AND VIS TRENDS. CMS //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 00Z FRIDAY-12Z WEDNESDAY...UPDATED 12Z... THURSDAY NIGHT...CHANCE SHOWERS AND SLIGHT CHANCE TS...OTHERWISE VFR. FRIDAY...VFR. SATURDAY...VFR. SUNDAY...VFR. MONDAY...VFR. TUESDAY...VFR. RODRIGUEZ && .MARINE... 543 AM CDT THE WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED OVERNIGHT WITH WAVES ALSO SUBSIDING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE LAKE REMAINS SOMEWHAT RELAXED THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH LOW PRESSURE WILL BE APPROACHING THE LAKE TODAY...IT IS FAIRLY WEAK AND WILL CONTINUE A WEAKENING TREND. AFTER SOME LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE LAKE TODAY...WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS DRAWS NEAR. THIS LOW WILL SLOWLY CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH ONTARIO ON THURSDAY WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE ENTIRE LAKE WITH SPEEDS EXPECTED TO STAY IN THE 15 TO 25KT RANGE FOR THE OPEN WATERS AS WARMER AIR OVER THE COOLER LAKE WILL HELP KEEPS WINDS DOWN. THE NEARSHORE WATERS ON THURSDAY COULD EXPERIENCE SOME STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT...WITH EVEN AN OUTSIDE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER WINDS FOR SOME TIME THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL THEN DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS THEN EXPECTED TO REALLY INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A CONTINUED TREND TOWARDS STRONGER WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN END OF THE LAKE APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING WITH A PERIOD OF GALES POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY EVENING INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY. WINDS WILL BE SLOW TO DIMINISH FRIDAY AS THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE SLOWLY SHIFTING TO THE EAST...AND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. RODRIGUEZ && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
1223 PM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 547 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 ISSUED RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA COUNTIES AND YUMA COUNTY COLORADO. SEE FIRE SECTION FOR DETAILS. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOWS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE EXTENDING NORTH ACROSS NORTHWEST KANSAS AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA. UPSTREAM A TROUGH IS DIGGING SOUTH INTO NORTHERN IDAHO AND WESTERN MONTANA. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT DEEPENING ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA...AND A SURFACE TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING JUST WEST OF THE COLORADO/KANSAS STATE LINE. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S/LOW 90S AS SOUTHERLY FLOW ADVECTS MUCH WARMER AIR INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTH DAKOTA IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE CWA BY MIDNIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGS SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...AND WILL APPROACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY IN THE 40-45 MPH RANGE. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO GO THAT HIGH YET WITH SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUIDANCE ON MAGNITUDE OF THE WINDS...AND THE WINDOW FOR THESE CONDITIONS SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY BRIEF. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE 03Z- 09Z TIME FRAME WHEN BEST LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS ADVERTISED. DUE TO THE SPEED AND NORTHERN TRACK OF THE TROUGH AND MINIMAL MOISTURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN MEASURABLE PRECIP. I KEPT POPS LIMITED TO SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY FOR NOW...AND CONSIDERED ONLY INCLUDING MENTION OF SPRINKLES. THURSDAY...COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S/60S AND OVERNIGHT LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE MID 30S. WIND AND INCREASING CLOUDS WILL LIMIT RADIATION COOLING THURSDAY NIGHT...OTHERWISE I WOULD BE CONCERNED WITH HARD FREEZE CONDITIONS BASED ON ADVERTISED H85 TEMPS IN THE 0C-3C RANGE. FOR NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BE IN THE UPPER LIMIT OF LOCAL FROST ADVISORY CRITERIA. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE ANTICIPATED SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CHANGE STILL LOOKS ON TRACK FOR THE WEEKEND AS A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO SWEEP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DYNAMICS FROM A 105 KT JET AT 250 MB WILL ENHANCE LIFT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHEN BOTH THE GFS/EC FORECAST A SATURATED LOWER ATMOSPHERE. GIVEN 850 MB TEMPS OF ZERO TO -2C AND SATURATED AIR ABOVE -10C...ANTICIPATE LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE COLORADO COUNTIES SATURDAY MORNING AND A RAIN-SNOW MIX POSSIBLE FURTHER EAST. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LOW AND MID LEVELS WILL RAPIDLY DRY OUT SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE JET AXIS AND UPPER TROUGH SLIDE SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...ENDING PRECIP CHANCES. 850 MB TEMPERATURES OF 0 TO -2C ARE FORECAST SATURDAY MORNING... WARMING ONLY A FEW DEGREES BY LATE AFTERNOON. HIGHS WILL HOLD IN THE 40S WHICH IS 25-30 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE MIN TEMPS SATURDAY IN THE 30-32 F RANGE AND BY SUNDAY MORNING WITH LESS CLOUDS...MIN TEMPERATURES COULD DROP AS LOW AS THE UPPER 20S...MAINLY IN THE NORTHWEST...WITH LOW 30S ELSEWHERE. