Forecast Discussions mentioning any of "HRRR" "RAP" "RR" "RUC13" "RUC" received at GSD on 04/21/14


AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS PUEBLO CO
854 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 850 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 UPDATED TO TREND POPS WITH THE LATEST RADAR DATA. SINCE SUN DOWN...MOST OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY HAS DISSIPATED ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. THE EXCEPTIONS ARE OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE WHERE NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN PUSHING SOUTH...AND OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS WEST OF I-25 WHERE WEAK ACTIVITY CONTINUES. HAVE MAINTAINED THESE AREAS SEEING SHOWER ACTIVITY AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. ELSEWHERE...DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL INTO MONDAY MORNING. MOZLEY UPDATE ISSUED AT 550 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 ONLY MINOR UPDATES TO THE GOING FORECAST THIS EVENING. AN UPPER LOW IS SITTING OVER FAR SOUTHWEST KANSAS WITH BROAD NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. WEAK SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUES ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. STRONGER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS CURRENTLY SITUATED NEAR THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER. LIGHTNING ALONG WITH 40 MPH OUTFLOW WINDS AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN THE STORMS NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. MODELS RAPIDLY DISSIPATE SHOWER ACTIVITY AFTER SUNSET WITH ALL AREAS DRY BY MIDNIGHT. AREAS OUT EAST NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER AND AREAS DOWN SOUTH ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER WILL HOLD OUT THE LONGEST. MOZLEY && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 UPPER LOW OVER SE CO/NW NM AND THE TX/OK PANHANDLES WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS SOUTHEAST CO ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW IN AREA OF WEAK ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND INSTABILITY. RESIDUAL MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SUFFICIENT TO TRIGGER SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH SOME AFTERNOON HEATING...AND APPEARS THAT TAIL END OF PASSING SHORTWAVE TO THE NORTH MAY BE AIDING THUNDERSTORM INITIATION ACROSS NW CO. THIS LATTER FEATURE WILL CLIP THROUGH NRN CO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MAIN CONCERN FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR RUN-OFF PRODUCING RAINFALL ON THE BURN SCARS. OF GREATER CONCERN WILL BE THE EAST PEAK BURN SCAR WHERE RAINFALL OCCURRED EARLIER THIS MORNING. RADAR ESTIMATES COMPARED WITH GAGES IN THE AREA SUGGEST THAT PORTIONS OF THE BURN SCAR MAY HAVE RECEIVED .50 TO .70 OF RAINFALL. THIS OCCURRED SLOWLY THOUGH WITH RATES UNDER .10 TO .20 PER HOUR...SO NO PROBLEMS WERE NOTED. HOWEVER IF THIS AREA WERE TO GET HIT WITH A STRONGER CELL THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING...THE SATURATED GROUND MAY RESULT IN SOME QUICK RUN-OFF PROBLEMS. HOWEVER...CLOUD COVER IN THIS AREA MAY ALSO HELP KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE MORE STABLE...SO RISK SEEMS LOW AT THIS POINT. A LITTLE BETTER HEATING HAS BEEN REALIZED FARTHER NORTH ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION. HOWEVER...DEW POINTS HAVE BEEN DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 30S AND LATEST HRRR DROPS THEM INTO THE UPPER 20S BY LATE AFTERNOON WHICH REALLY CUTS BACK ON THE INSTABILITY AND RESULTANT THUNDERSTORM STRENGTH. WHILE CAN`T ENTIRELY RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STRONGER CELL IMPACTING THE WALDO CANYON BURN SCAR...THINK THIS CHANCE IS FAIRLY LOW...AND IF IT DID WOULD PROBABLY NOT LAST LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE MUCH MORE THAN SOME MINOR RUN-OFF ISSUES AT BEST. ALSO...WATCHING THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS OF THE STATE IN VCNTY OF UPPER LOW...WHERE LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES COULD BECOME STEEP ENOUGH TO PRODUCE A SHORT LIVED NON-SUPERCELL TORNADO/LANDSPOUT. SO FAR...UPDRAFT STRENGTHS HAVEN`T BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO STRETCH ANY LOW LEVEL VORTICITY...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH IT CLOSELY AS SPC MESO-ANALYSIS DOES SHOW A POCKET OF HIGH NON-SUPERCELL TOR INDICES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. ALL ACTIVITY SHIFTS TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST FAIRLY QUICKLY THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...SO THESE THREATS SHOULD QUICKLY COME TO AN END WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. ON MONDAY...UPPER RIDGE TRANSLATES IN...BUT THERE WILL STILL BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE A LITTLE WARMER THAN TODAYS...ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS WHERE CLOUDS HAVE HELD TEMPERATURES DOWN TODAY. -KT .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 NOT MANY ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED FROM PREVIOUS LONGER TERM THINKING WITH MAIN LONGER TERM ISSUES BEING ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL TEMPERATURES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEKEND...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS...PRIMARILY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS AT TIMES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AND THEN AGAIN BY NEXT WEEKEND...INCREASING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS...BEGINNING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS WELL AS AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. LATEST LONGER TERM COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT VARYING DEGREES OF ZONAL TO SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW WILL OCCUR OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AS WELL AS ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED OVER PORTIONS OF THE CWFA FROM MONDAY EVENING INTO WEDNESDAY...FAVORING LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. FOCUS THEN SHIFTS TO INCREASING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AT TIMES(ESPECIALLY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS AS WELL AS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY)...PRIMARILY DURING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THEN POSSIBLY CONTINUING AT TIMES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEKEND. WFO PUEBLO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY. IN ADDITION...METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS ARE BEGINNING TO SIGNAL AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS UPPER SYSTEM IMPACTS THE FORECAST DISTRICT. AS ALWAYS...WFO PUEBLO WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THESE TRENDS CLOSELY. SWITCHING FOCUS TO TEMPERATURES...IT STILL APPEARS THAT BOTH MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ABOVE LATE APRIL CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO NEXT SATURDAY BEFORE TEMPERATURES DECREASE BY NEXT SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST THIS EVENING. IFR TO EVEN LOCAL LIFR CIGS/VIS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY SHOWERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WHERE WHERE HEAVY WET SNOW/GRAUPEL AND EVEN SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. CIGS/VIS WILL MORE LIKELY REMAIN VFR ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...THOUGH MVFR TO LOCAL IFR WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THE STRONGER STORMS ACROSS THE PLAINS. THESE WILL ALSO CARRY THE THREAT OF SOME SMALL HAIL. CLEARING SKIES WILL SET IN AFTER SUNSET. VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR MONDAY WITH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...MOZLEY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS PUEBLO CO
553 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 550 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 ONLY MINOR UPDATES TO THE GOING FORECAST THIS EVENING. AN UPPER LOW IS SITTING OVER FAR SOUTHWEST KANSAS WITH BROAD NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. WEAK SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUES ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. STRONGER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS CURRENTLY SITUATED NEAR THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER. LIGHTNING ALONG WITH 40 MPH OUTFLOW WINDS AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN THE STORMS NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. MODELS RAPIDLY DISSIPATE SHOWER ACTIVITY AFTER SUNSET WITH ALL AREAS DRY BY MIDNIGHT. AREAS OUT EAST NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER AND AREAS DOWN SOUTH ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER WILL HOLD OUT THE LONGEST. MOZLEY && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 UPPER LOW OVER SE CO/NW NM AND THE TX/OK PANHANDLES WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS SOUTHEAST CO ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW IN AREA OF WEAK ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND INSTABILITY. RESIDUAL MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SUFFICIENT TO TRIGGER SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH SOME AFTERNOON HEATING...AND APPEARS THAT TAIL END OF PASSING SHORTWAVE TO THE NORTH MAY BE AIDING THUNDERSTORM INITIATION ACROSS NW CO. THIS LATTER FEATURE WILL CLIP THROUGH NRN CO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MAIN CONCERN FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR RUN-OFF PRODUCING RAINFALL ON THE BURN SCARS. OF GREATER CONCERN WILL BE THE EAST PEAK BURN SCAR WHERE RAINFALL OCCURRED EARLIER THIS MORNING. RADAR ESTIMATES COMPARED WITH GAGES IN THE AREA SUGGEST THAT PORTIONS OF THE BURN SCAR MAY HAVE RECEIVED .50 TO .70 OF RAINFALL. THIS OCCURRED SLOWLY THOUGH WITH RATES UNDER .10 TO .20 PER HOUR...SO NO PROBLEMS WERE NOTED. HOWEVER IF THIS AREA WERE TO GET HIT WITH A STRONGER CELL THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING...THE SATURATED GROUND MAY RESULT IN SOME QUICK RUN-OFF PROBLEMS. HOWEVER...CLOUD COVER IN THIS AREA MAY ALSO HELP KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE MORE STABLE...SO RISK SEEMS LOW AT THIS POINT. A LITTLE BETTER HEATING HAS BEEN REALIZED FARTHER NORTH ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION. HOWEVER...DEW POINTS HAVE BEEN DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 30S AND LATEST HRRR DROPS THEM INTO THE UPPER 20S BY LATE AFTERNOON WHICH REALLY CUTS BACK ON THE INSTABILITY AND RESULTANT THUNDERSTORM STRENGTH. WHILE CAN`T ENTIRELY RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STRONGER CELL IMPACTING THE WALDO CANYON BURN SCAR...THINK THIS CHANCE IS FAIRLY LOW...AND IF IT DID WOULD PROBABLY NOT LAST LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE MUCH MORE THAN SOME MINOR RUN-OFF ISSUES AT BEST. ALSO...WATCHING THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS OF THE STATE IN VCNTY OF UPPER LOW...WHERE LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES COULD BECOME STEEP ENOUGH TO PRODUCE A SHORT LIVED NON-SUPERCELL TORNADO/LANDSPOUT. SO FAR...UPDRAFT STRENGTHS HAVEN`T BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO STRETCH ANY LOW LEVEL VORTICITY...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH IT CLOSELY AS SPC MESO-ANALYSIS DOES SHOW A POCKET OF HIGH NON-SUPERCELL TOR INDICES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. ALL ACTIVITY SHIFTS TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST FAIRLY QUICKLY THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...SO THESE THREATS SHOULD QUICKLY COME TO AN END WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. ON MONDAY...UPPER RIDGE TRANSLATES IN...BUT THERE WILL STILL BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE A LITTLE WARMER THAN TODAYS...ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS WHERE CLOUDS HAVE HELD TEMPERATURES DOWN TODAY. -KT .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 NOT MANY ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED FROM PREVIOUS LONGER TERM THINKING WITH MAIN LONGER TERM ISSUES BEING ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL TEMPERATURES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEKEND...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS...PRIMARILY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS AT TIMES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AND THEN AGAIN BY NEXT WEEKEND...INCREASING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS...BEGINNING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS WELL AS AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. LATEST LONGER TERM COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT VARYING DEGREES OF ZONAL TO SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW WILL OCCUR OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AS WELL AS ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED OVER PORTIONS OF THE CWFA FROM MONDAY EVENING INTO WEDNESDAY...FAVORING LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. FOCUS THEN SHIFTS TO INCREASING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AT TIMES(ESPECIALLY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS AS WELL AS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY)...PRIMARILY DURING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THEN POSSIBLY CONTINUING AT TIMES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEKEND. WFO PUEBLO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY. IN ADDITION...METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS ARE BEGINNING TO SIGNAL AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS UPPER SYSTEM IMPACTS THE FORECAST DISTRICT. AS ALWAYS...WFO PUEBLO WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THESE TRENDS CLOSELY. SWITCHING FOCUS TO TEMPERATURES...IT STILL APPEARS THAT BOTH MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ABOVE LATE APRIL CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO NEXT SATURDAY BEFORE TEMPERATURES DECREASE BY NEXT SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST THIS EVENING. IFR TO EVEN LOCAL LIFR CIGS/VIS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY SHOWERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WHERE WHERE HEAVY WET SNOW/GRAUPEL AND EVEN SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. CIGS/VIS WILL MORE LIKELY REMAIN VFR ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...THOUGH MVFR TO LOCAL IFR WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THE STRONGER STORMS ACROSS THE PLAINS. THESE WILL ALSO CARRY THE THREAT OF SOME SMALL HAIL. CLEARING SKIES WILL SET IN AFTER SUNSET. VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR MONDAY WITH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...MOZLEY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DENVER/BOULDER CO
1011 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1011 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 FORECAST LOOKS GOOD WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY...COOLER...AND INCREASE IN SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT HAD PUSHED ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA INCLUDING DENVER THIS MORNING. MEANWHILE...A THICK MID/UPPER LEVEL CLOUD DECK REMAINED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THIS CLOUD DECK WAS SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF THINNING IN THE LATEST SATELLITE PICS...SO WE SHOULD SEE A FEW BREAKS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE CONVECTIVE CLOUDINESS AND NEARLY OVERCAST SKIES REDEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THE MOST NUMEROUS SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE PARK/SUMMIT COUNTY AREA STRETCHING NORTHWARD ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS WHERE BEST BUT STILL WEAK INSTABILITY IS PROGGED. CAPES ONLY ABOUT 100-300 J/KG BUT SHOULD STILL BE ENOUGH FOR THUNDER AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...SNOW IN ELEVATIONS ABOVE 10-10.5 THOUSAND FEET. DID INCREASE POPS...QPF...AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS SNOW AMOUNTS A BIT MORE IN THOSE LOCATIONS. I-25 URBAN CORRIDOR ON THE EDGE OF ANY INSTABILITY BUT SHOULD STILL SEE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED STORM DRIFT OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN. EASTERN PLAINS LOOK TOO STABLE BEHIND WEAK FRONTAL PASSAGE FOR MUCH CONVECTION UNTIL PERHAPS LATER IN THE AFTERNOON SO DELAYED WEATHER CHANCES THERE...AND EVEN THOSE ARE QUITE SMALL. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ) ISSUED AT 410 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 MID- AND HIGH-LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO FLOW IN FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST IN ADVANCE OF A CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND UPPER LEVEL OPEN WAVE TROUGH SLOWLY PROGRESSING EASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION. IR SAT IMAGERY HAS SHOWN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MID/HIGH CLOUD COVER OVER EASTERN COLORADO IN THE PAST HOUR IN RESPONSE TO THIS INFLUX OF MOISTURE AND WARM SECTOR ISENTROPIC LIFT. NOT SEEING ANY PRECIP REACHING THE GROUND AS OF YET... EXCEPT PERHAPS ON THE HIGH MTN PEAKS. MEANWHILE A SFC TROUGH IN ERN COLORADO INTERSECTS WITH A RELATIVELY WEAK SFC COLD FRONT ADVANCING SEWRD ACROSS NRN WYOMING AND NORTHWEST NEBRASKA AT THIS TIME. TEMPERATURE...THICKNESS AND WIND FIELDS SHOW THIS NEBULOUS FRONTAL BOUNDARY REACHING THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF COLORADO JUST BEFORE 1200Z AND MOVING INTO THE DENVER METRO AREA AROUND 1500Z. AIR ONLY SLIGHTLY COOLER AND MORE HUMID BEHIND THIS BNDRY. POCKETS OF GUSTY NELY WINDS CAN BE SEEN JUST BEHIND THIS FRONT. WITH THE MAIN RISE/FALL PRESSURE COUPLET REMAINING WELL EAST OF THE CWA...MODELS SHOW POST-FRONTAL WINDS WEAKENING AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE FRONT RANGE. HOWEVER MAY STILL SEE A SHORT PERIOD OF 15-20KT NELY WINDS WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH POST FRONTAL UPSLOPE FLOW IN PLACE SHOULD SEE A STEADY LOWERING OF CLOUD BASES ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONT RANGE AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER CONTINUES TO MOISTEN. IN ADDITION...THE PASSAGE OF A WEAK VORT LOBE NOW CROSSING SWRN COLORADO WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LIFT AND MOISTURE FOR FAIRLY RAPID SHOWER FORMATION IN THE CENTRAL MTNS AROUND SOUTH PARK LATER THIS MORNING. MODELS INDICATE THIS HAPPENING AFTER 1500Z. SHOULD SEE SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT AND INSTABILITY INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY OVER THE CWA WITH THE UPPER TROUGH INCHING CLOSER. WRF...NAM AND HRRR SHOW SCATTERED CONVECTION OVER THE FRONT RANGE DRIFTING OVER THE I-25 URBAN CORRIDOR AFTER 2000Z TODAY. MODEL REFLECTIVITIES ARE GENERALLY OF LOW INTENSITY. ALTHOUGH THE WRF AND NAM SHOW A BAND OF 20-35DBZ CELLS SWINGING SEWRD ACROSS THE DENVER METRO AREA JUST PRIOR TO 20/0000Z AND THEN OVER DOUGLAS AND WESTERN ELBERT COUNTIES BETWEEN 0000Z AND 0300Z. MODELS SHOW A FAIRLY DEEP EASTERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW SETTING UP ALONG THE SPINE OF THE PALMER DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON WHICH DRIVES A THETA-E RIDGE UP AGAINST THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS. THIS IS WHERE THE POTENTIAL FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL EXIST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. COULD SEE UPWARDS OF A HALF INCH OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD WITH ISOLATED STORM CELLS ALONG THIS AXIS. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS ALSO POSSIBLE. NOT AS CONFIDENT WE/LL SEE ANY HAIL FROM THESE LOW-TOP T-STORMS AS CAPES AND LAPSE RATES NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS MODELS INDICATED YESTERDAY. ELSEWHERE...LOW POPS WARRANTED UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST SKIES. TEMPERATURES TODAY AS MUCH AS 15 DEG F COOLER THAN YESTERDAY. SHOWER ACTIVITY APPEARS TO QUICKLY DROP OFF FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THIS EVENING. ALTHOUGH...A SMATTERING OF WEAK SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN SOUTHWEST OF DENVER AND ACROSS SOUTH PARK THROUGH THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. OVERNIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL LOW ENOUGH FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX IN THIS AREA. IT IS POSSIBLE THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS COULD SEE AN INCH OR TWO OF WET SNOW BEFORE MIDNIGHT. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 410 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 ON SUNDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH MOST OF THE MOISTURE AND ENERGY ACROSS SOUTHEAST PORTION OF CWA. THIS ALREADY REFLECTED IN FORECAST WITH LITTLE CHANGE NEEDED. DRIER FURTHER NORTH BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABLITY FOR SCATTERED SHOWER COVERAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS IN ALOFT OVER COLORADO AS FLOW ALOFT SHIFTS MORE NORTHWEST ON MONDAY. A COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY. DRY AND MORE STABLE ON THE PLAINS BEHIND THE FRONT BUT THERE WILL BE SOME SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER MOUNTAINS AND EAST SLOPES AS LIGHT SOUTHEAST FLOW POOLS MOISTURE OVER EAST SLOPES. FOR TUESDAY AND EARLY WEDNESDAY NEXT TROF DEEPENS OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN WITH INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL RESULT IN BIG WARMUP OVER LOWER ELEVATIONS AS STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS. COULD BE A DRY LINE SETUP OVER THE EASTERN BORDER WITH KANSAS WITH HIGHER DEWPOINTS IN THE 40S. BEST CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL BE OVER THE FAR PLAINS WITH BETTER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. FURTHER WEST TOWARDS THE FRONT RANGE...GENERALLY DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW. THE UPPER TROF LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION AND HIGH PLAINS LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN DRY...COOLER AND WINDY CONDITIONS ON THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BUILD AGAIN INTO COLORADO ON FRIDAY FOR GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES AGAIN. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1011 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 WEAK COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED ACROSS THE FRONT RANGE AIRPORTS WITH WINDS BECOMING MORE EAST/NORTHEASTERLY. WINDS SPEEDS ALREADY SLACKING OFF TO 10 KTS OR LESS BEHIND THE FRONT AND TURNING MORE EASTERLY. EXPECT WINDS TO REMAIN THIS WAY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON UNTIL SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP AFT 21Z WITH VARIABLE WIND GUSTS 15-25 KTS NEAR SHOWERS. CEILINGS COULD LOWER TO AROUND 6 THOUSAND FEET FOR ILS LANDING CONDITIONS WITH ANY PASSING SHOWERS 21Z-02Z. OTHERWISE VISUAL LANDINGS WILL PREVAIL. CHANCE OF ANY THUNDER IS QUITE LOW WITH CAPES LESS THAN 100 J/KG. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...BARJENBRUCH SHORT TERM...BAKER LONG TERM...ENTREKIN AVIATION...BARJENBRUCH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DENVER/BOULDER CO
410 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ) ISSUED AT 244 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 MID- AND HIGH-LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO FLOW IN FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST IN ADVANCE OF A CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND UPPER LEVEL OPEN WAVE TROUGH SLOWLY PROGRESSING EASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION. IR SAT IMAGERY HAS SHOWN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MID/HIGH CLOUD COVER OVER EASTERN COLORADO IN THE PAST HOUR IN RESPONSE TO THIS INFLUX OF MOISTURE AND WARM SECTOR ISENTROPIC LIFT. NOT SEEING ANY PRECIP REACHING THE GROUND AS OF YET... EXCEPT PERHAPS ON THE HIGH MTN PEAKS. MEANWHILE A SFC TROUGH IN ERN COLORADO INTERSECTS WITH A RELATIVELY WEAK SFC COLD FRONT ADVANCING SEWRD ACROSS NRN WYOMING AND NORTHWEST NEBRASKA AT THIS TIME. TEMPERATURE...THICKNESS AND WIND FIELDS SHOW THIS NEBULOUS FRONTAL BOUNDARY REACHING THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF COLORADO JUST BEFORE 1200Z AND MOVING INTO THE DENVER METRO AREA AROUND 1500Z. AIR ONLY SLIGHTLY COOLER AND MORE HUMID BEHIND THIS BNDRY. POCKETS OF GUSTY NELY WINDS CAN BE SEEN JUST BEHIND THIS FRONT. WITH THE MAIN RISE/FALL PRESSURE COUPLET REMAINING WELL EAST OF THE CWA...MODELS SHOW POST-FRONTAL WINDS WEAKENING AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE FRONT RANGE. HOWEVER MAY STILL SEE A SHORT PERIOD OF 15-20KT NELY WINDS WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH POST FRONTAL UPSLOPE FLOW IN PLACE SHOULD SEE A STEADY LOWERING OF CLOUD BASES ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONT RANGE AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER CONTINUES TO MOISTEN. IN ADDITION...THE PASSAGE OF A WEAK VORT LOBE NOW CROSSING SWRN COLORADO WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LIFT AND MOISTURE FOR FAIRLY RAPID SHOWER FORMATION IN THE CENTRAL MTNS AROUND SOUTH PARK LATER THIS MORNING. MODELS INDICATE THIS HAPPENING AFTER 1500Z. SHOULD SEE SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT AND INSTABILITY INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY OVER THE CWA WITH THE UPPER TROUGH INCHING CLOSER. WRF...NAM AND HRRR SHOW SCATTERED CONVECTION OVER THE FRONT RANGE DRIFTING OVER THE I-25 URBAN CORRIDOR AFTER 2000Z TODAY. MODEL REFLECTIVITIES ARE GENERALLY OF LOW INTENSITY. ALTHOUGH THE WRF AND NAM SHOW A BAND OF 20-35DBZ CELLS SWINGING SEWRD ACROSS THE DENVER METRO AREA JUST PRIOR TO 20/0000Z AND THEN OVER DOUGLAS AND WESTERN ELBERT COUNTIES BETWEEN 0000Z AND 0300Z. MODELS SHOW A FAIRLY DEEP EASTERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW SETTING UP ALONG THE SPINE OF THE PALMER DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON WHICH DRIVES A THETA-E RIDGE UP AGAINST THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS. THIS IS WHERE THE POTENTIAL FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL EXIST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. COULD SEE UPWARDS OF A HALF INCH OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD WITH ISOLATED STORM CELLS ALONG THIS AXIS. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS ALSO POSSIBLE. NOT AS CONFIDENT WE/LL SEE ANY HAIL FROM THESE LOW-TOP T-STORMS AS CAPES AND LAPSE RATES NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS MODELS INDICATED YESTERDAY. ELSEWHERE...LOW POPS WARRANTED UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST SKIES. TEMPERATURES TODAY AS MUCH AS 15 DEG F COOLER THAN YESTERDAY. SHOWER ACTIVITY APPEARS TO QUICKLY DROP OFF FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THIS EVENING. ALTHOUGH...A SMATTERING OF WEAK SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN SOUTHWEST OF DENVER AND ACROSS SOUTH PARK THROUGH THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. OVERNIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL LOW ENOUGH FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX IN THIS AREA. IT IS POSSIBLE THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS COULD SEE AN INCH OR TWO OF WET SNOW BEFORE MIDNIGHT. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 244 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 ON SUNDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH MOST OF THE MOISTURE AND ENERGY ACROSS SOUTHEAST PORTION OF CWA. THIS ALREADY REFLECTED IN FORECAST WITH LITTLE CHANGE NEEDED. DRIER FURTHER NORTH BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE AND INSTABLITY FOR SCATTERED SHOWER COVERAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS IN ALOFT OVER COLORADO AS FLOW ALOFT SHIFTS MORE NORTHWEST ON MONDAY. A COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY. DRY AND MORE STABLE ON THE PLAINS BEHIND THE FRONT BUT THERE WILL BE SOME SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER MOUNTAINS AND EAST SLOPES AS LIGHT SOUTHEAST FLOW POOLS MOISTURE OVER EAST SLOPES. FOR TUESDAY AND EARLY WEDNESDAY NEXT TROF DEEPENS OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN WITH INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL RESULT IN BIG WARMUP OVER LOWER ELEVATIONS AS STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS. COULD BE A DRY LINE SETUP OVER THE EASTERN BORDER WITH KANSAS WITH HIGHER DEWPOINTS IN THE 40S. BEST CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL BE OVER THE FAR PLAINS WITH BETTER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. FURTHER WEST TOWARDS THE FRONT RANGE...GENERALLY DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW. THE UPPER TROF LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION AND HIGH PLAINS LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN DRY...COOLER AND WINDY CONDITIONS ON THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BUILD AGAIN INTO COLORADO ON FRIDAY FOR GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES AGAIN. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 244 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE TROUGH THE DENVER AREA FROM THE NORTHEAST AROUND 1500Z THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL SHIFT FROM WEST- NORTHWEST TO A NORTHEAST COMPONENT WITH ITS PASSAGE. COULD SEE A 1-2 HOUR PERIOD OF 15-20 KTS GUSTS WITH FROPA. CLOUD BASES WILL LOWER THROUGH THE DAY WITH BASES AS LOW AS 5000-6000 FEET AGL WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED T-STORMS THIS AFTERNOON. BEST CHANCE FOR THESE SHOWERS IN THE DENVER AREA BETWEEN 19/2100Z AND 20/0100Z. OVERNIGHT...SHOULD SEE A GRADUAL RISE IN CLOUD BASES WITH PARTIAL CLEARING AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT EAST-NORTHEAST SFC WINDS OF 8-15KTS IN THE AFTERNOON...SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 7-12KTS IN THE EVENING...THEN LIGHT DRAINAGE FLOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. && .BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...BAKER LONG TERM...ENTREKIN AVIATION...BAKER
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GRAND JUNCTION CO
1045 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 336 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 WINDS HAVE PICKED UP THIS AFTERNOON AS EXPECTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE INCREASED PAST SUNSET AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE MAIN ACTIVITY FROM THIS SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY AFFECTING SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND HEADING NORTH TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS. THE SHORT TERM RAP AND NAM MODELS HAVE DONE WELL IN FORECASTING THE ISOLATED SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AFTER THE NORTHERN SAN JUAN AND ELK MOUNTAINS. THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND A POSSIBLE STRIKE OF LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDNIGHT. MODEL SKEW-TS ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO ARE SHOWING A CLASSIC `V` PATTERN WHICH SUGGESTS STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS TONIGHT FROM VIRGA AND SHOWERS WHICH DO DEVELOP. JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT...A SURGE OF MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTHWEST IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE FOUR CORNERS AND CONTINUE NORTHEAST. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED WITH POSSIBLE EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE AN AREA OF RAIN/SNOW WITH SNOW LEVEL STARTING NEAR 8500 FT OVERNIGHT MOVING NORTHEAST AND TAPERING OFF IN COVERAGE AS IT PASSES OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN CO MTNS. HOWEVER...WITH PWATS WELL ABOVE NORMAL AT 0.50 TO 0.70 INCH BY NOON SATURDAY...EXPECTING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS ACROSS THE CWA SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH ISOLATED/SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL. WITH SO MUCH POTENTIAL PRECIPITATION...STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP COULD PACK A GOOD PUNCH OF WATER. SNOW LEVEL WILL RISE TO NEAR 10000 FEET BY NOON SO THE WINTER SNOWPACK IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH...THEREFORE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS COULD RISE QUICKLY. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING THROUGH THE BACKCOUNTRY OR TRAVELING NEAR LOW-LYING AREAS ALONG SMALL DRAINAGES. WE APPRECIATE ANY REPORTS OF RISING WATER. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 336 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 LINGERING MOISTURE BEHIND SATURDAY/S DISTURBANCE WILL ALLOW ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON. HELPING THIS CONVECTION WILL BE A WEAK WAVE PASSING TO OUR NORTH...AND DAYTIME SURFACE HEATING. WHILE A FEW MOUNTAIN SHOWERS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON A DOWNTURN IS EXPECTED AS A RIDGE PASSES OVERHEAD...AND THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE TROUGH APPROACHES THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. MODELS INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT WIND EVENT ON TUESDAY AS THIS TROUGH SHIFTS INLAND AND INTO THE GREAT BASIN. ALSO AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH OUR FORECAST AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE TUE-TUE NIGHT. WARMING AHEAD OF THE FRONT...AND THE TIGHTENING GRADIENT WILL PRODUCE WARM...WINDY AND DRY CONDITIONS. MODELS DO SHOW SOME SOME MID-HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE WHICH MAY ACT TO DAMPEN THE WINDS. HOWEVER MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW AN INVERTED-V SIGNATURE...FOR THE POTENTIAL OF VIRGA OR LIGHT HIGH-BASED SHOWERS WHICH WOULD GREATLY BOOST WIND GUSTS. AT THIS TIME...IT LOOKS LIKE THE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER AROUND MIDNIGHT TUE NIGHT...THEN ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY LATE WED MORNING. THIS WILL KEEP THE AIR MASS UNSETTLED THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS AGAIN DEVELOPING ALONG THE FAR SOUTHERN BORDER WED MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. SINCE THE BULK OF THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND THE ASSOCIATED MOISTURE WILL REMAIN TO OUR NORTH...THIS WILL NOT BE A BIG PRECIPITATION PRODUCER FOR OUR AREA. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION ON WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE FRONT...ONLY ISOLATED MOUNTAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED IN THE SOUTH. THEN WITH PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT...THE 12Z MODEL RUNS INDICATE A RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE REGION FOR THU AND FRI. AFTER WARMING CONDITIONS EARLY IN THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY ON TUESDAY...TEMPERATURES COULD DROP BY 15 OR MORE DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BEHIND THE FRONT. TEMPS THEN WARM AGAIN ON FRIDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1045 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 WESTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN UTAH WILL BE STUCK BETWEEN SYSTEMS PASSING THROUGH THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND LIFTING ACROSS ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CURRENTLY MOISTURE IS STREAMING NORTHWARD...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF MID AND HIGH CLOUDINESS. DRY AIR NEAR THE SURFACE IS PREVENTING MOISTURE FROM GETTING INTO THE VALLEYS. GUSTY WINDS...SPOTTY SHOWERS OR VIRGA WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS EVENING. THIS WILL CHANGE TOWARD MORNING AND ESPECIALLY TOMORROW AFTERNOON AS LIFT AND INSTABILITY INCREASES. SHOWERS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD OVER THE MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL OBSCURATION OF THE TERRAIN. VALLEYS A BIT MORE TRICKY AS FAR AS PRECIPITATION...BUT GUSTY WINDS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY IMPACT FORECAST TERMINAL OPERATIONS THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 336 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 AS A LARGE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH MOVES ONSHORE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY...STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP OVER EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. THIS FLOW WILL MIX INTO THE VALLEYS BY THE AFTERNOON AND INCREASE OVER THE AREA AS A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. AHEAD OF THE FRONT CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DRY...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHWEST COLORADO AND SOUTHEAST UTAH WHERE MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL LIKELY DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT BELOW 8000 FEET. ALSO THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO. THEREFORE CRITICAL WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN AREAS WHERE FUELS ARE DRY. MODELS INDICATE THAT THE BULK OF THE ENERGY AND MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE FAR SOUTHERN ZONES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JAM LONG TERM...EH AVIATION...TGJT FIRE WEATHER...EH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MIAMI FL
557 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .UPDATE... UPDATED THE COASTAL WATERS FORECAST...MAINLY FOR THE WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT GENERALLY WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS IN THE 15 TO 20 KNOT RANGE CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGIONAL WATERS...INCLUDING BISCAYNE BAY AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE. EARLIER TODAY THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT SEAS COULD REACH 7 FEET IN THE OFF SHORE GULF WATERS TONIGHT BUT RECENT MARINE GUIDANCE INDICATES SEAS TO 6 FEET EXPECTED. A PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL LOCAL WATERS...INCLUDING BISCAYNE BAY AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE. THE LATEST GUIDANCE INDICATES WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY WHILE REMAINING GENERALLY WESTERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY. 60 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 211 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014/ SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT-MONDAY NIGHT)... THE AFTERNOON SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED THE COLD FRONT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIVE START TODAY EXTENDING SSW FROM CAPE CANAVERAL TO KEY WEST AND BREEZY WNW FLOW AND DRIER CONDITIONS FILLING IN BEHIND IT ALONG THE GULF COAST. OBSERVATIONS REFLECT THIS BOUNDARY AND GENERALLY SHOW A WEST TO EAST TEMP/DP GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA TODAY FROM THE GULF COAST TO THE ATLANTIC COAST. THE LATEST HRRR AND WRF REFLECTIVITIES CONTINUE TO SHOW A FEW SHOWERS DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT AS IT CONTINUES EAST THIS AFTERNOON TOWARD AND THROUGH THE ATLANTIC COAST...MAINLY NORTH OF FORT LAUDERDALE TO THE PALM BEACH COASTAL AREAS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. OTHERWISE...DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING AROUND NORMAL. THE LATEST SHORT-RANGE MODEL GUIDANCE REFLECTS THIS DRY PATTERN AND INDICATES THE UPPER LOW CENTERED NORTH OF THE AREA LIFTING NORTHEAST THROUGH THIS TIME AS UPPER HEIGHTS RISE ACROSS THE REGION. ANOTHER COLD FRONT...DRY...WILL MOVE SOUTH AND THROUGH THE STATE ON MONDAY...WHICH WILL REINFORCE THE DRY AIR AND NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE STATE. AG LONG TERM...(TUESDAY-FRIDAY) ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK FROM THE NORTH. HOWEVER...THE FRONT WILL BE A DRY COLD FRONT WHICH WILL REINFORCE THE DRY AND PLEASANT WEATHER OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN AROUND NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEK AS THE LOW-LEVEL FLOW SHIFTS TO THE SOUTHEAST AND UPPER HEIGHTS RISE. BNB AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. A FEW SHOWERS...HOWEVER...CAN`T BE RULED OUT THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS TODAY AS THE FRONT CONTINUES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. AT THIS TIME...CONFIDENCE REMAINS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE IT IN THIS PACKAGE. WINDS WILL START OUT FROM THE WEST...THEN GRADUALLY SHIFT TO THE NW BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. MARINE... MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS WILL BE EXPECTED OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS EASTWARD OVER THE REGION IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY. A MODERATE NORTHERLY SWELL WILL BE EXPECTED TO FILL IN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WATERS MONDAY. THIS SWELL COMBINED WITH MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS WILL LEAD TO ADVISORY LEVEL CONDITIONS FOR THE ATLANTIC WATERS THROUGH THIS TIME EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WEST PALM BEACH 63 77 67 82 / 10 10 10 10 FORT LAUDERDALE 67 79 69 82 / 10 10 10 10 MIAMI 67 79 68 82 / 10 10 10 10 NAPLES 64 80 65 82 / 10 0 10 10 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. GM...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...60/BD LONG TERM....60/BD
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS JACKSONVILLE FL
245 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND AN ISOLATED TSTM OR TWO PREVAIL THIS AFTN AS LOW PRESSURE PINWHEELS ACROSS THE INLAND FL/GA BORDER. THE LOW WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING...EXITING TO THE NE ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC SUNDAY. SCATTERED SHWRS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST AREAS THIS EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES ACROSS...GRADUALLY DIMINISHING LATE THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT AS THE LOW MOVES INTO THE COASTAL WATERS. AS THE LOW EJECTS NE SUNDAY...EXPECT ONLY A FEW SHOWERS OFFSHORE...WITH DRY CONDITIONS FOR ALL LAND AREAS. HOWEVER...CLOUDY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY FOR ALL AREAS EXCEPT NORTH-CENTRAL FL WHERE SIGNIFICANT CLOUD BREAKS WILL DEVELOP BY SUNDAY AFTN. BEHIND THE LOW...COOLER AIR WILL FILTER IN...WITH LOWS TNGT IN THE LOWER/MID 50S INLAND AND 55 TO 60 COAST. HIGHS SUNDAY WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 70 ACROSS SE GA...WITH MAINLY LOWER/MID 70S FOR NE FL. SHORTWAVE RIDGE BUILDS OVER FORECAST AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPS MONDAY WILL BE A BIT WARMER...AROUND 70 COAST TO NEAR 80 WESTERNMOST PART OF OUR FORECAST AREA. .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... POSITIVELY-TILTED SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGS SE ACROSS AREA TUESDAY...MAY SEE A FEW SHOWERS WITH FEATURE MAINLY OVER OUR GA COUNTIES...ACTIVITY MAY DECREASE AS IT SPREADS OVER SE GA TUE NIGHT. KEPT POPS LOW AND MAINLY ACROSS OUR GA COUNTIES FOR NOW. NEXT RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE FORECAST AREA WED/THU...WITH DRY CONDITIONS AND MILD TEMPS. NEXT STORM SYSTEM PASSES WELL NORTH OF FORECAST AREA FRI/SAT...WITH WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHING AREA FROM THE NW LATE SAT. && .AVIATION...CHALLENGING CIG/VSBY FORECAST WITH LOW CIGS AND OCCASIONALLY REDUCED VSBYS IN FOG/DZ/-RA AROUND UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE OVER THE AREA. MODEL GUIDANCE INCLUDING HRRR AND LAMP SUGGEST AFTER BRIEFING HIGHER CONDITIONS IN NE FL CURRENTLY AHEAD OF SYSTEM...LOWER CONDITIONS SPREAD IN FROM W TOWARD EVENING AND CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO FIRST HALF OF SUN. FOLLOWED TREND OF KEEPING IFR CONDITIONS...THO QUITE UNCERTAIN ON VSBYS TONIGHT WITH INCREASING NORTHERLY SURFACE WINDS AROUND SURFACE LOW PRESSURE THAT WILL BE OFFSHORE. NEVERTHELESS...FORECASTING IFR CONDITIONS AT TAFS SITES THRU SUN MORNING. && .MARINE... A LULL IN WINDS/SEAS CONTINUES THIS AFTN JUST EAST OF LOW PRESSURE. AS THE LOW MOVES INTO THE WATERS THIS EVENING AND EAST OF THE WATERS BY SUNDAY...CONDITIONS WILL WORSEN RATHER QUICKLY...WITH GALES LIKELY FOR MOST AREAS BY SUNDAY MORNING. THUS...WILL UPGRADE THE GALE WATCH TO A WARNING FOR THE OUTER WATERS FOR OVERNIGHT TNGT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. FOR THE NEARSHORE...WILL USE A SCA WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO GALE FORCE. SCA CONDITIONS WILL LINGER INTO MONDAY FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS...AND THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT FOR THE OUTER WATERS. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK ON TUESDAY...ANOTHER ROUND OF SCA WILL BE LIKELY TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY. RIP CURRENTS: MODERATE RISK TODAY. MODERATE TO HIGH RISK SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH ELEVATED SURF. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMG 52 70 51 78 / 30 10 10 10 SSI 57 67 54 68 / 50 20 10 10 JAX 55 72 54 76 / 50 10 0 10 SGJ 59 70 58 69 / 40 20 10 10 GNV 55 77 55 79 / 30 10 10 10 OCF 56 79 57 79 / 20 10 10 10 && .JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GA...NONE. AM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT TO 6 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE. GALE WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY NIGHT FOR ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM EDT MONDAY FOR ALTAMAHA SOUND GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL OUT 20 NM- FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL OUT 20 NM-ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL OUT 20 NM. && $$ WOLF/ALLEN/GUILLET
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MIAMI FL
211 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT-MONDAY NIGHT)... THE AFTERNOON SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED THE COLD FRONT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIVE START TODAY EXTENDING SSW FROM CAPE CANAVERAL TO KEY WEST AND BREEZY WNW FLOW AND DRIER CONDITIONS FILLING IN BEHIND IT ALONG THE GULF COAST. OBSERVATIONS REFLECT THIS BOUNDARY AND GENERALLY SHOW A WEST TO EAST TEMP/DP GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA TODAY FROM THE GULF COAST TO THE ATLANTIC COAST. THE LATEST HRRR AND WRF REFLECTIVITIES CONTINUE TO SHOW A FEW SHOWERS DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT AS IT CONTINUES EAST THIS AFTERNOON TOWARD AND THROUGH THE ATLANTIC COAST...MAINLY NORTH OF FORT LAUDERDALE TO THE PALM BEACH COASTAL AREAS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. OTHERWISE...DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING AROUND NORMAL. THE LATEST SHORT-RANGE MODEL GUIDANCE REFLECTS THIS DRY PATTERN AND INDICATES THE UPPER LOW CENTERED NORTH OF THE AREA LIFTING NORTHEAST THROUGH THIS TIME AS UPPER HEIGHTS RISE ACROSS THE REGION. ANOTHER COLD FRONT...DRY...WILL MOVE SOUTH AND THROUGH THE STATE ON MONDAY...WHICH WILL REINFORCE THE DRY AIR AND NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE STATE. AG .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY-FRIDAY) ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK FROM THE NORTH. HOWEVER...THE FRONT WILL BE A DRY COLD FRONT WHICH WILL REINFORCE THE DRY AND PLEASANT WEATHER OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN AROUND NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEK AS THE LOW-LEVEL FLOW SHIFTS TO THE SOUTHEAST AND UPPER HEIGHTS RISE. BNB && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. A FEW SHOWERS...HOWEVER...CAN`T BE RULED OUT THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS TODAY AS THE FRONT CONTINUES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. AT THIS TIME...CONFIDENCE REMAINS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE IT IN THIS PACKAGE. WINDS WILL START OUT FROM THE WEST...THEN GRADUALLY SHIFT TO THE NW BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. && .MARINE... MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS WILL BE EXPECTED OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS EASTWARD OVER THE REGION IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY. A MODERATE NORTHERLY SWELL WILL BE EXPECTED TO FILL IN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WATERS MONDAY. THIS SWELL COMBINED WITH MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS WILL LEAD TO ADVISORY LEVEL CONDITIONS FOR THE ATLANTIC WATERS THROUGH THIS TIME EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WEST PALM BEACH 63 77 67 82 / 10 10 10 10 FORT LAUDERDALE 67 79 69 82 / 10 10 10 10 MIAMI 67 79 68 82 / 10 10 10 10 NAPLES 64 80 65 82 / 10 0 10 10 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. GM...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...84/AK LONG TERM....85/AG
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MIAMI FL
145 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .AVIATION... CLUSTERS OF SHRAS AND TSRAS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE GULF WATERS EARLY THIS MORNING AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO PUSH TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE MORNING. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE MORNING BUT INTENSITY AND COVERAGE IS STILL IN QUESTION...SO COVERED WITH VCSH AT ALL SITES FOR NOW. WILL AMEND AS NECESSARY. OTHERWISE...GENERALLY SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL TURN MORE SOUTHWESTERLY THEN WESTERLY THROUGH THE DAY AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 850 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2014/ UPDATE... SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE LAKE REGION THROUGH THE EVENING. ALTHOUGH LIMITED CONVECTION HAS HAPPENED... SATELLITE IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW THE UPPER LEVEL LOW DIGGING INTO THE GULF WATERS TONIGHT. CURRENT GUIDANCE KEEPS THIS LOW APPROACHING THE PENINSULA OVERNIGHT AND MOVING IT ACROSS THE AREA TOMORROW...WITH A MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ZONE ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA BY 06Z AND ENOUGH VERTICAL MOTION AS OUR AREA REMAINS EAST OF THE TROUGH AXIS. IF THESE CONDITIONS MATERIALIZE...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE EXPECTED. ON THE OTHER HAND...THE LATEST HRRR RUN SHOWS MOSTLY SHOWERS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE WEST COAST BY 04Z AND MOVING EAST REACHING THE EAST COAST BY 08Z. SO WHATS THE FORECAST? SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED TONIGHT ALTHOUGH THE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL IS LOW. THEREFORE...NO CHANGES TO THE FORECAST PACKAGE WAS NEEDED. THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG ACTIVITY IS STILL PRESENT...THEREFORE CANNOT RULE OUT THAT POSSIBILITY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 218 PM EDT FRI APR 18 2014/ NEAR TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING) THE INITIAL CONCERN WILL BE THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT PERIOD TONIGHT DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACHING THE AREA FROM THE GULF. THE LATEST RADAR LOOP SHOWED A FAIRLY PRONOUNCED SQUALL LINE WITHIN 60-100 NM WEST OF NAPLES. THE LATEST HRRR AND WRF MODELS HAVE INITIALIZED FAIRLY WELL WITH THE CURRENT TRENDS AND GENERALLY INDICATE A NARROW SQUALL LINE CONTINUING EASTWARD AND HOLDING TOGETHER AS IT MOVES ASHORE FROM NAPLES TO THE LAKE REGION BETWEEN 3Z AND 6Z. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER (SPC) HAS INCLUDED THIS AREA IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS. THIS LINE IS THEN PROJECTED TO CONTINUE EASTWARD TOWARD THE EAST COAST FROM 6Z TO 10Z, THEN BEGINNING TO PUSH OFF THE EAST COAST BY OR AROUND DAYBREAK SATURDAY MORNING. ALTHOUGH SPC HAS INCLUDED NAPLES TO THE LAKE IN THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS TIME...THE BEST CHANCE FOR A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WATCH WILL REMAIN NORTH OF OUR LOCAL AREA ACROSS CENTRAL/NCNTRAL FLORIDA. FLOODING SHOULDN`T BE AN ISSUE DUE TO THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE EXPECTED WITH THIS NARROW LINE AS IT QUICKLY TRAVERSES THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST. 85/AG SHORT TERM...(SATURDAY-SUNDAY NIGHT)... THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO MOVE EAST OF THE LOCAL AREA WITH DRIER AIR AND NW FLOW FILLING IN SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW BEGINS TO LIFT OUT TO THE NORTHEAST. THE LATEST TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE INDICATES CONDITIONS TRENDING BACK TO AROUND NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL INLAND LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH DAYBREAK SUNDAY MORNING IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. DEEP LAYER RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD EASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION WITH DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. 85/AG LONG TERM...(SUNDAY-EARLY NEXT WEEK) THE DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTH FLORIDA FOR MOST OF NEXT WEEK DUE TO THE HIGH OVER THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK FOLLOWED BY A DRY COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. BNB MARINE... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MARINE AREA TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WITH NEAR ADVISORY LEVEL NORTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED TO FILL IN BEHIND IT SATURDAY. HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT ACROSS THE GULF WATERS...THEN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WATERS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS SATURDAY. MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS WILL BE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS EASTWARD OVER THE REGION. A MODERATE NORTHERLY SWELL WILL BE EXPECTED TO FILL IN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WATERS MONDAY. THIS SWELL COMBINED WITH MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS WILL LEAD TO ADVISORY LEVEL CONDITIONS FOR THE ATLANTIC WATERS THROUGH THIS TIME EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WEST PALM BEACH 84 63 81 68 / 30 10 0 0 FORT LAUDERDALE 87 67 82 70 / 40 0 0 0 MIAMI 86 68 83 69 / 40 0 0 0 NAPLES 84 61 82 66 / 20 10 10 0 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. AM...NONE. GM...NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
635 PM CDT Sun Apr 20 2014 ...Updated for the aviation discussion... .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday) ISSUED AT 116 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 Ample insolation early this afternoon resulted in surface-based CAPE in the 700-1100 J/kg west of Highway 283 to the Colorado border. Lack of a capping inversion beneath cool temperatures in the 700-500mb layer (+2C at 700mb). There were two areas of surface convergence that will support development of thunderstorms by mid-afternoon. The first area is near the Colorado border along the stationary trough axis, which is also near where the mid level vorticity center is. We are also watching a secondary area of interest from Dodge City south to the Oklahoma border where surface wind convergence was slightly enhanced. 1km visible satellite confirmed development of cumulus in both of these areas. Given the higher degree of instability than earlier anticipated, a few hail storms may occur with the largest hail most likely being around 1-inch in diameter (Quarter size). Severe weather threat will likely wane after 00Z or so as showers and thunderstorms grow upscale. This is what the HRRR would seem to suggest in its latest runs, which makes sense given the marginal instability. Much of the precipitation should be coming to an end/or exiting the southwest Kansas region in the 04-07Z time frame so POPs will be lowered during this time frame and shortly thereafter. A northern stream shortwave trough will aid in bringing a cold front south through western Nebraska late tonight, reaching southwestern Kansas by mid to late morning Monday. The front is not expected to have any impact on temperatures, though, so the going forecast of upper 70s to near 80 still looks pretty good (especially along/south of the Arkansas River). .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Sunday) ISSUED AT 149 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 Upper level ridging builds over the Plains Monday night through Tuesday with dry conditions in the mid levels. This will allow mostly clear skies to be observed across western Kansas. This will be short lived as the next storm system moves into the Northern Rockies Tuesday night into Wednesday. Southerly winds will be felt across western Kansas as this system approaches with increasing mid level moisture Tuesday night. A moderate upper level jet will be found above western Kansas on Wednesday enhancing lift across the area. Southerly winds will continue at the surface becoming windy in the afternoon. In addition, a dryline is suggested to develop in the afternoon with CAPE and shear increasing as the day progresses. These conditions will bring a chance of thunderstorms ahead of the dryline from late afternoon into Wednesday night. A few of these storms could become strong to severe with large hail and damaging winds being the main concern. A cold front then moves through western Kansas Thursday morning shifting winds to the north. Lows Tuesday morning will be in the low to mid 40s with highs Tuesday reaching into the upper 70s and lower 80s. The warmest day of the week looks to be on Wednesday with lows in the mid 50s and highs in the lower 80s. Lows Thursday morning look to range from the mid 40s across west central Kansas where the aforementioned cold front is expected to move through early to upper 50s across south central Kansas where the front is not expected to move through by sunrise. Dry conditions are then expected during the remainder of the week as an upper level ridge builds above the Plains with dry conditions in the mid levels. Winds shift back to the south by Saturday as the next storm system entered the western United States. This system is expected to affect western Kansas this weekend bringing an increase in clouds and a chance of thunderstorms. Highs Thursday through this weekend will generally be in the 70s with lower 80s possible across far southwestern Kansas on Saturday. Lows will generally be in the mid to upper 40s Friday and Saturday morning. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Monday evening) ISSUED AT 628 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 An upper level low pressure area slowly moving east across western Kansas will keep the area unstable through at least 03z tonight. The area of instability will shift to the east after that, and mid level clouds will be left behind. Winds in and near the upper low pressure will be south to southeast at 15g25kt this evening, then become southeast at 10 knots or less after 04z. After 15z on Monday, expect sct cirrus clouds and north winds of 15g22kt. Overall, flight conditions will be VFR, except with a few MVFR cigs in widely scattered showers and thunderstorms early tonight. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 53 77 45 79 / 50 10 0 10 GCK 51 76 43 82 / 50 0 0 10 EHA 49 76 46 83 / 20 10 0 10 LBL 51 78 46 83 / 50 0 0 10 HYS 56 77 43 79 / 60 10 0 10 P28 56 77 47 79 / 50 10 0 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...Umscheid LONG TERM...Hovorka_42 AVIATION...Burke
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
1127 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1019 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 AT 16Z...COLD FRONT LIES NEAR A MCCOOK TO GOODLAND LINE WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO NORTHEAST WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON...IT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION. LATEST HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS RUNS PLACE THE FRONT NEAR A NORTON TO CHEYENNE WELLS LINE AT PEAK HEATING. INSTABILITY AXIS JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE 800-1200 J/KG WITH LITTLE IF ANY SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY NORTH OF THE FRONT. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS FORECAST TO BE 15-25KTS IN THE INSTABILITY AXIS. GIVEN THOSE PARAMETERS...THE SEVERE THREAT APPEARS RATHER LOW. WHILE AN ISOLATED STRONGER STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZED HAIL CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT...MOST IF NOT ALL STORMS WILL LIKELY STAY BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. PRECIPITATION WILL EXPAND IN AREAL COVERAGE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS THE MAIN SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING ARRIVES WITH THE UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH. EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA LOOK TO RECEIVE THE MOST QPF...GENERALLY AROUND A QUARTER OF AN INCH WITH UP TO A HALF AN INCH POSSIBLE NEAR STRONGER STORMS...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SATELLITE SHOWING AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC. THIS TRANSLATES TO A SPLIT FLOW OVER THE COUNTRY WITH A FASTER NORTHERN STREAM AND A SLOWER/MORE CUTOFF SOUTHERN STREAM. STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM NOW ALONG THE UNITED STATES/CANADIAN BORDER IS PUSHING A FRONT TOWARD THE AREA. CLOSED OFF LOW IS OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHERN BAJA. ABOVE MENTIONED COLD FRONT LOOKS TO BE RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE AREA. AT JET LEVEL...MODELS NOT DOING THE GREATEST. THE GFS AND CANADIAN APPEAR TO BE DOING THE BEST WITH THE ECMWF JUST BEHIND THEM. AT MID LEVELS...ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE SHOW THAT THE CANADIAN IS DOING THE BEST WITH THE DESERT SOUTHWEST LOW. FOR THE NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM THE MODELS TENDED TO NOT HAVE IT FAR ENOUGH SOUTH . HERE THE CANADIAN WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE GFS. THE MODELS ARE HAVING A VERY HARD TIME WITH THE SURFACE WIND AND PRESSURE FIELD. THE RUC AND NAM TENDED TO BE TOO FAR FAST WITH LEE SIDE TROUGH AND ESPECIALLY THE FRONT. HOWEVER THE OTHER OUTPUT TENDED TO BE TOO SLOW. VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION AS EVIDENCED BY THE MODEL DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES IN THE MODEL OUTPUT OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS BELOW AVERAGE IN THE PRECIPITATION FORECAST AND TO SOME DEGREE HOW THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST WORK OUT. TODAY/TONIGHT...MODELS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THE SPEED AND POSITION OF THE FRONT WHICH AFFECTS EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FORECAST. FASTER MODELS HAVE THE FRONT THROUGH OF THE AREA BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SOME BRING IT IN FASTER AND THEN SLOW IT/HANG IT UP. OTHERS STILL ONLY BRING THE FRONT INTO THE NORTHWEST HALF BY LATE IN THE DAY. TENDED TO GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. BLENDING ALL MODEL SOLUTIONS TOGETHER TODAY WOULD SAY THAT THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAPPEN ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON. A COUPLE OF THINGS CONSISTENT FROM YESTERDAY ARE THE MODEL TENDENCIES OF SLOWING THE SYSTEM DOWN AND HAVING IT MORE CLOSED BY THE TIME IT MOVES INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FOR TODAY AND THAT SEEMS REASONABLE. CONSIDERING THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT LIFT ALOFT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING CAPPED SUPPORTS THAT. SO REDUCED THE CHANCES FOR THE DAY. DESPITE DIFFERENCES IN THE FRONTAL POSITION...MODELS DO SHOW IT COMING A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH PLUS LOOK TO HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF HIGHER LEVEL CLOUD COVER. SO DID REDUCE MAXES A LITTLE. MODEL DIFFERENCES CONTINUE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...MODELS DO BRING IN MUCH BETTER LIFT BUT THEY DIFFER ON WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT IT. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS IT LOOKS LIKE A FEW OF THE MODELS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK. DUE TO THE SLOWER TRENDS MODELS LOOK TO HOLD BACK THE MAIN LIFT UNTIL LATER TONIGHT. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED KEPT THE POPS IN THE HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. YESTERDAY CONCERN WAS THAT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THE POTENTIAL IS DEFINITELY THERE DUE TO THE HIGH PWATS THAT ARE WAY ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...DUE TO MODEL DIFFICULTIES HAVING A HARD SPECIFYING ANY SPECIFIC AREA OR EVEN MENTION IT AT ALL. SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS ARE A LITTLE CLOSER FOR THIS PERIOD THAN FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF AND NEAR OR OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA AT THE BEGINNING. FRONT HAS PULLED BACK FURTHER WEST TO NEAR THE COLORADO AND KANSAS BORDER...IF YOU BELIEVE THE FURTHEST WEST SOLUTION. AS YESTERDAY THE GREATEST THREAT OF PRECIPITATION IS IN THE EASTERN HALF TO TWO THIRDS WHERE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD STILL BE A THREAT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD END DURING THE EVENING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL DEPEND ON HOW EXTENSIVE PRECIPITATION WILL BE. TENDED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOUT THE SAME IF NOT SLIGHTLY COOLER. MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE RIDGING ALOFT MOVES INTO THE AREA AS NORTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE PUSH IN BEHIND THE EXITING SYSTEM. ONLY MADE A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE MAXES BUT FEEL THAT THE MODELS MAY BE HAVING THE TEMPERATURES TOO COOL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TUESDAY...UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA AHEAD OF A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WHICH BY 12Z WEDNESDAY SHIFTS TOWARD THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...SHIFTING THE UPPER FLOW TO THE SOUTHWEST. AT THE SFC INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN SFC HIGH TO OUR EAST AND LOW PRESSURE TO OUR WEST. THIS WILL PRODUCE BREEZY TO WINDY SOUTHERLY WINDS. TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY DRYLINE EDGES EAST INTO FAR EASTERN COLORADO. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE COUPLED WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY MAY BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. FOR NOW HAVE KEPT THEM OUT DURING THE DAY BUT KEPT THEM IN EARLY TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE FAR EAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S EAST TO NEAR 80 WEST. LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT GENERALLY IN THE 50S. WEDNESDAY...CENTER OF UPPER TROUGH EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE AT THE SFC WINDY/VERY WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED DURING PART/MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...MOST LIKELY LATE IN THE DAY AND CERTAINLY (AT THIS POINT) WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA WHERE GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY AXIS SETS UP ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN 1/4 OF THE AREA WHERE CURRENT FORECAST HAS SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SEE NO REASON TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS THINKING. INSTABILITY AXIS MOVES EAST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING AS COLD FRONT AND WIND SHIFT MOVES IN AND ANY PRECIPITATION CHANCES LOOK TO BE CONFINED TO THE BEFORE MIDNIGHT PERIOD...CURRENTLY HANDLED WELL IN CURRENT FORECAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES MID 70S TO AROUND 80 IN EASTERN COLORADO WITH LOW 80S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S WEST...LOW 40S TO AROUND 50 EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. THURSDAY...UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH CONTINUE SLOWLY EAST WHILE SFC FEATURES SHOW NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE AREA ALONG WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT NEAR 70 BY HILL CITY. LOWS MID TO UPPER 30S WEST...LOW 40S EAST. FRIDAY...AS UPPER LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES WE AWAIT SOME UPPER RIDGING THAT MOVES IN FRIDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY TOWARD THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DRY PERIOD WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT AROUND 70 ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. LOWS UPPER 30S WEST TO LOW 40S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1123 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 VFR EXPECTED AT BOTH KGLD AND KMCK THROUGH THE PERIOD. FRONTAL PASSAGE HAS OCCURRED AT BOTH TERMINALS AND NORTHERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL INITIATE NEAR THE FRONT LATER THIS AFTERNOON...WELL SOUTH OF BOTH TERMINALS...BUT WILL MOVE NORTH TONIGHT. INSTABILITY WILL BE VERY LIMITED NORTH OF THE FRONT...BUT CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM BRIEFLY IMPACTING A TERMINAL MAINLY THIS EVENING. RAIN CHANCES WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING BUT AGAIN BEST CHANCES WILL BE TO THE SOUTH SO WILL NOT MENTION IN EITHER TAF AT THIS POINT. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM AROUND NOON MDT (1 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 7 PM MDT (8 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. IN THIS AREA RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS FORECAST TO DROP TOWARD 15 PERCENT WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 40 TO 45 MPH. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...024 SHORT TERM...BULLER LONG TERM...99 AVIATION...024 FIRE WEATHER...99
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
1032 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1019 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 AT 16Z...COLD FRONT LIES NEAR A MCCOOK TO GOODLAND LINE WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO NORTHEAST WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON...IT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION. LATEST HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS RUNS PLACE THE FRONT NEAR A NORTON TO CHEYENNE WELLS LINE AT PEAK HEATING. INSTABILITY AXIS JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE 800-1200 J/KG WITH LITTLE IF ANY SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY NORTH OF THE FRONT. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS FORECAST TO BE 15-25KTS IN THE INSTABILITY AXIS. GIVEN THOSE PARAMETERS...THE SEVERE THREAT APPEARS RATHER LOW. WHILE AN ISOLATED STRONGER STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZED HAIL CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT...MOST IF NOT ALL STORMS WILL LIKELY STAY BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. PRECIPITATION WILL EXPAND IN AREAL COVERAGE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS THE MAIN SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING ARRIVES WITH THE UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH. EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA LOOK TO RECEIVE THE MOST QPF...GENERALLY AROUND A QUARTER OF AN INCH WITH UP TO A HALF AN INCH POSSIBLE NEAR STRONGER STORMS...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SATELLITE SHOWING AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC. THIS TRANSLATES TO A SPLIT FLOW OVER THE COUNTRY WITH A FASTER NORTHERN STREAM AND A SLOWER/MORE CUTOFF SOUTHERN STREAM. STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM NOW ALONG THE UNITED STATES/CANADIAN BORDER IS PUSHING A FRONT TOWARD THE AREA. CLOSED OFF LOW IS OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHERN BAJA. ABOVE MENTIONED COLD FRONT LOOKS TO BE RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE AREA. AT JET LEVEL...MODELS NOT DOING THE GREATEST. THE GFS AND CANADIAN APPEAR TO BE DOING THE BEST WITH THE ECMWF JUST BEHIND THEM. AT MID LEVELS...ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE SHOW THAT THE CANADIAN IS DOING THE BEST WITH THE DESERT SOUTHWEST LOW. FOR THE NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM THE MODELS TENDED TO NOT HAVE IT FAR ENOUGH SOUTH . HERE THE CANADIAN WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE GFS. THE MODELS ARE HAVING A VERY HARD TIME WITH THE SURFACE WIND AND PRESSURE FIELD. THE RUC AND NAM TENDED TO BE TOO FAR FAST WITH LEE SIDE TROUGH AND ESPECIALLY THE FRONT. HOWEVER THE OTHER OUTPUT TENDED TO BE TOO SLOW. VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION AS EVIDENCED BY THE MODEL DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES IN THE MODEL OUTPUT OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS BELOW AVERAGE IN THE PRECIPITATION FORECAST AND TO SOME DEGREE HOW THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST WORK OUT. TODAY/TONIGHT...MODELS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THE SPEED AND POSITION OF THE FRONT WHICH AFFECTS EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FORECAST. FASTER MODELS HAVE THE FRONT THROUGH OF THE AREA BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SOME BRING IT IN FASTER AND THEN SLOW IT/HANG IT UP. OTHERS STILL ONLY BRING THE FRONT INTO THE NORTHWEST HALF BY LATE IN THE DAY. TENDED TO GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. BLENDING ALL MODEL SOLUTIONS TOGETHER TODAY WOULD SAY THAT THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAPPEN ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON. A COUPLE OF THINGS CONSISTENT FROM YESTERDAY ARE THE MODEL TENDENCIES OF SLOWING THE SYSTEM DOWN AND HAVING IT MORE CLOSED BY THE TIME IT MOVES INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FOR TODAY AND THAT SEEMS REASONABLE. CONSIDERING THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT LIFT ALOFT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING CAPPED SUPPORTS THAT. SO REDUCED THE CHANCES FOR THE DAY. DESPITE DIFFERENCES IN THE FRONTAL POSITION...MODELS DO SHOW IT COMING A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH PLUS LOOK TO HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF HIGHER LEVEL CLOUD COVER. SO DID REDUCE MAXES A LITTLE. MODEL DIFFERENCES CONTINUE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...MODELS DO BRING IN MUCH BETTER LIFT BUT THEY DIFFER ON WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT IT. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS IT LOOKS LIKE A FEW OF THE MODELS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK. DUE TO THE SLOWER TRENDS MODELS LOOK TO HOLD BACK THE MAIN LIFT UNTIL LATER TONIGHT. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED KEPT THE POPS IN THE HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. YESTERDAY CONCERN WAS THAT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THE POTENTIAL IS DEFINITELY THERE DUE TO THE HIGH PWATS THAT ARE WAY ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...DUE TO MODEL DIFFICULTIES HAVING A HARD SPECIFYING ANY SPECIFIC AREA OR EVEN MENTION IT AT ALL. SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS ARE A LITTLE CLOSER FOR THIS PERIOD THAN FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF AND NEAR OR OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA AT THE BEGINNING. FRONT HAS PULLED BACK FURTHER WEST TO NEAR THE COLORADO AND KANSAS BORDER...IF YOU BELIEVE THE FURTHEST WEST SOLUTION. AS YESTERDAY THE GREATEST THREAT OF PRECIPITATION IS IN THE EASTERN HALF TO TWO THIRDS WHERE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD STILL BE A THREAT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD END DURING THE EVENING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL DEPEND ON HOW EXTENSIVE PRECIPITATION WILL BE. TENDED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOUT THE SAME IF NOT SLIGHTLY COOLER. MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE RIDGING ALOFT MOVES INTO THE AREA AS NORTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE PUSH IN BEHIND THE EXITING SYSTEM. ONLY MADE A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE MAXES BUT FEEL THAT THE MODELS MAY BE HAVING THE TEMPERATURES TOO COOL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TUESDAY...UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA AHEAD OF A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WHICH BY 12Z WEDNESDAY SHIFTS TOWARD THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...SHIFTING THE UPPER FLOW TO THE SOUTHWEST. AT THE SFC INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN SFC HIGH TO OUR EAST AND LOW PRESSURE TO OUR WEST. THIS WILL PRODUCE BREEZY TO WINDY SOUTHERLY WINDS. TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY DRYLINE EDGES EAST INTO FAR EASTERN COLORADO. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE COUPLED WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY MAY BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. FOR NOW HAVE KEPT THEM OUT DURING THE DAY BUT KEPT THEM IN EARLY TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE FAR EAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S EAST TO NEAR 80 WEST. LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT GENERALLY IN THE 50S. WEDNESDAY...CENTER OF UPPER TROUGH EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE AT THE SFC WINDY/VERY WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED DURING PART/MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...MOST LIKELY LATE IN THE DAY AND CERTAINLY (AT THIS POINT) WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA WHERE GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY AXIS SETS UP ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN 1/4 OF THE AREA WHERE CURRENT FORECAST HAS SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SEE NO REASON TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS THINKING. INSTABILITY AXIS MOVES EAST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING AS COLD FRONT AND WIND SHIFT MOVES IN AND ANY PRECIPITATION CHANCES LOOK TO BE CONFINED TO THE BEFORE MIDNIGHT PERIOD...CURRENTLY HANDLED WELL IN CURRENT FORECAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES MID 70S TO AROUND 80 IN EASTERN COLORADO WITH LOW 80S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S WEST...LOW 40S TO AROUND 50 EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. THURSDAY...UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH CONTINUE SLOWLY EAST WHILE SFC FEATURES SHOW NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE AREA ALONG WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT NEAR 70 BY HILL CITY. LOWS MID TO UPPER 30S WEST...LOW 40S EAST. FRIDAY...AS UPPER LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES WE AWAIT SOME UPPER RIDGING THAT MOVES IN FRIDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY TOWARD THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DRY PERIOD WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT AROUND 70 ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. LOWS UPPER 30S WEST TO LOW 40S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 531 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TRICKY AND LOW CONFIDENCE WIND AND THUNDERSTORM FORECAST. MODELS ARE HAVING A HARD HANDLING THE SPEED AND POSITION OF INCOMING FRONT. THE POSITION OF THE FRONT WILL BE A BIG DETERMINER WHERE THE THUNDERSTORMS END UP. AT THIS TIME...IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL NOT ARRIVE UNTIL THE EVENING AND ESPECIALLY THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SO TRENDED THE TAFS IN THAT DIRECTION. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM AROUND NOON MDT (1 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 7 PM MDT (8 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. IN THIS AREA RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS FORECAST TO DROP TOWARD 15 PERCENT WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 40 TO 45 MPH. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...024 SHORT TERM...BULLER LONG TERM...99 AVIATION...BULLER FIRE WEATHER...99
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GOODLAND KS
536 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SATELLITE SHOWING AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC. THIS TRANSLATES TO A SPLIT FLOW OVER THE COUNTRY WITH A FASTER NORTHERN STREAM AND A SLOWER/MORE CUTOFF SOUTHERN STREAM. STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM NOW ALONG THE UNITED STATES/CANADIAN BORDER IS PUSHING A FRONT TOWARD THE AREA. CLOSED OFF LOW IS OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHERN BAJA. ABOVE MENTIONED COLD FRONT LOOKS TO BE RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE AREA. AT JET LEVEL...MODELS NOT DOING THE GREATEST. THE GFS AND CANADIAN APPEAR TO BE DOING THE BEST WITH THE ECMWF JUST BEHIND THEM. AT MID LEVELS...ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE SHOW THAT THE CANADIAN IS DOING THE BEST WITH THE DESERT SOUTHWEST LOW. FOR THE NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM THE MODELS TENDED TO NOT HAVE IT FAR ENOUGH SOUTH . HERE THE CANADIAN WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE GFS. THE MODELS ARE HAVING A VERY HARD TIME WITH THE SURFACE WIND AND PRESSURE FIELD. THE RUC AND NAM TENDED TO BE TOO FAR FAST WITH LEE SIDE TROUGH AND ESPECIALLY THE FRONT. HOWEVER THE OTHER OUTPUT TENDED TO BE TOO SLOW. VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION AS EVIDENCED BY THE MODEL DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES IN THE MODEL OUTPUT OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS BELOW AVERAGE IN THE PRECIPITATION FORECAST AND TO SOME DEGREE HOW THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST WORK OUT. TODAY/TONIGHT...MODELS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THE SPEED AND POSITION OF THE FRONT WHICH AFFECTS EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FORECAST. FASTER MODELS HAVE THE FRONT THROUGH OF THE AREA BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SOME BRING IT IN FASTER AND THEN SLOW IT/HANG IT UP. OTHERS STILL ONLY BRING THE FRONT INTO THE NORTHWEST HALF BY LATE IN THE DAY. TENDED TO GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. BLENDING ALL MODEL SOLUTIONS TOGETHER TODAY WOULD SAY THAT THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAPPEN ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON. A COUPLE OF THINGS CONSISTENT FROM YESTERDAY ARE THE MODEL TENDENCIES OF SLOWING THE SYSTEM DOWN AND HAVING IT MORE CLOSED BY THE TIME IT MOVES INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FOR TODAY AND THAT SEEMS REASONABLE. CONSIDERING THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT LIFT ALOFT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING CAPPED SUPPORTS THAT. SO REDUCED THE CHANCES FOR THE DAY. DESPITE DIFFERENCES IN THE FRONTAL POSITION...MODELS DO SHOW IT COMING A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH PLUS LOOK TO HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF HIGHER LEVEL CLOUD COVER. SO DID REDUCE MAXES A LITTLE. MODEL DIFFERENCES CONTINUE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...MODELS DO BRING IN MUCH BETTER LIFT BUT THEY DIFFER ON WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT IT. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS IT LOOKS LIKE A FEW OF THE MODELS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK. DUE TO THE SLOWER TRENDS MODELS LOOK TO HOLD BACK THE MAIN LIFT UNTIL LATER TONIGHT. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED KEPT THE POPS IN THE HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. YESTERDAY CONCERN WAS THAT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THE POTENTIAL IS DEFINITELY THERE DUE TO THE HIGH PWATS THAT ARE WAY ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...DUE TO MODEL DIFFICULTIES HAVING A HARD SPECIFYING ANY SPECIFIC AREA OR EVEN MENTION IT AT ALL. SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS ARE A LITTLE CLOSER FOR THIS PERIOD THAN FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF AND NEAR OR OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA AT THE BEGINNING. FRONT HAS PULLED BACK FURTHER WEST TO NEAR THE COLORADO AND KANSAS BORDER...IF YOU BELIEVE THE FURTHEST WEST SOLUTION. AS YESTERDAY THE GREATEST THREAT OF PRECIPITATION IS IN THE EASTERN HALF TO TWO THIRDS WHERE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD STILL BE A THREAT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD END DURING THE EVENING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL DEPEND ON HOW EXTENSIVE PRECIPITATION WILL BE. TENDED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOUT THE SAME IF NOT SLIGHTLY COOLER. MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE RIDGING ALOFT MOVES INTO THE AREA AS NORTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE PUSH IN BEHIND THE EXITING SYSTEM. ONLY MADE A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE MAXES BUT FEEL THAT THE MODELS MAY BE HAVING THE TEMPERATURES TOO COOL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TUESDAY...UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA AHEAD OF A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WHICH BY 12Z WEDNESDAY SHIFTS TOWARD THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...SHIFTING THE UPPER FLOW TO THE SOUTHWEST. AT THE SFC INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN SFC HIGH TO OUR EAST AND LOW PRESSURE TO OUR WEST. THIS WILL PRODUCE BREEZY TO WINDY SOUTHERLY WINDS. TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY DRYLINE EDGES EAST INTO FAR EASTERN COLORADO. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE COUPLED WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY MAY BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. FOR NOW HAVE KEPT THEM OUT DURING THE DAY BUT KEPT THEM IN EARLY TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE FAR EAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S EAST TO NEAR 80 WEST. LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT GENERALLY IN THE 50S. WEDNESDAY...CENTER OF UPPER TROUGH EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE AT THE SFC WINDY/VERY WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED DURING PART/MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...MOST LIKELY LATE IN THE DAY AND CERTAINLY (AT THIS POINT) WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA WHERE GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY AXIS SETS UP ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN 1/4 OF THE AREA WHERE CURRENT FORECAST HAS SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SEE NO REASON TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS THINKING. INSTABILITY AXIS MOVES EAST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING AS COLD FRONT AND WIND SHIFT MOVES IN AND ANY PRECIPITATION CHANCES LOOK TO BE CONFINED TO THE BEFORE MIDNIGHT PERIOD...CURRENTLY HANDLED WELL IN CURRENT FORECAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES MID 70S TO AROUND 80 IN EASTERN COLORADO WITH LOW 80S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S WEST...LOW 40S TO AROUND 50 EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. THURSDAY...UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH CONTINUE SLOWLY EAST WHILE SFC FEATURES SHOW NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE AREA ALONG WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT NEAR 70 BY HILL CITY. LOWS MID TO UPPER 30S WEST...LOW 40S EAST. FRIDAY...AS UPPER LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES WE AWAIT SOME UPPER RIDGING THAT MOVES IN FRIDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY TOWARD THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DRY PERIOD WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT AROUND 70 ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. LOWS UPPER 30S WEST TO LOW 40S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 531 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TRICKY AND LOW CONFIDENCE WIND AND THUNDERSTORM FORECAST. MODELS ARE HAVING A HARD HANDLING THE SPEED AND POSITION OF INCOMING FRONT. THE POSITION OF THE FRONT WILL BE A BIG DETERMINER WHERE THE THUNDERSTORMS END UP. AT THIS TIME...IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL NOT ARRIVE UNTIL THE EVENING AND ESPECIALLY THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SO TRENDED THE TAFS IN THAT DIRECTION. OTHERWISE VFR CODNTIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM AROUND NOON MDT (1 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 7 PM MDT (8 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. IN THIS AREA RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS FORECAST TO DROP TOWARD 15 PERCENT WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 40 TO 45 MPH. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...BULLER LONG TERM...99 AVIATION...BULLER FIRE WEATHER...99
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION
NWS GOODLAND KS
341 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 341 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SATELLITE SHOWING AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC. THIS TRANSLATES TO A SPLIT FLOW OVER THE COUNTRY WITH A FASTER NORTHERN STREAM AND A SLOWER/MORE CUTOFF SOUTHERN STREAM. STRONGER NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM NOW ALONG THE UNITED STATES/CANADIAN BORDER IS PUSHING A FRONT TOWARD THE AREA. CLOSED OFF LOW IS OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/NORTHERN BAJA. ABOVE MENTIONED COLD FRONT LOOKS TO BE RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE AREA. AT JET LEVEL...MODELS NOT DOING THE GREATEST. THE GFS AND CANADIAN APPEAR TO BE DOING THE BEST WITH THE ECMWF JUST BEHIND THEM. AT MID LEVELS...ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE SHOW THAT THE CANADIAN IS DOING THE BEST WITH THE DESERT SOUTHWEST LOW. FOR THE NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM THE MODELS TENDED TO NOT HAVE IT FAR ENOUGH SOUTH . HERE THE CANADIAN WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE GFS. THE MODELS ARE HAVING A VERY HARD TIME WITH THE SURFACE WIND AND PRESSURE FIELD. THE RUC AND NAM TENDED TO BE TOO FAR FAST WITH LEE SIDE TROUGH AND ESPECIALLY THE FRONT. HOWEVER THE OTHER OUTPUT TENDED TO BE TOO SLOW. VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION AS EVIDENCED BY THE MODEL DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES IN THE MODEL OUTPUT OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS BELOW AVERAGE IN THE PRECIPITATION FORECAST AND TO SOME DEGREE HOW THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST WORK OUT. TODAY/TONIGHT...MODELS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THE SPEED AND POSITION OF THE FRONT WHICH AFFECTS EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FORECAST. FASTER MODELS HAVE THE FRONT THROUGH OF THE AREA BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SOME BRING IT IN FASTER AND THEN SLOW IT/HANG IT UP. OTHERS STILL ONLY BRING THE FRONT INTO THE NORTHWEST HALF BY LATE IN THE DAY. TENDED TO GO INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. BLENDING ALL MODEL SOLUTIONS TOGETHER TODAY WOULD SAY THAT THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAPPEN ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON. A COUPLE OF THINGS CONSISTENT FROM YESTERDAY ARE THE MODEL TENDENCIES OF SLOWING THE SYSTEM DOWN AND HAVING IT MORE CLOSED BY THE TIME IT MOVES INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FOR TODAY AND THAT SEEMS REASONABLE. CONSIDERING THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT LIFT ALOFT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING CAPPED SUPPORTS THAT. SO REDUCED THE CHANCES FOR THE DAY. DESPITE DIFFERENCES IN THE FRONTAL POSITION...MODELS DO SHOW IT COMING A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH PLUS LOOK TO HAVE A DECENT AMOUNT OF HIGHER LEVEL CLOUD COVER. SO DID REDUCE MAXES A LITTLE. MODEL DIFFERENCES CONTINUE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...MODELS DO BRING IN MUCH BETTER LIFT BUT THEY DIFFER ON WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT IT. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS IT LOOKS LIKE A FEW OF THE MODELS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK. DUE TO THE SLOWER TRENDS MODELS LOOK TO HOLD BACK THE MAIN LIFT UNTIL LATER TONIGHT. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED KEPT THE POPS IN THE HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. YESTERDAY CONCERN WAS THAT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THE POTENTIAL IS DEFINITELY THERE DUE TO THE HIGH PWATS THAT ARE WAY ABOVE NORMAL. HOWEVER...DUE TO MODEL DIFFICULTIES HAVING A HARD SPECIFYING ANY SPECIFIC AREA OR EVEN MENTION IT AT ALL. SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS ARE A LITTLE CLOSER FOR THIS PERIOD THAN FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF AND NEAR OR OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA AT THE BEGINNING. FRONT HAS PULLED BACK FURTHER WEST TO NEAR THE COLORADO AND KANSAS BORDER...IF YOU BELIEVE THE FURTHEST WEST SOLUTION. AS YESTERDAY THE GREATEST THREAT OF PRECIPITATION IS IN THE EASTERN HALF TO TWO THIRDS WHERE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD STILL BE A THREAT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD END DURING THE EVENING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL DEPEND ON HOW EXTENSIVE PRECIPITATION WILL BE. TENDED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOUT THE SAME IF NOT SLIGHTLY COOLER. MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE RIDGING ALOFT MOVES INTO THE AREA AS NORTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE PUSH IN BEHIND THE EXITING SYSTEM. ONLY MADE A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE MAXES BUT FEEL THAT THE MODELS MAY BE HAVING THE TEMPERATURES TOO COOL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TUESDAY...UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA AHEAD OF A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WHICH BY 12Z WEDNESDAY SHIFTS TOWARD THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...SHIFTING THE UPPER FLOW TO THE SOUTHWEST. AT THE SFC INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN SFC HIGH TO OUR EAST AND LOW PRESSURE TO OUR WEST. THIS WILL PRODUCE BREEZY TO WINDY SOUTHERLY WINDS. TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY DRYLINE EDGES EAST INTO FAR EASTERN COLORADO. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE COUPLED WITH SOME WEAK INSTABILITY MAY BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. FOR NOW HAVE KEPT THEM OUT DURING THE DAY BUT KEPT THEM IN EARLY TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE FAR EAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S EAST TO NEAR 80 WEST. LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT GENERALLY IN THE 50S. WEDNESDAY...CENTER OF UPPER TROUGH EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE AT THE SFC WINDY/VERY WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED DURING PART/MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...MOST LIKELY LATE IN THE DAY AND CERTAINLY (AT THIS POINT) WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA WHERE GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY AXIS SETS UP ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN 1/4 OF THE AREA WHERE CURRENT FORECAST HAS SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SEE NO REASON TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS THINKING. INSTABILITY AXIS MOVES EAST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING AS COLD FRONT AND WIND SHIFT MOVES IN AND ANY PRECIPITATION CHANCES LOOK TO BE CONFINED TO THE BEFORE MIDNIGHT PERIOD...CURRENTLY HANDLED WELL IN CURRENT FORECAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES MID 70S TO AROUND 80 IN EASTERN COLORADO WITH LOW 80S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S WEST...LOW 40S TO AROUND 50 EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. THURSDAY...UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH CONTINUE SLOWLY EAST WHILE SFC FEATURES SHOW NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE AREA ALONG WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT NEAR 70 BY HILL CITY. LOWS MID TO UPPER 30S WEST...LOW 40S EAST. FRIDAY...AS UPPER LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES WE AWAIT SOME UPPER RIDGING THAT MOVES IN FRIDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY TOWARD THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DRY PERIOD WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 60S EXCEPT AROUND 70 ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. LOWS UPPER 30S WEST TO LOW 40S EAST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1037 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD AT MCK AND GLD. GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL TURN TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AFTER 15Z WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. HIGH CLOUDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT WITH CEILINGS LOWERING THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. EXPECT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AFTER 20Z AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AFTER 03Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 220 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM AROUND NOON MDT (1 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 7 PM MDT (8 PM CDT) WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CO/KS BORDER. IN THIS AREA RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS FORECAST TO DROP TOWARD 15 PERCENT WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 40 TO 45 MPH. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...BULLER LONG TERM...99 AVIATION...LOCKHART FIRE WEATHER...99