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH TEMPS STILL BELOW NORMAL BUT RETURNING TO THE 50S SUNDAY AND 60S MONDAY. BOTH GFS/EC HINT AT ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVING TUESDAY WITH THE AIR MASS MOVING THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION AROUND MID WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1155 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL GRADUALLY PICK UP THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS A STRONG COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH AND MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. EXPECTED ARRIVAL TIME OF COLD FRONT IS BETWEEN 00-02Z THIS EVENING...WITH NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING 30-35 KTS BEHIND THE FRONT. STRONGEST WINDS APPEAR TO BE RIGHT AFTER THE FRONT PASSES AND WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. THE OTHER CONCERN IS FOCUSED ON PRECIPITATION CHANCES BEHIND THE FRONT. GIVEN CURRENT UPSTREAM OBSERVATIONS AND MODEL ANALYSIS...LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP FOR A FEW HOURS AND MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY BRIEFLY. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE BY MID MORNING AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 547 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 RH VALUES LOOK TO DROP TO WITHIN RED FLAG CRITERIA OVER MOST OF THE AREA HOWEVER WINDS WILL REMAIN MARGINAL. THE BEST CHANCE FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS OVER THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. 06Z NAM/GFS SHOW SUSTAINED WINDS THIS AFTERNOON IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH ACROSS THE NORTH WITH GOOD MIXING EXPECTED GUSTS IN THE NORTH SHOULD REACH 25 MPH. AS THE COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN FRINGE OF OUR CWA WINDS SHOULD SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND FURTHER INCREASE WITH GUSTS 30 TO 40 MPH. CONSIDERING THE TIMING OF THE FRONT AND MODEL TRENDS I DECIDED TO ISSUE A RED FLAG WARNING FOR OUR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA COUNTIES AND YUMA COUNTY COLORADO. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ252. NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT /10 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ079>081. && $$ UPDATE...DR SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...DLF AVIATION...PMM FIRE WEATHER...DR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS DODGE CITY KS
1227 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 ...UPDATED FOR AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 408 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 A COMPACT BUT STRONG STORM SYSTEM CONTINUED TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS MORNING OVER WESTERN MONTANA. RAP ANALYSIS SHOWED A 90-KT JET STREAK AT 400MB ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE DEVELOPING TROUGH AXIS. ADDITIONAL JET STREAK ENERGY CONTINUED TO DIG SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. THE MID LEVEL COLD FRONT WAS MOVING TOWARD YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AS OF 08Z. NEAR THE CENTER OF THIS STORM...SNOW OBSERVATIONS WERE FOUND AT GREAT FALLS AND CUT BANK, MONTANA WHERE TEMPERATURES CONTINUED TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 30S. AHEAD OF THIS STORM SYSTEM...SKY WAS CLEAR ACROSS PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE GREAT PLAINS. SURFACE LEE TROUGH EXTENDED FROM A WEAK LOW CENTER (1003MB) JUST EAST OF CHADRON, NE SOUTH-SOUTHWESTWARD INTO EASTERN COLORADO. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 408 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH TODAY WILL REACH THE SOUTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE BY LATE AFTERNOON. A DOWNSLOPE WARM THERMAL RIDGE WILL NOSE NORTHEAST THROUGH NORTHWEST KANSAS INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WHICH IS WHERE WARMEST SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE TODAY (WITH SCATTERED HIGHS IN THE 91 TO 93F RANGE)...MAINLY NORTH OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA. ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS...UPPER 80S SHOULD BE COMMON FOR HIGHS WHICH WAS WHAT THE PREVIOUS FORECAST HAD...SO NO CHANGE OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS MADE. SURFACE WINDS LATE AFTERNOON SHOULD REACH 15 TO 18 KNOTS EAST OF A WAKEENEY TO LIBERAL LINE WHERE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESIDE. TIMING OF THE FRONT IS COMING INTO BETTER FOCUS...AND WILL LEAN ON THE NAM12 FOR TIMING. AT 06Z...FRONT SHOULD BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR STEP OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA (SYRACUSE TO WAKEENEY LINE). THE SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT COMBINED WITH THE GRADIENT ITSELF SHOULD RESULT IN SURFACE WINDS OF 25 TO 28 KNOTS SUSTAINED FOR PROBABLY A THREE-HOUR PERIOD. THIS WILL LIKELY WARRANT ISSUANCE OF A WIND ADVISORY...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUANCE OF ONE THIS FORECAST CYCLE. WILL GO AHEAD AND KEEP THE 20 POPS IN FOR AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 96 FOR LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS GIVEN SUCH STRONG LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS IN THE 06-12Z TIME FRAME TONIGHT. SREF MEANS AND ECMWF MODEL DOES SHOW A SLIGHT QPF SIGNAL...BUT ABSENCE OF QUALITY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE AN ISSUE TO GENERATE ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION SHOULD ANY RAIN SHOWERS FORM AT ALL. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 249 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE SWINGING EASTWARD OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION THURSDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING THE POSSIBILITY FOR PRECIP TO THE DAKOTAS, NEBRASKA, AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH AN ATTENDANT COLD FRONT IS PROJECTED TO PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO AND ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS EARLY THURSDAY, LITTLE IF ANY PRECIP WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL KANSAS DUE TO THE LACK OF LOW/MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. HOWEVER, A STRONG JET IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION OUT OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THURSDAY PROVIDING STRONG UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS. SO, CANNOT RULE OUT AN OUTSIDE SLIGHT CHANCE FOR LIGHT PRECIP AS FAR SOUTH AS CENTRAL KANSAS TO INCLUDE THE I-70 CORRIDOR. OTHERWISE, GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR PRECIP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY AS A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL JET CORE EJECTS OUT OF THE ROCKIES INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. THIS WILL COINCIDE WITH A COOLING OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT ALL LEVELS BRINGING GFS AND ECMWF SOUNDING PROFILES TO NEAR SATURATION FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL THURSDAY IN WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION SOUTHWARD INTO WESTERN KANSAS WILL LOWER H85 TEMPERATURES DOWN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS(C) ACROSS THE AREA WITH NEAR 10C IN FAR SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS. TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 60S(F) WITH MID TO UPPER 50S(F) POSSIBLE FURTHER NORTH NEAR THE I-70 CORRIDOR. SIMILAR HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SURGE OF COLDER AIR DROPS SOUTH INTO WESTERN KANSAS EARLY IN THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH VERY EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1213 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DIG INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL DRIVE A STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS OVERNIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL SWITCH WINDS FROM THE SOUTH TO ABRUPTLY NORTH AT 25-35KT AT KHYS AROUND 04Z, KGCK AROUND 05Z, AND KDDC AROUND 06Z. AHEAD OF THE FRONT SOUTH WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AROUND 15-25KT WILL DECREASE TO SOUTH AROUND 10-15KT THIS EVENING. A POST FRONTAL STRATUS DECK ALSO MAY FORM WITH CIGS BKN050-070BKN-OVC. AN ISOLATED ELEVATED THUNDERSTORM IS ALSO POSSIBLE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT UNDERNEATH A COLD POOL ALOFT WITH SOME MID LEVEL MOISTURE. & .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 87 46 62 42 / 0 10 0 10 GCK 87 45 62 42 / 0 10 0 10 EHA 88 45 61 42 / 0 10 0 0 LBL 88 47 62 43 / 0 10 0 0 HYS 87 45 61 40 / 0 20 10 10 P28 86 52 64 46 / 0 10 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...UMSCHEID SHORT TERM...UMSCHEID LONG TERM...JJOHNSON AVIATION...KRUSE
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
548 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 547 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 ISSUED RED FLAG WARNING FOR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA COUNTIES AND YUMA COUNTY COLORADO. SEE FIRE SECTION FOR DETAILS. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOWS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE EXTENDING NORTH ACROSS NORTHWEST KANSAS AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA. UPSTREAM A TROUGH IS DIGGING SOUTH INTO NORTHERN IDAHO AND WESTERN MONTANA. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT DEEPENING ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA...AND A SURFACE TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING JUST WEST OF THE COLORADO/KANSAS STATE LINE. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S/LOW 90S AS SOUTHERLY FLOW ADVECTS MUCH WARMER AIR INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTH DAKOTA IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE CWA BY MIDNIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGS SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...AND WILL APPROACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY IN THE 40-45 MPH RANGE. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO GO THAT HIGH YET WITH SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUIDANCE ON MAGNITUDE OF THE WINDS...AND THE WINDOW FOR THESE CONDITIONS SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY BRIEF. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE 03Z- 09Z TIME FRAME WHEN BEST LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS ADVERTISED. DUE TO THE SPEED AND NORTHERN TRACK OF THE TROUGH AND MINIMAL MOISTURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN MEASURABLE PRECIP. I KEPT POPS LIMITED TO SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY FOR NOW...AND CONSIDERED ONLY INCLUDING MENTION OF SPRINKLES. THURSDAY...COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S/60S AND OVERNIGHT LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE MID 30S. WIND AND INCREASING CLOUDS WILL LIMIT RADIATION COOLING THURSDAY NIGHT...OTHERWISE I WOULD BE CONCERNED WITH HARD FREEZE CONDITIONS BASED ON ADVERTISED H85 TEMPS IN THE 0C-3C RANGE. FOR NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BE IN THE UPPER LIMIT OF LOCAL FROST ADVISORY CRITERIA. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE ANTICIPATED SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CHANGE STILL LOOKS ON TRACK FOR THE WEEKEND AS A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO SWEEP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DYNAMICS FROM A 105 KT JET AT 250 MB WILL ENHANCE LIFT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHEN BOTH THE GFS/EC FORECAST A SATURATED LOWER ATMOSPHERE. GIVEN 850 MB TEMPS OF ZERO TO -2C AND SATURATED AIR ABOVE -10C...ANTICIPATE LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE COLORADO COUNTIES SATURDAY MORNING AND A RAIN-SNOW MIX POSSIBLE FURTHER EAST. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LOW AND MID LEVELS WILL RAPIDLY DRY OUT SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE JET AXIS AND UPPER TROUGH SLIDE SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...ENDING PRECIP CHANCES. 850 MB TEMPERATURES OF 0 TO -2C ARE FORECAST SATURDAY MORNING... WARMING ONLY A FEW DEGREES BY LATE AFTERNOON. HIGHS WILL HOLD IN THE 40S WHICH IS 25-30 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE MIN TEMPS SATURDAY IN THE 30-32 F RANGE AND BY SUNDAY MORNING WITH LESS CLOUDS...MIN TEMPERATURES COULD DROP AS LOW AS THE UPPER 20S...MAINLY IN THE NORTHWEST...WITH LOW 30S ELSEWHERE. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH TEMPS STILL BELOW NORMAL BUT RETURNING TO THE 50S SUNDAY AND 60S MONDAY. BOTH GFS/EC HINT AT ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVING TUESDAY WITH THE AIR MASS MOVING THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION AROUND MID WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 510 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD AT BOTH KGLD AND KMCK. SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 10KTS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH AFTER SUNSET AND INCREASE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING. GUSTS AROUND 30KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT BOTH TERMINALS. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE...HOWEVER COVERAGE LOOKS TO BE LIMITED SO WILL NOT MENTION IN TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 547 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 RH VALUES LOOK TO DROP TO WITHIN RED FLAG CRITERIA OVER MOST OF THE AREA HOWEVER WINDS WILL REMAIN MARGINAL. THE BEST CHANCE FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS OVER THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. 06Z NAM/GFS SHOW SUSTAINED WINDS THIS AFTERNOON IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH ACROSS THE NORTH WITH GOOD MIXING EXPECTED GUSTS IN THE NORTH SHOULD REACH 25 MPH. AS THE COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN FRINGE OF OUR CWA WINDS SHOULD SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND FURTHER INCREASE WITH GUSTS 30 TO 40 MPH. CONSIDERING THE TIMING OF THE FRONT AND MODEL TRENDS I DECIDED TO ISSUE A RED FLAG WARNING FOR OUR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA COUNTIES AND YUMA COUNTY COLORADO. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ252. NE...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON MDT /1 PM CDT/ TODAY TO 9 PM MDT /10 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ079>081. && $$ UPDATE...DR SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...DLF AVIATION...DR FIRE WEATHER...DR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
618 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 408 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 A COMPACT BUT STRONG STORM SYSTEM CONTINUED TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS MORNING OVER WESTERN MONTANA. RAP ANALYSIS SHOWED A 90-KT JET STREAK AT 400MB ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE DEVELOPING TROUGH AXIS. ADDITIONAL JET STREAK ENERGY CONTINUED TO DIG SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. THE MID LEVEL COLD FRONT WAS MOVING TOWARD YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AS OF 08Z. NEAR THE CENTER OF THIS STORM...SNOW OBSERVATIONS WERE FOUND AT GREAT FALLS AND CUT BANK, MONTANA WHERE TEMPERATURES CONTINUED TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 30S. AHEAD OF THIS STORM SYSTEM...SKY WAS CLEAR ACROSS PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE GREAT PLAINS. SURFACE LEE TROUGH EXTENDED FROM A WEAK LOW CENTER (1003MB) JUST EAST OF CHADRON, NE SOUTH-SOUTHWESTWARD INTO EASTERN COLORADO. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 408 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH TODAY WILL REACH THE SOUTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE BY LATE AFTERNOON. A DOWNSLOPE WARM THERMAL RIDGE WILL NOSE NORTHEAST THROUGH NORTHWEST KANSAS INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WHICH IS WHERE WARMEST SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE TODAY (WITH SCATTERED HIGHS IN THE 91 TO 93F RANGE)...MAINLY NORTH OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA. ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS...UPPER 80S SHOULD BE COMMON FOR HIGHS WHICH WAS WHAT THE PREVIOUS FORECAST HAD...SO NO CHANGE OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS MADE. SURFACE WINDS LATE AFTERNOON SHOULD REACH 15 TO 18 KNOTS EAST OF A WAKEENEY TO LIBERAL LINE WHERE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESIDE. TIMING OF THE FRONT IS COMING INTO BETTER FOCUS...AND WILL LEAN ON THE NAM12 FOR TIMING. AT 06Z...FRONT SHOULD BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR STEP OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA (SYRACUSE TO WAKEENEY LINE). THE SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT COMBINED WITH THE GRADIENT ITSELF SHOULD RESULT IN SURFACE WINDS OF 25 TO 28 KNOTS SUSTAINED FOR PROBABLY A THREE-HOUR PERIOD. THIS WILL LIKELY WARRANT ISSUANCE OF A WIND ADVISORY...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUANCE OF ONE THIS FORECAST CYCLE. WILL GO AHEAD AND KEEP THE 20 POPS IN FOR AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 96 FOR LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS GIVEN SUCH STRONG LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS IN THE 06-12Z TIME FRAME TONIGHT. SREF MEANS AND ECMWF MODEL DOES SHOW A SLIGHT QPF SIGNAL...BUT ABSENCE OF QUALITY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE AN ISSUE TO GENERATE ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION SHOULD ANY RAIN SHOWERS FORM AT ALL. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 249 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE SWINGING EASTWARD OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION THURSDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING THE POSSIBILITY FOR PRECIP TO THE DAKOTAS, NEBRASKA, AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH AN ATTENDANT COLD FRONT IS PROJECTED TO PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO AND ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS EARLY THURSDAY, LITTLE IF ANY PRECIP WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL KANSAS DUE TO THE LACK OF LOW/MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. HOWEVER, A STRONG JET IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION OUT OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THURSDAY PROVIDING STRONG UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS. SO, CANNOT RULE OUT AN OUTSIDE SLIGHT CHANCE FOR LIGHT PRECIP AS FAR SOUTH AS CENTRAL KANSAS TO INCLUDE THE I-70 CORRIDOR. OTHERWISE, GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR PRECIP FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY AS A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL JET CORE EJECTS OUT OF THE ROCKIES INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. THIS WILL COINCIDE WITH A COOLING OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT ALL LEVELS BRINGING GFS AND ECMWF SOUNDING PROFILES TO NEAR SATURATION FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL THURSDAY IN WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION SOUTHWARD INTO WESTERN KANSAS WILL LOWER H85 TEMPERATURES DOWN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS(C) ACROSS THE AREA WITH NEAR 10C IN FAR SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS. TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 60S(F) WITH MID TO UPPER 50S(F) POSSIBLE FURTHER NORTH NEAR THE I-70 CORRIDOR. SIMILAR HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SURGE OF COLDER AIR DROPS SOUTH INTO WESTERN KANSAS EARLY IN THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH VERY EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 614 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. AS FOR WINDS, A LEE SIDE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN COLORADO TODAY. AS A RESULT, SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 5 TO 15KT EARLY THIS MORNING WILL INCREASE UP TO 15 TO 25KT BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO AND ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS TONIGHT. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHERLY 25 TO 35KT BEHIND THE FRONT...GENERALLY AFTER 06Z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 87 46 62 42 / 0 10 0 10 GCK 87 45 62 42 / 0 10 0 10 EHA 88 45 61 42 / 0 10 0 0 LBL 88 47 62 43 / 0 10 0 0 HYS 87 45 61 40 / 0 20 10 10 P28 86 52 64 46 / 0 10 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...UMSCHEID SHORT TERM...UMSCHEID LONG TERM...JJOHNSON AVIATION...JJOHNSON
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
511 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC H5 ANALYSIS SHOWS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE EXTENDING NORTH ACROSS NORTHWEST KANSAS AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA. UPSTREAM A TROUGH IS DIGGING SOUTH INTO NORTHERN IDAHO AND WESTERN MONTANA. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT DEEPENING ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA...AND A SURFACE TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING JUST WEST OF THE COLORADO/KANSAS STATE LINE. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S/LOW 90S AS SOUTHERLY FLOW ADVECTS MUCH WARMER AIR INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTH DAKOTA IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE CWA BY MIDNIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGS SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...AND WILL APPROACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY IN THE 40-45 MPH RANGE. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO GO THAT HIGH YET WITH SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GUIDANCE ON MAGNITUDE OF THE WINDS...AND THE WINDOW FOR THESE CONDITIONS SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY BRIEF. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE 03Z- 09Z TIME FRAME WHEN BEST LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS ADVERTISED. DUE TO THE SPEED AND NORTHERN TRACK OF THE TROUGH AND MINIMAL MOISTURE...CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN MEASURABLE PRECIP. I KEPT POPS LIMITED TO SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY FOR NOW...AND CONSIDERED ONLY INCLUDING MENTION OF SPRINKLES. THURSDAY...COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S/60S AND OVERNIGHT LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE MID 30S. WIND AND INCREASING CLOUDS WILL LIMIT RADIATION COOLING THURSDAY NIGHT...OTHERWISE I WOULD BE CONCERNED WITH HARD FREEZE CONDITIONS BASED ON ADVERTISED H85 TEMPS IN THE 0C-3C RANGE. FOR NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BE IN THE UPPER LIMIT OF LOCAL FROST ADVISORY CRITERIA. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 THE ANTICIPATED SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CHANGE STILL LOOKS ON TRACK FOR THE WEEKEND AS A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO SWEEP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DYNAMICS FROM A 105 KT JET AT 250 MB WILL ENHANCE LIFT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHEN BOTH THE GFS/EC FORECAST A SATURATED LOWER ATMOSPHERE. GIVEN 850 MB TEMPS OF ZERO TO -2C AND SATURATED AIR ABOVE -10C...ANTICIPATE LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE COLORADO COUNTIES SATURDAY MORNING AND A RAIN-SNOW MIX POSSIBLE FURTHER EAST. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LOW AND MID LEVELS WILL RAPIDLY DRY OUT SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE JET AXIS AND UPPER TROUGH SLIDE SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...ENDING PRECIP CHANCES. 850 MB TEMPERATURES OF 0 TO -2C ARE FORECAST SATURDAY MORNING... WARMING ONLY A FEW DEGREES BY LATE AFTERNOON. HIGHS WILL HOLD IN THE 40S WHICH IS 25-30 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE MIN TEMPS SATURDAY IN THE 30-32 F RANGE AND BY SUNDAY MORNING WITH LESS CLOUDS...MIN TEMPERATURES COULD DROP AS LOW AS THE UPPER 20S...MAINLY IN THE NORTHWEST...WITH LOW 30S ELSEWHERE. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH TEMPS STILL BELOW NORMAL BUT RETURNING TO THE 50S SUNDAY AND 60S MONDAY. BOTH GFS/EC HINT AT ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVING TUESDAY WITH THE AIR MASS MOVING THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION AROUND MID WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 510 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD AT BOTH KGLD AND KMCK. SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 10KTS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH AFTER SUNSET AND INCREASE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING. GUSTS AROUND 30KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT BOTH TERMINALS. A FEW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE...HOWEVER COVERAGE LOOKS TO BE LIMITED SO WILL NOT MENTION IN TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 247 AM MDT WED OCT 3 2012 RH VALUES LOOK TO DROP TO WITHIN RED FLAG CRITERIA OVER MOST OF THE AREA HOWEVER WINDS WILL REMAIN MARGINAL...WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS OVER THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING...HOWEVER BY THAT POINT RH SHOULD RECOVER ABOVE CRITERIA. I DO NOT PLAN ON A RFW AT THIS TIME...SINCE WE LIKELY WONT MEET THE 3HR REQUIREMENT. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DR LONG TERM...DLF AVIATION...DR FIRE WEATHER...DR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
1258 PM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .AVIATION...18Z KGRI TAF REST OF THIS AFTERNOON: VFR CLEAR. BREEZY S WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 30 KTS. ALL ELEMENTS HIGH CONFIDENCE. TONIGHT: COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE NEAR 03Z. WINDS WILL SLACKEN IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THEN AN ABRUPT WINDSHIFT TO NNW. WINDS WILL GUST TO 32 KTS...WITH POTENTIAL FOR AN ISOLATED G35. WHILE VFR MID-LEVEL CIGS WILL MOVE IN AFTER FROPA...WE/RE NOTING MVFR CIGS UPSTREAM OVER WY SEEPING INTO SD. THIS PROBABLY MAKES IT INTO GRI TNGT...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IN 18Z TAF. WHILE MODEL RH FIELDS SUPPORT THIS...OTHER GUIDANCE IS NOT THERE YET. BOTTOM LINE...TAF MAY NEED MVFR/IFR CIGS. FOR NOW MAINTAINED MENTION OF SCT010. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ON WINDS/VSBYS AND MID-LEVEL CIGS...BUT BELOW AVERAGE OF DEVELOPMENT/TIMING OF LOW CIGS. THU THROUGH 18Z: CURRENT EXPECTATION IS FOR CLEARING/VFR TO DEVELOP. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST TO NEAR 30 KTS...BUT BEGIN TO DECREASE AFTER 15Z. CONFIDENCE AVERAGE ALL ELEMENTS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1115 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012/ ..ONE DAY OF SUNNY/BREEZY/VERY WARM CONDITIONS TODAY WILL BE REPLACED BY DRASTIC 25-30F DOWNTURN IN TEMPS TOMORROW... RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED AT 439 AM CONTINUES AS POSTED. IT/S MARGINAL BASED ON EXACT CRITERIA...BUT CONDITIONS WILL CERTAINLY BE THREATENING. BEST CHANCE OF VERIFYING /3 CONSECUTIVE HRS/ WILL BE W OF A LINE FROM ODX-HDE...WHERE DWPTS IN THE MID 30S WILL EDGE IN WITH EWD PROGRESSION OF LEE TROF IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE FRONT. FRONT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER CENTRAL WY INTO WRN SD. PRESENT INDICATIONS VIA THE 12Z NAM/15Z RAP ARE THAT THE FRONT WILL ENTER DAWSON/VALLEY COUNTIES IN THE 7-8 PM TIME-FRAME...BE TO GRI BY 10 PM AND SE OF THE FCST AREA BY 2 AM. WITH LONGWAVE TROF OVER THE ERN USA...THE WARM SECTOR IS VERY DRY. MOST OF THE CLOUD COVER IS POST-FRONTAL. PCPN CHANCES AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE NIL. TEMPS: 12Z LBF SOUNDING OFFERS A MAX TEMP OF 89F. ADJUSTED TEMPS SLIGHTLY USING BIAS CORRECTED CONSENSUS MOS. THIS RAISED TEMPS A COUPLE DEG W OF HWY 281 AND LOWERED THEM E OF HWY 281. ALSO ADJUSTED TEMP CURVES TO ACCOUNT FOR MORE RAPID UPGLIDE THRU 18Z. WINDS: MEAN SPEEDS IN THE MIXED LAYER WILL AVERAGE 25 KTS WITH A MAX OF 31 KTS VIA BUFKIT. SO WHILE SFC WINDS WILL AVERAGE 15-25 MPH WITH G30 ...ONE-TIME PEAK GUSTS WILL PROBABLY REACH 34-37 MPH. WINDS FROM 4 AM GID FCST ISSUANCE LOOK GOOD. UPDATED FCST HAS ALREADY POSTED TO THE WEB. UPDATED ZFP/AFM/PFM WILL POST SHORTLY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 417 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED WEATHER RELATED PHENOMENA. THE WIND FIELD COUPLED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL PRESENT FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FOR TODAY. GOING WITH A RED FLAG WARNING FOR OUR NEBRASKA COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL GET INTO THE MID 80S. SOUTHERLY WIND SPEEDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS CLOSER TO 30 MPH. DEWPOINTS BEING IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S THIS AFTERNOON WILL PRODUCE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE UPPER TEENS AND LOWER 20S FOR A MAJORITY OF THE CWA. GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS...A RED FLAG WAS WARRANTED THIS AFTERNOON AND ONGOING THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT COULD BE A KEY ISSUE TODAY WITH REGARDS TO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. IF THE BOUNDARY SPEEDS UP ANYMORE THAN WHAT IS FORECAST NOW...THESE CONDITIONS MIGHT NOT BE MET AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL QUICKLY BEGIN TO RISE AS THE FRONT PASSES. THIS IS NOT A SLAM-DUNK EVENT...MAINLY BECAUSE THE TIMING OF THE FRONT HAS NOT BEEN VERY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS SO CONFIDENCE IS LEANING TOWARDS MARGINAL. WITH THE BOUNDARY BEING LESS THAN 24 HOURS FROM APPROACHING...THE GUIDANCE SHOULD HAVE A DECENT GRIP ON THE SITUATION SO WENT WITH THE WARNING. AS A RESULT OF LACKING MOISTURE CURRENTLY PROGGED TO BE IN THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY...PRECIPITATION CHANCES BEHIND THE FRONT HAVE DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE CWA FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST. THIS ANALYSIS FALLS IN LINE WITH THE CRITERIA FOR FIRE WEATHER TODAY AS FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE A RATHER DRY ATMOSPHERE WITH AN INVERTED-V PROFILE...WHERE THE LOWER LEVELS ARE ESPECIALLY DRY. FURTHERMORE...CROSS SECTIONS OVER TIME SHOW VERY LITTLE MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE BEST BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z WHERE MOISTURE BECOMES EVIDENT...ALBEIT THESE CHANCES ARE STILL NOT VERY GOOD AS SLIGHT CHANCES ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST. A BREAK IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES OCCURS THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT IS VERY INCONSISTENT BETWEEN THE MODELS AS FAR AS PRECIP CHANCES GO. WITH THAT SAID...A CONVERGENCE ZONE IN THE LOWER LEVELS WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE IS FORECAST TO SET UP OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA FRIDAY. TIMING AND COVERAGE WILL BE THE MAIN CHALLENGE AS MODELS VARY IN OUTPUT. CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME AND SLIGHT CHANCES WILL BE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY MORNING ARE GOING TO BE NEAR THE LOWER 30S FOR A MAJORITY OF THE CWA...HOWEVER...PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND CLOUD COVER COULD PRODUCE SOME WARMER TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY FORECAST. OVERALL...ITS GOING TO BE A RATHER CHILLY NIGHT ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE BIG STORY WILL CENTER AROUND THE COLD TEMPERATURES...WHICH WILL BE THE COLDEST WEATHER WE HAVE SEEN SINCE EARLY MARCH. LOW TEMPERATURES MAY FALL BELOW FREEZING AS EARLY AS SATURDAY MORNING...BUT ARE EVEN MORE LIKELY TO FALL BELOW FREEZING BY SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. OUR CURRENT FORECAST IS CALLING FOR LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING TO RANGE FROM THE MID 20S AROUND ORD...TO THE UPPER 20S IN THE TRI CITIES...TO AROUND 30 IN NORTHERN KANSAS. THIS WILL MARK THE END OF THE GROWING SEASON...WHICH FOR HASTINGS AND MOST LOCATIONS SOUTH OF HASTINGS INTO NORTHERN KANSAS WILL BE THE LONGEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD AT AROUND 210 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH LOW TEMPERATURES ABOVE 32F. THE LAST TIME HASTINGS WAS 32F OR BELOW WAS BACK ON MARCH 9TH. GRAND ISLAND HAD THEIR LAST FREEZE A LITTLE LATER ON APRIL 11TH AND THUS THE GRAND ISLAND GROWING SEASON IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE A RECORD...BUT IT SHOULD STILL BE AROUND THE 15TH OR 16TH LONGEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD. IN ADDITION TO THE COLD OVERNIGHT LOWS...HIGH TEMPERATURES SATURDAY ARE ONLY FORECAST TO BE AROUND 50 DEGREES WITH COOL AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH TUESDAY BUT EXPECT HIGHS WILL GRADUALLY MODERATE INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S ON SUNDAY AND THEN 60S BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES WOULD BE RIGHT AROUND 70F. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ039>041- 046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087. KS...NONE. && $$ AVIATION: HALBLAUB UPDATE: HALBLAUB SHORT TERM: GUERRERO LONG TERM: WESELY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
1115 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012 .UPDATE... ...ONE DAY OF SUNNY/BREEZY/VERY WARM CONDITIONS TODAY WILL BE REPLACED BY DRASTIC 25-30F DOWNTURN IN TEMPS TOMORROW... RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED AT 439 AM CONTINUES AS POSTED. IT/S MARGINAL BASED ON EXACT CRITERIA...BUT CONDITIONS WILL CERTAINLY BE THREATENING. BEST CHANCE OF VERIFYING /3 CONSECUTIVE HRS/ WILL BE W OF A LINE FROM ODX-HDE...WHERE DWPTS IN THE MID 30S WILL EDGE IN WITH EWD PROGRESSION OF LEE TROF IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE FRONT. FRONT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER CENTRAL WY INTO WRN SD. PRESENT INDICATIONS VIA THE 12Z NAM/15Z RAP ARE THAT THE FRONT WILL ENTER DAWSON/VALLEY COUNTIES IN THE 7-8 PM TIME-FRAME...BE TO GRI BY 10 PM AND SE OF THE FCST AREA BY 2 AM. WITH LONGWAVE TROF OVER THE ERN USA...THE WARM SECTOR IS VERY DRY. MOST OF THE CLOUD COVER IS POST-FRONTAL. PCPN CHANCES AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE NIL. TEMPS: 12Z LBF SOUNDING OFFERS A MAX TEMP OF 89F. ADJUSTED TEMPS SLIGHTLY USING BIAS CORRECTED CONSENSUS MOS. THIS RAISED TEMPS A COUPLE DEG W OF HWY 281 AND LOWERED THEM E OF HWY 281. ALSO ADJUSTED TEMP CURVES TO ACCOUNT FOR MORE RAPID UPGLIDE THRU 18Z. WINDS: MEAN SPEEDS IN THE MIXED LAYER WILL AVERAGE 25 KTS WITH A MAX OF 31 KTS VIA BUFKIT. SO WHILE SFC WINDS WILL AVERAGE 15-25 MPH WITH G30 ...ONE-TIME PEAK GUSTS WILL PROBABLY REACH 34-37 MPH. WINDS FROM 4 AM GID FCST ISSUANCE LOOK GOOD. UPDATED FCST HAS ALREADY POSTED TO THE WEB. UPDATED ZFP/AFM/PFM WILL POST SHORTLY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 551 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012/ AVIATION...12Z KGRI TAF. A SOUTH WIND WILL QUICKLY INCREASE THROUGH THE MORNING AND WILL BE ESPECIALLY GUSTY BY EARLY AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWING THROUGH DURING THE EVENING...LIKELY JUST AFTER 10 PM. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT AND SHOULD LAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. CLEAR SKIES THIS MORNING WILL GIVE WAY TO SOME MID AND HIGH CLOUDS THIS EVENING. THERE MAY ALSO BE A SCATTERED LOW DECK OF STRATUS CLOUDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THIS EVENING. WILL CONTINUE TO CALL FOR VFR CONDITIONS...BUT WILL NEED TO MONITOR HOW LOW CLOUDS DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT THIS EVENING. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 417 AM CDT WED OCT 3 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED WEATHER RELATED PHENOMENA. THE WIND FIELD COUPLED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL PRESENT FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FOR TODAY. GOING WITH A RED FLAG WARNING FOR OUR NEBRASKA COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL GET INTO THE MID 80S. SOUTHERLY WIND SPEEDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS CLOSER TO 30 MPH. DEWPOINTS BEING IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S THIS AFTERNOON WILL PRODUCE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE UPPER TEENS AND LOWER 20S FOR A MAJORITY OF THE CWA. GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS...A RED FLAG WAS WARRANTED THIS AFTERNOON AND ONGOING THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT COULD BE A KEY ISSUE TODAY WITH REGARDS TO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. IF THE BOUNDARY SPEEDS UP ANYMORE THAN WHAT IS FORECAST NOW...THESE CONDITIONS MIGHT NOT BE MET AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL QUICKLY BEGIN TO RISE AS THE FRONT PASSES. THIS IS NOT A SLAM-DUNK EVENT...MAINLY BECAUSE THE TIMING OF THE FRONT HAS NOT BEEN VERY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS SO CONFIDENCE IS LEANING TOWARDS MARGINAL. WITH THE BOUNDARY BEING LESS THAN 24 HOURS FROM APPROACHING...THE GUIDANCE SHOULD HAVE A DECENT GRIP ON THE SITUATION SO WENT WITH THE WARNING. AS A RESULT OF LACKING MOISTURE CURRENTLY PROGGED TO BE IN THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY...PRECIPITATION CHANCES BEHIND THE FRONT HAVE DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE CWA FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST. THIS ANALYSIS FALLS IN LINE WITH THE CRITERIA FOR FIRE WEATHER TODAY AS FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE A RATHER DRY ATMOSPHERE WITH AN INVERTED-V PROFILE...WHERE THE LOWER LEVELS ARE ESPECIALLY DRY. FURTHERMORE...CROSS SECTIONS OVER TIME SHOW VERY LITTLE MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE BEST BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z WHERE MOISTURE BECOMES EVIDENT...ALBEIT THESE CHANCES ARE STILL NOT VERY GOOD AS SLIGHT CHANCES ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST. A BREAK IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES OCCURS THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT IS VERY INCONSISTENT BETWEEN THE MODELS AS FAR AS PRECIP CHANCES GO. WITH THAT SAID...A CONVERGENCE ZONE IN THE LOWER LEVELS WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE IS FORECAST TO SET UP OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA FRIDAY. TIMING AND COVERAGE WILL BE THE MAIN CHALLENGE AS MODELS VARY IN OUTPUT. CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME AND SLIGHT CHANCES WILL BE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY MORNING ARE GOING TO BE NEAR THE LOWER 30S FOR A MAJORITY OF THE CWA...HOWEVER...PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND CLOUD COVER COULD PRODUCE SOME WARMER TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY FORECAST. OVERALL...ITS GOING TO BE A RATHER CHILLY NIGHT ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE BIG STORY WILL CENTER AROUND THE COLD TEMPERATURES...WHICH WILL BE THE COLDEST WEATHER WE HAVE SEEN SINCE EARLY MARCH. LOW TEMPERATURES MAY FALL BELOW FREEZING AS EARLY AS SATURDAY MORNING...BUT ARE EVEN MORE LIKELY TO FALL BELOW FREEZING BY SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. OUR CURRENT FORECAST IS CALLING FOR LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING TO RANGE FROM THE MID 20S AROUND ORD...TO THE UPPER 20S IN THE TRI CITIES...TO AROUND 30 IN NORTHERN KANSAS. THIS WILL MARK THE END OF THE GROWING SEASON...WHICH FOR HASTINGS AND MOST LOCATIONS SOUTH OF HASTINGS INTO NORTHERN KANSAS WILL BE THE LONGEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD AT AROUND 210 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH LOW TEMPERATURES ABOVE 32F. THE LAST TIME HASTINGS WAS 32F OR BELOW WAS BACK ON MARCH 9TH. GRAND ISLAND HAD THEIR LAST FREEZE A LITTLE LATER ON APRIL 11TH AND THUS THE GRAND ISLAND GROWING SEASON IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE A RECORD...BUT IT SHOULD STILL BE AROUND THE 15TH OR 16TH LONGEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD. IN ADDITION TO THE COLD OVERNIGHT LOWS...HIGH TEMPERATURES SATURDAY ARE ONLY FORECAST TO BE AROUND 50 DEGREES WITH COOL AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH TUESDAY BUT EXPECT HIGHS WILL GRADUALLY MODERATE INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S ON SUNDAY AND THEN 60S BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES WOULD BE RIGHT AROUND 70F. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ039>041- 046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087. KS...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...HALBLAUB SHORT TERM...GUERRERO LONG TERM/AVIATION...WESELY