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS OMAHA/VALLEY NE
321 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 309 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 RAIN/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING ARE THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS. FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS SLIPPED INTO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...TEMPERATURES HAVE CLIMBED WELL INTO THE 70S ON BRISK SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS...HOWEVER MOISTURE HAS BEEN SLOW TO RETURN. DEW POINTS WERE GENERALLY IN THE MID AND UPPER 40S...WITH LOWER 50S READINGS WELL SOUTH IN CENTRAL KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. A WEAK MID LEVEL WAVE AS SEEN IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND RAP HEIGHT FIELDS WAS MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...AND WAS TRIGGERING MID LEVEL RETURNS ON RADAR ACROSS NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. HOWEVER ONLY VIRGA IS EXPECTED THERE AS LOW HUMIDITIES EXIST BELOW MID LEVEL CLOUD LAYER. CONGESTUS CLOUDS WERE ALSO NOTED IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IN AREA OF INCREASING BUT STILL WEAK INSTABILITY. MEANWHILE...UPPER TROUGH DRIFTING EAST THROUGH ARIZONA WILL GRADUALLY WORK TOWARD THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT AND EVENTUALLY EAST OF THE AREA MONDAY. AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH...A COUPLE OF MID LEVEL WAVES WILL RIPPLE NORTHEAST ACROSS NEBRASKA...AND SHOULD TRIGGER SCATTERED SHOWERS OR STORMS FOCUSED NEAR SURFACE FRONT. BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS TO COME LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS CONVECTION EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS OR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA MOVES INTO OUR AREA. THE SLOW MOISTURE RETURN WAS HOLDING INSTABILITY IN CHECK THIS AFTERNOON BUT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE LATE IN THE DAY OR EARLY EVENING. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES OF 8.5-9 C/KM WERE ALREADY IN PLACE IN WESTERN KANSAS/NEBRASKA OVER TOP OF INCREASING LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE NORTHEAST OF SURFACE LOW IN EASTERN COLORADO. VARIOUS SYNOPTIC AND MESO SCALE MODELS (NAM/GFS/RAP/HRRR/HOPWRF) INDICATE CONVECTION POPPING IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA SOMETIME IN THE 23Z TO 02Z TIMEFRAME...AND DEVELOP/SPREAD THIS NORTHEAST ALONG FRONTAL ZONE DURING THE EVENING. SEVERE PARAMETERS ARE NOT IMPRESSIVE WHEN STORMS ARRIVE OVERNIGHT...ELEVATED CAPE 800 J/KG AND 0-6KM SHEAR NEAR 25KT...SO NOT EXPECTING MORE THAN SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. CHANCES WILL DECREASE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THIS COMPLEX ROLLS OUT OF OUR AREA. THEN CHANCES BEGIN TO INCREASE AGAIN SUNDAY MORNING WITH THE APPROACH OF UPPER TROUGH. SURFACE DEW POINTS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE...LIKELY INTO THE MID TO UPPER 50S BY AFTERNOON...WITH COLD FRONT BRIDGING NORTH TOWARD THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER. AFTERNOON SURFACE CAPES SHOULD APPROACH 1500 J/KG BUT SHEAR IS LIMITED. SO AGAIN SEVERE CHANCES ARE SMALL...BUT CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS/STORMS APPEARS LIKELY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING GIVEN COOLING ALOFT FROM UPPER TROUGH. WILL HAVE FAIRLY HIGH PRECIP CHANCES SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN TWO- THIRDS OF THE CWA BEFORE FRONT FINALLY BEGINS MOVING SOUTHEAST LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. LINGERING SHOWERS/STORMS NEAR I-80 AND SOUTH WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST MONDAY MORNING...THEN CLEARING SKIES WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND RIDGING ALOFT BUILDING IN WILL RULE THE FORECAST INTO TUESDAY. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 309 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 THE LONGER TERM PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH UPPER RIDGE AXIS SHIFTING OFF TO THE EAST WITH THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER TROUGH SLIDING INTO THE ROCKIES. THAT TROUGH WILL WORK THROUGH THE PLAINS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BEFORE LIFTING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. WILL HAVE PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THE FORECAST UNTIL THAT PASSES BY...WITH A CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS AT MID WEEK. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AS WARM ADVECTION COMMENCES UNDER DIFFLUENT MID LEVEL FLOW AHEAD OF WESTERN TROUGH. MID LEVEL INSTABILITY IS NOT THAT STRONG THEN...BUT SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. ON WEDNESDAY...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL INTENSIFY IN THE HIGH PLAINS WITH DRYLINE SETTING UP IN WESTERN NEBRASKA. WARM ADVECTION CONTINUES OVER OUR AREA LEADING TO LINGERING CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/STORMS. BUT BETTER CHANCES COME WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS LOW/FRONT/DRYLINE MOVE INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA UNDER DYNAMIC MID LEVEL FLOW AND 60KT LOW LEVEL JET. TIMING AND MAGNITUDE OF THESE FEATURES WILL STILL HAVE TO BE FINE-TUNED WITH LATER FORECASTS...BUT THIS CERTAINLY BEARS WATCHING. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE EXITING THURSDAY MORNING...BUT COULD SEE SOME REDEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS ESPECIALLY IN OUR NORTH AND EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AS MID LEVEL COLD POOL ROTATES THROUGH THE REGION. COOLER AIR WILL FOLLOW WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 60S TO END THE WEEK. && .AVIATION...(18Z TAFS FOR KOFK...KLNK AND KOMA.) ISSUED AT 1246 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. MVFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD AS THE COLD FRONT BEGINS TO STALL. THE FRONT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY FROM NEAR 02-10Z AND AGAIN AT KOFK FROM 12-18Z SUN. MORE SHOWERS AND POTENTIAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR KLNK AND KOMA AFTER 18Z SUNDAY. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DERGAN LONG TERM...DERGAN AVIATION...KERN
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS ALBUQUERQUE NM
218 PM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION TONIGHT AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR MODERATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL FOCUS MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME LOCALLY STRONG BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS. ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND BLOWING DUST. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THIS PERIOD. DRYING AND WARMING WILL COMMENCE MONDAY BEFORE WARMER TEMPERATURES AND THE SPRING WINDS RETURN FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... ABUNDANT MOISTURE HAS FINALLY RETURNED TO NM TODAY. CIRA PERCENT OF NORMAL PWAT VALUES ARE WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR A LARGE AREA OF THE STATE. THE 12Z KABQ RAOB PWAT OF 0.54 WAS +2 STD DEV ABV CLIMO AND 0.77 AT KEPZ WAS AT THE 99TH PERCENTILE. THE WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS A LARGE SCALE UPPER LOW DRAGGING ALL THIS MOISTURE INTO THE AREA AND SHIFTING VERY SLOWLY EAST ACROSS NM/SOUTHERN AZ. THICK CLOUD COVER OVER CENTRAL NM HAS REALLY HAMPERED TRANSLATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PRECIP INTO THE REGION...WHILE NUMEROUS SHRA/TSRA IMPACT NEARLY THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY. FORTUNATELY AREAS THAT HAVE REPORTED PRECIP SINCE MIDNIGHT ARE DOING QUITE WELL. LOTS OF 0.25 TO 0.50 INCH REPORTS GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 60. UNFORTUNATELY MODEL AGREEMENT IS NOT GREAT TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY WITH THE FOCUS FOR HIGHEST CHANCES. THE LATEST HRRR CONTINUES TO INDICATE A TROWAL FEATURE DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN AND RIO GRANDE VALLEY TONIGHT AS THE UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS INTO EASTERN NM. QPF NUMBERS COULD BE IMPRESSIVE FOR THE CENTRAL MTS/VALLEY IF IN FACT THIS FEATURE DEVELOPS. OTHER OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE SHOWS THIS TO SOME DEGREE BUT CONVECTIVE QPF BULLSEYES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE. DIDNT CHANGE GRIDS TOO MUCH FOR TONIGHT SINCE CONFIDENCE ON THE PLACEMENT OF DEFINITE POPS IS TOO LOW. THE MAIN FORCING WILL SLIDE INTO THE NE PLAINS SUNDAY WHERE A SURFACE FRONT ALSO SLIPS INTO THE REGION. INCREASED POPS A TAD THERE AND LOWERED FOR THE WEST WHERE DRIER AIR SHOULD BEGIN FILTERING INTO THE AREA. DID NOT FOCUS MUCH ON THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY PERIOD SINCE MAINLY A TEMPERATURE AND WIND FORECAST. PRECIP CHANCES WILL LOWER AS VERY DRY AIR BEGINS SCOURING OUT ANY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LEFT OVER FROM THE CURRENT SYSTEM. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY LOOK NASTY WITH STRONG WINDS... BLOWING DUST...AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER SETTING UP FOR NORTHWEST PLATEAU AND ADJACENT HIGHLANDS TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AND ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE WEDNESDAY. CRITICAL CONDITIONS REDEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS THURSDAY...AND AGAIN ON SUNDAY. MODELS...IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT THROUGH THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK AND WEEKEND...WITH SOME DIFFERENCES IN STRENGTH AND TIMING OF FEATURES EARLY IN THE FOLLOWING WORK WEEK. BROAD TROUGH FROM SALT LAKE CITY ACROSS ARIZONA TO THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA WILL DRIFT EAST ACROSS NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AS UPSTREAM RIDGE SLIDES OVER THE STATE MONDAY. TROUGH DIGGING OUT OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC OCEAN WILL SWING ONSHORE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA EARLY TUESDAY..TILT NEGATIVE...AND THEN MOVE TO THE FOUR CORNERS ON WEDNESDAY. TROUGH WILL SHEAR RAPIDLY ACROSS THE STATE INTO THURSDAY MORNING LEAVING STATE IN ZONAL FLOW. NEXT PACIFIC TROUGH WILL ARRIVE OVER THE CALIFORNIA COAST IN NEGATIVE TILT ASPECT SATURDAY MORNING...AND THIS FEATURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE OVER THE WEEKEND. MONDAY MORNING DAWNS WITH DIFFERENCES EMERGING IN DISPLAYED FEATURES BETWEEN SOLUTIONS. EUROPEAN ECMWF MAINTAINS A BRISK SHEARING ZONAL TO NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE STATE INTO THE FIRST OF THE WORK WEEK...WHILE GFS OPTS FOR CLOSING THE TROUGH OFF INTO A CLOSED LOW OVER COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO...WITH CORRESPONDINGLY SLOW EJECTION INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. GFS TENDENCIES TO CLOSE FEATURES OFF OVER THE WEST OF LATE ARE BECOMING EVIDENT...AND WILL THUS OPT FOR THE MORE SHEARED AND PROGRESSIVE ECMWF SOLUTION TO GUIDE EXTENDED FORECAST THINKING FOR NOW PENDING BETTER AGREEMENT. OVERNIGHT...A TEMPERATURE REPEAT OF LAST NIGHT IN A CLOUDY AND SHOWERY PERIOD WITH THUNDERSTORMS RUNNING PRETTY MUCH ALL NIGHT. SHOWER FOCUS WILL SHIFT TO THE EASTERN PLAINS BY SUNRISE. GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES...AND GUSTS LIMITED TO THE PROXIMITY OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH OTHERWISE WEAK WINDS OVERHEAD AND NEAR THE SURFACE. FOR SUNDAY...BAGGY TROUGH OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO BY DAYBREAK WILL DRIFT OFF INTO TEXAS AND THE SOUTHERN PLAINS STATES BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SHOWER FOCUS WILL TRAIL THE SYSTEM...WITH SHOWER FOCUS MAINLY NORTH AND NORTHEAST...AND SHOWERS TAPERING OVER THE EAST. ISOLATED COVERAGE WILL HANG IN THERE THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE WEST. MOISTURE INFLUX WILL KEEP MINIMUM HUMIDITIES IN THE 30S PCT OVER THE EAST...AND IN THE 20S PCT OVER THE EAST IN MODEST WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING TROUGH. GENERALLY GOOD OR BETTER VENTILATION CONDITIONS THROUGH THE DAY WITH GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OVERNIGHT. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO LATE APRIL NORMALS. FOR MONDAY...RIDGE BUILDS OVER NEW MEXICO WITH LIGHT WINDS ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE. SPOTTY SHOWER COVERAGE LINGERING OVER THE EAST WILL END OVER THE NORTHEAST MONDAY NIGHT WITH MODEST RAINFALLS...AS COOL PUSH FROM THE NORTHEAST CROSSES INTO NEW MEXICO AND SLOPS OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND RIO GRANDE OUT TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY MONDAY NIGHT. DRYING TREND WILL DROP MINIMUM HUMIDITIES INTO THE UPPER TEENS PCT OVER THE WEST...AND THE 20S PCT OVER THE EAST. VENTILATION CONDITIONS MOVING DOWN GRADUALLY...WITH FAIR OR BETTER CONDITIONS...BEST IN THE EXTREME EAST. GENERALLY GOOD HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OVERNIGHT. FOR TUESDAY...DRYING OUT AND WARMING UP...AS DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES RISE TO 3 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...AND RIDGE AXIS CROSSES THE HEART OF THE STATE THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF SUBSTANTIAL WEST COAST TROUGH. SURFACE WINDS WILL VEER SOUTHERLY AS SURFACE LOW DEEPENS OVER THE NEW MEXICO BOOT HEEL. GUSTS NEAR THE ARIZONA BORDER AND HUMIDITIES IN THE LOW TEENS PCT WILL SPREAD SOME CRITICAL FIRE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT NORTHWEST PLATEAU TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AS ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND HAINES INDICES RUNNING AROUND 5 IN THE AREA CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL THREAT PICTURE...AND THIS WILL BEAR WATCHING CAREFULLY. ELSEWHERE...HUMIDITIES IN THE 20S PCT EAST WITH FAIR TO GOOD HUMIDITY RECOVERIES STATEWIDE TUESDAY NIGHT. NO VENTILATION ISSUES. OUTLOOK...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...WEST COAST TROUGH MOVING TO THE FOUR CORNERS WEDNESDAY FOR A WINDY SLIDE ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THURSDAY. TRAILING RIDGE WILL MOVE IN ON FRIDAY AS WIND SPEEDS DIE DOWN. TEMPERATURES RUNNING AT LATE APRIL NORMALS OR A FEW DEGREES ABOVE IN A VERY DRY ENDING TO THE WORK WEEK. WINDY WEDNESDAY COMBINED WITH SINGLE DIGIT HUMIDITIES WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE STATE...AS THURSDAY GUSTS OVER THE EAST REDEVELOP THE CRITICAL PATTERN ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR FROM THE RIO GRANDE TO THE TEXAS LINE. REDUCED WIND SPEEDS FRIDAY WILL EASE UP ON THE FIRE WEATHER PATTERN TO END THE WORK WEEK. NO VENTILATION ISSUES WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY...CONDITIONS RUNNING GOOD OR BETTER ON THE INTERVENING THURSDAY. POOR TO FAIR HUMIDITY RECOVERIES ALL THREE NIGHTS. SHY && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE CONVECTIVELY ACTIVE AFTERNOON UNDERWAY AS TROUGH FROM SALT LAKE CITY ACROSS ARIZONA TO THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA IS SLUICING MOISTURE AND ENERGY NORTHWARD ACROSS NEW MEXICO. THUNDERSTORMS INITIATING ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF OF NM WILL MOVE NORTH THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH SIGNIFICANT STORM REDEVELOPMENT TOWARD 05Z THIS EVENING AS TROUGH AXIS SWINGS DIRECTLY OVER THE HEART OF NM. INITIAL REDEVELOPMENT OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL SLIDE TO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY...AN THEN WIND UP OVER THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN BY 12Z SUN MORNING. TROUGH AXIS WILL APPROACH THE TX STATE LINE HEADING EAST WITH THE LAST OF THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION TAPERING DOWN BY 18Z SUN NOON. FOR TAFS...VCTS SIGNALING WINDOW OF GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF NEARBY THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VCSH SIGNALING CONTINUED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NEAR TERMINALS AT REDUCED INTENSITY. SHY && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 42 74 41 77 / 10 20 10 0 DULCE........................... 34 69 31 71 / 30 30 10 10 CUBA............................ 35 68 35 70 / 50 30 10 10 GALLUP.......................... 35 72 34 76 / 20 20 10 0 EL MORRO........................ 29 64 30 68 / 40 20 10 5 GRANTS.......................... 35 69 35 72 / 30 20 10 5 QUEMADO......................... 37 66 40 70 / 50 20 10 5 GLENWOOD........................ 36 74 36 79 / 30 10 5 0 CHAMA........................... 35 62 31 65 / 40 60 20 20 LOS ALAMOS...................... 45 65 45 68 / 50 40 10 20 PECOS........................... 42 61 41 63 / 70 40 20 20 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 35 65 32 68 / 40 60 20 20 RED RIVER....................... 33 51 31 53 / 60 70 30 40 ANGEL FIRE...................... 33 55 30 58 / 60 70 20 30 TAOS............................ 36 65 33 68 / 40 40 10 20 MORA............................ 41 62 39 63 / 60 50 20 30 ESPANOLA........................ 39 71 37 74 / 40 30 10 10 SANTA FE........................ 43 63 43 66 / 50 40 10 10 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 39 69 39 72 / 50 30 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 48 72 50 75 / 50 20 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 49 74 49 76 / 50 20 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 45 76 44 78 / 40 20 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 48 77 47 79 / 40 20 5 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 44 77 42 80 / 40 20 5 5 RIO RANCHO...................... 47 76 47 78 / 40 20 5 5 SOCORRO......................... 51 78 51 81 / 50 20 5 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 45 68 45 70 / 70 30 10 10 TIJERAS......................... 46 69 47 71 / 60 30 10 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 37 67 36 69 / 70 30 10 10 CLINES CORNERS.................. 41 65 41 67 / 70 30 10 10 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 44 68 46 71 / 60 30 10 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 47 70 46 74 / 50 20 5 10 RUIDOSO......................... 42 65 42 67 / 60 30 10 20 CAPULIN......................... 44 60 42 61 / 60 70 20 20 RATON........................... 42 65 40 67 / 60 50 20 20 SPRINGER........................ 45 66 42 68 / 60 40 20 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 42 65 41 67 / 60 40 20 20 CLAYTON......................... 52 69 51 69 / 50 50 10 20 ROY............................. 48 65 45 67 / 50 40 20 20 CONCHAS......................... 52 73 50 74 / 40 40 10 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 51 73 48 74 / 40 30 10 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 54 76 52 77 / 40 30 10 20 CLOVIS.......................... 49 74 48 76 / 60 30 10 10 PORTALES........................ 51 75 49 76 / 60 30 10 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 53 76 51 77 / 50 30 10 10 ROSWELL......................... 52 80 51 81 / 60 20 10 10 PICACHO......................... 49 74 48 76 / 60 20 10 20 ELK............................. 46 69 47 70 / 60 20 10 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS ALBUQUERQUE NM
1127 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE WEAK SHOWERS AND VIRGA WILL CONTINUE STREAMING NORTH AND EAST THROUGH CENTRAL NM DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. EXPECT PERIODS OF GUSTY WINDS MIXED WITH LIGHT RAIN...AS WELL AS OCCASIONAL MTN OBSCURATIONS. EXPECT PRECIP AT TERMINAL SITES TO BE SHORT LIVED. BASED ON RADAR TRENDS...WENT WITH TEMPO GROUPS FOR KABQ...KAEG...AND KSAF WITH ONLY A MENTION OF VCSH AT KFMN...KGUP...AND KROW. MORE WIDESPREAD SHRA AND TSTMS WILL DEVELOP SATURDAY AFTN AND POTENTIALLY IMPACT ALL SITES. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL...THOUGH A STORM COULD BRIEFLY BRING A SITE DOWN TO MVFR CIGS. DUE TO SPOTTY NATURE OF SHRA AND TSTMS...CONFIDENCE TOO LOW FOR MENTION OF ANYTHING MORE THAN VCSH. SOUTHERLY TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL BE STRONGEST ALONG AND EAST OF CENTRAL MTS...GUSTING UP TO 35 MPH. 24 && .PREV DISCUSSION...300 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014... .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION TONIGHT AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR MODERATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL FOCUS MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME LOCALLY STRONG BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS. ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND BLOWING DUST. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THIS PERIOD. DRYING AND WARMING WILL COMMENCE MONDAY BEFORE WARMER TEMPERATURES AND THE SPRING WINDS RETURN FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... LATEST CIRA BLENDED PWAT LOOP INDICATES A WIDESPREAD AREA OF THE DESERT SW UNDER STRONG MOIST ADVECTION TODAY. PCT OF NORMAL VALUES IN THIS MOIST PLUME HAVE INCREASED TO BTWN 100-150 PCT OF NORMAL WITH POCKETS OF GREATER THAN 200 PCT. SATELLITE SHOWS THE ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM PUSHING SLOWLY EAST WHILE THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION WEAKENS OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 12Z-18Z GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE OVERALL TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF MOIST INSTABILITY OVER OUR REGION THROUGH SUNDAY. THE 16Z HRRR WAS VERY BULLISH ON DEVELOPING A LARGE AREA OF RAIN/STORMS OVER THE SW MTS THIS EVENING THEN SLIDING NORTH ALONG THE CONT DVD INTO SAN JUAN COUNTY...WITH ANOTHER BULLSEYE FROM LINCOLN AND CHAVES COUNTIES INTO THE SE PLAINS. TRENDED POPS UP FOR THESE AREAS BUT VERY DRY LOW LEVELS WILL BATTLE THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE TOP DOWN EFFECTS TAKE OVER. MODEL INSTABILITY PARAMETERS ARE PROBABLY THE STRONGEST SO FAR THIS SPRING SEASON FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTH AND EAST. LIFTED INDICES MAY AVERAGE -2 TO -3C WTIH CAPE OF 500-800 J/KG. SHEAR VALUES ARE WEAK SO MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING DUST WITH SMALL HAIL POSSIBLE. ALSO RAISED POP VALUES FOR THIS PERIOD IN LINE WITH HPC PROBABILISTIC QPF GUIDANCE. DRY AIR WILL BEGIN SHIFTING IN FROM THE WEST SUNDAY WITH THE MAIN UPPER FORCING. THIS WILL CREATE A STRONGER FOCUS FOR STRONG STORMS OVER THE SE PLAINS BUT COVERAGE SHOULD BE MORE LIMITED FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN NM. MAX TEMPS THRU THE PERIOD WILL BE NEAR NORMAL WHILE MIN TEMPS REMAIN QUITE WARM. MONDAY WILL BE A TRANSITION DAY WITH TEMPS WARMING AND DRY AIR SCOURING OUT ANY REMAINING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. WINDS WILL RETURN TUESDAY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. DEFINITELY WATCHING CLOSELY FOR ANY FIRE STARTS FROM DRY STORM ACTIVITY THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS SINCE THE WINDS LOOK UGLY FOR AN EXTENDED DURATION THEREAFTER. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... LIGHTNING SLOW TO APPROACH STATE BUT LOOK FOR IT LATER TODAY INTO THE OVERNIGHT AS THE ATMOSPHERE DESTABILIZES. WETTING STORMS ON SATURDAY WITH RESIDUAL IMPACTS SUNDAY ALTHOUGH DRIER. CONFIDENCE HIGH FOR A MULTI DAY WIND EVENT STARTING TUESDAY AND LASTING INTO THURSDAY. MODELS HAVE SLOWED THE TROUGH FOR TUESDAY WHICH MEANS CRITICAL CONDITIONS SHIFT FURTHER TO THE WEST. WEDNESDAY LOOKS TO BE A DOOZY WITH LOW TO VERY LOW RH COMBINED WITH REALLY STRONG WIND AREAWIDE. POST COLD FRONTAL CONDITIONS MOST AREAS ON THURSDAY WITH RESIDUAL STRONG WIND. STRONG WIND/LOW RH ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF THURSDAY. AS FAR AS THE REST OF TODAY. CLOUDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA. THE HIGHER CIRRUS HAS KEPT SURFACE BASED CONVECTION FROM DEVELOPING BUT THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE IS QUICKLY APPROACHING FROM EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. MAINLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...INITIALLY DRIER WILL IMPACT THE WEST. CANT RULE OUT SOME STRONG DOWNDRAFTS. AS THE OVERNIGHT PROGRESSES ADDITIONAL JUICE WILL FUEL WETTER SHOWERS/STORMS. MODELS CONTINUE TO PROJECT THE BEST RESULTS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST THIRD WITH ANOTHER DEVELOPING AREA ACROSS THE SOUTH LATE TONIGHT. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE FOUND THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. THE SOUTHERN AREA OF PRECIPITATION MENTIONED ABOVE SHOULD OVERSPREAD MOST OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY. AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 STAND TO BENEFIT THE MOST IN TERMS OF SOME WETTING MOISTURE OR GREATER THAN TENTH OF AN INCH. SOUTHEAST AREAS WILL BE FAIRLY JUICY MOST OF THE DAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY...HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE UNSEASONABLY HIGH ON SATURDAY. STORM MOTION DOEST APPEAR TO BE ALL THAT FAST ALTHOUGH THE SOUTHERN TIER ACTIVITY WILL BE MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST/EAST QUICKER THAN THE NORTHERN ACTIVITY. THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WAVE WILL PASS OVER THE STATE SATURDAY NIGHT WITH SOME DRYING FOUND ON THE BACKSIDE INTO SUNDAY. INSTABILITY SHOWERS WILL BE THE NAME OF THE GAME ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTH AND PERHAPS SOME COLD FRONTAL SHOWERS AND RESIDUAL WAVE INDUCED LIFT ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. THE BEST CHANCE OF WETTING MOISTURE ON SUNDAY WOULD BE FOUND ACROSS THE EAST...SPECIFICALLY NORTHEAST. MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT FOR SOME RIDGING OVER THE ROCKIES ON MONDAY. DRIER AIR WOULD BEGIN TO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST BUT IT APPEARS TO BE A SLOW PROCESS. PERHAPS SOME DRIER SPOT SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS...FAVORING THE CENTRAL MTNS. THE WIND FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIDGE LOOKS TO BE LIGHT. ALL EYES REMAIN ON THE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PERIOD. AS MENTIONED ABOVE...MODELS A LITTLE SLOWER WITH THE TROUGH PROGRESSION BUT A SIMILAR IDEA STANDS. INCREASES IN SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WIND ON TUESDAY. MIDDLE PORTIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE STILL LOOK TO BE THE MOST UNSTABLE TUESDAY...THEN SHIFTS EASTWARD ON WEDNESDAY AS A TRADITIONAL OR PACIFIC COLD FRONT MOVES OVER THE STATE. THE WINDS APPEAR TO BE QUITE STRONG ON WEDNESDAY WITH MORE HERKY JERKY OR WIDE GUST SPREAD LIKE WINDS ON TUESDAY. POST COLD FRONTAL STRONG WINDS WOULD REMAIN ACROSS A GOOD CHUNK OF THE AREA ON THURSDAY. HAINES AND NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES MIGHT BE A LIMITER IN TERMS OF CRITICAL CONDITIONS THURSDAY. IN THE COMING DAYS...CAN SEE A WATCH BEING ISSUED FOR THE WEST FOR TUESDAY AN AREAWIDE WATCH FOR WEDNESDAY. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH FOR THIS MULTI DAY EVENT ALTHOUGH HAINES/TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES WILL MOST LIKELY FLUCTUATE SOME DUE TO SPEED AND DEPTH OF THE TROUGH PASSAGE. ANOTHER CAVEAT IN TERMS OF TUESDAY AND CRITICAL CONDITIONS WOULD BE THICKER HIGH CLOUDS PRECEDING THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL FRONT. 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BINGHAMTON NY
506 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... BROAD HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT FROM ONTARIO AND QUEBEC TODAY...INTO NEW ENGLAND SUNDAY. THE INFLUENCE OF THIS HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL KEEP OUR WEATHER DRY THIS WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY. NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES TODAY...WILL MODERATE SUNDAY INTO THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S...AND EVEN MORE SO MONDAY WITH HIGHS IN UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. OUR NEXT GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN WILL COME TUESDAY AS A SHOWERY COLD FRONT PASSES. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... AFTER SUNRISE...STRGR COLD AIR ADVECTION ABV THE SFC LAYER LEADS TO COLD ENUF TEMPERATURES AS PER MODEL SOUNDINGS TO SUPPORT SCT- BKN SC/CU FORMING WITH INSOLATION AND THE DIURNAL GROWTH OF THE BNDRY LAYER FOR MID TO LATE MORNING. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THE UPSLOPE REGIONS OF C NY AND NRN PA. MESOSCALE MODELS ALL SHOW A BAND OF VERY HIGH RH AT 925 MB ADVECTING SOUTHWARD REACHING C NY/NRN PA ARND 12Z. AFTER 15Z THE MODELS MIX OUT THIS MOISTURE. THE EURO/GFS...OUR LOCAL 4KM WRF...WRFARW AND HRRR EVEN GO AS FAR AS SPITTING OUT A LITTLE LIGHT PRECIP SUGGESTING SOME SPRINKLES. FOR NOW I JUST INCREASED THE CLD CVR FOR MID TO LATE MORNING AND THEN MIX IT OUT BY AFTERNOON. WILL REASSESS WHETHER SOME SPRINKLES WILL BE WARRANTED FOR LATER THIS MORNING WITH NEXT UPDATE. ITS PRETTY INSIGNIFICANT AND OPTED TO KEEP CURRENT FORECAST GOING WHICH IS WELL COLLOBARATED WITH NEIGHBORING WFO/S. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...A LARGE AREA OF SFC HIGH OVER THE CWA SAT NGT EXTENDING NORTH TO QUEBEC. COLDEST NIGHT COMING UP WITH LOWS MOSTLY 25 TO 32. SOME RETURN FLOW AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST SUNDAY BUT SFC WINDS LIGHT. HIGHS STILL IN THE L60S. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... 350 AM UPDATE... MODEL CONSENSUS CONTINUES TO ADVERTISE A LARGER SEPARATION BETWEEN DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE OFFSHORE NOVA SCOTIA AND LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION SUNDAY NIGHT- MONDAY. THIS WILL MEAN BETTER RADIATIONAL COOLING SUNDAY NIGHT /ESPECIALLY FIRST HALF BEFORE SOME HIGH CLOUDS START TO MOVE IN/...FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF RETURN FLOW AND WARM AIR ADVECTION MONDAY-MONDAY NIGHT. HAVE FOLLOWED WARMER TREND OF GUIDANCE WITH HIGHS UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S MONDAY...AFTER 30S TO NEAR 40 FOR LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT. LATEST OPERATIONAL RUNS OF GFS/ECMWF/GEM AGREE NOW ON WAITING UNTIL AFTER 12Z TO SWEEP COLD FRONTAL SHOWERS THROUGH THE REGION. THE RAIN ITSELF IS A SOLID BET...IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WHICH TIME OF DAY WILL BE THE MAIN RAINFALL. WENT AHEAD WITH HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF SHOWERS TUESDAY...AND AS THE TIME NEARS WE WILL BE ABLE TO BETTER HEM IN WHICH SPECIFIC HOURS WILL BE INVOLVED. FRONT WILL BE PROGRESSIVE AND MOISTURE INFLUX WILL BE LIMITED ENOUGH...TO WHICH WE ANTICIPATE LESS THAN A HALF INCH OF RAINFALL OUT OF THIS SYSTEM. THUS NOT EXPECTING MUCH IMPACT OTHER THAN DAMPENING PLANS FOR GENERAL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. THERMAL PROFILES ALSO TOO STABLE TO SUPPORT CONVECTION...SO NO LIGHTNING EXPECTED. RAINFALL DEVELOPMENT AND THEN EVENTUAL COLD AIR ADVECTION TUESDAY WILL HOLD TEMPERATURES BACK TO UPPER 50S-MID 60S FOR HIGHS...FOLLOWED BY UPPER 30S-LOW 40S FOR LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT WITH DECREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... 350 AM UPDATE... BEHIND SURFACE FRONT FROM TUESDAY...STRONG UPPER TROUGH DIGS INTO WESTERN GREAT LAKES TUESDAY NIGHT...THEN DROPS ACROSS OUR REGION WEDNESDAY WITH STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION. GFS-ECMWF RUNS BOTH KEEP IT AS AN OPEN WAVE AS IT SWINGS THROUGH...BEFORE DIFFERING ON ITS EVOLUTION WELL OFFSHORE. 1000-500MB THICKNESSES GET SUB-540 DECAMETERS FOR A TIME...CONTRIBUTING TO THE COLDEST DAY OF THE PERIOD WITH HIGHS WEDNESDAY IN THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S. STILL A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AS WELL WITH THAT UPPER WAVE PASSING THROUGH. DRY LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN CHARGE AT SURFACE...AND RIDGING OCCURRING ALOFT. TEMPERATURES ALSO MODERATING...ESPECIALLY BY FRIDAY...BUT NEXT WAVE MAY ALSO BE APPROACHING BY THEN WITH AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS FRIDAY- FRIDAY NIGHT. TIMING OF COURSE WILL BE SORTED OUT BETTER IN COMING DAYS. && .AVIATION /08Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK AT THIS TIME AND EXTENDED FROM ABOUT ONEONTA NY TO TOWANDA PA IN THE WFO BGM FORECAST AREA. THERE WAS POST FRONTAL BKN-OVC CLOUDS AND JUST A FEW LINGERING SPRINKLES MAINLY ACROSS OTSEGO CO. THESE INSIGNIFICANT SPRINKLES/LIGHT SHRA WILL NOT AFFECT ANY TAF SITE ERLY THIS MORNING. THE BKN-OVC POST FRONTL CLOUDS WAS MAINLY VFR WITH AREAS OF MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT KSYR...KRME...KITH AND KBGM. AS THE FRONT WORKS FARTHER SOUTH LL DRYING WILL OCCUR AND SHUD SCATTER OUT THIS MOISTURE SO EXPECT JUST SCT CLDS BY ARND 8-10Z. AFTER SUNRISE...COLDER AIR WILL BLOW IN ABV THE SFC LAYER WHICH WILL BE DECOUPLED AND HENCE THE SFC DRYING WILL WEAKEN. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SCT-BKN CU/SC LAYER TO DEVELOP WITH INSOLATION FROM MID TO LATE MORNING. I EXPECT MAINLY VFR 3500 TO 5000 FEET CLD BASES. AS THIS OCCURS...STRGR WINDS ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO MIX DOWN TO THE SFC AND THIS CLOUD LAYER SHUD MIX OUT TO MAINLY CLR SKIES FOR THE AFTERNOON. CLR SKIES WILL REMAIN AFTER SUNSET. WINDS WILL SWITCH FROM SW TO NW AFTER FROPA AT KAVP AROUND 07Z OR SO. REST OF TAF SITES WILL HAVE W-NW WINDS MAINLY 5 TO 10 KNOTS PRIOR TO SUNRISE. AFTER SUNRISE A DECENT LOW-LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL KICK WINDS UP TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS AS THE WINDS VEER FROM THE NW TO THE N BY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL RAPIDLY SUBSIDE AFTER SUNSET. OUTLOOK... SUN...VFR. SUN NGT TO MON...VFR WITH LOCAL MVFR/IFR IF FOG DEVELOPS. TUE-WED...SHOWERS WITH MVFR POSSIBLE. && .FIRE WEATHER... 2 AM SAT UPDATE... FOR TODAY MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO THE 30S PERCENT IN FINGER LAKES REGION OF NEW YORK THIS AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S PERCENT IN THE REST OF CENTRAL NEW YORK AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH SOME GUSTS TO 20 MPH AT TIMES. FINE FUELS WERE RUNNING BELOW 10 PERCENT. THIS COMES CLOSE TO OUR RED FLAG CRITERIA IN PA. IN NY THE CRITERIA IS FOR WIND GUSTS OF 25 MPH OR MORE. BIGGEST QUESTION WILL BE THE WIND GUSTS IN NE PA AND THAT IS WHERE THE UNCERTAINTY LIES AT THIS TIME. AFTER COLLABORATION WITH CTP AND PHI WILL ISSUE AN SPS TO COVER AND DAY SHIFT CAN COORDINATE WITH PA STATE PARTNERS TO SEE IF RED FLAG IS WARRANTED LATER THIS MORNING. FUELS WILL BE DRY ENOUGH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY BUT WINDS WILL BE UNDER 20 MPH ESPECIALLY SUNDAY WITH THE DEPARTING HIGH. AFTN MIN RH WILL BE IN THE 20S SUNDAY AND 30S MONDAY. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NY...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...DJN NEAR TERM...DJN SHORT TERM...MDP LONG TERM...MDP AVIATION...DJN FIRE WEATHER...DJN
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BINGHAMTON NY
359 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... BROAD HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT FROM ONTARIO AND QUEBEC TODAY...INTO NEW ENGLAND SUNDAY. THE INFLUENCE OF THIS HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL KEEP OUR WEATHER DRY THIS WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY. NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES TODAY...WILL MODERATE SUNDAY INTO THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S...AND EVEN MORE SO MONDAY WITH HIGHS IN UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. OUR NEXT GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN WILL COME TUESDAY AS A SHOWERY COLD FRONT PASSES. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... RADAR SHOWS WEAKENING SPRINKLES ACRS OTSEGO CO AS WK SFC FRNT SLOWLY SLIPS S AND E ACRS C NY AND NE PA. FRNT EXTENDED ROUGHLY FROM ONEONTA NY TO ABT TOWANDA PA. THIS FRNT WAS TIED TO AN UPR LVL WAVE THAT WAS MOVG ACRS NRN NEW ENGLAND AND HENCE DEEPEST LIFT WAS FARTHER EAST WHERE THERE WAS MORE FRONTAL PRECIPITATION. BY 12Z...FRNT WILL BE S INTO SRN PA WHERE IT WASHES OUT. INITIALLY THERE WILL BE A BATCH OF BKN POST FRONTAL CLDS THAT WILL ADVECT SOUTHWARD INTO NRN PA BY 9Z AND THEN DISSIPATE. SO HAVE VARYING AMNTS OF CLD CVR FOR THE REMAINING OVERNIGHT HOURS. AFTER SUNRISE...STRGR COLD AIR ADVECTION ABV THE SFC LAYER LEADS TO COLD ENUF TEMPERATURES AS PER MODEL SOUNDINGS TO SUPPORT SCT- BKN SC/CU FORMING WITH INSOLATION AND THE DIURNAL GROWTH OF THE BNDRY LAYER FOR MID TO LATE MORNING. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THE UPSLOPE REGIONS OF C NY AND NRN PA. MESOSCALE MODELS ALL SHOW A BAND OF VERY HIGH RH AT 925 MB ADVECTING SOUTHWARD REACHING C NY/NRN PA ARND 12Z. AFTER 15Z THE MODELS MIX OUT THIS MOISTURE. THE EURO/GFS...OUR LOCAL 4KM WRF...WRFARW AND HRRR EVEN GO AS FAR AS SPITTING OUT A LITTLE LIGHT PRECIP SUGGESTING SOME SPRINKLES. FOR NOW I JUST INCREASED THE CLD CVR FOR MID TO LATE MORNING AND THEN MIX IT OUT BY AFTERNOON. WILL REASSESS WHETHER SOME SPRINKLES WILL BE WARRANTED FOR LATER THIS MORNING WITH NEXT UPDATE. ITS PRETTY INSIGNIFICANT AND OPTED TO KEEP CURRENT FORECAST GOING WHICH IS WELL COLLOBARATED WITH NEIGHBORING WFO/S. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...A LARGE AREA OF SFC HIGH OVER THE CWA SAT NGT EXTENDING NORTH TO QUEBEC. COLDEST NIGHT COMING UP WITH LOWS MOSTLY 25 TO 32. SOME RETURN FLOW AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST SUNDAY BUT SFC WINDS LIGHT. HIGHS STILL IN THE L60S. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... 350 AM UPDATE... MODEL CONSENSUS CONTINUES TO ADVERTISE A LARGER SEPARATION BETWEEN DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE OFFSHORE NOVA SCOTIA AND LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION SUNDAY NIGHT- MONDAY. THIS WILL MEAN BETTER RADIATIONAL COOLING SUNDAY NIGHT /ESPECIALLY FIRST HALF BEFORE SOME HIGH CLOUDS START TO MOVE IN/...FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF RETURN FLOW AND WARM AIR ADVECTION MONDAY-MONDAY NIGHT. HAVE FOLLOWED WARMER TREND OF GUIDANCE WITH HIGHS UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S MONDAY...AFTER 30S TO NEAR 40 FOR LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT. LATEST OPERATIONAL RUNS OF GFS/ECMWF/GEM AGREE NOW ON WAITING UNTIL AFTER 12Z TO SWEEP COLD FRONTAL SHOWERS THROUGH THE REGION. THE RAIN ITSELF IS A SOLID BET...IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WHICH TIME OF DAY WILL BE THE MAIN RAINFALL. WENT AHEAD WITH HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF SHOWERS TUESDAY...AND AS THE TIME NEARS WE WILL BE ABLE TO BETTER HEM IN WHICH SPECIFIC HOURS WILL BE INVOLVED. FRONT WILL BE PROGRESSIVE AND MOISTURE INFLUX WILL BE LIMITED ENOUGH...TO WHICH WE ANTICIPATE LESS THAN A HALF INCH OF RAINFALL OUT OF THIS SYSTEM. THUS NOT EXPECTING MUCH IMPACT OTHER THAN DAMPENING PLANS FOR GENERAL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. THERMAL PROFILES ALSO TOO STABLE TO SUPPORT CONVECTION...SO NO LIGHTNING EXPECTED. RAINFALL DEVELOPMENT AND THEN EVENTUAL COLD AIR ADVECTION TUESDAY WILL HOLD TEMPERATURES BACK TO UPPER 50S-MID 60S FOR HIGHS...FOLLOWED BY UPPER 30S-LOW 40S FOR LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT WITH DECREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... 350 AM UPDATE... BEHIND SURFACE FRONT FROM TUESDAY...STRONG UPPER TROUGH DIGS INTO WESTERN GREAT LAKES TUESDAY NIGHT...THEN DROPS ACROSS OUR REGION WEDNESDAY WITH STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION. GFS-ECMWF RUNS BOTH KEEP IT AS AN OPEN WAVE AS IT SWINGS THROUGH...BEFORE DIFFERING ON ITS EVOLUTION WELL OFFSHORE. 1000-500MB THICKNESSES GET SUB-540 DECAMETERS FOR A TIME...CONTRIBUTING TO THE COLDEST DAY OF THE PERIOD WITH HIGHS WEDNESDAY IN THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S. STILL A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AS WELL WITH THAT UPPER WAVE PASSING THROUGH. DRY LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN CHARGE AT SURFACE...AND RIDGING OCCURRING ALOFT. TEMPERATURES ALSO MODERATING...ESPECIALLY BY FRIDAY...BUT NEXT WAVE MAY ALSO BE APPROACHING BY THEN WITH AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS FRIDAY- FRIDAY NIGHT. TIMING OF COURSE WILL BE SORTED OUT BETTER IN COMING DAYS. && .AVIATION /08Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK AT THIS TIME AND EXTENDED FROM ABOUT ONEONTA NY TO TOWANDA PA IN THE WFO BGM FORECAST AREA. THERE WAS POST FRONTAL BKN-OVC CLOUDS AND JUST A FEW LINGERING SPRINKLES MAINLY ACROSS OTSEGO CO. THESE INSIGNIFICANT SPRINKLES/LIGHT SHRA WILL NOT AFFECT ANY TAF SITE ERLY THIS MORNING. THE BKN-OVC POST FRONTL CLOUDS WAS MAINLY VFR WITH AREAS OF MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT KSYR...KRME...KITH AND KBGM. AS THE FRONT WORKS FARTHER SOUTH LL DRYING WILL OCCUR AND SHUD SCATTER OUT THIS MOISTURE SO EXPECT JUST SCT CLDS BY ARND 8-10Z. AFTER SUNRISE...COLDER AIR WILL BLOW IN ABV THE SFC LAYER WHICH WILL BE DECOUPLED AND HENCE THE SFC DRYING WILL WEAKEN. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SCT-BKN CU/SC LAYER TO DEVELOP WITH INSOLATION FROM MID TO LATE MORNING. I EXPECT MAINLY VFR 3500 TO 5000 FEET CLD BASES. AS THIS OCCURS...STRGR WINDS ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO MIX DOWN TO THE SFC AND THIS CLOUD LAYER SHUD MIX OUT TO MAINLY CLR SKIES FOR THE AFTERNOON. CLR SKIES WILL REMAIN AFTER SUNSET. WINDS WILL SWITCH FROM SW TO NW AFTER FROPA AT KAVP AROUND 07Z OR SO. REST OF TAF SITES WILL HAVE W-NW WINDS MAINLY 5 TO 10 KNOTS PRIOR TO SUNRISE. AFTER SUNRISE A DECENT LOW-LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL KICK WINDS UP TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS AS THE WINDS VEER FROM THE NW TO THE N BY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL RAPIDLY SUBSIDE AFTER SUNSET. OUTLOOK... SUN...VFR. SUN NGT TO MON...VFR WITH LOCAL MVFR/IFR IF FOG DEVELOPS. TUE-WED...SHOWERS WITH MVFR POSSIBLE. && .FIRE WEATHER... 2 PM FRI UPDATE... NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THROUGH MONDAY. VERY LITTLE RAINFALL THIS EVENING WITH LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH IN NY. NONE IN NE PA. NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THIS AFTERNOON...RH FALLING INTO THE 30S BUT WINDS ONLY 5 TO 15 MPH. SATURDAY INCREASING WINDS AND SUNSHINE. ERN AREAS COULD HAVE GUSTS OVER 20 MPH. RH FALLING TO 25 TO 40 PERCENT. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS AND SEE IF THE 10 HOUR FUELS DRY ENOUGH. FUELS WILL BE DRY ENOUGH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY BUT WINDS WILL BE UNDER 20 MPH ESPECIALLY SUNDAY WITH THE DEPARTING HIGH. AFTN MIN RH WILL BE IN THE 20S SUNDAY AND 30S MONDAY. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NY...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...DJN/MDP NEAR TERM...DJN/TAC SHORT TERM...MDP LONG TERM...MDP AVIATION...DJN FIRE WEATHER...
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BINGHAMTON NY
221 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BRING A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES TONIGHT TO CENTRAL NEW YORK. DRY WEATHER WILL THEN RETURN SATURDAY, LASTING INTO MONDAY. AFTER A SLIGHT COOL DOWN ON SATURDAY, TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY INTO THE 60S. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/... RADAR SHOWS WEAKENING SPRINKLES ACRS OTSEGO CO AS WK SFC FRNT SLOWLY SLIPS S AND E ACRS C NY AND NE PA. FRNT EXTENDED ROUGHLY FROM ONEONTA NY TO ABT TOWANDA PA. THIS FRNT WAS TIED TO AN UPR LVL WAVE THAT WAS MOVG ACRS NRN NEW ENGLAND AND HENCE DEEPEST LIFT WAS FARTHER EAST WHERE THERE WAS MORE FRONTAL PRECIPITATION. BY 12Z...FRNT WILL BE S INTO SRN PA WHERE IT WASHES OUT. INITIALLY THERE WILL BE A BATCH OF BKN POST FRONTAL CLDS THAT WILL ADVECT SOUTHWARD INTO NRN PA BY 9Z AND THEN DISSIPATE. SO HAVE VARYING AMNTS OF CLD CVR FOR THE REMAINING OVERNIGHT HOURS. AFTER SUNRISE...STRGR COLD AIR ADVECTION ABV THE SFC LAYER LEADS TO COLD ENUF TEMPERATURES AS PER MODEL SOUNDINGS TO SUPPORT SCT- BKN SC/CU FORMING WITH INSOLATION AND THE DIURNAL GROWTH OF THE BNDRY LAYER FOR MID TO LATE MORNING. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THE UPSLOPE REGIONS OF C NY AND NRN PA. MESOSCALE MODELS ALL SHOW A BAND OF VERY HIGH RH AT 925 MB ADVECTING SOUTHWARD REACHING C NY/NRN PA ARND 12Z. AFTER 15Z THE MODELS MIX OUT THIS MOISTURE. THE EURO/GFS...OUR LOCAL 4KM WRF...WRFARW AND HRRR EVEN GO AS FAR AS SPITTING OUT A LITTLE LIGHT PRECIP SUGGESTING SOME SPRINKLES. FOR NOW I JUST INCREASED THE CLD CVR FOR MID TO LATE MORNING AND THEN MIX IT OUT BY AFTERNOON. WILL REASSESS WHETHER SOME SPRINKLES WILL BE WARRANTED FOR LATER THIS MORNING WITH NEXT UPDATE. ITS PRETTY INSIGNIFICANT AND OPTED TO KEEP CURRENT FORECAST GOING WHICH IS WELL COLLOBARATED WITH NEIGHBORING WFO/S. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... 2 PM UPDATE... A LARGE AREA OF SFC HIGH OVER THE CWA SAT NGT EXTENDING NORTH TO QUEBEC. COLDEST NIGHT COMING UP WITH LOWS MOSTLY 25 TO 32. SOME RETURN FLOW AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST SUNDAY BUT SFC WINDS LIGHT. HIGHS STILL IN THE L60S. INITIAL SFC LOW TRACKS WELL NORTH OF THE CWA LAYING DOWN A FRONT IN SE CANADA. PRECIP WILL BE STAY IN CANADA WITH A UPPER LEVEL ZONAL FLOW. FOR RAIN WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST MONDAY NIGHT AS A SHORT WAVE DIGS A TROF INTO THE UPPER LAKES. LOWERED POPS TO NOTHING SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. ONLY SCHC POPS FAR NW MON AFTN. MODELS CONTINUE TO SLOW PROGRESS OF COLD FRONT. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... 130 PM UPDATE... MED RANGE MODELS ARE SHOWING DRY FOR MON NGT AND HV PULLED POPS DOWN TO SLGT CHC CWA-WIDE WITH LKLY POPS FOR TUE AS FNT COMES THRU. LINGERING PCPN EXPECTED TUE NGT AS UL TROF SWINGS THRU. 12Z GFS INDICATES H5 LOW DVLPNG OVR THE COAST WHILE 00Z EURO KEEPS IT AS AN OPEN WV. FOR THE TIME BEING HV GONE WITH CHC SHOWERS ON WED FOR ERN SXNS. 1020MB HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FM THE WEST ON THUR LEADING TO DRY WX THRU THE END OF THE EXTNDD. HIGH TEMPS FOLLOWING FROPA ON WED WL DROP TO BLO SEASONAL NORMS FOR A DAY AND THEN REBOUND UNDER S/WV RIDGING. && .AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK AT THIS TIME AND EXTENDED FROM ABOUT ONEONTA NY TO TOWANDA PA IN THE WFO BGM FORECAST AREA. THERE WAS POST FRONTAL BKN-OVC CLOUDS AND JUST A FEW LINGERING SPRINKLES MAINLY ACROSS OTSEGO CO. THESE INSIGNIFICANT SPRINKLES/LIGHT SHRA WILL NOT AFFECT ANY TAF SITE ERLY THIS MORNING. THE BKN-OVC POST FRONTL CLOUDS WAS MAINLY VFR WITH AREAS OF MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT KSYR...KRME...KITH AND KBGM. AS THE FRONT WORKS FARTHER SOUTH LL DRYING WILL OCCUR AND SHUD SCATTER OUT THIS MOISTURE SO EXPECT JUST SCT CLDS BY ARND 8-10Z. AFTER SUNRISE...COLDER AIR WILL BLOW IN ABV THE SFC LAYER WHICH WILL BE DECOUPLED AND HENCE THE SFC DRYING WILL WEAKEN. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SCT-BKN CU/SC LAYER TO DEVELOP WITH INSOLATION FROM MID TO LATE MORNING. I EXPECT MAINLY VFR 3500 TO 5000 FEET CLD BASES. AS THIS OCCURS...STRGR WINDS ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO MIX DOWN TO THE SFC AND THIS CLOUD LAYER SHUD MIX OUT TO MAINLY CLR SKIES FOR THE AFTERNOON. CLR SKIES WILL REMAIN AFTER SUNSET. WINDS WILL SWITCH FROM SW TO NW AFTER FROPA AT KAVP AROUND 07Z OR SO. REST OF TAF SITES WILL HAVE W-NW WINDS MAINLY 5 TO 10 KNOTS PRIOR TO SUNRISE. AFTER SUNRISE A DECENT LOW-LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL KICK WINDS UP TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS AS THE WINDS VEER FROM THE NW TO THE N BY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL RAPIDLY SUBSIDE AFTER SUNSET. OUTLOOK... SUN...VFR. SUN NGT TO MON...VFR WITH LOCAL MVFR/IFR IF FOG DEVELOPS. TUE-WED...SHOWERS WITH MVFR POSSIBLE. && .FIRE WEATHER... 2 PM FRI UPDATE... NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THROUGH MONDAY. VERY LITTLE RAINFALL THIS EVENING WITH LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH IN NY. NONE IN NE PA. NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THIS AFTERNOON...RH FALLING INTO THE 30S BUT WINDS ONLY 5 TO 15 MPH. SATURDAY INCREASING WINDS AND SUNSHINE. ERN AREAS COULD HAVE GUSTS OVER 20 MPH. RH FALLING TO 25 TO 40 PERCENT. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS AND SEE IF THE 10 HOUR FUELS DRY ENOUGH. FUELS WILL BE DRY ENOUGH ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY BUT WINDS WILL BE UNDER 20 MPH ESPECIALLY SUNDAY WITH THE DEPARTING HIGH. AFTN MIN RH WILL BE IN THE 20S SUNDAY AND 30S MONDAY. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NY...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...TAC NEAR TERM...DJN SHORT TERM...TAC LONG TERM...PVN AVIATION...DJN FIRE WEATHER...
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
943 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE OFF OF CAPE FEAR WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST NORTHEAST AND FARTHER OFFSHORE THROUGH MONDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST TUESDAY AND CROSS THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THEN MOVE OFF THE COAST FRIDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... AS OF 940 PM SUNDAY...BASED ON CURRENT RADAR COVERAGE...HAVE AGAIN LOWERED POPS FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH JUST LOW CHANCE ALONG THE COAST WITH THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION NOW OFFSHORE. POPS WILL BE MINIMAL WEST OF HIGHWAY 17 OVERNIGHT. THIS TREND IS SUPPORTED BY LATEST 3 KM HRRR AND RAP MODELS. LOW TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE SO NO OTHER CHANGES NEEDED. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/... VERY GRADUAL CLEARING EXPECTED ON MONDAY AS THE SLOW MOVING OFFSHORE LOW PRESSURE FINALLY LOOSENS ITS GRIP ON EASTERN NC. MAY BE SOME LINGERING RAIN ESP ON THE OUTER BANKS IN THE MORNING BUT THE TREND SHUD BE FOR DECREASING CLOUDS AND DIMINISHING WIND INLAND AS LOW CLOUDS SCOUR OUT. SHUD SEE AT LEAST PARTIAL SUNSHINE DURING THE AFTERNOON OVER INLAND AREAS. HIGHS WILL REMAIN BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES THO WITH NEAR 70 READINGS INLAND AND 60S CLOSER TO THE COAST. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 330 PM SUN...WEAK RIDGING WILL BE OVER THE AREA MON NIGHT AHEAD OF A ROBUST MID LEVEL TROUGH PUSHING INTO THE OHIO AND TENN RIVER VALLEYS. THE ATTENDANT COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION TUES WITH SW LOW LEVEL FLOW INCREASING THROUGH THE DAY. PRECIP CHANCES INCREASE LATE TUES AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS IMPROVE AHEAD OF THE TROUGH. WEAK TO MODEST INSTABILITY AND DESCENT MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL BE IN PLACE AND COULD SEE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP. MOISTURE LOOKS SOMEWHAT LIMITED THOUGH WITH HIGH PRES ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO AND QPF AMOUNTS LOOK LIGHT...GENERALLY LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH. SWLY FLOW BRINGS A MODEST WARM UP TUES WITH HIGHS EXPECTED AROUND 80 INLAND TO AROUND 70 ALONG THE COAST. CAA RAMPS UP LATE TUES NIGHT AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING INTO THE REGION FROM THE N FOR WED AND THURS. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH TEMPS A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S/LOWER 70S INLAND TO MID 60S ALONG THE COAST. THE HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE FRI WITH SW FLOW AND MOISTURE INCREASING AHEAD OF THE NEXT MID LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. TEMPS CLIMB BACK ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS EXPECTED AROUND 80 INLAND TO LOW/MID 70S COAST. KEEPING SLT CHC TO LOW END CHC POPS FRI AFTERNOON/EVENING AS UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT LOOKS RATHER WEAK. MODELS ARE DEPICTING MODERATE INSTABILITY AND COULD SEE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AS WELL. CYCLONIC FLOW CONTINUES ALOFT NEXT WEEKEND WITH AN UPPER LOW TRACKING ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA SAT EVENING AND SOME MODELS INDICATING A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE ACROSS SRN SECTIONS...BUT WITH LIMITED CONFIDENCE KEEPING POPS BELOW 15 PERCENT. && .AVIATION /02Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... SHORT TERM /THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... AS OF 655 PM SUNDAY...EXPECT CEILINGS TO CONTINUE TO BOUNCE BETWEEN MVFR/IFR THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT. PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO DIMINISH AND SOME CLEARING MAY OCCUR AT KPGV/KISO LATER TONIGHT...BUT WILL FOLLOW PERSISTENCE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 330 PM SUN...LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY CONTINUE TO BRING MVFR CIGS TO COASTAL TAF SITES MON NIGHT BUT OTHERWISE VFR IS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE THROUGH TUES. A PERIOD OF SUB-VFR MAY OCCUR WITH A FEW SHOWERS LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT. HIGH PRES BUILD IN WED THROUGH FRI BRINGING PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS RTES. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 945 PM SUNDAY...NO CHANGES TO CURRENT HEADLINES. WINDS HAVE SUBSIDED A BIT...BUT DIAMOND BUOY IS STILL GUSTING TO 39 KNOTS. GALE WARNINGS ALL EXPIRE AT 2 AM AND MAY BE ABLE TO DROP ON THE NEXT UPDATE...BUT WOULD PREFER TO WAIT AND SEE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES CONTINUE ON ALL OTHER WATERS AND GUSTY NORTH WINDS CONTINUE. SEAS REMAIN VERY ROUGH AND ARE IN THE 13 TO 16 FOOT RANGE ON THE COASTAL WATERS FROM OCRACOKE NORTH. WILL LIKELY MAKE TWEAKS TO THE COASTAL FORECAST BASED ON THE NEXT BATCH OF BUOY OBSERVATIONS. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 330 PM SUN...NLY WINDS DIMINISH TO LESS THAN 15 KT MON NIGHT AS LOW PRES PUSHES EAST OF THE AREA AND HIGH PRES WEAKENS. SEAS AS HIGH AS 6-8 FT NORTH AND 3-7 FT SOUTH EXPECTED TO START MON NIGHT BUT ARE PROGGED TO DROP TO 5 FT OR LESS TUES MORNING. WINDS THEN SHIFT TO SW TUES AND INCREASE TO 10-20 KT BY LATE IN THE DAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NW. COULD SEE MINIMAL SCA CONDITIONS DEVELOP TUES EVENING ACROSS THE CENTRAL WATERS AS SEAS BUILD UP TO 6 FT IN SW FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL CROSS THE WATERS TUES NIGHT WITH A NWLY SURGE AROUND 15-25 KT LATE TUES NIGHT AND WED. SEAS FORECAST TO BUILD TO 4-7 FT NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT LATE TUES NIGHT BRINGING SCA CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE WATERS...HOWEVER MODELS KEEP WINDS AROUND 15-20 KT WITH SEAS AROUND 3-5 FT SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT. HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE AREA THURS AND FRI WITH SUB SCA CONDITIONS EXPECTED. WINDS DO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY FRI AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT WITH SW WINDS INCREASING TO 10-20 KT AND SEAS BUILDING TO 3-5 FT FRI AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... WAVES IN THE SURF ZONE WILL LIKELY REMAIN 8+ FT ON THE OUTER BANKS NORTH OF CAPE HATTERAS...SO CONT HIGH SURF ADVRY THRU TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. BASED ON DATA FROM THE TIDE GAUGE IN ORIENTAL...WILL CONTINUE COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY OVERNIGHT. WATER LEVELS CONTINUE 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL SRN PAMLICO SOUND WITH PERSISTENT NE FLOW. && .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT MONDAY FOR NCZ103. COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT MONDAY FOR NCZ093>095. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY FOR AMZ136-137. GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY FOR AMZ135-152-154-156-158. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT MONDAY FOR AMZ130-131. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR AMZ150. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BTC NEAR TERM...CTC SHORT TERM...BTC LONG TERM...BTC/SK AVIATION...CTC/SK/LEP MARINE...CTC/BTC/SK TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...CTC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
703 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE OFF OF CAPE FEAR WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST NORTHEAST AND FARTHER OFFSHORE THROUGH MONDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST TUESDAY AND CROSS THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THEN MOVE OFF THE COAST FRIDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... AS OF 655 PM SUNDAY...PRECIPITATION IS SLOWLY DIMINISHING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. THIS IS WELL DEPICTED BY THE 3 KM HRRR AND RAP MODELS. BASED ON RADAR TRENDS...WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS NEAR THE COAST...TAPERING TO CHANCE WELL INLAND. THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO STAY OFFSHORE. GUSTY NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. MADE TO ADJUSTMENTS TO CURRENT MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/... VERY GRADUAL CLEARING EXPECTED ON MONDAY AS THE SLOW MOVING OFFSHORE LOW PRESSURE FINALLY LOOSENS ITS GRIP ON EASTERN NC. MAY BE SOME LINGERING RAIN ESP ON THE OUTER BANKS IN THE MORNING BUT THE TREND SHUD BE FOR DECREASING CLOUDS AND DIMINISHING WIND INLAND AS LOW CLOUDS SCOUR OUT. SHUD SEE AT LEAST PARTIAL SUNSHINE DURING THE AFTERNOON OVER INLAND AREAS. HIGHS WILL REMAIN BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES THO WITH NEAR 70 READINGS INLAND AND 60S CLOSER TO THE COAST. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 330 PM SUN...WEAK RIDGING WILL BE OVER THE AREA MON NIGHT AHEAD OF A ROBUST MID LEVEL TROUGH PUSHING INTO THE OHIO AND TENN RIVER VALLEYS. THE ATTENDANT COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION TUES WITH SW LOW LEVEL FLOW INCREASING THROUGH THE DAY. PRECIP CHANCES INCREASE LATE TUES AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS IMPROVE AHEAD OF THE TROUGH. WEAK TO MODEST INSTABILITY AND DESCENT MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL BE IN PLACE AND COULD SEE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP. MOISTURE LOOKS SOMEWHAT LIMITED THOUGH WITH HIGH PRES ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO AND QPF AMOUNTS LOOK LIGHT...GENERALLY LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH. SWLY FLOW BRINGS A MODEST WARM UP TUES WITH HIGHS EXPECTED AROUND 80 INLAND TO AROUND 70 ALONG THE COAST. CAA RAMPS UP LATE TUES NIGHT AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING INTO THE REGION FROM THE N FOR WED AND THURS. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH TEMPS A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S/LOWER 70S INLAND TO MID 60S ALONG THE COAST. THE HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE FRI WITH SW FLOW AND MOISTURE INCREASING AHEAD OF THE NEXT MID LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. TEMPS CLIMB BACK ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS EXPECTED AROUND 80 INLAND TO LOW/MID 70S COAST. KEEPING SLT CHC TO LOW END CHC POPS FRI AFTERNOON/EVENING AS UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT LOOKS RATHER WEAK. MODELS ARE DEPICTING MODERATE INSTABILITY AND COULD SEE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AS WELL. CYCLONIC FLOW CONTINUES ALOFT NEXT WEEKEND WITH AN UPPER LOW TRACKING ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA SAT EVENING AND SOME MODELS INDICATING A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLE ACROSS SRN SECTIONS...BUT WITH LIMITED CONFIDENCE KEEPING POPS BELOW 15 PERCENT. && .AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... SHORT TERM /THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... AS OF 655 PM SUNDAY...EXPECT CEILINGS TO CONTINUE TO BOUNCE BETWEEN MVFR/IFR THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT. PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO DIMINISH AND SOME CLEARING MAY OCCUR AT KPGV/KISO LATER TONIGHT...BUT WILL FOLLOW PERSISTENCE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 330 PM SUN...LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY CONTINUE TO BRING MVFR CIGS TO COASTAL TAF SITES MON NIGHT BUT OTHERWISE VFR IS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE THROUGH TUES. A PERIOD OF SUB-VFR MAY OCCUR WITH A FEW SHOWERS LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT. HIGH PRES BUILD IN WED THROUGH FRI BRINGING PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS RTES. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... CONTINUE ALL HEADLINES AS WINDS CONTINUE TO GUSTS WELL INTO THE 30S IN THE GALE WARNING AREAS AND EVEN CLOSE TO 30 KNOTS IN THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AREAS. SEAS CONTINUE VERY HIGH WITH UP TO 17 FEET AT DIAMOND BUOY AND THE BUOY 13 MILES EAST OF OREGON INLET WITH 13 FEET NEAR DUCK. SEAS WILL REMAIN AT CURRENT LEVELS THRU TONIGHT THEN ONLY GRADUALLY SUBSIDE ON MONDAY AS WINDS BEGIN TO DECREASE. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 330 PM SUN...NLY WINDS DIMINISH TO LESS THAN 15 KT MON NIGHT AS LOW PRES PUSHES EAST OF THE AREA AND HIGH PRES WEAKENS. SEAS AS HIGH AS 6-8 FT NORTH AND 3-7 FT SOUTH EXPECTED TO START MON NIGHT BUT ARE PROGGED TO DROP TO 5 FT OR LESS TUES MORNING. WINDS THEN SHIFT TO SW TUES AND INCREASE TO 10-20 KT BY LATE IN THE DAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NW. COULD SEE MINIMAL SCA CONDITIONS DEVELOP TUES EVENING ACROSS THE CENTRAL WATERS AS SEAS BUILD UP TO 6 FT IN SW FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL CROSS THE WATERS TUES NIGHT WITH A NWLY SURGE AROUND 15-25 KT LATE TUES NIGHT AND WED. SEAS FORECAST TO BUILD TO 4-7 FT NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT LATE TUES NIGHT BRINGING SCA CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE WATERS...HOWEVER MODELS KEEP WINDS AROUND 15-20 KT WITH SEAS AROUND 3-5 FT SOUTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT. HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE AREA THURS AND FRI WITH SUB SCA CONDITIONS EXPECTED. WINDS DO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY FRI AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT WITH SW WINDS INCREASING TO 10-20 KT AND SEAS BUILDING TO 3-5 FT FRI AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... WAVES IN THE SURF ZONE WILL LIKELY REMAIN 8+ FT ON THE OUTER BANKS NORTH OF CAPE HATTERAS...SO CONT HIGH SURF ADVRY THRU TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. WATERS LEVELS CONTINUE 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL SRN PAMLICO SOUND WITH PERSISTENT NE FLOW AND WILL BE EXTENDING THE COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. && .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT MONDAY FOR NCZ103. COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NCZ093>095. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY FOR AMZ136-137. GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY FOR AMZ135-152-154-156-158. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT MONDAY FOR AMZ130-131. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR AMZ150. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BTC NEAR TERM...CTC SHORT TERM...BTC LONG TERM...BTC/SK AVIATION...CTC/SK/LEP MARINE...CTC/BTC/SK TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...CTC/BTC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WILMINGTON NC
301 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... WET WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH AN OFFSHORE STORM SYSTEM WILL LAST THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO AT LEAST EARLY SUNDAY ALONG THE COAST. AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER ON MONDAY...THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL COME ON TUESDAY WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT. WARMING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...BEAUTIFUL SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS AFTN AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE SPINS SLOWLY OFF THE NORTH-FLORIDA ATLANTIC COAST. A TROUGH/COASTAL FRONT EXTENDING NE FROM THIS LOW PRESSURE TO UP ALONG THE NC COAST...IS STRENGTHENING THIS AFTN...WHICH WILL HELP ONCE AGAIN INCREASE RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA. ADDITIONALLY...A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ITS TRYING TO PUSH DOWN INTO THE SOUTHEAST...DRIVING A PINCHED PRESSURE GRADIENT WHICH WILL SUPPORT STRONG NE WINDS TONIGHT. WELL RAINFALL THIS AFTN HAS NOT BE AS IMPRESSIVE AS ANY OF THE HIGH RES GUIDANCE HAS BEEN SUGGESTING...MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TRUST ANY OF IT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NEAR TERM. BELIEVE THE RAIN HAS NOT BEEN AS SIGNIFICANT DUE TO DRIER AIR ALOFT SW OF THE LOCAL AREA...FROM WHICH THE BEST "MOIST" LIFT IS ORIGINATING. DRY ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL NEVER CREATE SHOWERS...AND THUS ONLY CLOUDS AND DRIZZLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PERSIST TODAY...DEVELOPING FROM THE SATURATED NEAR-SURFACE LAYERS. THE GFS FORECAST SOUNDINGS BEST MATCH THE OBSERVED SOUNDINGS FROM KCHS AND KFFC THIS MORNING...AND THUS IS USED PREFERENTIALLY. LATEST KLTX RADAR DOES SHOW SHOWER ACTIVITY REDEVELOPING ALONG THE COASTAL TROUGH JUST OFFSHORE...AND EXPECT THIS TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...AND ADVECT BACK TOWARDS THE COAST...ESPECIALLY THE CAPE FEAR REGION. HAVE DECREASED POP FROM EARLIER...BUT STILL SHOW LIKELY POP ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST TONIGHT...WITH LOW-CHC INLAND. AS THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION DEVELOPS AND MOISTURE DOES WRAP BACK INTO THE AREA AROUND THE LOW MOVING UP THE COAST...DRIZZLE/MIST MAY BECOME WIDESPREAD ONCE AGAIN...AND COULD BE THE PREDOMINANT PRECIP MODE INLAND. AT THE SAME TIME...THE INTERACTION OF THE LOW MOVING UP THE COAST AND THE HIGH RIDGING DOWN FROM THE NORTH WILL DRIVE A TIGHTENING GRADIENT. LLJ IS PROGGED TO RISE TO 40 KTS TONIGHT AT ONLY 1500 FT AGL...THUS WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL BECOME COMMON ACROSS THE AREA...HIGHEST AT THE COAST. TONIGHT...TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE TO FALL EVEN ON THE COOL NE FLOW. LOW CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL KEEP DIURNAL RANGES LIMITED TO ONLY AROUND 10 DEGREES. THUS...EXPECT LOWS TONIGHT JUST ABOVE 50 AT THE COAST...AND JUST BELOW 50 TOWARDS I-95. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...GUIDANCE CONSISTENT IN DRIFTING A VERTICALLY STACKED SYSTEM CURRENTLY MOVING OFFSHORE NORTHERN FLORIDA TO THE NORTHEAST AND EVENTUALLY AWAY FROM THE EASTERN CAROLINAS DURING THE SHORT TERM. MOISTURE PULLS AWAY WITH THE SYSTEM...ALLOWING PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO GRADUALLY FADE FROM NW TO SE DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. HIGHEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BE SUNDAY MORNING AND ALONG THE COAST WHEN AND WHERE WE CAN EXPECT LINGERING LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE TO HANG ON BEFORE FADING DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. OVERNIGHT SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL BE DRY AS RIDGING AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT TRANSITS THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST. GRADIENT ALONG BACKSIDE OF OFFSHORE SYSTEM WILL MAKE FOR A BREEZY COUPLE OF DAYS...ESPECIALLY ON SUNDAY...WHEN WE WILL SEE NORTH TO NORTHEASTERLY WINDS IN THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE...IN ADDITION TO THE HIGHER GUSTS. COOL NORTHEASTERLY FLOW AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP SUNDAY DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE MID 60S. MONDAY WILL BE WARMER AS MORE SUNSHINE CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH HIGHS OF RIGHT AROUND 70. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS OVER THE EASTERN CAROLINAS ON TUESDAY WILL FADE AND SHIFT OFF THE COAST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN TIMING FROPA FOR TUESDAY NIGHT. PREDOMINANTLY WESTERLY FLOW THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT MOISTURE AND THE COVERAGE OF ANY ASSOCIATED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SCATTERED. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OFFSHORE BY THE END OF THE WEEK AND A 500 MB RIDGE AXIS WILL TRAVERSE THE AREA FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH TEMPS WON`T COOL DOWN MUCH BEHIND THE FRONT...THERE WILL BE A MODEST UPWARD TREND IN TEMPS THU-SAT. WILL INTRODUCE A SMALL POP FRI-SAT DUE TO MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 18Z...IFR CIGS ARE OCCURRING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT CIGS AT KFLO/KLBT HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH MVFR AT TIMES. VSBYS ARE VFR...BUT VSBYS AT KILM/KLBT HAVE BEEN MVFR/IFR IN -DZ -RA AND BR. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION IS CURRENTLY DECREASING FROM S-N...SHOWERS ARE REDEVELOPING TO THE SE OF KILM. THE LATEST HRRR SLINGS THIS NW INTO KILM THEN KLBT THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT A DECENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AT KILM/KLBT WITH VCSH ELSEWHERE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT IFR CIGS TO CONTINUE AT THE COASTAL TERMINALS...WITH MVFR VSBYS AT KILM DUE TO SHOWERS. EXPECT IFR CIGS INLAND AS WELL...WITH TEMPO MVFR/IFR VSBYS AT KLBT DUE TO SHOWERS. SHOWERS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT JUST OFFSHORE AS A SURFACE LOW MOVES ENE WELL SOUTHEAST OF THE COASTAL TERMINALS. KLBT/KFLO SHOULD HAVE THE LEAST POTENTIAL FOR RAIN WITH THE BEST POTENTIAL AT THE COASTAL TERMINALS. AS THE ATTENDANT UPPER LOW PASSES EAST THE BEST RAIN POTENTIAL SHOULD END AND CIGS IMPROVE TO MVFR 08-10Z. PERIODS OF VFR COULD OCCUR BY 12Z BUT KEPT CIGS MVFR ATTM. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...TEMPO MVFR CIGS SUNDAY...OTHERWISE VFR. VFR ON MONDAY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS/TEMPO MVFR ON TUESDAY WITH A COLD FRONT. VFR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE PERIOD. SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE NOW CENTERED JUST OFF THE N-FL ATLANTIC COAST WILL GRADUALLY LIFT NE TONIGHT. AT THE SAME TIME...A COASTAL TROUGH EXTENDING NE FROM THE PARENT LOW IS STRENGTHENING OFF THE NC COAST...AND HAS DRIFTED SLIGHTLY EAST SUCH THAT ALL COASTAL WATERS ARE NOW EXPERIENCING STRONG NE WINDS...EVEN OUT TO FRYING PAN SHOALS. AS THIS LOW PRESSURE MOVES CLOSER TONIGHT...AND HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH CONTINUES TO RIDGE INTO THE VICINITY...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN. THEREFORE...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE SIGNIFICANTLY TONIGHT...BECOMING NE AT 20-30 KTS WITH GUSTS APPROACHING 40 KTS TOWARDS SUNDAY MORNING. SEAS WILL RISE QUICKLY AS WELL...BECOMING 7-11 FT WITH A SHORT PERIOD NE WIND WAVE PREDOMINANT...FORCING STEEP WAVE FACES. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE WITHIN THE WAVE SHADOWED REGION SW OF BRUNSWICK COUNTY...WHERE WAVE HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN 2-4 FT. SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...PERIOD BEGINS WITH GALE WARNING FLAGS FLYING AS THE TIGHT GRADIENT AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF AN OFFSHORE SYSTEM WILL CRATE STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS THROUGH AT LEAST THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. SEAS MAY REACH AS HIGH AS 9 FT OVER THE OUTER FRINGES OF OUR WATERS ON SUNDAY. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS THE OFFSHORE SYSTEM PULLS NORTHEAST AND AWAY FROM THE COAST. LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...WINDS WILL BECOME SW ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE WATERS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL SURGE TO PERHAPS LOW-END SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS BEFORE THE GRADIENT WEAKENS BY MIDDAY. DIRECTION WILL VEER TO THE SOUTHEAST BY THURSDAY AS THE CENTER OF HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES OFFSHORE. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR AMZ250-252-254-256. && $$ SYNOPSIS...REK NEAR TERM...JDW SHORT TERM...REK LONG TERM...CRM AVIATION...MRR MARINE...REK/JDW/CRM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WILMINGTON NC
130 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... WET WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH AN OFFSHORE STORM SYSTEM WILL LAST THROUGH TONIGHT AND EVEN THROUGH SUNDAY ALONG THE COAST. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL COME TUESDAY WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT. WARMING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1030 AM SATURDAY...IMPRESSIVE STACKED LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER NORTHERN FLORIDA WILL JUST DRIFT NORTHEAST TO OFF THE SC COAST BY TONIGHT. AN ELONGATED TROUGH/COASTAL FRONT IS EXTENDING NE FROM THIS LOW PRESSURE TO JUST OFF THE CAPE FEAR COAST...AND THIS BOUNDARY WILL WAVER JUST OFFSHORE THROUGH THE NEAR TERM. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PUSH DOWN TOWARDS THE AREA FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC TODAY AS WELL. ALL OF THESE FEATURES TOGETHER WILL CREATE A CONTINUED CLOUDY AND UNSETTLED DAY...WITH INCREASING NE WINDS. THE WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH FELL ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING HAS MOSTLY EXITED OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...WITH ONLY REMNANT SHOWERS REMAINING LOCALLY. ALL AVAILABLE HIGH-RES GUIDANCE MODELS THIS WELL...ALBEIT WITH A SLIGHTLY SLOWER PROGRESSION THAT WHAT IS ACTUALLY BEING OBSERVED. HOWEVER...THESE SAME MODELS SUGGEST THAT HEAVIER RAIN WILL ONCE AGAIN OVERSPREAD THE AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...AS MOISTURE CONTINUES TO WRAP ONTO THE COAST AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE SOUTH. MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE QUITE SATURATED...MUCH MORESO THAN 12Z OBSERVED SOUNDINGS TO THE SOUTH...WHICH SHOW PRONOUNCED DRY AIR ABOVE 700MB. EXPECT THIS DRY AIR IS DUE TO THE RIDGE MOVING SOUTH AND SOME SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE INITIAL WAVE OF PRECIP...BUT CONTINUED LOW-LEVEL SATURATION WILL DRIVE OVERCAST SKY COVER AND PERIODIC SHOWERS/DRIZZLE THROUGH THE AFTN. BY THIS EVENING...COLUMN WILL ONCE AGAIN SATURATE AND MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WITH HEAVIER RAINFALL IS EXPECTED. AN ADDITIONAL ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF QPF IS POSSIBLE AS SHOWN VIA THE 09Z SREF PLUMES...HIGHEST ALONG THE CAPE FEAR COAST...WHERE RAINFALL OF 2-4" HAS ALREADY FALLEN SINCE LAST NIGHT. IN ADDITION TO THE INCREASE IN RAINFALL THIS EVE...NE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE AS WELL AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS. ALTHOUGH MIXING WILL REMAIN SHALLOW...NE WIND GUSTS OF 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME COMMON TONIGHT...WITH ISOLATED GUSTS TO 40 MPH POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST. WHILE THIS WILL FALL BELOW WI.Y THRESHOLDS...MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER AN SPS FOR ISOLATED WIND IMPACTS...INCLUDING TREE DAMAGE ON THE SATURATED GROUND...WITH THE AFTN PACKAGE. TEMPS TODAY WILL BARELY MOVE THANKS TO THE COOL NE WINDS AND CLOUD COVER...AND EXPECT HIGHS ONLY IN THE MID 50S MOST PLACES...BUT SOME LOW 60S ARE LIKELY ALONG THE SOUTHERN GRAND STRAND NEAR THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER. DIURNAL RANGES WILL ALSO BE LIMITED...AND THUS MINS TONIGHT WILL FALL ONLY INTO THE LOW 50S...WITH SOME UPPER 40S WELL INLAND. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 AM SATURDAY...MOISTURE FROM THE NEAR TERM STORM SYSTEM TO LINGER INTO SUNDAY. THE MAIN FORECAST ISSUE THEN IS HOW FAR INLAND RAIN MANAGES TO SPREAD AND WHAT THE AMOUNTS END UP LOOKING LIKE. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING VERY BREEZY CONDITIONS TO THE COAST THAT MAY APPROACH WIND ADVISORY LEVELS ESPECIALLY IF SSTS DO NOT INHIBIT VERTICAL MIXING IN THE STRONG ONSHORE JETTING. BL FLOW BACKS SUNDAY NIGHT ALLOWING FOR LESS OF AN INLAND PUSH OF MOISTURE. SOME LOW RAIN CHANCES MAY PERSIST ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST BUT THATS ABOUT IT. MONDAY BRINGS MID LEVEL RIDGING/DRYING. THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY BE SLOW TO ERODE FROM THE EASTERN ZONES HOWEVER ESPECIALLY IF THE INVERSION SHOWN IN GFS MODEL SOUNDINGS DEVELOPS TO HELP TRAP IT. THIS FEATURE DOES NOT APPEAR IN WRF MODEL SOUNDINGS. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 300 AM SATURDAY...COLD FRONT APPROACHES ON TUESDAY BRINGING SOME LOW RAIN CHANCES ON ACCOUNT OF LIMITED PREFRONTAL MOISTURE FLUX. HEIGHT RISES ARE QUICK TO FOLLOW THE BOUNDARY OFFSETTING ANY LOW LEVEL COOL ADVECTION...WHICH THERE DOESNT SEEM TO BE MUCH OF ANYWAY. LATE WEEK TEMPS TO STAY ON THE WARM SIDE OF CLIMO AS MID LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS AND SURFACE HIGH ONLY VERY SLOWLY MIGRATES EASTWARD. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 18Z...IFR CIGS ARE OCCURRING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT CIGS AT KFLO/KLBT HAVE BEEN FLIRTING WITH MVFR AT TIMES. VSBYS ARE VFR...BUT VSBYS AT KILM/KLBT HAVE BEEN MVFR/IFR IN -DZ -RA AND BR. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION IS CURRENTLY DECREASING FROM S-N...SHOWERS ARE REDEVELOPING TO THE SE OF KILM. THE LATEST HRRR SLINGS THIS NW INTO KILM THEN KLBT THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT A DECENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AT KILM/KLBT WITH VCSH ELSEWHERE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT IFR CIGS TO CONTINUE AT THE COASTAL TERMINALS...WITH MVFR VSBYS AT KILM DUE TO SHOWERS. EXPECT IFR CIGS INLAND AS WELL....WITH TEMPO MVFR/IFR VSBYS AT KLBT DUE TO SHOWERS. SHOWERS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT JUST OFFSHORE AS A SURFACE LOW MOVES ENE WELL SOUTHEAST OF THE COASTAL TERMINALS. KLBT/KFLO SHOULD HAVE THE LEAST POTENTIAL FOR RAIN WITH THE BEST POTENTIAL AT THE COASTAL TERMINALS. AS THE ATTENDANT UPPER LOW PASSES EAST THE BEST RAIN POTENTIAL SHOULD END AND CIGS IMPROVE TO MVFR 08-10Z. PERIODS OF VFR COULD OCCUR BY 12Z BUT KEPT CIGS MVFR ATTM. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...TEMPO MVFR CIGS SUNDAY...OTHERWISE VFR. VFR ON MONDAY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS/TEMPO MVFR ON TUESDAY WITH A COLD FRONT. VFR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1030 AM SATURDAY...GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THE PERIOD. SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA IS DRAPING A COASTAL FRONT NE INTO THE LOCAL COASTAL WATERS. THIS LOW WILL DRIFT NORTHEAST TODAY...WHILE A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ATTEMPTS TO STRENGTHEN DOWN THE COAST. THESE TWO FEATURES IN TANDEM WILL DRIVE A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT...AND WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH TODAY...AND ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. CURRENT OBS SHOW THAT THE WEAKEST WINDS ARE...SURPRISINGLY...AT FRYING PAN SHOALS WHICH IS SE OF THE COASTAL FRONT AND THUS EXPERIENCING THE WEAKEST GRADIENT. BUOYS 41036...41037...AND 41038 ARE ALL WEST OF THE FRONT...AND HAVE NE WINDS OF 20-30 KTS THIS MORNING. THESE NE WINDS WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN THROUGH TONIGHT...SO EVEN THOUGH GALE CONDITIONS ARE NOT BEING MET YET...THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL BE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW ON THE HIGHER WINDS...RISING FROM THE CURRENT 4-7 FT...TO AS MUCH AS 7-10 FT TONIGHT...WITH 12+ FT EXPECTED AT FRYING PAN SHOALS. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS WILL BE IN THE TYPICAL WAVE SHADOW REGION ALONG THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY COAST...WHERE 2-4 FT SEAS WILL BE PREDOMINANT. SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 AM SATURDAY...VERY UNSETTLED WITH FLAGS IN PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD. THOSE FLAGS LIKELY IN THE FORM OF GALE WARNING EARLY IN THE PERIOD AND THERE IS JUST ENOUGH MODEL DIFFERENCES TO ERODE CONFIDENCE AS TO WHEN THAT WILL LOWER TO SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...COULD BE DURING THE DAY SUNDAY OR NOT UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT. MEANWHILE WAVES REMAIN VERY STEEP AND LARGE. ABATING TREND ON MONDAY SHOULD DROP WINDS BELOW ADVISORY THRESHOLDS ALTHOUGH THE LAGGING SEAS COULD MAKE IT UNTIL LATE DAY WHEN FLAGS ARE LOWERED. LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 300 AM SATURDAY...BACKING WIND ON TUESDAY ASSOC WITH THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT FROM THE NW. A SHARP VEER TO OFFSHORE ON TUESDAY NIGHT WITH FROPA MAY ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A BRIEF SURGE THAT COULD NECESSITATE A BRIEF ADVISORY BUT THINGS LOOK TO SETTLE PRETTY QUICKLY HEADING INTO WEDNESDAY. THE COOL AIR HAS TROUBLE MAKING IT THIS FAR SOUTH AND THUS THERE IS NO BIG PUSH OF HIGH PRESSURE...THE CENTER OF WHICH REMAINS OVER THE GREAT LAKES. IT WILL HOWEVER DROP SOUTH AND EAST BY THURSDAY AND BE FOUND CENTERED UP AND DOWN MUCH OF THE EAST COAST. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR AMZ250-252-254-256. && $$ NEAR TERM...JDW SHORT TERM...MBB LONG TERM...MBB AVIATION...MRR/JDW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS RALEIGH NC
740 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS...LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING WILL DRIFT VERY SLOWLY ALONG THE SOUTHEAST US COAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 305 AM SATURDAY... FOR TODAY/TONIGHT: THE MOST DREARY WEATHER OF THE WEEKEND WILL OCCUR IN THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS... WITH CERTAIN RAIN FOR ALL. THE LATEST SURFACE AND UPPER AIR ANALYSES SHOW THE RESPECTIVE LOW CENTERS OVER NE FL AND SRN AL... SHIFTING VERY SLOWLY EASTWARD. THE SURFACE HIGH TO OUR NNE OVER DELMARVA-NJ THAT IS SUPPLYING THE CHILLY NE FLOW IS POISED TO BE SUPPLANTED BY A LARGER AND COLDER HIGH NOW CENTERED OVER ONTARIO... WHICH WILL BE USHERED INTO OUR REGION THANKS TO A WEAK NRN STREAM FRONT EXTENDING FROM UPSTATE NY THROUGH THE OH VALLEY AND PUSHING TO THE ESE... ATTENDING A SWIFT-MOVING MID LEVEL TROUGH. IDEALLY JUXTAPOSED UPPER JET CORES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS TROUGH (RIGHT REAR QUAD OVER NC) AND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE VORTEX OVER AL (LEFT FRONT QUAD OVER NC) HAVE STRENGTHENED THE UPPER DIVERGENCE OVER NC... SUPPORTING A BROAD SWATH OF MOSTLY LIGHT-MDT RAIN OVER NC. WITH ABUNDANT MID LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE AND THIS UPPER LEVEL FORCING FOR ASCENT COMBINED WITH MID LEVEL DEFORMATION AND MASS CONVERGENCE AROUND 850 MB SHOULD CONTINUE TO GENERATE WIDESPREAD RAIN THROUGH THIS MORNING. LARGE SCALE MODELS DEPICT THE BEST LIFT IN A BAND ACROSS THE SW PORTION OF CENTRAL NC... WHERE THE UPPER DIVERGENCE AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL BE WELL CORRELATED IN THE VERTICAL... AND THIS IS INDICATED AS WELL BY SREF PROBABILITIES AND THE LATEST HRRR RUNS. THIS AREA COULD SEE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL 1.0-1.5 INCHES OF RAIN... MOST FALLING THIS MORNING. LATEST OBSERVED RAINFALL SO FAR RANGES FROM JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS NEAR THE VA BORDER TO JUST UNDER AN INCH IN THE FAR SOUTH (SCOTLAND TO SAMPSON CO)... WITH AREAS FROM THE TRIANGLE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST CWA SEEING AROUND 0.30-0.40 INCH SO FAR. WHILE THE FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS LOWEST IN THIS SW QUADRANT OF THE FORECAST AREA (AROUND 1.75" IN 1 HR)... THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT ENOUGH SUCH THAT THIS RATE WON`T BE ACHIEVED. BUT A GRAND TOTAL OF 2 INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN IN THIS AREA COULD LEAD TO SOME STREET FLOODING ESPECIALLY IN THOSE VULNERABLE AREAS NEAR CREEKS AND IN TOWNS. THEN BY THIS AFTERNOON... THE AFOREMENTIONED WEAK NRN STREAM FRONT WILL HAVE ALLOWED THE CHILLIER HIGH TO BUILD SOUTHWARD INTO NC AS IT CROSSES SRN QUEBEC AND THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY THROUGH TONIGHT... HELPING TO DRY OUT THE LOW LEVELS OVER NC FROM THE NORTH. ALSO LATER TODAY THE UPPER LEVELS WILL GRADUALLY DRY OUT AS THE DRY SLOT ALOFT PUNCHES IN FROM THE SOUTH... AND THIS DRYING ABOVE 0C SHOULD LEAD TO A SLOW TREND TO MOSTLY LIGHT PATCHY DRIZZLE... WITH THE TRANSITION LAST TO OCCUR OVER THE NW PIEDMONT WHERE THE DEFORMATION BAND WILL MOST LONG-LIVED. SO... IN TERMS OF SENSIBLE WEATHER... WILL START THE DAY WITH 100% POPS... GRADUALLY TRENDING DOWN TO GOOD CHANCES OF RAIN OR DRIZZLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AS THE CHANCES FOR MEASURABLE PRECIP DROP. MODELS DISAGREE ON EXACTLY WHERE AND HOW MUCH PRECIP THERE MIGHT BE TONIGHT... BUT BASED ON THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN... WILL KEEP A LOW CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN LATE TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTHEAST... WHERE ONSHORE-DIRECTED FLOW WILL LAST THE LONGEST. TEMPS ARE CHALLENGING TO SAY THE LEAST... WITH SOME STATISTICAL GUIDANCE APPEARING OVERLY OPTIMISTIC GIVEN THE WIDESPREAD CLOUDS AND RAIN FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. HAVE FOLLOWED HIGH- RES AND RAPID-UPDATE GUIDANCE INCLUDING THE LOCAL WRF / HRRR / RAP / GRIDDED LAMP FOR TEMPS TODAY... GIVING HIGHS FROM THE MID 50S IN THE SOUTH TO UPPER 50S IN THE FAR NORTHWEST. EXPECT CLOUDS TO LINGER THROUGH TONIGHT... BUT WITH RAIN/DRIZZLE DWINDLING ESPECIALLY FROM NW TO SE. LOWS 45-50. FOR SUN/SUN NIGHT: THE MID LEVEL LOW IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT SLOWLY OFF SAVANNAH EARLY SUN THEN SLOWLY FILL AS IT HEADS ESE THROUGH SUN NIGHT. MODELS INDICATE ABUNDANT MOISTURE HANGING ON IN THE 850-700 MB LAYER OVER NC SUNDAY... WITH A PERSISTENT COOL AND BRISK NORTHEAST LOW LEVEL FLOW FEEDING IN FROM THE CHILLY BUT PROGRESSIVE AND MODIFYING SURFACE HIGH TO OUR NE. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 15-20 M BELOW NORMAL... INDICATING HIGHS NEARLY 2 CATEGORIES BELOW NORMAL. EXPECT HIGHS OF 64-68... WITH PARTIAL SUNSHINE LATE IN THE DAY AS MID LEVEL RIDGING STARTS TO BUILD IN FROM THE WEST. CLEARING SKIES SUN NIGHT... ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE IN THE NORTHEAST CWA WITH A CONTINUED ATLANTIC FETCH TO BRING ABOUT PATCHY LOW STRATUS DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT. LOWS 40-47. -GIH && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 255 AM SATURDAY... THE SLOW MOVING CUT OFF LOW IMPACTING THE REGION THIS WEEKEND IS FORECAST TO BE EAST OF THE CAROLINAS SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH AN ELONGATED SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES INTO THE NC. AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...WINDS SHOULD BACK AROUND TO MORE NORTHERLY THAN NORTHEASTERLY AND ALLOW SOME DRIER AIR TO WORK INTO CENTRAL NC FROM THE NORTH. THE NAM ISNT QUITE AS DRY AS THE GFS AND ECMWF...SHOWING SOME MOISTURE LINGERING AROUND 850MB EAST OF I-95. WHILE THE AIRMASS WONT BEGIN TO MODERATE SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL TUESDAY...STRONGER HEATING SHOULD SUPPORT HIGHS REACHING THEIR POTENTIAL OF UPPER 60S AND LOWER 70S. A PROGRESSIVE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL US WILL APPROACH THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY...WITH THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL ZONE PROJECTED TO CROSS CENTRAL NC TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM...LOWS WILL BE MUCH MORE MILD MONDAY NIGHT WITH INCREASING MID/HIGH CLOUDS AND A WEAK RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE WESTERN PIEDMONT. LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S WEST AND UPPER 40S EAST. SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT. MODELS CURRENTLY FORECAST A DEWPOINT RECOVERY INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S...WHICH COMBINED WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80 AND WEAK MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES WOULD SUGGEST WEAK INSTABILITY...MAINLY ACROSS THE WEST. MODEST SHEAR MAY SUPPORT A FEW STRONG STORMS...BUT WITHOUT BETTER UPPER SUPPORT THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS ISOLATED AT THIS POINT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 255 AM SATURDAY... BEHIND TUESDAYS SYSTEM...CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN US ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE THE COOLEST DAY AS THICKNESSES FALL BACK BELOW NORMAL...WITH HIGHS MAYBE 5-10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...BUT THEN QUICKLY REBOUND ON FRIDAY AS ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. THIS NEXT SYSTEM RESEMBLES THE EARLY WEAK SYSTEM...THOUGH POTENTIALLY WITH A LITTLE MORE MOISTURE AVAILABLE FROM THE GULF. THE CURRENT FORECAST WILL REMAIN DRY...WITH THE BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIP JUST BEYOND THE END OF THE FORECAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. && .AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 740 AM SATURDAY... AN EXPANSIVE STORM SYSTEM CENTERED ON THE FL GULF COAST WILL AFFECT THE SOUTHEAST STATES AND CAROLINAS THROUGHOUT TODAY AND TONIGHT. FAIRLY WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN HAS LINGERED THROUGH THE NIGHT... BUT VSBYS HAVE VASCILLATED AMONG VFR / MVFR / IFR THROUGH THE NIGHT. CIGS ARE LIKELY TO VARY BETWEEN VFR AND MVFR (AS MVFR CLOUDS SHIFT FROM SCT TO BKN AND BACK TO SCT AGAIN) THROUGHOUT THE DAY. UNFORTUNATELY... CONFIDENCE IN THE OCCURRENCE OF MVFR CONDITIONS AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME TODAY IS VERY LOW. VSBYS MAY BRIEFLY DROP TO MVFR IN ANY HEAVIER RAIN BANDS THROUGH 19Z. AFTER AROUND 19-21Z AT INT/GSO/RWI/RDU... CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE TO PREVAILING VFR AS DRIER LOW LEVEL AIR NOSES IN FROM HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH... WITH JUST PATCHY DRIZZLE AT MOST FROM 21Z THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF VALID PERIOD (12Z SUN). EXPECT IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR AT FAY 06Z-09Z. LOOKING BEYOND 12Z SUN... EXPECT IMPROVEMENT AT FAY TO VFR BY 12Z. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO DOMINATE THROUGH MON NIGHT. PASSAGE OF A MID LEVEL TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT FROM THE NW WILL BRING A RISK OF SUB-VFR CONDITIONS TUE/TUE NIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS RETURN FOR WED. -GIH && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SMITH NEAR TERM...HARTFIELD SHORT TERM...SMITH LONG TERM...SMITH AVIATION...HARTFIELD
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS RALEIGH NC
305 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS...LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING WILL DRIFT VERY SLOWLY ALONG THE SOUTHEAST US COAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 305 AM SATURDAY... FOR TODAY/TONIGHT: THE MOST DREARY WEATHER OF THE WEEKEND WILL OCCUR IN THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS... WITH CERTAIN RAIN FOR ALL. THE LATEST SURFACE AND UPPER AIR ANALYSES SHOW THE RESPECTIVE LOW CENTERS OVER NE FL AND SRN AL... SHIFTING VERY SLOWLY EASTWARD. THE SURFACE HIGH TO OUR NNE OVER DELMARVA-NJ THAT IS SUPPLYING THE CHILLY NE FLOW IS POISED TO BE SUPPLANTED BY A LARGER AND COLDER HIGH NOW CENTERED OVER ONTARIO... WHICH WILL BE USHERED INTO OUR REGION THANKS TO A WEAK NRN STREAM FRONT EXTENDING FROM UPSTATE NY THROUGH THE OH VALLEY AND PUSHING TO THE ESE... ATTENDING A SWIFT-MOVING MID LEVEL TROUGH. IDEALLY JUXTAPOSED UPPER JET CORES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS TROUGH (RIGHT REAR QUAD OVER NC) AND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE VORTEX OVER AL (LEFT FRONT QUAD OVER NC) HAVE STRENGTHENED THE UPPER DIVERGENCE OVER NC... SUPPORTING A BROAD SWATH OF MOSTLY LIGHT-MDT RAIN OVER NC. WITH ABUNDANT MID LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE AND THIS UPPER LEVEL FORCING FOR ASCENT COMBINED WITH MID LEVEL DEFORMATION AND MASS CONVERGENCE AROUND 850 MB SHOULD CONTINUE TO GENERATE WIDESPREAD RAIN THROUGH THIS MORNING. LARGE SCALE MODELS DEPICT THE BEST LIFT IN A BAND ACROSS THE SW PORTION OF CENTRAL NC... WHERE THE UPPER DIVERGENCE AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL BE WELL CORRELATED IN THE VERTICAL... AND THIS IS INDICATED AS WELL BY SREF PROBABILITIES AND THE LATEST HRRR RUNS. THIS AREA COULD SEE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL 1.0-1.5 INCHES OF RAIN... MOST FALLING THIS MORNING. LATEST OBSERVED RAINFALL SO FAR RANGES FROM JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS NEAR THE VA BORDER TO JUST UNDER AN INCH IN THE FAR SOUTH (SCOTLAND TO SAMPSON CO)... WITH AREAS FROM THE TRIANGLE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST CWA SEEING AROUND 0.30-0.40 INCH SO FAR. WHILE THE FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS LOWEST IN THIS SW QUADRANT OF THE FORECAST AREA (AROUND 1.75" IN 1 HR)... THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT ENOUGH SUCH THAT THIS RATE WON`T BE ACHIEVED. BUT A GRAND TOTAL OF 2 INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN IN THIS AREA COULD LEAD TO SOME STREET FLOODING ESPECIALLY IN THOSE VULNERABLE AREAS NEAR CREEKS AND IN TOWNS. THEN BY THIS AFTERNOON... THE AFOREMENTIONED WEAK NRN STREAM FRONT WILL HAVE ALLOWED THE CHILLIER HIGH TO BUILD SOUTHWARD INTO NC AS IT CROSSES SRN QUEBEC AND THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY THROUGH TONIGHT... HELPING TO DRY OUT THE LOW LEVELS OVER NC FROM THE NORTH. ALSO LATER TODAY THE UPPER LEVELS WILL GRADUALLY DRY OUT AS THE DRY SLOT ALOFT PUNCHES IN FROM THE SOUTH... AND THIS DRYING ABOVE 0C SHOULD LEAD TO A SLOW TREND TO MOSTLY LIGHT PATCHY DRIZZLE... WITH THE TRANSITION LAST TO OCCUR OVER THE NW PIEDMONT WHERE THE DEFORMATION BAND WILL MOST LONG-LIVED. SO... IN TERMS OF SENSIBLE WEATHER... WILL START THE DAY WITH 100% POPS... GRADUALLY TRENDING DOWN TO GOOD CHANCES OF RAIN OR DRIZZLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AS THE CHANCES FOR MEASURABLE PRECIP DROP. MODELS DISAGREE ON EXACTLY WHERE AND HOW MUCH PRECIP THERE MIGHT BE TONIGHT... BUT BASED ON THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN... WILL KEEP A LOW CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN LATE TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTHEAST... WHERE ONSHORE-DIRECTED FLOW WILL LAST THE LONGEST. TEMPS ARE CHALLENGING TO SAY THE LEAST... WITH SOME STATISTICAL GUIDANCE APPEARING OVERLY OPTIMISTIC GIVEN THE WIDESPREAD CLOUDS AND RAIN FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. HAVE FOLLOWED HIGH- RES AND RAPID-UPDATE GUIDANCE INCLUDING THE LOCAL WRF / HRRR / RAP / GRIDDED LAMP FOR TEMPS TODAY... GIVING HIGHS FROM THE MID 50S IN THE SOUTH TO UPPER 50S IN THE FAR NORTHWEST. EXPECT CLOUDS TO LINGER THROUGH TONIGHT... BUT WITH RAIN/DRIZZLE DWINDLING ESPECIALLY FROM NW TO SE. LOWS 45-50. FOR SUN/SUN NIGHT: THE MID LEVEL LOW IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT SLOWLY OFF SAVANNAH EARLY SUN THEN SLOWLY FILL AS IT HEADS ESE THROUGH SUN NIGHT. MODELS INDICATE ABUNDANT MOISTURE HANGING ON IN THE 850-700 MB LAYER OVER NC SUNDAY... WITH A PERSISTENT COOL AND BRISK NORTHEAST LOW LEVEL FLOW FEEDING IN FROM THE CHILLY BUT PROGRESSIVE AND MODIFYING SURFACE HIGH TO OUR NE. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 15-20 M BELOW NORMAL... INDICATING HIGHS NEARLY 2 CATEGORIES BELOW NORMAL. EXPECT HIGHS OF 64-68... WITH PARTIAL SUNSHINE LATE IN THE DAY AS MID LEVEL RIDGING STARTS TO BUILD IN FROM THE WEST. CLEARING SKIES SUN NIGHT... ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE IN THE NORTHEAST CWA WITH A CONTINUED ATLANTIC FETCH TO BRING ABOUT PATCHY LOW STRATUS DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT. LOWS 40-47. -GIH && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 255 AM SATURDAY... THE SLOW MOVING CUT OFF LOW IMPACTING THE REGION THIS WEEKEND IS FORECAST TO BE EAST OF THE CAROLINAS SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH AN ELONGATED SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES INTO THE NC. AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...WINDS SHOULD BACK AROUND TO MORE NORTHERLY THAN NORTHEASTERLY AND ALLOW SOME DRIER AIR TO WORK INTO CENTRAL NC FROM THE NORTH. THE NAM ISNT QUITE AS DRY AS THE GFS AND ECMWF...SHOWING SOME MOISTURE LINGERING AROUND 850MB EAST OF I-95. WHILE THE AIRMASS WONT BEGIN TO MODERATE SIGNIFICANTLY UNTIL TUESDAY...STRONGER HEATING SHOULD SUPPORT HIGHS REACHING THEIR POTENTIAL OF UPPER 60S AND LOWER 70S. A PROGRESSIVE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL US WILL APPROACH THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY...WITH THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL ZONE PROJECTED TO CROSS CENTRAL NC TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM...LOWS WILL BE MUCH MORE MILD MONDAY NIGHT WITH INCREASING MID/HIGH CLOUDS AND A WEAK RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE WESTERN PIEDMONT. LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S WEST AND UPPER 40S EAST. SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT. MODELS CURRENTLY FORECAST A DEWPOINT RECOVERY INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S...WHICH COMBINED WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80 AND WEAK MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES WOULD SUGGEST WEAK INSTABILITY...MAINLY ACROSS THE WEST. MODEST SHEAR MAY SUPPORT A FEW STRONG STORMS...BUT WITHOUT BETTER UPPER SUPPORT THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS ISOLATED AT THIS POINT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 255 AM SATURDAY... BEHIND TUESDAYS SYSTEM...CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN US ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE THE COOLEST DAY AS THICKNESSES FALL BACK BELOW NORMAL...WITH HIGHS MAYBE 5-10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...BUT THEN QUICKLY REBOUND ON FRIDAY AS ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. THIS NEXT SYSTEM RESEMBLES THE EARLY WEAK SYSTEM...THOUGH POTENTIALLY WITH A LITTLE MORE MOISTURE AVAILABLE FROM THE GULF. THE CURRENT FORECAST WILL REMAIN DRY...WITH THE BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIP JUST BEYOND THE END OF THE FORECAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. && .AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 145 AM SATURDAY... AN EXPANSIVE STORM SYSTEM CENTERED ON THE FL GULF COAST WILL AFFECT THE SOUTHEAST STATES AND CAROLINAS THROUGHOUT TODAY AND TONIGHT. CURRENTLY... DESPITE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN... WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FAY... VFR CONDITIONS DOMINATE WITH MOST VSBYS AOA 6SM AND CIGS AOA 4 000 FT... WHILE FAY HAS SEEN A BAND OF HEAVIER RAIN BRINGING IN IFR CIGS AND MVFR VSBYS. THESE IFR CIGS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO ADVECT INTO FAY THROUGH 12Z... AND MAY CREEP INTO THE VICINITY OF RWI. AT INT/GSO/RDU... VFR CIGS AND VSBYS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THROUGH 12Z... ALTHOUGH VSBYS MAY BRIEFLY DROP TO MVFR IN ANY HEAVIER RAIN BANDS. AFTER 12Z... RDU/RWI SHOULD FALL TO MAINLY MVFR... LASTING UNTIL AROUND 19-21Z... WITH BRIEF IFR CIGS POSSIBLE BETWEEN 12Z AND 16Z. INT/GSO SHOULD REMAIN VFR... ALTHOUGH A BRIEF DROP TO MVFR 12Z-16Z THIS MORNING IS POSSIBLE. FAY IS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE WORST AVIATION CONDITIONS WITH IFR CONDITIONS HOLDING THROUGH 06Z TONIGHT. AT INT/GSO/RWI/RDU... CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE TO VFR AFTER 21Z AS DRIER LOW LEVEL AIR NOSES IN FROM HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH... WITH JUST PATCHY DRIZZLE AT MOST FROM 21Z THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF VALID PERIOD (06Z SUN). LOOKING BEYOND 06Z SUN... EXPECT IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR AT FAY 06Z-09Z THEN TO VFR BY 12Z... AND MAINLY VFR CIGS AT ALL OTHER SITES THROUGH SUNDAY. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO DOMINATE THROUGH MON NIGHT. PASSAGE OF A MID LEVEL TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT FROM THE NW WILL BRING A RISK OF SUB-VFR CONDITIONS TUE/TUE NIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS RETURN FOR WED. -GIH && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SMITH NEAR TERM...HARTFIELD SHORT TERM...SMITH LONG TERM...SMITH AVIATION...HARTFIELD
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WILMINGTON NC
134 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTH FLORIDA WILL MOVE SLOWLY UP THE SOUTHEAST COAST THROUGH MONDAY. STIFF NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD RAIN WILL BECOME MORE SPORADIC AS THE WEEKEND PROGRESSES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN REASSERT ITSELF BRIEFLY BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATE ON TUESDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN BY THE END OF THE UPCOMING WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... AS OF 1100 PM FRIDAY...KLTX AS WELL AS MOSAIC RADAR TRENDS ILLUSTRATE THE RAIN COMPLETELY BLANKETING THE ILM CWA. WIDESPREAD STRATIFORM LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN IS NOW FALLING ACROSS THE FA...WITH POCKETS OF HEAVIER RAIN ACROSS WILLIAMSBURG AND HORRY COUNTIES. THE SFC COASTAL TROF LIES NE-SW JUST OFFSHORE AND PARALLEL TO THE ILM COASTAL CWA. THE HEAVIER RAIN ACROSS THE MENTIONED ILM CWA IS ASSOCIATED WITH CONVECTION THAT WAS SOUTH OF THE COASTAL TROF THAT PUSHED NORTHWARD ACROSS THIS TROF AND THEN ONSHORE WHERE INSTABILITY LACKED TO SUSTAIN THE CONVECTION. AS A RESULT...THIS CONVECTIVE PCPN TRANSITIONED INTO STRATIFORM MODERATE TO POCKETS OF HEAVY RAIN. WITH ALL THIS SAID...LOOKING AT CATEGORICAL POPS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE 1ST HALF OF SATURDAY. HIGH TIDE LEVELS TO REMAIN BELOW MINOR COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY CRITERIA OVERNIGHT...WITH THE PEAK OCCURRING AROUND MIDNIGHT. VIA CURRENT RADAR TRENDS AND THE LATEST HRRR OUTPUT...THE ONSHORE MOVEMENT OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PCPN CURRENTLY BEING EXPERIENCED BY CHS...WILL TRANSLATE NORTHWARD OVERNIGHT INTO THE ILM CWA. IT IS PROGGED TO LOSE SOME OF ITS PUNCH AS IT REACHES THE ILM CWA DURING THIS LATE EVENING THROUGH THE SAT PRE-DAWN HOURS. AS A RESULT... HAVE REFRAINED FROM ISSUING A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY AT THIS TIME FOR DOWNTOWN ILM AND PORTIONS OF CAPE FEAR SOUTH OF SNOWS CUT RIDGE. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR INCREASING RAINFALL COINCIDING WITH THE HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES. HOWEVER...LIKE PREVIOUSLY SAID... LOOKS LIKE THE HEAVIER PCPN TO ARRIVE MUCH LATER THEN THE HIGH TIDE OCCURRENCE LATE THIS EVENING. MIN TEMPS TONIGHT LOOK AOK...WITH VERY LITTLE MASSAGING NEEDED TO THE DOWNSIDE. VIA VARIOUS MODEL TIME HEIGHT DISPLAYS ACROSS THE FA...A NE-ENE 30 TO 40 KT WIND WILL PERSIST JUST OFF THE DECK OVERNIGHT THRU SATURDAY. SOME OF THESE WINDS MAY GET CARRIED TO THE SFC AS WIND GUSTS OR BY FURTHER INCREASING SUSTAINED VALUES. AS A RESULT...HAVE TWEAKED WINDS UPWARDS ACROSS THE CWA ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE COAST WHERE WINDS ARE PRIMARILY ONSHORE. WITH THE COASTAL TROF REMAINING OFFSHORE...OVERNIGHT TEMPS WILL HOLD IN THE 50S CLOSER TO THE COAST AND IN THE 40S THE FURTHER INLAND. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION........................................... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...A CUTOFF LOW WILL DRIFT ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW WILL SLOWLY MOVE FROM THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO...ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA TO REACH THE GEORGIA COAST BY 12Z SATURDAY. LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE IN THE VICINITY OF THE SURFACE LOW AND ALONG THE WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST OFFSHORE WILL COUPLE WITH MID AND UPPER-LEVEL DIFFLUENCE AHEAD OF THE CUTOFF LOW TO ENHANCE LIFT ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. THE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL CURRENTLY SURGING FROM THE NORTHERN GULF ACROSS MUCH OF GEORGIA WILL PROGRESS NORTHEAST AND OVERSPREAD THE CWA THIS EVENING. THE SURFACE TROUGH/FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OFFSHORE OVERNIGHT WHICH WILL RESULT IN CONTINUED NORTHEAST SURFACE WINDS FOR THE ILM CWA. MOS GUIDANCE IS IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH MIN TEMPS TONIGHT. WITH A MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER...EXPECT LOWS TO RANGE FROM AROUND 50 INLAND TO NEAR 55 ALONG THE COAST. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...PERIOD WILL LIKELY BEGIN WITH AN ONGOING WIDESPREAD RAINFALL EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE CENTER AND ITS ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE DEEP SOUTH. SATURDAY MORNING WILL FIND THE LOW MOVING OFFSHORE NORTHERN FLORIDA AND INTO THE ATLANTIC WITH A WARM FRONT LINED UP JUST OFFSHORE THE SOUTHEAST US COAST. THE LOW WILL DRIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH THE SHORT TERM WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN INTENSITY AS IT WILL BE NEARLY VERTICALLY STACKED WITH ITS ASSOCIATED UPPER LOW. HAVE AGAIN LEANED ON THE GFS/ECMWF SOLUTIONS AS THEY SEEMED IN BETTER AGREEMENT THAN THE NAM WHICH GOES FOR AN OVERALL DRYER FORECAST. DID NOT LIKE HOW THE NAM WEAKENS AND THEN TRIES TO WASH OUT THE SYSTEM EARLY. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS HANG IN LONGER THAN GUIDANCE WOULD INDICATE. GIVEN THE ABOVE AND BASED ON MOVEMENT OF SYSTEM WILL START OFF SATURDAY WITH WIDESPREAD MODERATE STRATIFORM RAIN AND GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF PRECIPITATION THEREAFTER. CHANCE POPS AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER WILL EXTEND INTO SUNDAY...WITH CLEARING SKIES SUNDAY NIGHT AND NO MENTIONABLE POPS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A COOL NORTHEAST FLOW AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER WILL SUPPRESS DAYTIME TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S ON SATURDAY...AND UPPER 60S ON SUNDAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL BE ON THE MILD SIDE...MAINLY UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S BOTH NIGHTS. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...COOL AND UNSETTLED TO BEGIN THE PERIOD...BUT WARMER AND MORE TYPICAL MID-SPRING WEATHER EXPECTED TO FOLLOW FOR THE MIDDLE AND END OF THE UPCOMING WEEK. A VERY SLOW MOVING CUTOFF LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED SURFACE REFLECTION WILL FINALLY BE PUSHING AWAY FROM THE COAST MONDAY AS A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH AND DEFLECTS IT OFFSHORE. WHILE LOW LEVEL CLOUDINESS MAY PERSIST THE FIRST PART OF MONDAY...DRYING OF THE COLUMN WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE DAY AND A LOT OF SUNSHINE IS EXPECTED MONDAY WITH TEMPS JUST BELOW SEASONABLE NORMS. THIS WILL BE SHORT LIVED HOWEVER...AS A COLD FRONT WORKS EAST ON TUESDAY...LIKELY CROSSING THE CWA TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY GOOD CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS. AHEAD OF THIS COLD FRONT TEMPS WILL WARM WELL INTO THE 70S...BUT SOME CAA BEHIND THE BOUNDARY WILL DRIVE TEMPS TO SEASONABLE OR JUST BELOW AGAIN WED/THU...EVEN WITH AMPLE LATE-APRIL SUNSHINE. HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTING OFFSHORE BY THE END OF THE WEEK WILL BEGIN A NICE WARMING TREND BEGINNING ON FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 06Z...EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL OVERNIGHT AS -RA/RA CONTINUES TO SPREAD ACROSS THE EASTERN CAROLINAS. THE CONSTANT RAINFALL SHOULD HELP TO LOWER CIGS BELOW 1KFT AT MOST TERMS. NORTHEAST WINDS 15 KT WITH GUSTS OVER 20 KT WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS MORNING. SLOW-MOVING LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTH FLORIDA WILL BRING RAIN THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. FCST SOUNDINGS AND GUIDANCE ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ABOUT IFR STRATUS PERSISTING THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. CIGS MAY LIFT TO MVFR IN THE AFTERNOON...BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE THE BEST CASE SCENARIO. LOOK FOR GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS 15-25 KT DURING THE DAY AS A WARM FRONT REMAINS POSITIONED OFFSHORE. MVFR/IFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD...EVEN AS THE RAIN TAPERS OFF BY EVENING. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...MVFR/IFR CIGS WILL LINGER OVERNIGHT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...LOWEST ALONG THE COAST. BECOMING VFR ON MONDAY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON TUESDAY WITH A COLD FRONT. VFR ON WEDNESDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1100 PM FRIDAY...NE-ENE WINDS REMAIN QUITE ACTIVE ACROSS THE AREA WATERS. A TIGHTENED SFC PG FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT AND CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY...AND THE 40+ KT WINDS JUST OFF THE DECK...WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE A NE WIND AT 15-25 KT ACROSS THE LOCAL WATERS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. STRONGLY WORDED SCA REMAINS IN PLACE BUT WILL HAVE TO ONCE AGAIN WATCH FOR FUTURE CONDITIONS THAT MAY REQUIRE GALES. SIGNIFICANT SEAS WILL HOLD RELATIVELY IN THE 4 TO 7 FOOT RANGE WITH SEAS APPROACHING 8 TO 9 FT ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS OFF CAPE FEAR...AND ALSO OFF CAPE ROMAIN. DOMINANT PERIODS WILL RUN 6 TO 7 SECONDS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION................................. AS OF 3:00 PM FRIDAY...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL DRIFT FROM THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ACROSS NORTHERN FLORIDA TO THE GEORGIA COAST BY EARLY SATURDAY. AN ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL EXTEND NORTHEASTWARD FROM THE LOW CENTER AND WILL APPROACH THE COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTH OVERNIGHT. AS THE FRONT NEARS THE WATERS...WINDS WILL VEER TOWARDS THE ENE AND ARE EXPECTED TO LIGHTEN UP A BIT IN RESPONSE TO A WEAKER GRADIENT. DESPITE THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDS FALLING BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THRESHOLDS...ROUGH SEAS WILL WARRANT ITS CONTINUATION THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL EXTEND THROUGH MOST...IF NOT ALL OF THE NEAR TERM AS A STEADY MODERATE NORTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. ALTHOUGH WINDS EARLY IN THE PERIOD ON SATURDAY MORNING WILL BE MODEST...ONLY IN THE 10 TO 15 KT RANGE...THEY WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 KTS SATURDAY NIGHT AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF FLORIDA. SEAS WILL BUILD INTO THE 6 TO 10 FT RANGE AS A RESULT. HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY EXTEND THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEEKEND. LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT AWAY FROM THE AREA ON MONDAY...LEAVING NORTHERLY WINDS WHICH WILL EASE FROM 15-20 KTS EARLY TO LESS THAN 10 KTS MONDAY NIGHT. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS DOWN INTO THE AREA BRIEFLY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH WILL CROSS TUESDAY NIGHT. WINDS RESPOND QUICKLY TO THESE CHANGING CONDITIONS...BECOMING SW AT 10-20 KTS TUESDAY...AND THEN QUICKLY VEERING TO THE NW BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TUESDAY NIGHT AT 15-25 KTS. THIS IS WHEN THE HIGHEST SEAS ARE EXPECTED AS WELL...AND SOME 6 FT SEAS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WHEN A BRIEF SCA MAY BE NEEDED. WINDS THEN REMAIN FROM THE NW ON WEDNESDAY...BUT WITH SLOWLY DECREASING SPEEDS. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR AMZ250-252-254- 256. && $$ NEAR TERM...DCH/CRM SHORT TERM...REK LONG TERM...JDW AVIATION...BJR/RJD
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BISMARCK ND
115 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 115 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 MAIN UPDATES EARLY THIS MORNING WERE TO POPS AND TEMPERATURES...ADJUSTING BASED ON LATEST OBSERVATIONS...RADAR IMAGERY...AND NEAR TERM HR MODEL TRENDS. LINE OF SHOWERS MAINLY NORTHWEST WILL LIFT EAST-NORTHEAST BETWEEN NOW AND 10-12Z AS A MID LEVEL LOW MOVES THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS SOUTHEAST NEAR A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET WILL PERSIST BUT WILL ALSO PUSH FARTHER EAST BY DAWN. A PERIOD OF STRONG WEST/NORTHWEST WINDS IS ACCOMPANYING THE LINE OF SHOWERS/CLOUDS ACROSS THE WEST WITH PEAK GUSTS ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 45KTS. WINDS DIMINISH QUICKLY BEHIND THIS FRONTAL FEATURE. UPDATE ISSUED AT 956 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2014 WILL GO AHEAD AND LET THE WIND ADVISORY EXPIRE AT 10 PM. ALTHOUGH NEAR ADVISORY TO LOW ADVISORY CRITERIA WINDS MAY LINGER AROUND JAMESTOWN AND CARRINGTON TO RUGBY FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO. OTHERWISE UPDATED POPS BASED ON LATEST RADAR IMAGERY AND 01 UTC HRRR GUIDANCE. PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD QUICKLY EAST ACROSS THE AREA WITH MAYBE SOME LINGERING LIGHT PRECIPITATION IN THE FAR EAST 09-12 UTC. WINDS WILL DIMINISH EAST...AND ARE BEGINNING TO SHIFT WEST IN THE FAR WEST. BREEZY WEST WINDS ON SATURDAY. UPDATE ISSUED AT 708 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2014 SURFACE LOW PRESSURE NEAR BUFFALO SOUTH DAKOTA WITH STRONG SOUTHEAST FLOW CONTINUING OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF NORTH DAKOTA. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING INTO WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. EXPECT THESE TO TRANSLATE EAST THROUGH THE EVENING. HAVE UPDATED POP GRIDS BASED ON LATEST RADAR ANALYSIS. KEEPING HIGHER POPS OUT OF THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE UNTIL MID EVENING. HAVE ALLOWED THE WIND ADVISORY TO EXPIRE AT MINOT AND BISMARCK. AND EXTENDED IT THROUGH 10 PM OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY WAS ALREADY IN THE ADVISORY THROUGH 10 PM. UPDATE ISSUED AT 548 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2014 WILL LET THE WIND ADVISORY EXPIRE AT 7 PM OVER THE FAR WEST PORTION OF THE ADVISORY...INCLUDING BISMARCK AND MINOT. HOWEVER...LATEST RAP GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT STRONG SOUTHERLY 925-850MB WINDS WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE THIS EVENING OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA INCLUDING THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY INTO THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS WITH THE MIXING LAYER REMAINING ELEVATED INTO THE MID TO LATE EVENING HOURS. THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY GOES THROUGH 10 PM BUT WILL EXTEND THIS NORTH THROUGH THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS AND ADD ANOTHER LAYER COUNTIES TO THE WEST. OTHERWISE NO SIGNIFICANT UPDATES AT THIS TIME. WILL SEND PRODUCTS OUT BY 6 PM CDT. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 250 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2014 LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN MONTANA CONTINUES TO TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. SOLID WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA IS BEING MET OVER THE ADVISED AREA...SO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WIND HEADLINE FOR THIS UPDATE. RAIN SHOWERS ARE BEGINNING TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE OVER EASTERN MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO ENTER WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LAPSE RATES ALOFT DO NOT APPEAR CONDUCIVE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOP SOUTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THEREFORE...REMOVED THUNDER WORDING FROM THE APPROPRIATE ZONES IN THE FIRST PERIOD. THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE DETERMINING THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR RAIN SHOWERS TONIGHT. THE GFS/GEM/NAM KEEP THE HIGHEST PRECIP CHANCES ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY (PROXIMATE TO THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE ENERGY) WHEREAS THE ECMWF HAS HIGH PRECIP CHANCES OVER CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TONIGHT. FOR NOW WILL FOLLOW A BLENDED APPROACH AND KEEP THE HIGHEST POPS NORTH AND EXTEND THEM SOUTH INTO CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING. AS THE SHORTWAVE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA...DRY WESTERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. DRY WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE SATURDAY WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO INCREASE INTO THE 60S. THERE COULD BE SOME FIRE WEATHER ISSUES SATURDAY. SEE FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSION BELOW. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 250 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2014 THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST ARE A MILD EASTER FOLLOWED BY A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. WIDESPREAD HIGHS IN THE 60S TO LOWER 70S ARE FORECAST ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA EASTER SUNDAY IN THE WARM SECTOR OF A WEAK SURFACE LOW ACROSS NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH THE APPROACH OF AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND SURFACE COLD FRONT. OVERALL INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE IS LIMITED...THUS NOT EXPECTING A WASHOUT. LOOKING AHEAD...THE 12 UTC GUIDANCE SUITE CONTINUES TO DEPICT A SIGNIFICANT TROUGH COMING ONSHORE TO THE PACIFIC COAST TUESDAY...PLACING THE NORTHERN PLAINS UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. WITH A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT...AND CONTINUED LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE SURFACE REFLECTION OF THE LOW INTO WEDNESDAY...THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE CONVECTION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. FOR THE 12 UTC RUN TODAY...THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN AGREEMENT ON CLOSING OFF AND PROPAGATING A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. UNCERTAINTY IN PRECIPITATION TYPES...AMOUNTS AND PLACEMENT WILL LIKELY REMAIN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...SIGNIFICANT QPF IS POSSIBLE AND HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 115 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TONIGHT. WILL MAINTAIN VFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH LOWEST CEILINGS AROUND 5K FT AGL AND LOWEST VISIBILITIES ABOVE 6SM EARLY THIS MORNING. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST NOW THROUGH 12Z WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF GUSTY WINDS. AHEAD OF THIS BOUNDARY...AREAS OF FOG WITH VIS NEAR MVFR POSSIBLE...BUT SHOULD BE SHORT LIVED. MAINLY CLEAR CONDITIONS AFTER 12Z. WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE OUT OF THE WEST SATURDAY SUSTAINED NEAR 20KT WITH GUSTS 25-30KTS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...NH SHORT TERM...TM LONG TERM...AYD AVIATION...NH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CLEVELAND OH
107 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES THIS WEEKEND...THEN MOVE OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO MOVE ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES MONDAY NIGHT...DRAGGING ANOTHER COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... A RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE LAKE WITH PLENTY OF DRY AIR AND SUBSIDENCE FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. SUNNY WILL HANDLE IT. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HIGHS...LOWERED THEM A LITTLE BASED ON THE NOON METARS AND THE HRRR TEMPERATURE FORECAST GUIDANCE. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE THE DOMINANT FEATURE THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WILL PRODUCE DRY WEATHER THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH A GRADUAL WARM UP AS THE HIGH SHIFTS EAST AND THE FLOW TURN TO THE SOUTH. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS EXPECTED FOR EASTER. FOR SUNDAY THE NAM CONTINUES TO BE WARMER THAN THE GFS AND THE ECMWF. LEANED TOWARD THE WARMER NAM...BUT CUT TEMPS A DEGREE OR TWO. THE WARM UP WILL BE SHORT LIVED HOWEVER. MODELS ARE COMING INTO MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE TIMING OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. MODELS CONTINUE TO MOVE A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS THE LOWER LAKES MONDAY NIGHT...DRAGGING ANOTHER COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. THE GFS IS SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN THE NAM AND THE ECMWF SO FOR NOW WILL JUST GO LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA MONDAY NIGHT. EXPECT SOME LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE EAST ON TUESDAY. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ALL OF THE MODELS BRING A TRAILING SHORT WAVE INTO THE LONG WAVE TROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE STILL TO THE WEST THERE IS A DECENT CHANCE FOR A FEW MORE SHOWERS...MAINLY ACROSS NE OH/NW PA. TEMPERATURES ARE TRICKY...IF IT WERE TO STAY CLOUDY AND SHOWERY ALL DAY THEN IT COULD BE CHILLY. CONSIDERED MENTIONING SNOW SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST SINCE THE 850 MB TEMP IS PROGGED TO DROP TO -4C BUT THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL PROBABLY STAY WARM ENOUGH FOR RAIN SHOWERS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT RELATIVELY STRONG WARM ADVECTION WILL BE UNDERWAY ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. SOME WARM ADVECTION CLOUDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA BY THURSDAY MORNING AND CANNOT RULE OUT A SHOWER ALTHOUGH THE ODDS WOULD FAVOR A DRY DAY WITH MODERATING TEMPERATURES. NOT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE ON THE TIMING OF THE NEXT FRONT YET... PROBABLY SOME TIME ON FRIDAY. THERE COULD BE TWO FRONTS OR A PREFRONTAL TROUGH. WILL HAVE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND WILL KEEP THE TEMPERATURES MILD ON FRIDAY SINCE IT APPEARS THE COLDER AIR WILL HANG BACK AND NOT ARRIVE UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... VFR TO THE MAX OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS AS SURFACE AND MID LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE REGION. ONLY EXPECTING SOME CIRRUS CLOUDS SPILLING NORTH INTO AKRON CANTON AND YOUNGSTOWN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MORE CIRRUS WILL SCOOT IN FROM THE WEST AT TOLEDO AND FINDLAY AS WELL. OTHERWISE...WINDS SHOULD BE FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHEAST AT 10 KNOTS DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KNOTS TONIGHT. .OUTLOOK...NON VFR IS POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY. && .MARINE... ALLOWED THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TO EXPIRE. THE WINDS AND WAVES WERE DECREASING. CONDITIONS WILL STILL BE A LITTLE CHOPPY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE LAKE BY THIS EVENING AND THE WIND WILL DIMINISH QUICKLY. WINDS WILL VEER MORE FROM THE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT ITO SUNDAY. THE GRADIENT WILL BE WEAK ENOUGH SUNDAY FOR A LAKE BREEZE IN MOST AREAS. THE SOUTH GRADIENT WILL BE STRONGER BY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT BUT THE WIND AND WAVES WILL LIKELY NOT PICK UP ON THE LAKE UNTIL AFTER THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE EARLY TUESDAY. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. PA...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...DJB NEAR TERM...KIELTYKA SHORT TERM...DJB LONG TERM...KOSARIK AVIATION...LOMBARDY MARINE...KOSARIK/LOMBARDY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CLEVELAND OH
1242 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES THIS WEEKEND...THEN MOVE OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO MOVE ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES MONDAY NIGHT...DRAGGING ANOTHER COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... A RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE LAKE WITH PLENTY OF DRY AIR AND SUBSIDENCE FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. SUNNY WILL HANDLE IT. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HIGHS...LOWERED THEM A LITTLE BASED ON THE NOON MTR`S AND THE HRRR TEMPERATURE FORECAST GUIDANCE. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE THE DOMINANT FEATURE THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WILL PRODUCE DRY WEATHER THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH A GRADUAL WARM UP AS THE HIGH SHIFTS EAST AND THE FLOW TURN TO THE SOUTH. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS EXPECTED FOR EASTER. FOR SUNDAY THE NAM CONTINUES TO BE WARMER THAN THE GFS AND THE ECMWF. LEANED TOWARD THE WARMER NAM...BUT CUT TEMPS A DEGREE OR TWO. THE WARM UP WILL BE SHORT LIVED HOWEVER. MODELS ARE COMING INTO MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE TIMING OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. MODELS CONTINUE TO MOVE A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS THE LOWER LAKES MONDAY NIGHT...DRAGGING ANOTHER COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. THE GFS IS SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN THE NAM AND THE ECMWF SO FOR NOW WILL JUST GO LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA MONDAY NIGHT. EXPECT SOME LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE EAST ON TUESDAY. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ALL OF THE MODELS BRING A TRAILING SHORT WAVE INTO THE LONG WAVE TROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE STILL TO THE WEST THERE IS A DECENT CHANCE FOR A FEW MORE SHOWERS...MAINLY ACROSS NE OH/NW PA. TEMPERATURES ARE TRICKY...IF IT WERE TO STAY CLOUDY AND SHOWERY ALL DAY THEN IT COULD BE CHILLY. CONSIDERED MENTIONING SNOW SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST SINCE THE 850 MB TEMP IS PROGGED TO DROP TO -4C BUT THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL PROBABLY STAY WARM ENOUGH FOR RAIN SHOWERS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT RELATIVELY STRONG WARM ADVECTION WILL BE UNDERWAY ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. SOME WARM ADVECTION CLOUDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA BY THURSDAY MORNING AND CANNOT RULE OUT A SHOWER ALTHOUGH THE ODDS WOULD FAVOR A DRY DAY WITH MODERATING TEMPERATURES. NOT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE ON THE TIMING OF THE NEXT FRONT YET... PROBABLY SOME TIME ON FRIDAY. THERE COULD BE TWO FRONTS OR A PREFRONTAL TROUGH. WILL HAVE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND WILL KEEP THE TEMPERATURES MILD ON FRIDAY SINCE IT APPEARS THE COLDER AIR WILL HANG BACK AND NOT ARRIVE UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... SUBSIDENCE SHOULD INCREASE THIS MORNING AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH. VFR WITH A FEW PATCHES OF STRATOCUMULUS THIS MORNING THEN PATCHY HIGH CLOUDS. THE EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND WILL BE A BIT GUSTY AT TIMES TODAY. VFR CONTINUES INTO SUNDAY. .OUTLOOK...NON VFR IS POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. && .MARINE... ALLOWED THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TO EXPIRE. THE WINDS AND WAVES WERE DECREASING. CONDITIONS WILL STILL BE A LITTLE CHOPPY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE LAKE BY THIS EVENING AND THE WIND WILL DIMINISH QUICKLY. WINDS WILL VEER MORE FROM THE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT ITO SUNDAY. THE GRADIENT WILL BE WEAK ENOUGH SUNDAY FOR A LAKE BREEZE IN MOST AREAS. THE SOUTH GRADIENT WILL BE STRONGER BY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT BUT THE WIND AND WAVES WILL LIKELY NOT PICK UP ON THE LAKE UNTIL AFTER THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE EARLY TUESDAY. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. PA...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...DJB NEAR TERM...KIELTYKA SHORT TERM...DJB LONG TERM...KOSARIK AVIATION...KOSARIK MARINE...KOSARIK/LOMBARDY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1043 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA BEFORE A COLD FRONT CROSSES EAST ON TUESDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK IN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT AFFECTING THE REGION ON FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 1030 PM...NC PIEDMONT STRATOCU HAS BEEN STEADILY OOZING AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING...SO THE SKY COVER FORECAST HAS BEEN LOWERED ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST TIER OF ZONES. OTHERWISE... PRIMARILY THIN CIRRUS WILL PASS OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT...BUT THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE NOCTURNAL COOLING CYCLE. WITH LIGHT MIXING EXPECTED IN THE PIEDMONT TONIGHT...MIN TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE JUST A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL...WHILE SHELTERED MTN VALLEYS WILL AVERAGE AT LEAST 5 DEGREES BELOW CLIMO. IN FACT...IT APPEARS PATCHY FROST IS LIKELY IN SHELTERED AREAS OF THE SRN/CTRL MTNS MONDAY MORNING...AND WE HAVE ADDED THIS TO THE FORECAST. IN ADDITION...VALLEY FOG LOOKS LIKE A DECENT BET...PRIMARILY IN THE LITTLE TENN BASIN AND ADJACENT DRAINAGES. AS OF 750 PM SUNDAY...OTHER THAN PATCHY STRATOCU ACROSS THE EXTREME SE TIER OF ZONES...SKIES ARE CLEAR ACROSS THE AREA AT MID-EVENING. MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE QUITE DISPARATE REGARDING THE EVOLUTION OF THIS STRATOCU LAYER OVERNIGHT...WITH THE NAM BEING SOMEWHAT OF AN OUTLIER IN DRAGGING IT WEST TO ENCOMPASS MUCH OF THE NC PIEDMONT/EASTERN SC PIEDMONT LATER THIS EVENING. IN LIGHT OF THIS...HAVE OPTED TO INTRODUCE SKY COVER AT THE MOSTLY CLEAR/PARTLY CLOUDY END OF THE SPECTRUM ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE AREA. AS OF 150 PM EDT SUNDAY...WITH THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY MOVING OUT TO SEA...ONLY THE FAR EASTERN ZONES SHOULD SEE ANY CLOUD COVER THIS EVENING. THE NAM IS QUITE AGGRESSIVE IN BRINGING CLOUDS INTO THE WRN NC PIEDMONT...BUT AS THE GFS AND RUC DO NOT DO THIS...I/VE GONE WITH A SKY FORECAST CLOSER TO THE DRIER MODELS. THERE SHOULD BE MORE LOCALLY DENSE FOG IN THE SOUTHWEST IN MTN VALLEYS OVERNIGHT. DRY AIR AND WEAK MIXING SHOULD KEEP MOST OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FA FROM SEEING ANY FOG OVERNIGHT. MIN TEMPS WILL BE COOL...BUT THEY SHOULD BE WARM ENOUGH TO PREVENT FROST OVER ALL BUT SOME OF THE INTERIOR NORTHERN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. MONDAY WILL BE SEASONABLY MILD WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF MIDDAY SUNDAY...UPPER PATTERN BEGINS TO AMPLIFY ACRS THE ERN CONUS MON NIGHT AS DEEP RIDGE PUSHES INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. CORE OF TROUGH BEGINS TO DIG ACRS THE GREAT LAKES...AND SFC LOW SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPS AND MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND DURING THE DAY TUE. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT IS STILL PROGGED TO ENTER OUR CWFA AT THAT TIME...MOVING OUT TUE EVENING. WE WILL BE WELL SOUTH OF THE BETTER FORCING THOUGH SOME DPVA IS PROGGED AS THE AXIS OF THE BROAD TROUGH PASSES. FRONTOGENESIS AND LLVL CONVERGENCE FIELDS ARE MURKY...SO PRECIP CHANCES MOSTLY RESULT FROM DECENT PRE-FRONTAL INSTABILITY. CAPE PROFILES ARE SKINNY ON PROG SOUNDINGS AND DEEP SATURATION IS INITIALLY EVIDENT. SHEAR PARAMETERS CONTINUE TO PROMPT LITTLE CONCERN...BUT IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH DRYING RAPIDLY OCCURS ABV 700 MB. THIS OCCURS IN THE MID TO LATE AFTN WHEN SOME SFC BASED INSTABILITY IS STILL PRESENT. THUS SOME OF THE LATER STORM ACTIVITY COULD POSE A MICROBURST AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT...MAINLY OVER THE PIEDMONT. TEMPS MON NIGHT AND TUE WILL BE A CATEGORY OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL. DEEP LAYER DRYING CONTINUES TUE NIGHT AS PLAINS RIDGE MOVES INTO THE ERN US...AND SKIES WILL CLEAR OVERNIGHT...PERHAPS MORE SLOWLY IN THE MTNS WHERE A VERY SHALLOW SFC BASED MOIST LAYER REMAINS IN NW FLOW. BRISK WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THE HIGH ELEVATIONS AT THAT TIME BUT THESE SUBSIDE TOWARD DAWN WED. DRY AND MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS PERSIST THRU WED WITH SUBSIDENCE INVERSION ACRS THE FA BUT LACKING MOISTURE ANYWAY. THICKNESSES DO DROP A BIT FOR WED...RETURNING TEMPS TO AROUND NORMAL DESPITE PRIME INSOLATION. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 230 PM EDT SUNDAY...THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD INITIALIZES ON WEDNESDAY EVENING AS DEEP LAYER RIDGING PREVAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. A SURFACE HIGH DIVING OUT OF ONTARIO WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO A BERMUDA TYPE HIGH BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON SETTING UP RETURN FLOW. MEANWHILE...A NORTHERN STREAM LOW AMPLITUDE UPPER TROF WILL PUSH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OCCURRING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY ON THURSDAY EVENING AS THE PARENT SURFACE CYCLONE EJECTS NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ABOVE MENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT ON FRIDAY MORNING/AFTERNOON. A WARM FRONT WILL SURGE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF AND WESTERN ATLANTIC SOURCE REGIONS ALLOWING FOR INCREASING DEWPOINTS AND STEEPENING LAPSE RATES DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS WILL LEAD TO MODEST INSTABILITY ACROSS THE CWFA WITH GFS/ECMWF SOLUTIONS INDICATIVE OF SBCAPE IN EXCESS OF 1000J/KG WITH ENOUGH SHEAR TO SUPPORT SOME ORGANIZED CONVECTION. STILL TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO DIAL IN ON STORM MODES AND SPECIFIC TIMING/INTENSITY. HOWEVER...CURRENT FCST SOUNDINGS DO INDICATE PW VALUES APPROACHING 1.5 INCHES LEADING TO MODERATELY HEAVY RAIN RATES WITH CAPE PROFILES SUPPORTIVE OF LARGE HAIL. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...CAPPED POPS AT HIGH END CHANCE LEVELS ACROSS THE REGION FOR FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL PASS INTO THE COASTAL PLAINS/MIDLANDS BY EARLY MORNING SATURDAY LEADING TO A DRY FCST UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AT THAT TIME POPS SLOWLY RAMP UP ACROSS THE WESTERNMOST ZONES AS ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE MID-SOUTH AND INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD WILL REMAIN AT OR JUST ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS DESPITE THE FROPA FRIDAY EVENING. && .AVIATION /03Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR STRATOCU AT AROUND 060 WILL LINGER NEAR THE AIRFIELD THIS EVENING...GENERALLY REMAINING FEW/SCT...ALTHOUGH AN OCCL PERIOD OF BKN IS POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE...NE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT AROUND 5 KTS THROUGH AT LEAST THE MORNING HOURS...BEFORE POSSIBLY VEERING TOWARD THE SE BY THE END OF MONDAY. ELSEWHERE...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH GRADUALLY DIMINISHING NE WINDS EXPECTED. LIGHT/VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN MANY AREAS MONDAY MORNING...BUT MAY BECOME LIGHT SE BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. OUTLOOK...A FAIRLY WET FRONTAL SYSTEM...WITH PIEDMONT THUNDERSTORMS...IS EXPECTED ON TUE...WITH DRYING RETURNING MID WEEK. CONFIDENCE TABLE... 02-08Z 08-14Z 14-20Z 20-02Z KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KAVL HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KHKY HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KGMU HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KAND HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% THE PERCENTAGE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED TAF ISSUANCE FLIGHT RULE CATEGORY. COMPLETE HOURLY EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLES AND ENSEMBLE FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: (MUST BE LOWER CASE) WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION_TABLES && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SBK NEAR TERM...JDL/MCAVOY SHORT TERM...WIMBERLEY LONG TERM...CDG AVIATION...JDL
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
758 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA BEFORE A COLD FRONT CROSSES EAST ON TUESDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK IN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT AFFECTING THE REGION ON FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 750 PM SUNDAY...OTHER THAN PATCHY STRATOCU ACROSS THE EXTREME SE TIER OF ZONES...SKIES ARE CLEAR ACROSS THE AREA AT MID-EVENING. MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE QUITE DISPARATE REGARDING THE EVOLUTION OF THIS STRATOCU LAYER OVERNIGHT...WITH THE NAM BEING SOMEWHAT OF AN OUTLIER IN DRAGGING IT WEST TO ENCOMPASS MUCH OF THE NC PIEDMONT/EASTERN SC PIEDMONT LATER THIS EVENING. IN LIGHT OF THIS...HAVE OPTED TO INTRODUCE SKY COVER AT THE MOSTLY CLEAR/PARTLY CLOUDY END OF THE SPECTRUM ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE AREA. AS OF 150 PM EDT SUNDAY...WITH THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY MOVING OUT TO SEA...ONLY THE FAR EASTERN ZONES SHOULD SEE ANY CLOUD COVER THIS EVENING. THE NAM IS QUITE AGGRESSIVE IN BRINGING CLOUDS INTO THE WRN NC PIEDMONT...BUT AS THE GFS AND RUC DO NOT DO THIS...I/VE GONE WITH A SKY FORECAST CLOSER TO THE DRIER MODELS. THERE SHOULD BE MORE LOCALLY DENSE FOG IN THE SOUTHWEST IN MTN VALLEYS OVERNIGHT. DRY AIR AND WEAK MIXING SHOULD KEEP MOST OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FA FROM SEEING ANY FOG OVERNIGHT. MIN TEMPS WILL BE COOL...BUT THEY SHOULD BE WARM ENOUGH TO PREVENT FROST OVER ALL BUT SOME OF THE INTERIOR NORTHERN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. MONDAY WILL BE SEASONABLY MILD WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF MIDDAY SUNDAY...UPPER PATTERN BEGINS TO AMPLIFY ACRS THE ERN CONUS MON NIGHT AS DEEP RIDGE PUSHES INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. CORE OF TROUGH BEGINS TO DIG ACRS THE GREAT LAKES...AND SFC LOW SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPS AND MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND DURING THE DAY TUE. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT IS STILL PROGGED TO ENTER OUR CWFA AT THAT TIME...MOVING OUT TUE EVENING. WE WILL BE WELL SOUTH OF THE BETTER FORCING THOUGH SOME DPVA IS PROGGED AS THE AXIS OF THE BROAD TROUGH PASSES. FRONTOGENESIS AND LLVL CONVERGENCE FIELDS ARE MURKY...SO PRECIP CHANCES MOSTLY RESULT FROM DECENT PRE-FRONTAL INSTABILITY. CAPE PROFILES ARE SKINNY ON PROG SOUNDINGS AND DEEP SATURATION IS INITIALLY EVIDENT. SHEAR PARAMETERS CONTINUE TO PROMPT LITTLE CONCERN...BUT IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH DRYING RAPIDLY OCCURS ABV 700 MB. THIS OCCURS IN THE MID TO LATE AFTN WHEN SOME SFC BASED INSTABILITY IS STILL PRESENT. THUS SOME OF THE LATER STORM ACTIVITY COULD POSE A MICROBURST AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT...MAINLY OVER THE PIEDMONT. TEMPS MON NIGHT AND TUE WILL BE A CATEGORY OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL. DEEP LAYER DRYING CONTINUES TUE NIGHT AS PLAINS RIDGE MOVES INTO THE ERN US...AND SKIES WILL CLEAR OVERNIGHT...PERHAPS MORE SLOWLY IN THE MTNS WHERE A VERY SHALLOW SFC BASED MOIST LAYER REMAINS IN NW FLOW. BRISK WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THE HIGH ELEVATIONS AT THAT TIME BUT THESE SUBSIDE TOWARD DAWN WED. DRY AND MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS PERSIST THRU WED WITH SUBSIDENCE INVERSION ACRS THE FA BUT LACKING MOISTURE ANYWAY. THICKNESSES DO DROP A BIT FOR WED...RETURNING TEMPS TO AROUND NORMAL DESPITE PRIME INSOLATION. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 230 PM EDT SUNDAY...THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD INITIALIZES ON WEDNESDAY EVENING AS DEEP LAYER RIDGING PREVAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. A SURFACE HIGH DIVING OUT OF ONTARIO WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO A BERMUDA TYPE HIGH BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON SETTING UP RETURN FLOW. MEANWHILE...A NORTHERN STREAM LOW AMPLITUDE UPPER TROF WILL PUSH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OCCURRING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY ON THURSDAY EVENING AS THE PARENT SURFACE CYCLONE EJECTS NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ABOVE MENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT ON FRIDAY MORNING/AFTERNOON. A WARM FRONT WILL SURGE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF AND WESTERN ATLANTIC SOURCE REGIONS ALLOWING FOR INCREASING DEWPOINTS AND STEEPENING LAPSE RATES DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS WILL LEAD TO MODEST INSTABILITY ACROSS THE CWFA WITH GFS/ECMWF SOLUTIONS INDICATIVE OF SBCAPE IN EXCESS OF 1000J/KG WITH ENOUGH SHEAR TO SUPPORT SOME ORGANIZED CONVECTION. STILL TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO DIAL IN ON STORM MODES AND SPECIFIC TIMING/INTENSITY. HOWEVER...CURRENT FCST SOUNDINGS DO INDICATE PW VALUES APPROACHING 1.5 INCHES LEADING TO MODERATELY HEAVY RAIN RATES WITH CAPE PROFILES SUPPORTIVE OF LARGE HAIL. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...CAPPED POPS AT HIGH END CHANCE LEVELS ACROSS THE REGION FOR FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL PASS INTO THE COASTAL PLAINS/MIDLANDS BY EARLY MORNING SATURDAY LEADING TO A DRY FCST UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AT THAT TIME POPS SLOWLY RAMP UP ACROSS THE WESTERNMOST ZONES AS ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE MID-SOUTH AND INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD WILL REMAIN AT OR JUST ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS DESPITE THE FROPA FRIDAY EVENING. && .AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR STRATOCU AT AROUND 060 WILL LINGER NEAR THE AIRFIELD THIS EVENING...GENERALLY REMAINING FEW/SCT...ALTHOUGH AN OCCL PERIOD OF BKN IS POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE...NE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT AROUND 5 KTS THROUGH AT LEAST THE MORNING HOURS...BEFORE POSSIBLY VEERING TOWARD THE SE BY THE END OF MONDAY. ELSEWHERE...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH GRADUALLY DIMINISHING NE WINDS EXPECTED. LIGHT/VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN MANY AREAS MONDAY MORNING...BUT MAY BECOME LIGHT SE BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. OUTLOOK...A FAIRLY WET FRONTAL SYSTEM...WITH PIEDMONT THUNDERSTORMS...IS EXPECTED ON TUE...WITH DRYING RETURNING MID WEEK. CONFIDENCE TABLE... 00-06Z 06-12Z 12-18Z 18-24Z KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KAVL HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KHKY HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KGMU HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KAND HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% THE PERCENTAGE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED TAF ISSUANCE FLIGHT RULE CATEGORY. COMPLETE HOURLY EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLES AND ENSEMBLE FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: (MUST BE LOWER CASE) WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION_TABLES && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SBK NEAR TERM...JDL/MCAVOY SHORT TERM...WIMBERLEY LONG TERM...CDG AVIATION...JDL
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
911 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 911 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG FRONT AND LOW HAS BEEN EXPANDING OVER THE WESTERN EDGE OF OUR FORECAST AREA. THIS IS IN LINE WITH CURRENT PROJECTIONS BY THE HRRR AND EVEN THE RAP. LESS CERTAIN IS HOW ACTIVITY WILL BEHAVE SOUTHEAST...IN NORTHWEST IOWA...HAVING UNDERGONE A DECREASE LAST HOUR OR TWO...BUT EXPECT SOME SEPARATE REGENERATION THERE AS THE LOW/FRONT APPROACH. ANYWAY...THE MAIN CHANGE FOR NOW IS TO INCREASE POPS/COVERAGE OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS NORTH FROM THE EARLIER SLIGHT CHANCE. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 406 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 ELEVATED BAND OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY WORKING/DEVELOPING NORTHEAST. NOT ANTICIPATING A WHOLE LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM THIS CONVECTION BUT SHOULD PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. ANOTHER AREA LIKELY TO PRODUCE ISOLATED ACTIVITY WILL BE IN CENTRAL SD NEAR AN INCOMING WEAK CONVERGENT BOUNDARY. UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT NOT TOO GOOD AND DRY LOW LEVELS SUGGEST THAT MAYBE NOTHING WILL GET GOING BUT STILL WORTH AN ISOLATED THREAT AT THIS POINT. THE MAIN AREA TO FOCUS ON WILL AGAIN BE NORTHWEST IOWA WHERE THERE IS A BETTER COMBINATION OF UPPER LEVEL FORCING...INSTABILITY AND AND LOW TO MID LEVEL FRONT. WILL KEEP LIKELIES GOING AND ALSO THE IDEA THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL NOT BE A THREAT. CAPE VALUES MAY APPROACH 500 TO 1000 J/KG THIS EVENING BUT WITH THE MODELS OVERDOING THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THOSE VALUES COULD BE A BIT PESSIMISTIC. THE BETTER CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION SHOULD SHIFT SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE TO THE NORTH BRINGS IN DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR. LOWS LIKELY TO RANGE FROM THE MID 40S IN THE NORTHERN CWA TO THE MID 50S IN PARTS OF NORTHWEST IOWA. THIS DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR MASS WILL ALSO COME WITH A WELL MIXED ATMOSPHERE AND DECENT PRESSURE GRADIENT WHICH WILL LEAD TO A WINDY MONDAY IN MOST LOCATIONS. RECENT TRENDS IN GUIDANCE HAS BEEN TO FORECAST DEW POINT TEMPERATURES TOO HIGH...ESPECIALLY IN A WELL MIXED ENVIRONMENT SO WENT MUCH CLOSER TO THE BIAS CORRECTED OUTPUT WHICH HAS BEEN HANDLING OUR DRY GROUND BETTER AS THE MODELS SEEM TO BE HAVING TROUBLE WITH OUR DRIER THAN NORMAL BOUNDARY LAYER. SO...BECAUSE OF THE LOW DEW POINTS AND HIGH WINDS WENT AHEAD AND ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR MOST OF THE AREA AS AFTERNOON HUMIDITY VALUES LIKELY TO FALL BELOW 25 PERCENT IN MANY LOCATIONS AS HIGHS CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 406 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO EASE SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION ON MONDAY NIGHT. DIMINISHING WINDS AND MAINLY CLEAR SKIES...ALONG WITH A DRIER AIRMASS SHOULD LEAD TO LOWS TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THE FORECAST ENVELOPE...MAINLY MID TO UPPER 30S. BY TUESDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA ALONG WITH AN EASTWARD RETURN OF A FAIRLY STRONG MID LEVEL FRONTAL ZONE. MOISTURE IS PRETTY ANEMIC THROUGH THE DAY AT LOWER LEVELS... BUT ELEVATED PARCELS AROUND 700 HPA OR A BIT HIGHER DO INDICATE SOME CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY. HAVE NOT INCLUDED ANY PRECIPITATION WORKING SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA...BUT WOULD CERTAINLY THINK AT LEAST A COUPLE OF SPRINKLES WOULD ACCOMPANY THE THICKENING MID CLOUDS THROUGH THE DAY TOWARD AT LEAST I29 BY LATE DAY. SHADED DEWPOINT FORECAST TOWARD DRIER RAW PROFILES...AS HAS BEEN THE CASE OF LATE. STRONG LOW LEVEL JET OF 50 TO 60 KNOTS DEVELOPS ON TUESDAY NIGHT WITH MOISTURE SURGE WORKING RAPIDLY NORTHWARD FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS. FAIRLY GOOD WAVE MOVING THROUGH RIDGE DURING THE NIGHT...MAIN CONVERGENCE WITH LOW LEVEL JET ESTABLISHES NORTH...BUT CONTINUED MID LEVEL INSTABILITY WITH 8-9C/KM AND INCREASING MOISTURE SUGGESTS A BETTER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDER WITH TIME OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL ALSO BECOME AN ISSUE LATER IN THE NIGHT...AND COULD GET SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO WIND ADVISORY NEAR AND WEST OF I 29...AND EXPANDING OVER MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. LAPSE RATES REMAIN STEEP INTO THE DAYTIME...BUT GRADUALLY MODIFY A BIT MIDDAY WITH WARMER LAYER ALOFT BUILDING IN...WHICH COULD WORK TO SLOW UP OR EVEN END CONVECTION FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST DURING THE MORNING AND LINGERING INTO THE AFTERNOON. SHOULD KEEP A FAIR AMOUNT OF CLOUDS AROUND WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL JET...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA INTO NORTHWEST IOWA. IF IT BREAKS OUT... COULD BE APPRECIABLY WARMER AND GENERATE MORE INSTABILITY BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...TO CORRELATE WITH APPROACH OF STRONGER UPPER LIFT FORCING AND CONVERGENT BOUNDARY TOWARD THE JAMES VALLEY BY LATER IN THE DAY. WOULD CERTAINLY MAINTAIN AT LEAST A SMALL SEVERE WEATHER THREAT GIVEN THE SHEAR AND INSTABILITY POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY FROM THE LOWER JAMES AND BIG SIOUX VALLEY EASTWARD. TROUGH WILL LIFT PAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH DYNAMICS SUPPORTIVE OF HIGHER POPS EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER...AND ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST IOWA. PRECIP THREAT GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT...LINGERING IN THE FAR EASTERN CWA INTO THURSDAY MORNING. UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO DEEPEN AND CLOSE OFF NORTHEAST OF THE AREA ON THURSDAY...PLACING AREA IN A MORE SUBSIDENT FAVORED QUADRANT WITH MOISTURE DISPLACED TO THE NORTH/EAST. HAVE TRIMMED BACK POPS SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE MISSOURI VALLEY...AND TAKEN TEMPS CLOSER THE 850 HPA MIXING OF DRIER SOLUTIONS. HANDLING OF THE INTENSE UPPER TROUGH...AND NEXT ONE LATER IN THE WEEKEND...IS WIDELY VARIED BETWEEN MODELS AND LEADS TO QUITE LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE OVERALL PATTERN FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. COULD EVEN FIND THREAT FOR A LITTLE SNOWFALL WITHOUT STRAYING TOO FAR FROM A COUPLE SOLUTIONS...BUT WAY TOO FAR OUT TO PUT ANY FAITH IN THE FORECAST. DOES APPEAR AS IF IT WILL BE AN ACTIVE TIME LATER IN THE WEEKEND...AND WITH THE ABUNDANCE OF CLOUDS AND OR COOLER AIR IN PLACE...HAVE KEPT NEAR TO A BIT ON THE COOLER SIDE OF GUIDANCE FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 653 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 VFR WILL PREVAIL TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. THERE WILL BE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST IOWA...THE QUESTION IS HOW LONG THEY WILL LAST. THEY COULD LAST OFF AND ON FOR A BULK OF THE NIGHT. BUT FOR THE KSUX TAF SITE...OPTED TO ONLY INCLUDE TWO HOURS OF TSRA EARLY THIS EVENING COINCIDING WITH THE DAYTIME HEATING...THEN GAVE THEM A BREAK. CONTINUED TO INCLUDE JUST SHOWERS FOR NOW LATER TONIGHT AT KSUX WHEN THE SURFACE WIND SHIFT/COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH. BUT ADMITTEDLY THERE IS ENOUGH ELEVATED INSTABILITY THAT THERE COULD BE SOME ISOLATED TSRA IN THAT AREA AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. OTHERWISE...ALSO INCLUDED A BRIEF WINDOW OF LIGHT TSRA AT THE KHON TAF SITE LATE THIS EVENING COINCIDING WITH THE WIND SHIFT LINE...AS THERE IS SOME ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL SD RIGHT NOW. IF THEY DO NOT HOLD TOGETHER AFTER SUNSET THOUGH...WILL UPDATE THE KHON TAF AND ELIMINATE THEM. FINALLY FOR KFSD...HAVE SHOWERS IN OVERNIGHT BUT NOT THUNDER...AGAIN COINCIDING WITH THE WIND SHIFT. ACTIVITY SHOULD BE LESS CONVECTIVE BY THEN. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 406 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 A STRONG NORTHWEST WIND WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE MORNING ON MONDAY IN A WELL MIXED ATMOSPHERE...LEADING TO DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL LIKELY DROP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE AREA WITH WINDS AVERAGING ABOUT 20 TO 30 MPH AND A FEW GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH. SOUTH CENTRAL SD WILL SEE WINDS MORE IN LINE WITH 15 TO 25 MPH AND WITH EXPECTED RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ABOVE 20 PERCENT A VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER WILL BE MAINTAINED. THIS MOST DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FROM ABOUT 100 PM TO 700 PM ON MONDAY. DEW POINTS MAY END UP JUST A BIT HIGHER BUT THE TRENDS SO FAR THIS SPRING HAVE BEEN FOR THE GUIDANCE TO OVER FORECAST DEW POINTS BY ABOUT 3 TO 6 DEGREES SO TOOK THIS INTO ACCOUNT. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR SDZ256>258. MN...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR MNZ900. IA...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR IAZ300-301. NE...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR NEZ249. && $$ UPDATE... SHORT TERM...08 LONG TERM...CHAPMAN AVIATION...MJ FIRE WEATHER...08
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS ABERDEEN SD
706 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 .UPDATE... CURRENT RADAR SHOWS AN AREA OF TSTORMS MOVING THROUGH LYMAN AND SOUTHERN HUGHES COUNTY. LIKE THE HRRR DEPICTION OF CONVECTIVE PROGRESSION EASTWARD SO NUDGED POPS A BIT TO REFLECT THE 21Z GUIDANCE. EVEN THOUGH RADAR IS ALSO SHOWING SOME WEAK RETURNS ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA KEPT THIS AREA DRY. DUE TO THE 35 DEGREE DEWPOINT SPREAD AND THE LACK OF ANY STRONG ECHOES THIS ACTIVITY IS LIKELY ALL VIRGA IN THE EAST FOR NOW. DROPPED OVERNIGHT LOWS ABOUT FIVE DEGREES IN THE NORTH...FROM THE JAMES VALLEY TO CORSON COUNTY. EVEN WITH MOISTER AID ADVECTING IN FROM THE WEST ACROSS THE SOUTH...NORTHERN UPSTREAM OBS HAVE DEWPOINTS IN THE 20S TO LOWER 30S WHICH SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO TANK AFTER SUNSET SINCE WINDS ARE LIGHT. SEE UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COOL FRONT WILL TRACK ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. FAIRLY WARM TEMPERATURES HAVE AIDED IN A LITTLE INSTABILITY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE...AND MAY SEE SOME SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING OVER THE SOUTHERN CWA. MOISTURE IS PRETTY LIMITED...SO NOT ANTICIPATING ANY SEVERE WEATHER. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN BEHIND THE EXITING LOW ON MONDAY. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT COOLER...DECENT MIXING WILL BRING BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE EASTERN CWA...AND WITH THE DRIER AIR IN PLACE...THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR FIRE WEATHER ISSUES. THEREFORE...HAVE ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE EASTERN CWA...INCLUDING THE TWO MINNESOTA COUNTIES FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON. AFTER THAT...THINGS STAY QUIET UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN WARM FRONTAL RAIN SHOWERS LOOK TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE CWA AHEAD OF ANOTHER APPROACHING LOW...ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS SPREADING FROM WEST TO EAST. WITH THE HIGH DOMINANT ON MONDAY...SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS IN THE 60S WILL BE COMMON FOR HIGHS...WITH JUST A BIT OF A RISE IN HIGHS ON TUESDAY...MAINLY MID 60S TO LOWER 70S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE MAINLY IN THE 40S TONIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH COOLER 30S EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. TIMING OF PRECIP WILL BE TRICKY AS DETAILS DIFFER ALONG WITH THE PRESENCE OF A DRY SLOT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS THE UPPER LOW PUSHES INTO NE MT. HAVE TRENDED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES HIGHEST IN THE EAST WHERE DRY SLOT INFLUENCE APPEARS TO BE NOT AS STRONG. MODELS DIFFER ON WHAT THIS UPPER WILL DO...EC HAS IT WEAKENING THEN REORGANIZING IT OVER NORTHERN MN. EXPECT SHOWERS ON BACKSIDE OF LOW FRIDAY. CONFIDENCE LOW ON POSITION OF DRY SLOT AT THIS TIME BUT WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED AS IT WILL PLAY A BIG ROLE ON WHAT AREAS STAY ON THE DRIER SIDE. THE UPPER RIDGE LOOKS TO POP BACK INTO THE AREA SATURDAY WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT AS FLOW QUICKLY BECOMES SOUTHWEST ALOFT. TEMPS WILL HAVE A HARD TIME REBOUNDING IN THE RIDGE WITH COOLER AIR IN PLACE AND A QUICK RETURN OF CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES. && .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS FOR THE KABR...KATY...KPIR AND KMBG TERMINALS VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. A WEAK FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION OVERNIGHT TURNING WINDS TO THE NORTHWEST. DID ADD SOME VCTS TO KPIR AS STORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING AND MOVING JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE METAR SITE. STORMS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. NO RESTRICTIONS TO CIGS OR VSBYS ARE ANTICIPATED AND ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED IN THE VCNTY OF KATY AFT 03Z. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY IN THE MORNING AT 15 TO 25 KTS AT ALL SITES BY LATE MORNING MONDAY. && .ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR PRAIRIE COTEAU-RED RIVER VALLEY-UPPER JAMES RIVER. MN...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR BIG STONE-TRAVERSE. && $$ UPDATE...WISE SHORT TERM...PARKIN LONG TERM...SCARLETT AVIATION...WISE WEATHER.GOV/ABERDEEN
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
1259 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 ONCE AGAIN DRY SUB-CLOUD LAYER PREVENTING ANY ATTEMPT AT PRECIP FROM REALLY REACHING THE SURFACE EARLY THIS MORNING...AND WITH MID LEVEL WAVE SHEARING OFF TO THE NORTHEAST RESULTING IN CONTINUED WEAKENING SUPPORT...HAVE PULLED ANY MEASURABLE POPS FROM THE MORNING. WILL CARRY A FEW SPRINKLES FOR NOW...BUT MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO PULL ALL PRECIP MENTION FOR THE MORNING HOURS IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE. OTHERWISE TODAY SHOULD BE QUITE MILD WITH DECENT MIXING EXPECTED IN SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF APPROACHING TROUGH AXIS...POISED JUST WEST OF THE CWA AT 08Z. EVEN BEHIND THE BOUNDARY...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR A KMML-KFSD-KYKN LINE BY LATE AFTERNOON...MODELS INDICATE LITTLE SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL COOLING. WITH FAIR MIXING IN THE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW...AS WELL AS GREATER AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE AND DRIER LOW LEVELS...SHOULD STILL SEE VERY MILD TEMPERATURES AND WILL AGAIN FAVOR WARMER RAP AND BIAS-CORRECTED RAW MODEL TEMPS FOR HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT MOST AREAS TO CLIMB INTO THE 70S...AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE AN 80+ DEGREE READING IN OUR FAR SOUTH THOUGH KEEPING HIGHS JUST SHY FOR NOW. MIXY SOUTHWEST FLOW AND WARM TEMPS EAST OF THE BOUNDARY LEAD TO VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER EAST OF HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR IN NORTHWEST IOWA/SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...THOUGH WITH THE WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH WITH APPROACH OF BOUNDARY...AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BEGINNING TO POOL NEAR/SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...CONDITIONS SHOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. WILL HANG ONTO LOW POPS IN OUR SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AS WEAK MID LEVEL WAVE LIFTS NORTHEAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY...THOUGH INSTABILITY PRETTY WEAK SO WILL HAVE ONLY ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION. BOUNDARY SAGS SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTHEAST AND STALLS ACROSS OUR FAR SOUTHEAST TONIGHT. WITH CONTINUED SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE BOUNDARY...AND ANOTHER WEAK WAVE GETTING KICKED OUT OF SOUTHERN ROCKIES TROUGH...WILL GRADUALLY RAMP UP POPS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THOUGH BOUNDARY FORECAST TO PUSH A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTHEAST THAN PREVIOUSLY INDICATED...SO POPS LIKEWISE A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH AND EXPECT ANY NIGHTTIME SHOWERS TO REMAIN SOUTH OF KFSD. AMERICAN MODELS QUITE A BIT MORE BULLISH ON PRECIP AMOUNTS THAN GEM/ECMWF... WHICH ALSO DECREASES CONFIDENCE IN POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS...AND THUS TRIMMED HIGHEST POPS BACK INTO LIKELY RANGE. POOLED MOISTURE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER SHOULD HOLD LOWS TONIGHT IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S ACROSS SOUTHEAST CWA...WHILE DRIER AIR/LIGHT WINDS IN OUR NORTHWEST ALLOW READINGS TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 40S. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...KEEPING THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THAT AREA DURING THE PERIOD AS A SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE BEGINS TO LIFT UP INTO THE REGION. WHILE THERE MAY BE A BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY ON SUNDAY MORNING...EXPECT CHANCES TO INCREASE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE BEGINS TO EXERT MORE INFLUENCE AND BETTER INSTABILITY NUDGES INTO OUR SOUTH. WILL SEE SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER ACTIVITY WITH PWAT VALUES RUNNING AROUND AN INCH AND A QUARTER. AREAS FARTHER TO THE NORTH AND WEST WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A DECENT DAY ON SUNDAY AS AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES MIX OUT INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S...WHILE AREAS AFFECTED BY CLOUD COVER/SHOWERS WILL ONLY MAKE IT UP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S. BY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THE BOUNDARY FINALLY BEGINS TO SAG TO THE SOUTH AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PULLS TO THE EAST...WITH AND SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISHING TOWARD EARLY MONDAY MORNING. LOWS WILL REMAIN RELATIVELY MILD...DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 40S THROUGH THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL HIGHWAY CORRIDOR TO THE LOWER 50S THROUGH THE SIOUX CITY TO STORM LAKE AREA. SURFACE RIDGING THEN SLIDES ACROSS THE REGION FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING BACK A BIT IN A COLD AIR ADVECTION REGIME. LOOKING AT HIGHS IN THE 60S TO NEAR 70 BOTH DAYS. IT WILL BE BREEZY ON MONDAY WITH GOOD MIXING AND WINDS RUNNING AROUND 25 TO 30 KTS AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED LAYER. INTO THE EXTENDED...MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE UPCOMING WEEK AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN U.S NUDGES EASTWARD. MODEL CONSENSUS WOULD PUT THE BULLSEYE FOR BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO THURSDAY TIMEFRAME AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL FORCING AND LOWER LEVEL FRONTAL DYNAMICS COME TOGETHER. DOES APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY WINDY THROUGH THE WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY TIMEFRAME...WITH TEMPERATURES TRENDING DOWNWARD BY THE END OF THE WEEK WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1258 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY AROUND THE KSUX AREA LATE TONIGHT BUT CHANCES ARE SMALL ENOUGH THE ONLY SHOWERS WILL BE MENTIONED FOR NOW. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JH LONG TERM...JM AVIATION...08
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
639 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 ONCE AGAIN DRY SUB-CLOUD LAYER PREVENTING ANY ATTEMPT AT PRECIP FROM REALLY REACHING THE SURFACE EARLY THIS MORNING...AND WITH MID LEVEL WAVE SHEARING OFF TO THE NORTHEAST RESULTING IN CONTINUED WEAKENING SUPPORT...HAVE PULLED ANY MEASURABLE POPS FROM THE MORNING. WILL CARRY A FEW SPRINKLES FOR NOW...BUT MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO PULL ALL PRECIP MENTION FOR THE MORNING HOURS IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE. OTHERWISE TODAY SHOULD BE QUITE MILD WITH DECENT MIXING EXPECTED IN SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF APPROACHING TROUGH AXIS...POISED JUST WEST OF THE CWA AT 08Z. EVEN BEHIND THE BOUNDARY...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR A KMML-KFSD-KYKN LINE BY LATE AFTERNOON...MODELS INDICATE LITTLE SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL COOLING. WITH FAIR MIXING IN THE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW...AS WELL AS GREATER AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE AND DRIER LOW LEVELS...SHOULD STILL SEE VERY MILD TEMPERATURES AND WILL AGAIN FAVOR WARMER RAP AND BIAS-CORRECTED RAW MODEL TEMPS FOR HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT MOST AREAS TO CLIMB INTO THE 70S...AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE AN 80+ DEGREE READING IN OUR FAR SOUTH THOUGH KEEPING HIGHS JUST SHY FOR NOW. MIXY SOUTHWEST FLOW AND WARM TEMPS EAST OF THE BOUNDARY LEAD TO VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER EAST OF HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR IN NORTHWEST IOWA/SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...THOUGH WITH THE WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH WITH APPROACH OF BOUNDARY...AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BEGINNING TO POOL NEAR/SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...CONDITIONS SHOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. WILL HANG ONTO LOW POPS IN OUR SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AS WEAK MID LEVEL WAVE LIFTS NORTHEAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY...THOUGH INSTABILITY PRETTY WEAK SO WILL HAVE ONLY ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION. BOUNDARY SAGS SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTHEAST AND STALLS ACROSS OUR FAR SOUTHEAST TONIGHT. WITH CONTINUED SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE BOUNDARY...AND ANOTHER WEAK WAVE GETTING KICKED OUT OF SOUTHERN ROCKIES TROUGH...WILL GRADUALLY RAMP UP POPS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THOUGH BOUNDARY FORECAST TO PUSH A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTHEAST THAN PREVIOUSLY INDICATED...SO POPS LIKEWISE A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH AND EXPECT ANY NIGHTTIME SHOWERS TO REMAIN SOUTH OF KFSD. AMERICAN MODELS QUITE A BIT MORE BULLISH ON PRECIP AMOUNTS THAN GEM/ECMWF... WHICH ALSO DECREASES CONFIDENCE IN POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS...AND THUS TRIMMED HIGHEST POPS BACK INTO LIKELY RANGE. POOLED MOISTURE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER SHOULD HOLD LOWS TONIGHT IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S ACROSS SOUTHEAST CWA...WHILE DRIER AIR/LIGHT WINDS IN OUR NORTHWEST ALLOW READINGS TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 40S. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...KEEPING THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THAT AREA DURING THE PERIOD AS A SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE BEGINS TO LIFT UP INTO THE REGION. WHILE THERE MAY BE A BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY ON SUNDAY MORNING...EXPECT CHANCES TO INCREASE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE BEGINS TO EXERT MORE INFLUENCE AND BETTER INSTABILITY NUDGES INTO OUR SOUTH. WILL SEE SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER ACTIVITY WITH PWAT VALUES RUNNING AROUND AN INCH AND A QUARTER. AREAS FARTHER TO THE NORTH AND WEST WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A DECENT DAY ON SUNDAY AS AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES MIX OUT INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S...WHILE AREAS AFFECTED BY CLOUD COVER/SHOWERS WILL ONLY MAKE IT UP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S. BY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THE BOUNDARY FINALLY BEGINS TO SAG TO THE SOUTH AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PULLS TO THE EAST...WITH AND SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISHING TOWARD EARLY MONDAY MORNING. LOWS WILL REMAIN RELATIVELY MILD...DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 40S THROUGH THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL HIGHWAY CORRIDOR TO THE LOWER 50S THROUGH THE SIOUX CITY TO STORM LAKE AREA. SURFACE RIDGING THEN SLIDES ACROSS THE REGION FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING BACK A BIT IN A COLD AIR ADVECTION REGIME. LOOKING AT HIGHS IN THE 60S TO NEAR 70 BOTH DAYS. IT WILL BE BREEZY ON MONDAY WITH GOOD MIXING AND WINDS RUNNING AROUND 25 TO 30 KTS AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED LAYER. INTO THE EXTENDED...MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE UPCOMING WEEK AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN U.S NUDGES EASTWARD. MODEL CONSENSUS WOULD PUT THE BULLSEYE FOR BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO THURSDAY TIMEFRAME AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL FORCING AND LOWER LEVEL FRONTAL DYNAMICS COME TOGETHER. DOES APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY WINDY THROUGH THE WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY TIMEFRAME...WITH TEMPERATURES TRENDING DOWNWARD BY THE END OF THE WEEK WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 639 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS OF 20-30KT STILL LIKELY ALONG AND EAST OF I-29 CORRIDOR INTO THIS AFTERNOON...BUT SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH WEST TO EAST AS SURFACE TROUGH PUSHES EAST. WESTERN PARTS OF THE AREA SHOULD GENERALLY SEE LIGHTER WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD...THOUGH BRIEF GUSTS OF 25-30KT POSSIBLE AS SPRINKLES OR LIGHT SHOWERS SLIDE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING. AS THE BOUNDARY MOVES INTO MN/IA THIS AFTERNOON/TONIGHT...COULD SEE A FEW SHOWERS OR EVEN AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM...THOUGH THREAT AT TAF LOCATIONS TOO LOW TO FEEL CONFIDENT IN MENTIONING PRIOR TO 06Z. AFTER 06Z...COVERAGE EXPECTED TO INCREASE NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY IN NORTHWEST IOWA...AND HAVE ADDED -SHRA INTO KSUX TAF FOR THE PRE-DAWN HOURS SUNDAY. ISOLATED TSRA POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY...BUT AGAIN WITH LOW CONFIDENCE IN TSRA COVERAGE...OPTED TO JUST STICK WITH SHRA FOR NOW. CEILINGS/VISIBILITY EXPECTED TO REMAIN VFR. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JH LONG TERM...JM AVIATION...JH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
343 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 ONCE AGAIN DRY SUB-CLOUD LAYER PREVENTING ANY ATTEMPT AT PRECIP FROM REALLY REACHING THE SURFACE EARLY THIS MORNING...AND WITH MID LEVEL WAVE SHEARING OFF TO THE NORTHEAST RESULTING IN CONTINUED WEAKENING SUPPORT...HAVE PULLED ANY MEASURABLE POPS FROM THE MORNING. WILL CARRY A FEW SPRINKLES FOR NOW...BUT MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO PULL ALL PRECIP MENTION FOR THE MORNING HOURS IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE. OTHERWISE TODAY SHOULD BE QUITE MILD WITH DECENT MIXING EXPECTED IN SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF APPROACHING TROUGH AXIS...POISED JUST WEST OF THE CWA AT 08Z. EVEN BEHIND THE BOUNDARY...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR A KMML-KFSD-KYKN LINE BY LATE AFTERNOON...MODELS INDICATE LITTLE SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL COOLING. WITH FAIR MIXING IN THE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW...AS WELL AS GREATER AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE AND DRIER LOW LEVELS...SHOULD STILL SEE VERY MILD TEMPERATURES AND WILL AGAIN FAVOR WARMER RAP AND BIAS-CORRECTED RAW MODEL TEMPS FOR HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT MOST AREAS TO CLIMB INTO THE 70S...AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE AN 80+ DEGREE READING IN OUR FAR SOUTH THOUGH KEEPING HIGHS JUST SHY FOR NOW. MIXY SOUTHWEST FLOW AND WARM TEMPS EAST OF THE BOUNDARY LEAD TO VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER EAST OF HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR IN NORTHWEST IOWA/SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...THOUGH WITH THE WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH WITH APPROACH OF BOUNDARY...AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BEGINNING TO POOL NEAR/SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...CONDITIONS SHOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. WILL HANG ONTO LOW POPS IN OUR SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AS WEAK MID LEVEL WAVE LIFTS NORTHEAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY...THOUGH INSTABILITY PRETTY WEAK SO WILL HAVE ONLY ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION. BOUNDARY SAGS SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTHEAST AND STALLS ACROSS OUR FAR SOUTHEAST TONIGHT. WITH CONTINUED SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE BOUNDARY...AND ANOTHER WEAK WAVE GETTING KICKED OUT OF SOUTHERN ROCKIES TROUGH...WILL GRADUALLY RAMP UP POPS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THOUGH BOUNDARY FORECAST TO PUSH A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTHEAST THAN PREVIOUSLY INDICATED...SO POPS LIKEWISE A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH AND EXPECT ANY NIGHTTIME SHOWERS TO REMAIN SOUTH OF KFSD. AMERICAN MODELS QUITE A BIT MORE BULLISH ON PRECIP AMOUNTS THAN GEM/ECMWF... WHICH ALSO DECREASES CONFIDENCE IN POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS...AND THUS TRIMMED HIGHEST POPS BACK INTO LIKELY RANGE. POOLED MOISTURE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER SHOULD HOLD LOWS TONIGHT IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S ACROSS SOUTHEAST CWA...WHILE DRIER AIR/LIGHT WINDS IN OUR NORTHWEST ALLOW READINGS TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 40S. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...KEEPING THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THAT AREA DURING THE PERIOD AS A SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE BEGINS TO LIFT UP INTO THE REGION. WHILE THERE MAY BE A BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY ON SUNDAY MORNING...EXPECT CHANCES TO INCREASE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE BEGINS TO EXERT MORE INFLUENCE AND BETTER INSTABILITY NUDGES INTO OUR SOUTH. WILL SEE SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER ACTIVITY WITH PWAT VALUES RUNNING AROUND AN INCH AND A QUARTER. AREAS FARTHER TO THE NORTH AND WEST WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A DECENT DAY ON SUNDAY AS AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES MIX OUT INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S...WHILE AREAS AFFECTED BY CLOUD COVER/SHOWERS WILL ONLY MAKE IT UP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S. BY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THE BOUNDARY FINALLY BEGINS TO SAG TO THE SOUTH AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PULLS TO THE EAST...WITH AND SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISHING TOWARD EARLY MONDAY MORNING. LOWS WILL REMAIN RELATIVELY MILD...DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 40S THROUGH THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL HIGHWAY CORRIDOR TO THE LOWER 50S THROUGH THE SIOUX CITY TO STORM LAKE AREA. SURFACE RIDGING THEN SLIDES ACROSS THE REGION FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING BACK A BIT IN A COLD AIR ADVECTION REGIME. LOOKING AT HIGHS IN THE 60S TO NEAR 70 BOTH DAYS. IT WILL BE BREEZY ON MONDAY WITH GOOD MIXING AND WINDS RUNNING AROUND 25 TO 30 KTS AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED LAYER. INTO THE EXTENDED...MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE UPCOMING WEEK AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN U.S NUDGES EASTWARD. MODEL CONSENSUS WOULD PUT THE BULLSEYE FOR BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO THURSDAY TIMEFRAME AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL FORCING AND LOWER LEVEL FRONTAL DYNAMICS COME TOGETHER. DOES APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY WINDY THROUGH THE WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY TIMEFRAME...WITH TEMPERATURES TRENDING DOWNWARD BY THE END OF THE WEEK WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1148 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2014 THE FORECAST AREA WILL STILL SEE SOME SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS AROUND 25 KNOTS FOR A FEW MORE HOURS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 29. BUT OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. DECIDED TO PUT IN A LIGHT SHOWER FOR THE SIOUX FALLS TAF SATURDAY AFTERNOON RIGHT ALONG A SLOW MOVING WIND SHIFT. THE WIND SHIFT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY...AND WILL BE ON THE DOORSTEP OF KSUX THROUGOUT THE ENTIRE EVENING ON SATURDAY. FOR NOW...LEFT THE CHANCES FOR LIGHT RAIN OR A THUNDERSHOWER OUT OF THE KSUX TAF THAT FAR OUT AS CHANCES APPEAR PRETTY SKIDDISH FOR THAT AREA UNTIL AFTER THE TAF PERIOD. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...JH LONG TERM...JM AVIATION...MJ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY
NWS RAPID CITY SD
1115 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 .SHORT TERM...THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT ISSUED AT 209 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 FAST FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FAIRLY RAPID EASTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SHORT WAVE TROF OVER THE PAC NW THIS MORNING. THIS TROF WILL MOVE TO CENTRAL MT BY 00Z THIS EVENING AND TO NEAR LAKE WG BY 12Z SAT. SHORT WAVE RIDGE AHEAD OF THIS TROF WAS LOCATED OVER WRN SD THIS AFTERNOON...EVIDENT IN IR AND WV SATELLITE PICS WITH COLDER AND MORE CONTINUOUS HIGH CLOUDS TO ITS WEST AND THIN HIGH CLOUDS STREAMING OVER THE RIDGE INTO OUR CWA. AS TROF APPROACHES...BEST SUPPORT FOR ASCENT SHOWN BY 700MB Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE SPLITS INTO TWO AREAS. THE STRONGER MOVES NORTHEASTWARD AHEAD OF THE TROF ACROSS ND...WHILE A SECOND AREA DVLPS OVER SOUTHEAST WY AND ELONGATES OVER THE LOW LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE OVER CO...NORTHERN NE...AND EASTERN SD BY 12Z SAT. LOW LEVEL RESPONSE TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS ALOFT IS MODEST CYCLOGENESIS OVER NE WY AND WESTERN SD...ONGOING THIS AFTN. ANALYSES OF SFC GEOSTROPHIC VORTICITY CHANGES REVEAL INCREASING VALUES OVER THIS AREA THIS AFTN. THESE CHANGES SHOULD SUPPORT ENHANCED LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND INCREASED CHANCES FOR SHOWER AND TSTM DEVELOPMENT...THOUGH PROBABILITIES WILL REMAIN LOW. 18Z NAM AND RECENT RUNS OF THE HRRR MODEL GIVE SUPPORT TO THIS DEVELOPMENT...THOUGH DETAILS OF STORM LOCATION/INTENSITY HAVE BEEN VARYING FROM RUN TO RUN OF THE HRRR. FCST SOUNDINGS INDICATE 500 TO 750 J/KG OF CAPE OVER WRN SD LATE THIS AFTN INTO EARLY THIS EVG. VERY LIMITED MOISTURE WILL PRECLUDE SEVERE DEVELOPMENT...BUT INVERTED V SOUNDINGS WITH HIGH LCLS SUGGEST POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG WIND GUSTS WITH ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP. FOLLOWING PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT AND NORTH EASTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SFC LOW...BRISK NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WHOLE CWA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SAT MORNING WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND DRY WEATHER ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. && .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ISSUED AT 209 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 THE UPPER LEVEL THERMAL RIDGE WILL SHIFT OFF TO THE EAST SUNDAY AFTN AS AN UPPER TROUGH CROSSES NORTH DAKOTA AND SWINGS A COOL FRONT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. WEAK INSTABILITY DEVELOPS OVER WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AHEAD OF THE FRONT ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER DUE TO THE LOW RH OF THE AIRMASS IN PLACE AT THE TIME WILL LEAVE THE SUN AFTN FORECAST DRY. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL REBOUND QUICKLY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON MONDAY WITH WARM AND DRY WEATHER CONTINUING THROUGH TUESDAY. A STRONG AND SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CREATE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION FROM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. SHRA/TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY. MODELS REMAIN IN DECENT AGREEMENT IN PUSHING THE MAIN UPPER LOW/SHORTWAVE ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER TROUGH NORTH OF CWA...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A MOSTLY LIQUID EVENT. CAN/T RULE OUT SOME SLUSHY SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT...BUT MOISTURE AVAILABILITY BEHIND SYSTEM IN QUESTION. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1049 PM MDT FRI APR 18 2014 GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND A COLD FRONT THROUGH EARLY MORNING...ESP ACROSS THE NW SOUTH DAKOTA PLAINS AND IN THE LEE OF THE BLACK HILLS. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS MOST OF THE FA THROUGH THE PERIOD...SAVE FOR A PATCH OF MVFR CIGS ACROSS NE WY AND FAR NW SD EARLY THIS MORNING. && .UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. WY...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...BARBER LONG TERM...10 AVIATION...JC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LUBBOCK TX
624 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 .AVIATION... UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS THE PANHANDLE ATTM WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDER UNDERNEATH IT. CONVECTION SHOULD SHIFT TO THE EAST OF THE AREA BY 03Z. THREAT OF THUNDER AT EITHER TERMINAL IS NON-ZERO BUT NOT BIG ENOUGH TO RUN WITH A PREVAILING OR TEMPO GROUP ATTM. VFR CONDITIONS LIKELY THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH SMALL CHANCE FOR SOME FOG AND/OR LOW CLOUDS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TOWARD 12Z...AGAIN THE CHANCE OF WHICH IS TOO SMALL TO INSERT MENTION INTO EITHER TAF. FINALLY...WIND SWITCH TO NORTH WITH THE COLD FRONT MONDAY MORNING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 337 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ SHORT TERM... VIS SAT SHOWS A LINE OF CU DEVELOPING IN THE WESTERN TX PANHANDLE AND IS GRADUALLY PUSHING EASTWARD WHILE DEVELOPING SOUTHWARD. A FEW RETURNS HAVE SHOWED UP ON RADAR OVER PARMER COUNTY WHICH IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH THIS CU DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS MOST LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE /DRY/ LINE AS SURFACE OBS INDICATE A SURFACE TROF IN THE AFOREMENTIONED AREA WITH WESTERLY WINDS AND SLIGHTLY DRIER DEWPOINTS MOVING IN BEHIND THE TROF. THE DRY LINE WILL CONTINUE WITH ITS EAST/SOUTHEASTWARD MOVEMENT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TO OUR NORTHWEST MOVES CLOSER. CURRENT RAP ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT COLDER AIR ALOFT IS PUSHING IN AND IS INCREASING OUR LAPSE RATES. SCATTERED SKIES ARE HELPING AID SOME SURFACE HEATING IN TURN HELPING TO SLOWLY ERODE WHAT CAP IS LEFT. AS CLEARER SKIES MOVE EASTWARD THIS SHOULD HELP WARM THE SURFACE MORE TO THE POINT OF FULL CAP EROSION. THIS WILL HELP FIRE CONVECTION MORE QUICKLY AS THE DRYLINE MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS AND TX PANHANDLE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SVR CONVECTION WITH CHANCES INCREASING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON/EVENING EASTWARD. WHILE CAPE THERMO PROFILES ARE ADEQUATE TO PRODUCE SVR HAIL AND WINDS...0-6KM SHEAR IS HIGH END MARGINAL TOPPING OUT AT AROUND 40 KTS OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS AND 35 KTS ALONG THE I27/HWY84 CORRIDOR. I HAVE KEPT INHERITED POPS BEFORE 00Z WITH SVR MENTION AND INCREASED COVERAGE TO 50 POPS OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS FOR LATER TONIGHT. PRECIP/CONVECTION CHANCES WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH AS THE DRY LINE/UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES EASTWARD AND AS A WEAK FRONT PUSHING INTO THE AREA TOMORROW MORNING. TEMPS WILL BE WARM IN THE MID 70S TO 80S TOMORROW AS CAA WILL BE WEAK AND SHORT LIVED DURING THE MORNING AND SKIES WILL CLEAR MAKING WAY FOR SOLAR HEATING. ALDRICH LONG TERM... LITTLE CHANGE FOR THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST THIS GO AROUND. WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WARMER TEMPS AND A RETURN TO SOUTH BREEZES TUESDAY AS SHORTWAVE RIDGE BRIEFLY TRANSITS WTX DOWNSTREAM OF A FAIRLY DEEP TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE WEST. FAIRLY ROBUST MOISTURE RETURN IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT ON THE NOSE OF THE LLJ. THE GFS AND ECMWF REMAIN IN DECENT AGREEMENT THAT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH CROSSES THE ROCKIES...A DRYLINE SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE SRN PLAINS. MODELS ARE STILL IN FLUX WITH THE EAST-WEST POSITION OF THE DRYLINE BY PEAK HEATING...BUT IT APPEARS LIKELY IT WILL BE SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT. WE CONTINUE TO CARRY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS TO THE EAST OF THE DRYLINE...AND HAVE BUMPED POPS UP SLIGHTLY INTO THE CHANCE CATEGORY ACROSS THE NE ZONES. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL FOLLOW ON THURSDAY...ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT PASS THROUGH THE ENTIRE CWA BEFORE LIFTING. ANOTHER LARGE TROUGH WILL FOLLOW FOR NEXT WEEKEND...ALTHOUGH THERE CONTINUES TO BE A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE STRENGTH AND ORIENTATION OF THE MID-LVL FLOW ACROSS THE SRN PLAINS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN HOLD ON TO LOW-LVL MOISTURE. DRYLINE ACTIVITY MAY BE POSSIBLE SAT AND SUN ACROSS ERN ZONES...BUT HAVE MAINTAINED POPS BELOW MENTION FOR NOW. AFTER A BRIEF COOL DOWN MOST AREAS ON THURSDAY....TEMPS SHOULD BE A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 50 74 51 79 52 / 10 10 0 0 0 TULIA 51 76 50 80 55 / 30 10 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 53 78 51 81 56 / 20 10 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 54 80 54 82 59 / 10 10 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 55 81 56 81 60 / 20 10 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 55 78 55 82 61 / 10 10 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 54 79 56 83 60 / 10 10 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 58 82 56 82 57 / 50 10 0 0 0 SPUR 58 83 57 82 60 / 40 10 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 60 85 58 83 61 / 40 10 0 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ 07
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LUBBOCK TX
341 PM CDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM... WV IMAGERY SHOWS OUR UPPER LOW OF INTEREST CONTINUING TO SLOWLY MOVE EASTWARD WHILE CONTINUING TO DRAW IN TROPICAL MOISTURE FROM THE PACIFIC. A SHORTWAVE PUSHING NORTH AND EASTWARD IS ALSO VISIBLE ON WV AND HAS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. THE SHORTWAVE STRETCHES FROM SOUTHERN NM THROUGH THE PERMIAN BASIN TO THE EDWARDS PLATEAU AND IS AIDING IN THE NUMEROUS SHOWER ACTIVITY IN SOUTHEAST NM AND ALONG THE TX/NM STATE LINE. SHOWERS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO MOVE EASTWARD IN PART DUE TO DRY AIR IN THE MID LEVELS. MUCH OF THE RAIN THAT HAS FALLEN HAS BEEN MOSTLY VIRGA WITH SOME LIGHT RAIN MAKING ITS WAY TO THE GROUND. LOOKING AT TRENDS FROM RAP ANALYSIS TOP DOWN MOISTENING IS HAPPENING BUT NOT IN AN EXTREME HURRY. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOISTEN UP ENOUGH FOR WHEN THE SHORTWAVE MOVES OVERHEAD LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING WHICH SHOULD PROVIDE NUMEROUS SHOWERS. I HAVE INCREASED POPS TO AROUND 60 FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FA BUT HAVE CHANGED THE WX CATEGORY TO RAIN SHOWERS WITH A MENTION OF ISO THUNDER AS LAPSE RATES WILL BE SLOW TO STEEPEN AS THE CENTER OF THE LOW WILL STILL BE WELL TO OUR WEST. THIS ALONG WITH CLOUDY SKIES FOR A MAJORITY OF THE DAY HAVE LIMITED DAYTIME HEATING AND HAVE KEPT TEMPS ON THE COOL SIDE. RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE LATE EVENING AND ACTIVITY SHOULD TAPER DOWN AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN THE SHORTWAVE HAS PASSED TO THE NORTH. THE NEXT FOCUS WILL BE TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW OPENS AND THE TROF MOVES INTO THE AREA. MODELS HAVE DIFFERED SLIGHTLY ON HOW TO HANDLE IT BUT AGREE IN DRYLINE CONVECTION FIRING LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IN MODELS IS HOW FAR WEST WILL THE DRYLINE BEGIN TO CONVECT. THE NAM/TTU WRF SHOW THE DRYLINE CONVECTING IN THE SOUTHWESTERN TX PANHANDLE AND PUSHES SOUTHEASTWARD WHILE THE GFS FIRES CONVECTION NEAR THE EDGE OF THE CAPROCK AND PUSHES EASTWARD. FOR NOW I HAVE CONTINUED TO OPT FOR A BIT FARTHER WEST AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE AND THIS SCENARIO HAS BEEN MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE NAM/TTU WRF. CONCERNING SEVERE POTENTIAL...MID LEVEL LAPS RATES WILL STEEPEN AS THE TROF AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD WHICH WILL INCREASE OVERALL CAPE...BUT THE AMOUNT OF SBCAPE IS IN QUESTION AS THE SUN WILL STRUGGLE TO PEAK THROUGH THE CLOUDS TOMORROW. THERE MAY BE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TOMORROW FOR THE SUN TO SHINE THROUGH HELPING TO WARM SURFACE TEMPS. MUCAPE AROUND 1000 J/KG WILL BE ENOUGH TO TRIGGER STRONG CONVECTION ALONG THE DRYLINE. 0-6KM SHEAR AROUND 35 TO 45 KTS WITH MARGINAL DRY AIR ALOFT WILL HELP AID IN HAIL GROWTH PRODUCING LOW END SEVERE HAIL. SOME STRONG WINDS REACHING SEVERE CRITERIA WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL...HOWEVER WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED ATM AND WILL BE ISOLATED IN NATURE. ALDRICH && .LONG TERM... THE SLOW-MOVING UPPER TROUGH WILL BE SLOWLY EXITING THE AREA SUNDAY EVENING. INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE FAIRLY WORKED OVER BY EVENING AND WITH DECREASING SFC-BASED INSTABILITY...ANY SEVERE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH AFTER 8 PM OR SO. SHOWERS MAY CONTINUE ACROSS THE EASTERN AREAS INTO THE NIGHT THOUGH...GRADUALLY DECREASING IN COVERAGE AND STRENGTH FROM WEST TO EAST. NW FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE TROUGH WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR A WEAK FRONT TO MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY. THERE IS SOME SUGGESTION OF SOME LIGHT SHOWERS ACROSS OUR ERN ZONES AND ALSO PERHAPS IN THE NW...BUT WE/VE KEPT POPS BELOW MENTION FOR NOW. NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THE FORECAST BEYOND MONDAY. SHORTWAVE RIDGING ON TUESDAY SHOULD BRING WARMER TEMPS WHILE WINDS WILL RETURN TO A SERLY FETCH. FAIRLY DEEP TROUGH MOVING INTO THE ROCKIES SHOULD INDUCE A NICE LLJ TUESDAY NIGHT...AND BEGIN TO ADVECT GULF MOISTURE BACK INTO WTX. THE GFS STILL IS PRETTY BULLISH WITH THE MOISTURE RETURN ALL THE WAY TO THE STATE LINE OVERNIGHT AND COULD LIKELY RESULT IN SOME MORNING LOW STRATUS ACROSS THE CWA WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST GFS AND ECMWF REMAIN IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A DRYLINE WILL FORM SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA AND BOTH CONTINUE TO SHOW A GOOD QPF SIGNAL TO THE EAST OF THE DRYLINE WED AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE IS A BIT OF A CONCERN WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE CAP OVER THE DRYLINE...GUIDANCE IS CURRENTLY PROGGING TEMPS ONLY IN THE LOWER/MIDDLE 80S WHICH MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO BREAK THIS CAP. WE ARE FORECASTING SOMEWHAT WARMER TEMPS BASED ON THE PATTERN...AND WE HAVE KEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS EAST OF THE DRYLINE. DRIER AIR SHOULD SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA ON THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER WEAK FROPA LIKELY LATE THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. ANOTHER FAIRLY DEEP TROUGH WILL FORM UP ACROSS THE WEST...BUT MODELS DIVERGE WITH THE ECMWF SHOWING VEERED BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW OVER WTX SHUNTING DEEP MOISTURE TO THE EAST...WHILE THE GFS SHOWS LESS OF A WESTERLY COMPONENT AND A BETTER CHANCE OF MOISTURE HOLDING IN AND POSSIBLY LEADING TO SOME PRECIP POTENTIAL. WE/LL KEEP THE DRY FCST RUNNING WHILE FOLLOWING THE TRENDS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 50 74 49 77 49 / 60 20 10 10 0 TULIA 54 75 52 78 51 / 30 30 20 10 0 PLAINVIEW 54 75 54 80 52 / 40 30 20 10 0 LEVELLAND 54 76 54 80 52 / 60 20 10 10 0 LUBBOCK 57 77 55 81 53 / 60 30 20 10 0 DENVER CITY 55 78 55 79 53 / 60 20 10 10 0 BROWNFIELD 56 78 54 80 53 / 60 20 10 10 0 CHILDRESS 58 80 58 82 55 / 30 40 30 10 10 SPUR 57 79 59 84 55 / 30 40 20 10 0 ASPERMONT 58 79 60 85 56 / 30 40 30 10 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ 51/33
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BLACKSBURG VA
1251 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A DEEP AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY EASTWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND...MOVING OFF THE COAST BY MONDAY...KEEPING CLOUDS AND LIGHT RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTIONS TODAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION FOR LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. BY TUESDAY...A COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST BRINGING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...FOLLOWED BY BREEZY AND COOLER CONDITIONS FOR THE MID PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1155 AM EDT SATURDAY... UPDATED TO RAISE HIGH TEMPS ANOTHER CAT OR TWO ESPCLY NORTH/EAST GIVEN MORE BREAKS AND THINNING OF CLDNS ONGOING NORTH OF THE PERSISTENT RAINBAND ACROSS NW NC. THIS WILL RESULT IN A GRADIENT BETWEEN MID/UPPER 60S NORTH TO PERHAPS ONLY AROUND 50 FAR SW WHERE CLOUDS/PRECIP WILL CONTINUE. ALSO LOWERED POPS IN SOUTHERN VA TO REFLECT DECREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE PAST HOUR OR TWO WHILE MAINTAINING CAT POPS WATAUGA/WIKLES AND YADKIN CTYS. AS OF 930 AM EDT SATURDAY... ELONGATED BAND OF RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID LEVEL DEFORMATION ZONE OF THE BROAD UPPER LOW ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA REMAINS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN TIER THIS MORNING. HOWEVER LATEST MORNING SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONG NE FLUX OF DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS AS EVIDENCED VIA THE RNK RAOB. THIS HAS CAUSED SOME DRYING TO TAKE PLACE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE SOUTH TO NEAR THE VIRGINIA BORDER WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE LATEST HRRR SOLN THAT ATTEMPTS TO SHIFT ALL THE PRECIP SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. GFS CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN THE AXIS OF LIGHT RAIN WITH MORE EASTERLY INFLOW OFF THE ATLANTIC AS THE UPPER SYSTEM ONLY DRIFTS TO OFF THE SE COAST BY THIS EVENING. THIS SCENARIO APPEARS MORE IN LINE WITH A SHARP GRADIENT FROM SOME SUN NORTH...TO CLOUDS CENTRAL SECTIONS...WITH CONTINUED PERIODS OF -RA VA/NC BORDER AND POINTS SOUTH AS THE BAND TENDS TO STRETCH OUT WHILE SLOWLY DIMINISHING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THIS SUPPORTS KEEPING CAT/LIKELY POPS A WHILE LONGER ACROSS MUCH OF NW NC INTO SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA WITH A QUICK DROPOFF TO DRY CONDITIONS FROM JUST SOUTH OF HIWAY 460 AND POINTS NORTH. HIGH TEMPS REMAIN TRICKY WITH POTENTIAL FOR HIGHS TO STRUGGLE TO TOP 50 UNDER THE RAIN WHILE REACHING THE LOW/MID 60S FAR NORTH/WEST WITH 56-63 BCB-ROA-LYH CORRIDOR PENDING DEGREE OF ANY BREAKS. THUS INCREASED THE GRADIENT THIS AFTERNOON SINCE ALREADY ABOVE HIGHS IN SPOTS NORTH OF THE MAIN RAIN/CLOUD SHIELD ATTM. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERN THROUGH THE NEAR TERM CONTINUES TO BE SLOW MOVING...INCREASINGLY VERTICALLY STACKED UPPER LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES. FINALLY...AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF DIFFERING SOLUTIONS AMONG THE MODELS...THE GFS/ECMWF/NAM/CANADIAN HAVE ALL CONVERGED ON A SIMILAR SOLUTION. EXPECT -RA TO GENERALLY REMAIN IN AN AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING SIMILAR TO WHERE IT IS...NAMELY MOSTLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE FROM TNB-HLX-LYH. WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING ALMOST DUE EAST THROUGH THE PERIOD...SEE LITTLE NORTHWARD PROGRESS OF THE RAIN FROM THESE POINTS...BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN...LITTLE SOUTHWARD PROGRESS UNTIL THE UPPER LOW MOVES CLOSER TO THE COAST...ALLOWING DRIER NE FLOW TO ADVECT SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION. FOR AREAS FURTHER NORTH AND WEST...CONSIDERABLE HIGH CLOUDS WILL PERSIST AND EVEN SOME MID CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE ALLEGHANY FRONT...BUT LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. GFS/ECMWF BOTH CLEARLY DEPICT A SMALL DEFORMATION ZONE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST NC THIS EVENING...PROLONGING THE PRECIPITATION IN THAT AREA. HAVE INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY AND CATEGORICAL AND EXTENDED LONGER INTO OUR SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES THAN EARLIER ADVERTISED. SYNOPTIC PATTERN AND -RA...SOME WHAT OF AN INSITU WEDGE REINFORCED WITH NE FLOW AROUND SE U.S. DEVELOPING SFC LOW PRESSURE...WILL KEEP THE PIEDMONT THE COOLEST TODAY. HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE ECMWF MOS...WHICH WAS THE COOLEST AMONG THE MAV/MET/ECS. HOWEVER...EVEN UNDERCUT IT BY ABOUT ONE CATEGORY IN THE RAINY PIEDMONT AREAS. THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST NC WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 50. THE WARMEST AREAS TODAY SHOULD BE WEST OF THE ALLEGHANY FRONT...LWB-BLF- MKJ...WHERE LOW 60S ARE POSSIBLE IF THE CLOUDS THIN OUT ENOUGH DURING THE MID AND LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN NE EAST OF THE ALLEGHANY FRONT AND GENERALLY E-SE TO THE WEST. SPEEDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SC AND HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING SOUTHWARD FROM NEW ENGLAND. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 400 AM EDT SATURDAY... FOR EASTER SUNDAY...MAY SEE A FEW RESIDUAL SPRINKLES ACROSS THE SOUTHSIDE AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT TO START THE DAY...HOWEVER THESE WILL QUICKLY EXIT THE AREA AS LOW PRESSURE EXITS OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST. OTHERWISE...EXPECT CLEARING SKIES AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS WEDGED AGAINST THE EASTERN FACE OF THE APPALACHIANS... RESULTING IN A LIGHT AND GENERALLY EASTERLY WIND FLOW. WITH THE COOL HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE IN PLACE...WENT A LITTLE BELOW MODEL GUIDANCE FOR AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS CLIMBING INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S MOST LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHER RIDGES. LIGHT WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH LOWS BOTTOMING OUT IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOW 40S...WITH A FEW MOUNTAIN VALLEYS DROPPING BELOW FREEZING. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BECOMES MORE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED FOR MONDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE SHOWS SIGNS OF BREAKING DOWN. EXPECT WARMER TEMPERATURES DESPITE INCREASING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS...WITH HIGHS REACHING INTO THE UPPER 60S AND LOW 70S. WINDS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY SOUTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE DAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT...AND THE WARMER AIR POOLING IN FROM THE GULF COAST REGION WILL MAKE FOR MILD MONDAY NIGHT LOWS...GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 40S AND LOW 50S. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL ENTER FROM THE WEST AFTER SUNRISE TUESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT ADVANCES EAST ACROSS KENTUCKY/TENNESSEE. GFS/ECMWF/ CANADIAN FORECAST MODELS ALL INDICATE DECENT INSTABILITY DEVELOPING DURING THE AFTERNOON ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AS A LEE SIDE TROUGH SETS UP...WHILE STRONG HEATING WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO THE MID AND UPPER 70S. AS SUCH...CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...A FEW OF WHICH WILL LIKELY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. AT THIS POINT...BOTH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WOULD BE CONCERNS. THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE EVENING...EXITING TO THE EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY. A FEW UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS MAY LINGER ACROSS THE WESTERN RIDGES THROUGH THE NIGHT...OTHERWISE CLEARING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 400 AM EDT FRIDAY... BELIEVE THERE WILL STILL BE A CHANCE FOR SOME UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS IN CAA WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE EARLY WEDNESDAY...IN ADDITION TO BREEZY CONDITIONS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. EXPECT QUIET WEATHER FOR THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE PASSES OVERHEAD. SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN ON FRIDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 1230 PM EDT SATURDAY... DRIER LOW LEVEL NE FLOW HAS CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN VFR STATUS AT ALL TAF SITES ATTM WITH MOSTLY A MID TO HIGH BKN/OVC CANOPY IN PLACE. EXPECT THIS OVERALL TREND TO PREVAIL THIS AFTERNOON WITH MOST OF THE MVFR CONDITIONS STAYING ALONG THE SRN BLUE RIDGE IN NW NORTH CAROLINA AND JUST SOUTH OF DAN. MAY SEE SOME LOW END VFR CIGS DEVELOP NORTH INTO DAN BEFORE THIS EVENING AS MOISTURE/PRECIP STARTS TO JOG BACK NORTH AHEAD OF ANOTHER WAVE SET TO MOVE ACROSS OVERNIGHT. COULD ALSO BE SOME SPOTTY -RA ACROSS THE DAN VICINITY AS WELL BUT OVERALL VFR WITH DRY WEATHER ELSW THIS AFTERNOON. LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST OVERNIGHT WITH SOME GUIDANCE SUGGESTING THE NEXT MID LEVEL WAVE MAY BRING PRECIP BACK NORTH AT LEAST INTO DAN THIS EVENING BEFORE EXITING EARLY SUNDAY. THIS WOULD ALSO BRING A PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS ALONG WITH VFR CIGS NORTH TO ROA/LYH OVERNIGHT. SINCE THIS COULD BE OVERDONE GIVEN CURRENT DRY ADVECTION AND LACK OF MODEL CONSENSUS...WILL KEEP DAN HIGH END MVFR CIGS WITH VFR VSBYS IN -RA LATER TONIGHT...AND MAINLY SCTD LOW CLOUDS WITH HIGHER MID DECK CIGS ELSW FROM BCB-ROA-LYH FOR NOW. NE WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY ESPCLY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS WITH THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IN PLACE BRINGING GUSTS TO 20-25 KTS AT TIMES INTO TONIGHT. EXTENDED AVIATION DISCUSSION... THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY EXITS TO THE EAST SUNDAY AND HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS BRINGING A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MAY STILL HAVE SOME MID DECK CIGS ACROSS THE EAST SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE SLOW CLEARING TAKES PLACE FROM WEST TO EAST BY AFTERNOON. THE NEXT COLD FRONT APPROACHES MONDAY NIGHT WITH MORE SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING PERIODS OF MVFR FOR TUESDAY. FRONT EXITS TUESDAY NIGHT RESULTING IN A RETURN TO VFR WEDNESDAY EXCEPT FOR MVFR CIGS OVER THE FAR WESTERN SITES IN SE WEST VA. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR THURSDAY WITH WIDESPREAD VFR LIKELY. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RAB NEAR TERM...JH/RAB SHORT TERM...NF LONG TERM...MBS/NF AVIATION...JH/RAB/RCS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS BLACKSBURG VA
1204 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A DEEP AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY EASTWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND...MOVING OFF THE COAST BY MONDAY...KEEPING CLOUDS AND LIGHT RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTIONS TODAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION FOR LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. BY TUESDAY...A COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST BRINGING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...FOLLOWED BY BREEZY AND COOLER CONDITIONS FOR THE MID PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1155 AM EDT SATURDAY... UPDATED TO RAISE HIGH TEMPS ANOTHER CAT OR TWO ESPCLY NORTH/EAST GIVEN MORE BREAKS AND THINNING OF CLDNS ONGOING NORTH OF THE PERSISTENT RAINBAND ACROSS NW NC. THIS WILL RESULT IN A GRADIENT BETWEEN MID/UPPER 60S NORTH TO PERHAPS ONLY AROUND 50 FAR SW WHERE CLOUDS/PRECIP WILL CONTINUE. ALSO LOWERED POPS IN SOUTHERN VA TO REFLECT DECREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE PAST HOUR OR TWO WHILE MAINTAINING CAT POPS WATAUGA/WIKLES AND YADKIN CTYS. AS OF 930 AM EDT SATURDAY... ELONGATED BAND OF RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID LEVEL DEFORMATION ZONE OF THE BROAD UPPER LOW ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA REMAINS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN TIER THIS MORNING. HOWEVER LATEST MORNING SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONG NE FLUX OF DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS AS EVIDENCED VIA THE RNK RAOB. THIS HAS CAUSED SOME DRYING TO TAKE PLACE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE SOUTH TO NEAR THE VIRGINIA BORDER WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE LATEST HRRR SOLN THAT ATTEMPTS TO SHIFT ALL THE PRECIP SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. GFS CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN THE AXIS OF LIGHT RAIN WITH MORE EASTERLY INFLOW OFF THE ATLANTIC AS THE UPPER SYSTEM ONLY DRIFTS TO OFF THE SE COAST BY THIS EVENING. THIS SCENARIO APPEARS MORE IN LINE WITH A SHARP GRADIENT FROM SOME SUN NORTH...TO CLOUDS CENTRAL SECTIONS...WITH CONTINUED PERIODS OF -RA VA/NC BORDER AND POINTS SOUTH AS THE BAND TENDS TO STRETCH OUT WHILE SLOWLY DIMINISHING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THIS SUPPORTS KEEPING CAT/LIKELY POPS A WHILE LONGER ACROSS MUCH OF NW NC INTO SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA WITH A QUICK DROPOFF TO DRY CONDITIONS FROM JUST SOUTH OF HIWAY 460 AND POINTS NORTH. HIGH TEMPS REMAIN TRICKY WITH POTENTIAL FOR HIGHS TO STRUGGLE TO TOP 50 UNDER THE RAIN WHILE REACHING THE LOW/MID 60S FAR NORTH/WEST WITH 56-63 BCB-ROA-LYH CORRIDOR PENDING DEGREE OF ANY BREAKS. THUS INCREASED THE GRADIENT THIS AFTERNOON SINCE ALREADY ABOVE HIGHS IN SPOTS NORTH OF THE MAIN RAIN/CLOUD SHIELD ATTM. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERN THROUGH THE NEAR TERM CONTINUES TO BE SLOW MOVING...INCREASINGLY VERTICALLY STACKED UPPER LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES. FINALLY...AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF DIFFERING SOLUTIONS AMONG THE MODELS...THE GFS/ECMWF/NAM/CANADIAN HAVE ALL CONVERGED ON A SIMILAR SOLUTION. EXPECT -RA TO GENERALLY REMAIN IN AN AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING SIMILAR TO WHERE IT IS...NAMELY MOSTLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE FROM TNB-HLX-LYH. WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING ALMOST DUE EAST THROUGH THE PERIOD...SEE LITTLE NORTHWARD PROGRESS OF THE RAIN FROM THESE POINTS...BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN...LITTLE SOUTHWARD PROGRESS UNTIL THE UPPER LOW MOVES CLOSER TO THE COAST...ALLOWING DRIER NE FLOW TO ADVECT SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION. FOR AREAS FURTHER NORTH AND WEST...CONSIDERABLE HIGH CLOUDS WILL PERSIST AND EVEN SOME MID CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE ALLEGHANY FRONT...BUT LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. GFS/ECMWF BOTH CLEARLY DEPICT A SMALL DEFORMATION ZONE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST NC THIS EVENING...PROLONGING THE PRECIPITATION IN THAT AREA. HAVE INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY AND CATEGORICAL AND EXTENDED LONGER INTO OUR SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES THAN EARLIER ADVERTISED. SYNOPTIC PATTERN AND -RA...SOME WHAT OF AN INSITU WEDGE REINFORCED WITH NE FLOW AROUND SE U.S. DEVELOPING SFC LOW PRESSURE...WILL KEEP THE PIEDMONT THE COOLEST TODAY. HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE ECMWF MOS...WHICH WAS THE COOLEST AMONG THE MAV/MET/ECS. HOWEVER...EVEN UNDERCUT IT BY ABOUT ONE CATEGORY IN THE RAINY PIEDMONT AREAS. THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST NC WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 50. THE WARMEST AREAS TODAY SHOULD BE WEST OF THE ALLEGHANY FRONT...LWB-BLF- MKJ...WHERE LOW 60S ARE POSSIBLE IF THE CLOUDS THIN OUT ENOUGH DURING THE MID AND LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN NE EAST OF THE ALLEGHANY FRONT AND GENERALLY E-SE TO THE WEST. SPEEDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SC AND HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING SOUTHWARD FROM NEW ENGLAND. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 400 AM EDT SATURDAY... FOR EASTER SUNDAY...MAY SEE A FEW RESIDUAL SPRINKLES ACROSS THE SOUTHSIDE AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT TO START THE DAY...HOWEVER THESE WILL QUICKLY EXIT THE AREA AS LOW PRESSURE EXITS OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST. OTHERWISE...EXPECT CLEARING SKIES AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS WEDGED AGAINST THE EASTERN FACE OF THE APPALACHIANS... RESULTING IN A LIGHT AND GENERALLY EASTERLY WIND FLOW. WITH THE COOL HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE IN PLACE...WENT A LITTLE BELOW MODEL GUIDANCE FOR AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS CLIMBING INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S MOST LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHER RIDGES. LIGHT WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH LOWS BOTTOMING OUT IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOW 40S...WITH A FEW MOUNTAIN VALLEYS DROPPING BELOW FREEZING. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BECOMES MORE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED FOR MONDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE SHOWS SIGNS OF BREAKING DOWN. EXPECT WARMER TEMPERATURES DESPITE INCREASING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS...WITH HIGHS REACHING INTO THE UPPER 60S AND LOW 70S. WINDS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY SOUTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE DAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT...AND THE WARMER AIR POOLING IN FROM THE GULF COAST REGION WILL MAKE FOR MILD MONDAY NIGHT LOWS...GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 40S AND LOW 50S. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL ENTER FROM THE WEST AFTER SUNRISE TUESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT ADVANCES EAST ACROSS KENTUCKY/TENNESSEE. GFS/ECMWF/ CANADIAN FORECAST MODELS ALL INDICATE DECENT INSTABILITY DEVELOPING DURING THE AFTERNOON ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AS A LEE SIDE TROUGH SETS UP...WHILE STRONG HEATING WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO THE MID AND UPPER 70S. AS SUCH...CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...A FEW OF WHICH WILL LIKELY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. AT THIS POINT...BOTH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WOULD BE CONCERNS. THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE EVENING...EXITING TO THE EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY. A FEW UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS MAY LINGER ACROSS THE WESTERN RIDGES THROUGH THE NIGHT...OTHERWISE CLEARING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 400 AM EDT FRIDAY... BELIEVE THERE WILL STILL BE A CHANCE FOR SOME UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS IN CAA WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE EARLY WEDNESDAY...IN ADDITION TO BREEZY CONDITIONS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. EXPECT QUIET WEATHER FOR THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE PASSES OVERHEAD. SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN ON FRIDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES. && .AVIATION /16Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 740 AM EDT SATURDAY... UPPER LOW PRESSURE AREA SOUTHEAST U.S. WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSE OFF AND DRIFT VERY SLOWLY EAST ALONG THE GULF COAST TO THE SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC COAST THROUGH THE PERIOD. MARITIME EASTERLY FLOW ON THE NORTH SIDE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT LIGHT RAIN INTO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA...INCLUDING DAN. A FEW SPRINKLES MAY REACH ROA/LYH...BUT NOT ENOUGH TO REDUCE VSBY. THE -RA CONTINUES TO FALL OUT OF VFR CIGS...MOSTLY AOA 080 AT THIS TIME. VERY DRY MID- LEVEL AIR WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY MOISTEN...BUT CIGS APPEAR DESTINED TO REMAIN MOSTLY VFR THROUGH THE TAF VALID PERIOD...BUT WILL LIKELY LOWER TO LOW END VFR LYH-DAN FOR A PERIOD LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON...BEFORE THE DEEPER MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW SPREADS FURTHER EAST LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING. UNLIKE YESTERDAY MORNING...SFC FLOW NOW NE AS OPPOSED TO SE...WHICH IS HELPING TO TRANSPORT DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST MAKING IT HARD TO REALIZE ANYTHING WORSE THAN VFR AT THIS POINT. OCCASIONAL MVFR VSBYS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE DAN...BUT ELSEWHERE DO NOT EXPECT ENOUGH -RA TO WARRANT MENTION OF ANY VSBYS LESS THAN VFR. WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES WITH A TIGHTENING OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN NORTHEASTERN U.S. HIGH PRESSURE AND SOUTHEAST U.S. LOW. EXPECT ENE 10-12KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20KTS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT BY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...DIMINISHING AFT 00Z...BUT LOW END GUSTS POSSIBLE MUCH OF THE NIGHT ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN CIGS AND VSBYS THROUGH THE TAF VALID PERIOD. MEDIUM TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN WIND DIR/SPD THROUGH THE TAF VALID PERIOD. EXTENDED AVIATION DISCUSSION... THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY EXITS TO THE EAST SUNDAY AND HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS BRINGING A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT COLD FRONT APPROACHES MONDAY NIGHT WITH MORE SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING PERIODS OF MVFR. FRONT EXITS TUESDAY NIGHT RESULTING IN A RETURN TO VFR WEDNESDAY EXCEPT FOR MVFR CIGS OVER THE FAR WESTERN SITES IN SE WEST VA. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RAB NEAR TERM...JH/RAB SHORT TERM...NF LONG TERM...MBS/NF AVIATION...RAB/RCS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BLACKSBURG VA
1002 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A DEEP AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY EASTWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND...MOVING OFF THE COAST BY MONDAY...KEEPING CLOUDS AND LIGHT RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTIONS TODAY INTO EARLY SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION FOR LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. BY TUESDAY...A COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST BRINGING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...FOLLOWED BY BREEZY AND COOLER CONDITIONS FOR THE MID PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 930 AM EDT SATURDAY... ELONGATED BAND OF RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID LEVEL DEFORMATION ZONE OF THE BROAD UPPER LOW ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA REMAINS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN TIER THIS MORNING. HOWEVER LATEST MORNING SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONG NE FLUX OF DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS AS EVIDENCED VIA THE RNK RAOB. THIS HAS CAUSED SOME DRYING TO TAKE PLACE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE SOUTH TO NEAR THE VIRGINIA BORDER WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE LATEST HRRR SOLN THAT ATTEMPTS TO SHIFT ALL THE PRECIP SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. GFS CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN THE AXIS OF LIGHT RAIN WITH MORE EASTERLY INFLOW OFF THE ATLANTIC AS THE UPPER SYSTEM ONLY DRIFTS TO OFF THE SE COAST BY THIS EVENING. THIS SCENARIO APPEARS MORE IN LINE WITH A SHARP GRADIENT FROM SOME SUN NORTH...TO CLOUDS CENTRAL SECTIONS...WITH CONTINUED PERIODS OF -RA VA/NC BORDER AND POINTS SOUTH AS THE BAND TENDS TO STRETCH OUT WHILE SLOWLY DIMINISHING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THIS SUPPORTS KEEPING CAT/LIKELY POPS A WHILE LONGER ACROSS MUCH OF NW NC INTO SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA WITH A QUICK DROPOFF TO DRY CONDITIONS FROM JUST SOUTH OF HIWAY 460 AND POINTS NORTH. HIGH TEMPS REMAIN TRICKY WITH POTENTIAL FOR HIGHS TO STRUGGLE TO TOP 50 UNDER THE RAIN WHILE REACHING THE LOW/MID 60S FAR NORTH/WEST WITH 56-63 BCB-ROA-LYH CORRIDOR PENDING DEGREE OF ANY BREAKS. THUS INCREASED THE GRADIENT THIS AFTERNOON SINCE ALREADY ABOVE HIGHS IN SPOTS NORTH OF THE MAIN RAIN/CLOUD SHIELD ATTM. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERN THROUGH THE NEAR TERM CONTINUES TO BE SLOW MOVING...INCREASINGLY VERTICALLY STACKED UPPER LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES. FINALLY...AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF DIFFERING SOLUTIONS AMONG THE MODELS...THE GFS/ECMWF/NAM/CANADIAN HAVE ALL CONVERGED ON A SIMILAR SOLUTION. EXPECT -RA TO GENERALLY REMAIN IN AN AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING SIMILAR TO WHERE IT IS...NAMELY MOSTLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE FROM TNB-HLX-LYH. WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING ALMOST DUE EAST THROUGH THE PERIOD...SEE LITTLE NORTHWARD PROGRESS OF THE RAIN FROM THESE POINTS...BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN...LITTLE SOUTHWARD PROGRESS UNTIL THE UPPER LOW MOVES CLOSER TO THE COAST...ALLOWING DRIER NE FLOW TO ADVECT SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION. FOR AREAS FURTHER NORTH AND WEST...CONSIDERABLE HIGH CLOUDS WILL PERSIST AND EVEN SOME MID CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE ALLEGHANY FRONT...BUT LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. GFS/ECMWF BOTH CLEARLY DEPICT A SMALL DEFORMATION ZONE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST NC THIS EVENING...PROLONGING THE PRECIPITATION IN THAT AREA. HAVE INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY AND CATEGORICAL AND EXTENDED LONGER INTO OUR SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES THAN EARLIER ADVERTISED. SYNOPTIC PATTERN AND -RA...SOME WHAT OF AN INSITU WEDGE REINFORCED WITH NE FLOW AROUND SE U.S. DEVELOPING SFC LOW PRESSURE...WILL KEEP THE PIEDMONT THE COOLEST TODAY. HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE ECMWF MOS...WHICH WAS THE COOLEST AMONG THE MAV/MET/ECS. HOWEVER...EVEN UNDERCUT IT BY ABOUT ONE CATEGORY IN THE RAINY PIEDMONT AREAS. THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST NC WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 50. THE WARMEST AREAS TODAY SHOULD BE WEST OF THE ALLEGHANY FRONT...LWB-BLF- MKJ...WHERE LOW 60S ARE POSSIBLE IF THE CLOUDS THIN OUT ENOUGH DURING THE MID AND LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN NE EAST OF THE ALLEGHANY FRONT AND GENERALLY E-SE TO THE WEST. SPEEDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THE LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SC AND HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING SOUTHWARD FROM NEW ENGLAND. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 400 AM EDT SATURDAY... FOR EASTER SUNDAY...MAY SEE A FEW RESIDUAL SPRINKLES ACROSS THE SOUTHSIDE AND THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT TO START THE DAY...HOWEVER THESE WILL QUICKLY EXIT THE AREA AS LOW PRESSURE EXITS OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST. OTHERWISE...EXPECT CLEARING SKIES AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS WEDGED AGAINST THE EASTERN FACE OF THE APPALACHIANS... RESULTING IN A LIGHT AND GENERALLY EASTERLY WIND FLOW. WITH THE COOL HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE IN PLACE...WENT A LITTLE BELOW MODEL GUIDANCE FOR AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS CLIMBING INTO THE MID AND UPPER 60S MOST LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHER RIDGES. LIGHT WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH LOWS BOTTOMING OUT IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOW 40S...WITH A FEW MOUNTAIN VALLEYS DROPPING BELOW FREEZING. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BECOMES MORE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED FOR MONDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WEDGE SHOWS SIGNS OF BREAKING DOWN. EXPECT WARMER TEMPERATURES DESPITE INCREASING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS...WITH HIGHS REACHING INTO THE UPPER 60S AND LOW 70S. WINDS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY SOUTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE DAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT...AND THE WARMER AIR POOLING IN FROM THE GULF COAST REGION WILL MAKE FOR MILD MONDAY NIGHT LOWS...GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 40S AND LOW 50S. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL ENTER FROM THE WEST AFTER SUNRISE TUESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT ADVANCES EAST ACROSS KENTUCKY/TENNESSEE. GFS/ECMWF/ CANADIAN FORECAST MODELS ALL INDICATE DECENT INSTABILITY DEVELOPING DURING THE AFTERNOON ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AS A LEE SIDE TROUGH SETS UP...WHILE STRONG HEATING WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO THE MID AND UPPER 70S. AS SUCH...CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...A FEW OF WHICH WILL LIKELY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. AT THIS POINT...BOTH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WOULD BE CONCERNS. THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE EVENING...EXITING TO THE EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY. A FEW UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS MAY LINGER ACROSS THE WESTERN RIDGES THROUGH THE NIGHT...OTHERWISE CLEARING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 400 AM EDT FRIDAY... BELIEVE THERE WILL STILL BE A CHANCE FOR SOME UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS IN CAA WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE EARLY WEDNESDAY...IN ADDITION TO BREEZY CONDITIONS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. EXPECT QUIET WEATHER FOR THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE PASSES OVERHEAD. SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN ON FRIDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES. && .AVIATION /14Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 740 AM EDT SATURDAY... UPPER LOW PRESSURE AREA SOUTHEAST U.S. WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSE OFF AND DRIFT VERY SLOWLY EAST ALONG THE GULF COAST TO THE SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC COAST THROUGH THE PERIOD. MARITIME EASTERLY FLOW ON THE NORTH SIDE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT LIGHT RAIN INTO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA...INCLUDING DAN. A FEW SPRINKLES MAY REACH ROA/LYH...BUT NOT ENOUGH TO REDUCE VSBY. THE -RA CONTINUES TO FALL OUT OF VFR CIGS...MOSTLY AOA 080 AT THIS TIME. VERY DRY MID- LEVEL AIR WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY MOISTEN...BUT CIGS APPEAR DESTINED TO REMAIN MOSTLY VFR THROUGH THE TAF VALID PERIOD...BUT WILL LIKELY LOWER TO LOW END VFR LYH-DAN FOR A PERIOD LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON...BEFORE THE DEEPER MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW SPREADS FURTHER EAST LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING. UNLIKE YESTERDAY MORNING...SFC FLOW NOW NE AS OPPOSED TO SE...WHICH IS HELPING TO TRANSPORT DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST MAKING IT HARD TO REALIZE ANYTHING WORSE THAN VFR AT THIS POINT. OCCASIONAL MVFR VSBYS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE DAN...BUT ELSEWHERE DO NOT EXPECT ENOUGH -RA TO WARRANT MENTION OF ANY VSBYS LESS THAN VFR. WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES WITH A TIGHTENING OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN NORTHEASTERN U.S. HIGH PRESSURE AND SOUTHEAST U.S. LOW. EXPECT ENE 10-12KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20KTS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT BY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...DIMINISHING AFT 00Z...BUT LOW END GUSTS POSSIBLE MUCH OF THE NIGHT ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN CIGS AND VSBYS THROUGH THE TAF VALID PERIOD. MEDIUM TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN WIND DIR/SPD THROUGH THE TAF VALID PERIOD. EXTENDED AVIATION DISCUSSION... THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY EXITS TO THE EAST SUNDAY AND HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS BRINGING A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT COLD FRONT APPROACHES MONDAY NIGHT WITH MORE SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING PERIODS OF MVFR. FRONT EXITS TUESDAY NIGHT RESULTING IN A RETURN TO VFR WEDNESDAY EXCEPT FOR MVFR CIGS OVER THE FAR WESTERN SITES IN SE WEST VA. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RAB NEAR TERM...JH/RAB SHORT TERM...NF LONG TERM...MBS/NF AVIATION...RAB/RCS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHEYENNE WY
1058 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1046 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 FORECAST PRETTY WELL ON TRACK FOR TODAY. ONLY CONCERN IS THICK CIRRUS OVER MOST OF THE SOUTHEAST FORECAST INHIBITING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TODAY. COOL NORTHEAST UPSLOPE WILL NOT HELP WITH SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE AND WINDS WILL BE SLOWER TO COME AROUND TO THE SOUTH THAN MODELS EARLIER PROJECTED. NAM AND GFS HAS BACKED OFF ON THE SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE LIFTED INDEX AND LOOKING AT MODEL SOUNDINGS...STEEP SURFACE BASED LAPSE RATES WILL BE TOUGH TO COME BY EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. REMOVED THUNDERSTORM MENTION EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE FOR TODAY...BUT KEPT IT GOING TO THE WEST WHERE MORNING SUNSHINE WILL PRODUCE THOSE STEEPER LAPSE RATES. CAN NOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION WITH LIGHTNING EVEN EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE AS THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL IMPACT THE SOUTHERN CWA...BUT WITH ONLY WEAK FORCING...LIGHTNING CHANCES ARE REMOTE AT BEST. GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL GRAUPLE CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE WITH ANY STRONGER CONVECTION...BUT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NOT LIKELY. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SURFACE WINDS VEERING TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS AND INCREASING IN STRENGTH. DEW POINTS WILL INCREASE INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S ACROSS THE PLAINS IN THIS MOISTURE ADVECTION PATTERN WITH WEAK INSTABILITY PROGGED FOR THE AFTERNOON. HIGH CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPS ON THE COOL SIDE AND THUS INSTABILITY WILL BE LOW...BUT THE COMBO OF UPPER SUPPORT AND WEAK INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND NEARBY PLAINS. LOOKS AS THOUGH AREAS FROM THE LARAMIE RANGE TO THE I-25 CORRIDOR COULD SEE THE BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS WHERE NAM PAINTS INSTABILITY AS HIGH AS 200 J/KG WITHIN THE BEST...ALBEIT RELATIVELY WEAK...MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ZONE. SHOULD SEE WETTING RAINS WITH THIS ACTIVITY AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN ONE HALF AND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CONVECTION WILL DIMINISH THROUGH THE EVENING AS THE UPPER WAVE WEAKENS AND MOVES EAST. FOR SUNDAY...A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS US/CANADIAN BORDER WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS IN THE AFTERNOON. TEMPS WILL WARM INTO THE UPPER 60S TO UPPER 70S IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH LI`S DROPPING TO AROUND ZERO. TIMING OF THE FRONT COULD FAVOR DEVELOPMENT OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND A FEW WEAK THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE LARAMIE RANGE AND CHEYENNE RIDGE WHERE LLVL FORCING AND INSTABILITY ARE MAXIMIZED. A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING OVERHEAD FROM THE WEST WILL TRIGGER A FEW TSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AS WELL. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT FOR MONDAY WITH MAX TEMPS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 5F COOLER. SFC WINDS WILL VEER BACK TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON AND SO MAY SEE A FEW RAIN SHOWERS DEVELOP WITHIN THE CONVERGENCE ZONE VCTY LARAMIE RANGE. COOLER SFC TEMPS AND WAA ALOFT DUE TO A BUILDING UPPER RIDGE FROM THE WEST WILL MINIMIZE INSTABILITY AND THUS TSTORM CHANCES. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 PRETTY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE EXTENDED EXPECTED TO BRING VERY STRONG WINDS AND SOME PRECIP CHANCES TO THE CWFA. THESE ARE THE CHALLENGES IN THE LONG TERM. FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE AREA WITH 700MB TEMPERATURES CLIMBING FROM +4C MONDAY AFTERNOON UP TO +8C TUESDAY AFTERNOON. LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY WARM DAY TUESDAY WITH 80S RETURNING TO THE PANHANDLE AND UPPER 60S/LOW 70S FOR AREAS WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO SOUTHERN NEVADA TO NORTHERN UTAH TUESDAY AFTERNOON...THEN INTO WESTERN WYOMING TUESDAY NIGHT. AHEAD OF THIS LOW...700MB WINDS BECOME QUITE STRONG WITH THE GFS SHOW 50KTS AT 700MBS WEDNESDAY MORNING. 700MB CRAIG TO CASPER HEIGHT GRADIENT AT 60MTRS TUESDAY NIGHT AND INCREASES TO 70MTRS DURING THE MORNING WEDNESDAY. WILL NEED TO MONITOR THIS FOR POSSIBLE WIND HEADLINES DURING THIS TIME FRAME...AT LEAST FOR OUR WIND PRONE AREAS. COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW LOOKS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH 700MB TEMPERATURES FALLING TO -6C ACROSS CARBON COUNTY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FOR NOW...BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP LOOK TO BE THE MOUNTAINS AND AREAS WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. AREAS EAST WILL BE IMPACTED BY DOWNSLOPING WINDS...SO KEPT THESE AREAS DRY. CONCERNS FOR WIND HEADLINES SHIFTS EAST INTO THE PANHANDLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS GFS 850MB WINDS INCREASE TO 40KTS. SHOULD BE AT LEAST WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA OUT THERE...CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 506 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 CONFIDENCE A LITTLE HIGHER FOR TSTMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN WYOMING AND THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LATEST HRRR FORECAST SHOWING CONVECTION DEVELOPING AS EARLY AS 18Z AND PERSISTING THROUGH 00Z FOR KCYS AND KRWL. FOLLOWED THIS GUIDANCE IN TAFS. CONVECTION COULD MAKE IT TO KBFF AFTER 00Z...BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW ON TSTMS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER TODAY WITH HIGHER HUMIDITIES AND LESS WIND. CHANCES FOR WETTING RAINS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE TRACKS ACROSS THE REGION. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY AND WILL BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND AREAS NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER. AFTER A COOLER DAY MONDAY...EXPECT WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS FOR TUESDAY WITH WINDY CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR WEDNESDAY. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...SML SHORT TERM...RJM LONG TERM...CLAYCOMB AVIATION...CLAYCOMB FIRE WEATHER...RJM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS CHEYENNE WY
509 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SURFACE WINDS VEERING TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS AND INCREASING IN STRENGTH. DEW POINTS WILL INCREASE INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S ACROSS THE PLAINS IN THIS MOISTURE ADVECTION PATTERN WITH WEAK INSTABILITY PROGGED FOR THE AFTERNOON. HIGH CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPS ON THE COOL SIDE AND THUS INSTABILITY WILL BE LOW...BUT THE COMBO OF UPPER SUPPORT AND WEAK INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND NEARBY PLAINS. LOOKS AS THOUGH AREAS FROM THE LARAMIE RANGE TO THE I-25 CORRIDOR COULD SEE THE BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS WHERE NAM PAINTS INSTABILITY AS HIGH AS 200 J/KG WITHIN THE BEST...ALBEIT RELATIVELY WEAK...MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ZONE. SHOULD SEE WETTING RAINS WITH THIS ACTIVITY AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN ONE HALF AND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CONVECTION WILL DIMINISH THROUGH THE EVENING AS THE UPPER WAVE WEAKENS AND MOVES EAST. FOR SUNDAY...A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS US/CANADIAN BORDER WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS IN THE AFTERNOON. TEMPS WILL WARM INTO THE UPPER 60S TO UPPER 70S IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH LI`S DROPPING TO AROUND ZERO. TIMING OF THE FRONT COULD FAVOR DEVELOPMENT OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND A FEW WEAK THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE LARAMIE RANGE AND CHEYENNE RIDGE WHERE LLVL FORCING AND INSTABILITY ARE MAXIMIZED. A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING OVERHEAD FROM THE WEST WILL TRIGGER A FEW TSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AS WELL. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT FOR MONDAY WITH MAX TEMPS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 5F COOLER. SFC WINDS WILL VEER BACK TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON AND SO MAY SEE A FEW RAIN SHOWERS DEVELOP WITHIN THE CONVERGENCE ZONE VCTY LARAMIE RANGE. COOLER SFC TEMPS AND WAA ALOFT DUE TO A BUILDING UPPER RIDGE FROM THE WEST WILL MINIMIZE INSTABILITY AND THUS TSTORM CHANCES. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 PRETTY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE EXTENDED EXPECTED TO BRING VERY STRONG WINDS AND SOME PRECIP CHANCES TO THE CWFA. THESE ARE THE CHALLENGES IN THE LONG TERM. FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE AREA WITH 700MB TEMPERATURES CLIMBING FROM +4C MONDAY AFTERNOON UP TO +8C TUESDAY AFTERNOON. LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY WARM DAY TUESDAY WITH 80S RETURNING TO THE PANHANDLE AND UPPER 60S/LOW 70S FOR AREAS WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO SOUTHERN NEVADA TO NORTHERN UTAH TUESDAY AFTERNOON...THEN INTO WESTERN WYOMING TUESDAY NIGHT. AHEAD OF THIS LOW...700MB WINDS BECOME QUITE STRONG WITH THE GFS SHOW 50KTS AT 700MBS WEDNESDAY MORNING. 700MB CRAIG TO CASPER HEIGHT GRADIENT AT 60MTRS TUESDAY NIGHT AND INCREASES TO 70MTRS DURING THE MORNING WEDNESDAY. WILL NEED TO MONITOR THIS FOR POSSIBLE WIND HEADLINES DURING THIS TIME FRAME...AT LEAST FOR OUR WIND PRONE AREAS. COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW LOOKS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH 700MB TEMPERATURES FALLING TO -6C ACROSS CARBON COUNTY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FOR NOW...BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP LOOK TO BE THE MOUNTAINS AND AREAS WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. AREAS EAST WILL BE IMPACTED BY DOWNSLOPING WINDS...SO KEPT THESE AREAS DRY. CONCERNS FOR WIND HEADLINES SHIFTS EAST INTO THE PANHANDLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS GFS 850MB WINDS INCREASE TO 40KTS. SHOULD BE AT LEAST WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA OUT THERE...CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 506 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 CONFIDENCE A LITTLE HIGHER FOR TSTMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN WYOMING AND THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LATEST HRRR FORECAST SHOWING CONVECTION DEVELOPING AS EARLY AS 18Z AND PERSISTING THROUGH 00Z FOR KCYS AND KRWL. FOLLOWED THIS GUIDANCE IN TAFS. CONVECTION COULD MAKE IT TO KBFF AFTER 00Z...BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW ON TSTMS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 256 AM MDT SAT APR 19 2014 TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER TODAY WITH HIGHER HUMIDITIES AND LESS WIND. CHANCES FOR WETTING RAINS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE TRACKS ACROSS THE REGION. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY AND WILL BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND AREAS NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER. AFTER A COOLER DAY MONDAY...EXPECT WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS FOR TUESDAY WITH WINDY CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR WEDNESDAY. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...RJM LONG TERM...CLAYCOMB AVIATION...CLAYCOMB FIRE WEATHER...RJM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS PUEBLO CO
1108 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 850 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 UPDATED TO TREND POPS WITH THE LATEST RADAR DATA. SINCE SUN DOWN...MOST OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY HAS DISSIPATED ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO. THE EXCEPTIONS ARE OVER THE PALMER DIVIDE WHERE NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN PUSHING SOUTH...AND OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS WEST OF I-25 WHERE WEAK ACTIVITY CONTINUES. HAVE MAINTAINED THESE AREAS SEEING SHOWER ACTIVITY AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. ELSEWHERE...DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL INTO MONDAY MORNING. MOZLEY UPDATE ISSUED AT 550 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 ONLY MINOR UPDATES TO THE GOING FORECAST THIS EVENING. AN UPPER LOW IS SITTING OVER FAR SOUTHWEST KANSAS WITH BROAD NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. WEAK SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUES ACROSS THE I-25 CORRIDOR AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. STRONGER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS CURRENTLY SITUATED NEAR THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER. LIGHTNING ALONG WITH 40 MPH OUTFLOW WINDS AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN THE STORMS NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER. MODELS RAPIDLY DISSIPATE SHOWER ACTIVITY AFTER SUNSET WITH ALL AREAS DRY BY MIDNIGHT. AREAS OUT EAST NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER AND AREAS DOWN SOUTH ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER WILL HOLD OUT THE LONGEST. MOZLEY && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 UPPER LOW OVER SE CO/NW NM AND THE TX/OK PANHANDLES WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS SOUTHEAST CO ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW IN AREA OF WEAK ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND INSTABILITY. RESIDUAL MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SUFFICIENT TO TRIGGER SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH SOME AFTERNOON HEATING...AND APPEARS THAT TAIL END OF PASSING SHORTWAVE TO THE NORTH MAY BE AIDING THUNDERSTORM INITIATION ACROSS NW CO. THIS LATTER FEATURE WILL CLIP THROUGH NRN CO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MAIN CONCERN FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR RUN-OFF PRODUCING RAINFALL ON THE BURN SCARS. OF GREATER CONCERN WILL BE THE EAST PEAK BURN SCAR WHERE RAINFALL OCCURRED EARLIER THIS MORNING. RADAR ESTIMATES COMPARED WITH GAGES IN THE AREA SUGGEST THAT PORTIONS OF THE BURN SCAR MAY HAVE RECEIVED .50 TO .70 OF RAINFALL. THIS OCCURRED SLOWLY THOUGH WITH RATES UNDER .10 TO .20 PER HOUR...SO NO PROBLEMS WERE NOTED. HOWEVER IF THIS AREA WERE TO GET HIT WITH A STRONGER CELL THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING...THE SATURATED GROUND MAY RESULT IN SOME QUICK RUN-OFF PROBLEMS. HOWEVER...CLOUD COVER IN THIS AREA MAY ALSO HELP KEEP THE ATMOSPHERE MORE STABLE...SO RISK SEEMS LOW AT THIS POINT. A LITTLE BETTER HEATING HAS BEEN REALIZED FARTHER NORTH ACROSS THE PIKES PEAK REGION. HOWEVER...DEW POINTS HAVE BEEN DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 30S AND LATEST HRRR DROPS THEM INTO THE UPPER 20S BY LATE AFTERNOON WHICH REALLY CUTS BACK ON THE INSTABILITY AND RESULTANT THUNDERSTORM STRENGTH. WHILE CAN`T ENTIRELY RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STRONGER CELL IMPACTING THE WALDO CANYON BURN SCAR...THINK THIS CHANCE IS FAIRLY LOW...AND IF IT DID WOULD PROBABLY NOT LAST LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE MUCH MORE THAN SOME MINOR RUN-OFF ISSUES AT BEST. ALSO...WATCHING THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS OF THE STATE IN VCNTY OF UPPER LOW...WHERE LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES COULD BECOME STEEP ENOUGH TO PRODUCE A SHORT LIVED NON-SUPERCELL TORNADO/LANDSPOUT. SO FAR...UPDRAFT STRENGTHS HAVEN`T BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO STRETCH ANY LOW LEVEL VORTICITY...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH IT CLOSELY AS SPC MESO-ANALYSIS DOES SHOW A POCKET OF HIGH NON-SUPERCELL TOR INDICES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. ALL ACTIVITY SHIFTS TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST FAIRLY QUICKLY THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...SO THESE THREATS SHOULD QUICKLY COME TO AN END WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. ON MONDAY...UPPER RIDGE TRANSLATES IN...BUT THERE WILL STILL BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE A LITTLE WARMER THAN TODAYS...ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS WHERE CLOUDS HAVE HELD TEMPERATURES DOWN TODAY. -KT .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 NOT MANY ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED FROM PREVIOUS LONGER TERM THINKING WITH MAIN LONGER TERM ISSUES BEING ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL TEMPERATURES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEKEND...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS...PRIMARILY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS AT TIMES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AND THEN AGAIN BY NEXT WEEKEND...INCREASING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS...BEGINNING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS WELL AS AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. LATEST LONGER TERM COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT VARYING DEGREES OF ZONAL TO SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW WILL OCCUR OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AS WELL AS ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED OVER PORTIONS OF THE CWFA FROM MONDAY EVENING INTO WEDNESDAY...FAVORING LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. FOCUS THEN SHIFTS TO INCREASING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AT TIMES(ESPECIALLY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS AS WELL AS THE SAN LUIS VALLEY)...PRIMARILY DURING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THEN POSSIBLY CONTINUING AT TIMES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEKEND. WFO PUEBLO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY. IN ADDITION...METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS ARE BEGINNING TO SIGNAL AN INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS FROM LATER FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS UPPER SYSTEM IMPACTS THE FORECAST DISTRICT. AS ALWAYS...WFO PUEBLO WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THESE TRENDS CLOSELY. SWITCHING FOCUS TO TEMPERATURES...IT STILL APPEARS THAT BOTH MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ABOVE LATE APRIL CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGES FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO NEXT SATURDAY BEFORE TEMPERATURES DECREASE BY NEXT SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1107 PM MDT SUN APR 20 2014 KALS...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SAN LUIS VALLEY ON MONDAY AFTERNOON...WHICH MAY IMPACT THE TERMINAL. IF A SHOWER MOVES OVER THE TERMINAL...IT WOULD PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF REDUCED CIGS AND VIS. KCOS AND KPUB...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WINDS WILL BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN WITH MID AND HIGH CLOUD DECKS. MOZLEY && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...MOZLEY AVIATION...MOZLEY
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DES MOINES IA
343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 STUBBORN COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY SWING THROUGH THE STATE TODAY AND BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FORECAST AREA DURING MUCH OF THE MORNING. FRONT LOOKS TO CREEP INTO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY AROUND 14-15Z AND CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEAST AND CLEAR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA BY AROUND 00Z TUESDAY OR SLIGHTLY SOONER. LEANED TOWARD THE SLOWER SREF/GFS/ECMWF WRT TO WINDS AND TEMPERATURES TODAY. 21.05Z HRRR IS A LITTLE TOO FAST WITH THE PRECIP MOVING EAST AND THE 21.03Z HOPWRF IS LIGHTER ON THE COVERAGE. REGARDLESS...UTILIZED A BLEND OF THE TWO FOR POPS/WX TRENDS THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY...THEN THE 21.03Z SREF/21.00Z HIRES-ARW/NMM FOR TRENDS THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE LOW LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST IOWA/SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA WITH COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO NEBRASKA. WEAK AND BROAD LARGE SCALE FORCING AHEAD THIS COLD FRONT AS WELL AS ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE TO FEED MOISTURE INTO THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING. INSTABILITY NOT IMPRESSIVE TODAY BUT ENOUGH AVAILABLE TO KEEP MENTION OF THUNDER. HAVE BULK OF THE HIGHER POPS OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN IOWA THROUGH 12-14Z BEFORE SHIFTING FURTHER SOUTHEAST LATE THIS MORNING. BELIEVE MUCH OF THE PRECIP WILL QUICKLY DISSIPATE PAST 18-20Z OR BE CONFINED TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA. HAVE NON-DIURNAL TEMPERATURE TREND MENTIONED ACROSS THE NORTH AS SHOULD SEE THE CAA DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. 850MB TEMPS DROP TO +4C TO +6C BY 18Z IN THE NORTH. GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH WINDS ATOP THE MIXED LAYER INCREASING TO AROUND 25 TO 30 KNOTS. MUCH DRIER AIR MASS FILTERS INTO THE STATE AS WELL WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS DROPPING INTO UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S OVER THE NORTHWEST. RH VALUES DECREASE TO NEAR 25 PERCENT ACROSS A SMALL WESTERN PORTION OF FORECAST AREA. THOUGH AN INCREASED FIRE WEATHER DANGER TODAY...HELD OFF ON RED FLAG WARNING DUE TO CRITERIA NOT BEING MET WIDESPREAD. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 EARLY IN THE PERIOD...FEW CONCERNS. SYSTEM ON THE WAY OUT BY 00Z TONIGHT WITH SECONDARY COLD FRONT NOW OVER NORTHERN MN DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...BRINGING DRIER AND COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION BY MORNING. DESPITE WARM TEMPS THE PAST FEW DAYS... MORNING LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE MUCH COOLER WITH MID 30S NORTH TO MID 40S SOUTH. TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE A NICE DAY WITH GENERALLY SUNNY SKIES AND A FEW FAIR WX CUMULUS DURING THE MID AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE DROPS SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY...KEEPING WINDS LIGHT. LITTLE MIXING TO PROMOTE MUCH WARMING OTHER THAN SUNSHINE...SO WILL STICK WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S NORTHEAST AND MID 60S ACROSS THE WEST. MODELS DIFFER SLIGHTLY ON TIMING OF UPSTREAM WAVE AND EXPECTED WARM AIR ADVECTION/CLOUDS AND APPROACHING SHOWERS FOR WED. OVERALL...INCREASE IN CLOUDS EXPECTED LATE DAY WEST TUESDAY WITH SHOWERS NEARING THE WESTERN BORDER BY 12Z. THOUGH THUNDER MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS AND NE...DRY AIR OVER IOWA WILL COOL AND DIMINISH INSTABILITY WHEN INITIAL PUSH OF MOISTURE ARRIVES. MODELS SHOW LITTLE INSTABILITY UNTIL AFTERNOON WED AND THAT AGAIN IS LESS THAN YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS. THUS...HAVE TRIMMED AREAL COVERAGE OF THUNDER TO ISO WEST IN THE MORNING AND ISO EAST/SCT FAR WEST IN THE PM HOURS WEDNESDAY WITH THE FIRST REAL SURGE OF THETAE ADVECTION. AS THE SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION...CONFIDENCE IN EVOLUTION OF SYSTEM HAS LESSENED SLIGHTLY. MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE GENERAL TRENDS SIMILAR... BUT DETAILS DIFFER. OVERALL THE BETTER INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN WEST OF THE AREA UNTIL NEARER 00Z THUR...THEN WEAKEN OVERNIGHT PRIOR TO INCREASING AGAIN FROM LATE MORNING THUR THROUGH 00Z FRI. STILL SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OVERNIGHT CONVECTION ACROSS SOUTH/CENTRAL SECTIONS WED NIGHT AS SOME BULK SHEAR COULD AID SVR POTENTIAL. BOTH THE 00Z GFS AND THE 12Z/NEW 00Z EURO NOW SUGGEST THAT THE LOW WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS IA NEARLY EXITING OUR FORECAST AREA BY 18Z THUR...KEEPING THE BEST INSTABILITY AND SVR POTENTIAL EAST OF THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. FOR NOW...WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR POTENTIAL BUT OVERALL CHANCES WOULD REMAIN CONDITIONAL ON ANY BETTER ALIGNMENT OF FORCING AND STRONGER INSTABILITY THURSDAY. BEYOND THUR AFTERNOON...MORE UNCERTAINTY IS ARISING IN THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST. MODELS HANDLING THE DEPARTURE OF THE SYSTEM WITH DIFFERING SPEED THUR NIGHT AND FRIDAY DUE TO A SECONDARY H500 SYSTEM OVER CENTRAL CANADA POTENTIALLY PHASING WITH THE DEPARTING H500 LOW. BOTH THE GEM/EURO TAKE THE FIRST SYSTEM EAST QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT MUCH PHASING WHILE THE GFS HOLDS ON TO A TROUGH EXTENDING WEST INTO MN. THIS RESULTS IN A FARTHER WEST RIDGE AXIS OVER CANADA THAT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND DRIVES THE JET STREAM FARTHER SOUTH...DIRECTLY NEXT WEEKENDS STORM SOUTH OF IOWA. THE GEM/EURO SHOW ONLY A SLIGHT DELAY IN TIMING AND STILL BRING RAIN BACK INTO THE AREA FOR THE WEEKEND. FOR NOW THE GFS SHOWS TOO DRASTIC A CHANGE FOR SUCH A SMALL H500 FEATURE. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...WILL CUT BACK ON POP CHANCE AT ONSET OF PRECIP EVENT NEXT SATURDAY BUT WILL STILL KEEP POP INCREASING WITH TIME THROUGH SUNDAY. TEMPS WILL HAVE EVEN GREATER UNCERTAINTY NOW...AS TIED TO CHANGES IN EVOLUTION AND TRACK OF WEEKEND UPPER AIR PATTERN AND STORM TRACK. NEWEST 21/00Z EURO STILL KEEPS TREND OF WET WEATHER NEXT WEEKEND...WHILE THE GFS REMAINS DRY. OVERALL THE EURO TENDS TO PERFORM MORE CONSISTENTLY AFTER FCST 120 HOURS SO WILL LEAN TOWARD GEM/EURO SOLUTIONS OF WETTER WEATHER SAT/SUN. AS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS NIGHTS AFDS...THERE IS A CONSISTENT SIGNAL OF ENERGY STRETCHING FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL PACIFIC EAST TO THE PLAINS...WHICH WOULD FAVOR INCLEMENT WEATHER HERE. && .AVIATION...21/06Z ISSUED AT 1129 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 SHRA AND TSRA HAVE FORMED NEAR BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT NORTHERN SITES KMCW/KALO/KFOD BEFORE SLOWLY PUSHING SOUTH OVERNIGHT...REACHING KDSM NEAR 12Z AND KOTM AFTER. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL REMAIN PRIMARILY VFR...THOUGH MAY BRIEFLY DROP TO MVFR OR LOWER WITH TSRA. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST AHEAD OF BOUNDARY...MORE VARIABLE NEAR BOUNDARY AND FROM THE NORTHWEST BEHIND BOUNDARY. WINDS WILL ALSO BECOME GUSTY DURING THE DAY MONDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING NEAR SUNSET. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...PODRAZIK LONG TERM...REV AVIATION...AWB
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...corrected
NWS DODGE CITY KS
415 AM CDT Mon Apr 21 2014 ...UDATED LONG TERM AND FIRE WEATHER SECTIONS... .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 317 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 The main shortwave trough is depicted by the models to move into eastern Kansas this morning. The RUC model has picked up on the MCV over central Kansas and moves it southward into northwest Oklahoma today in the northwesterly flow on the backside of the trough. Model soundings show instability around 600-800 j/kg of CAPE as a mid level cold pool moves southeast across western Kansas today. Given the forcing with the MCV and a nearly uncapped sounding profile this afternoon over south central Kansas, will add some slight chance pops for showers and isolated thunder to the forecast. Things will quiet down fairly quickly late this afternoon and early evening as a ridge of surface high pressure moves east through the High Plains. Winds will become light and variable in the evening and gradually swing around to the southeast and south. Overnight lows will be the coolest over central Kansas where low to mid 40s are expected. Lows will drop into the upper 40s to around 50 along the Colorado border where increasing southerly winds will help keep temperatures up a few degrees more. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) ISSUED AT 414 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 An upper ridge will be transitioning eastward across the Great Plains on Tuesday. Surface pressure falls along the lee of the Rockies and the retreating surface high pressure across the Missouri valley will create a moisture transport zone over the central High Plains, effectively causing an increasing in surface and 850 mb dew points across western and central Kansas. Afternoon heating across the higher terrain around the Palmer Divide will allow thunderstorms to form and be steered eastward into this moisture and instability axis. Some thunderstorms could move into western Kansas through the evening hours most likely around Syracuse. With a lack of dynamics, convection should be mainly diurnally driven, and as a result dry weather is likely through the overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning with mild lows. An upper wave will be approaching the region Wednesday with several impacts. A decent surface pressure gradient will be in place as much drier air mixes out eastward though the morning and afternoon. The overall momentum transfer will probably be negatively influenced by mid level cloud decks indicated on model soundings and may even prevent a high wind event given 0-1 km mean winds on the order of 35-40 knots. Additionally a set up for severe storms will exist along and ahead of the dryline as the atmosphere destabilizes through the morning. Potential for rotating supercells exist with NAM model suggesting around 2-3 m2/s2 EHI(3km) with up to round 2000 J/kg of surface based CAPE ahead of the dryline feature. Good subsidence should follow in behind this dryline overnight into Thursday morning. Dry and warm conditions will likely follow into Friday as the next flat upper ridge settle across the region. Additional thunderstorm chances are in the forecast later in the weekend and early nextweek associated with yet another west coast jet carving a trough into the southern Rockies by the GFS and ECMWF. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) ISSUED AT 1257 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Low level moisture advecting up into southwest Kansas could result in 2-4 miles in mist along with IFR stratus. There is some uncertainty as to how widespread it will become. For now will have a tempo group for lower visibility at Garden City and Dodge City early this morning with conditions improving to VFR between 10 and 12z. A cold front will move through around sunrise and sweep the low level moisture out of the area. By this afternoon, some instability showers could develop in the area around and east of Dodge City and have added VCSH to the Dodge City TAF for this. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 414 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Elevated fire danger is expected for Tuesday as breezy southerly winds and dew points in the 20s prevail through the day. A more significant risk is expected Wednesday as a dryline moves as far east as highway 283 by afternoon with strong gusty surface winds. Fire weather watches and eventually red flag warningS may be issued in the coming forecast shifts especially for areas west of Highway 83 for Wednesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 76 44 79 56 / 10 0 10 20 GCK 75 44 82 57 / 0 0 10 10 EHA 74 50 83 57 / 0 0 10 10 LBL 76 46 83 57 / 0 0 10 10 HYS 75 42 79 55 / 10 0 10 20 P28 76 46 79 54 / 20 0 10 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...Gerard LONG TERM...Russell AVIATION...Gerard FIRE WEATHER...Russell
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
318 AM CDT Mon Apr 21 2014 ...Updated synopsis and short term discussion... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 317 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 The 00z upper air analysis showed a shortwave trough extending from southern Nebraska across southwest Kansas into the Texas Panhandle. With fairly light steering flow aloft, this trough was slowly moving eastward through the High Plains this morning. Thunderstorms over central and western Kansas that had fired up Sunday afternoon had pretty much dissipated early this morning. There were a few showers over central Kansas around Hays and Lacrosse which were associated with an MCV leftover from the thunderstorm complex earlier in the evening. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 317 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 The main shortwave trough is depicted by the models to move into eastern Kansas this morning. The RUC model has picked up on the MCV over central Kansas and moves it southward into northwest Oklahoma today in the northwesterly flow on the backside of the trough. Model soundings show instability around 600-800 j/kg of CAPE as a mid level cold pool moves southeast across western Kansas today. Given the forcing with the MCV and a nearly uncapped sounding profile this afternoon over south central Kansas, will add some slight chance pops for showers and isolated thunder to the forecast. Things will quiet down fairly quickly late this afternoon and early evening as a ridge of surface high pressure moves east through the High Plains. Winds will become light and variable in the evening and gradually swing around to the southeast and south. Overnight lows will be the coolest over central Kansas where low to mid 40s are expected. Lows will drop into the upper 40s to around 50 along the Colorado border where increasing southerly winds will help keep temperatures up a few degrees more. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Sunday) ISSUED AT 149 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 Upper level ridging builds over the Plains Monday night through Tuesday with dry conditions in the mid levels. This will allow mostly clear skies to be observed across western Kansas. This will be short lived as the next storm system moves into the Northern Rockies Tuesday night into Wednesday. Southerly winds will be felt across western Kansas as this system approaches with increasing mid level moisture Tuesday night. A moderate upper level jet will be found above western Kansas on Wednesday enhancing lift across the area. Southerly winds will continue at the surface becoming windy in the afternoon. In addition, a dryline is suggested to develop in the afternoon with CAPE and shear increasing as the day progresses. These conditions will bring a chance of thunderstorms ahead of the dryline from late afternoon into Wednesday night. A few of these storms could become strong to severe with large hail and damaging winds being the main concern. A cold front then moves through western Kansas Thursday morning shifting winds to the north. Lows Tuesday morning will be in the low to mid 40s with highs Tuesday reaching into the upper 70s and lower 80s. The warmest day of the week looks to be on Wednesday with lows in the mid 50s and highs in the lower 80s. Lows Thursday morning look to range from the mid 40s across west central Kansas where the aforementioned cold front is expected to move through early to upper 50s across south central Kansas where the front is not expected to move through by sunrise. Dry conditions are then expected during the remainder of the week as an upper level ridge builds above the Plains with dry conditions in the mid levels. Winds shift back to the south by Saturday as the next storm system entered the western United States. This system is expected to affect western Kansas this weekend bringing an increase in clouds and a chance of thunderstorms. Highs Thursday through this weekend will generally be in the 70s with lower 80s possible across far southwestern Kansas on Saturday. Lows will generally be in the mid to upper 40s Friday and Saturday morning. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) ISSUED AT 1257 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Low level moisture advecting up into southwest Kansas could result in 2-4 miles in mist along with IFR stratus. There is some uncertainty as to how widespread it will become. For now will have a tempo group for lower visibility at Garden City and Dodge City early this morning with conditions improving to VFR between 10 and 12z. A cold front will move through around sunrise and sweep the low level moisture out of the area. By this afternoon, some instability showers could develop in the area around and east of Dodge City and have added VCSH to the Dodge City TAF for this. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 76 44 79 56 / 10 0 10 20 GCK 75 44 82 57 / 0 0 10 10 EHA 74 50 83 57 / 0 0 10 10 LBL 76 46 83 57 / 0 0 10 10 HYS 75 42 79 55 / 10 0 10 20 P28 76 46 79 54 / 20 0 10 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Gerard SHORT TERM...Gerard LONG TERM...Hovorka_42 AVIATION...Gerard
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
1257 AM CDT Mon Apr 21 2014 ...Updated aviation discussion... .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday) ISSUED AT 116 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 Ample insolation early this afternoon resulted in surface-based CAPE in the 700-1100 J/kg west of Highway 283 to the Colorado border. Lack of a capping inversion beneath cool temperatures in the 700-500mb layer (+2C at 700mb). There were two areas of surface convergence that will support development of thunderstorms by mid-afternoon. The first area is near the Colorado border along the stationary trough axis, which is also near where the mid level vorticity center is. We are also watching a secondary area of interest from Dodge City south to the Oklahoma border where surface wind convergence was slightly enhanced. 1km visible satellite confirmed development of cumulus in both of these areas. Given the higher degree of instability than earlier anticipated, a few hail storms may occur with the largest hail most likely being around 1-inch in diameter (Quarter size). Severe weather threat will likely wane after 00Z or so as showers and thunderstorms grow upscale. This is what the HRRR would seem to suggest in its latest runs, which makes sense given the marginal instability. Much of the precipitation should be coming to an end/or exiting the southwest Kansas region in the 04-07Z time frame so POPs will be lowered during this time frame and shortly thereafter. A northern stream shortwave trough will aid in bringing a cold front south through western Nebraska late tonight, reaching southwestern Kansas by mid to late morning Monday. The front is not expected to have any impact on temperatures, though, so the going forecast of upper 70s to near 80 still looks pretty good (especially along/south of the Arkansas River). .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Sunday) ISSUED AT 149 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 Upper level ridging builds over the Plains Monday night through Tuesday with dry conditions in the mid levels. This will allow mostly clear skies to be observed across western Kansas. This will be short lived as the next storm system moves into the Northern Rockies Tuesday night into Wednesday. Southerly winds will be felt across western Kansas as this system approaches with increasing mid level moisture Tuesday night. A moderate upper level jet will be found above western Kansas on Wednesday enhancing lift across the area. Southerly winds will continue at the surface becoming windy in the afternoon. In addition, a dryline is suggested to develop in the afternoon with CAPE and shear increasing as the day progresses. These conditions will bring a chance of thunderstorms ahead of the dryline from late afternoon into Wednesday night. A few of these storms could become strong to severe with large hail and damaging winds being the main concern. A cold front then moves through western Kansas Thursday morning shifting winds to the north. Lows Tuesday morning will be in the low to mid 40s with highs Tuesday reaching into the upper 70s and lower 80s. The warmest day of the week looks to be on Wednesday with lows in the mid 50s and highs in the lower 80s. Lows Thursday morning look to range from the mid 40s across west central Kansas where the aforementioned cold front is expected to move through early to upper 50s across south central Kansas where the front is not expected to move through by sunrise. Dry conditions are then expected during the remainder of the week as an upper level ridge builds above the Plains with dry conditions in the mid levels. Winds shift back to the south by Saturday as the next storm system entered the western United States. This system is expected to affect western Kansas this weekend bringing an increase in clouds and a chance of thunderstorms. Highs Thursday through this weekend will generally be in the 70s with lower 80s possible across far southwestern Kansas on Saturday. Lows will generally be in the mid to upper 40s Friday and Saturday morning. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) ISSUED AT 1257 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Low level moisture advecting up into southwest Kansas could result in 2-4 miles in mist along with IFR stratus. There is some uncertainty as to how widespread it will become. For now will have a tempo group for lower visibility at Garden City and Dodge City early this morning with conditions improving to VFR between 10 and 12z. A cold front will move through around sunrise and sweep the low level moisture out of the area. By this afternoon, some instability showers could develop in the area around and east of Dodge City and have added VCSH to the Dodge City TAF for this. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 45 79 56 84 / 0 10 20 40 GCK 43 82 57 83 / 0 10 10 30 EHA 46 83 57 84 / 0 10 10 20 LBL 46 83 57 85 / 0 10 10 30 HYS 43 79 55 82 / 0 10 20 50 P28 47 79 54 82 / 0 10 10 50 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...Umscheid LONG TERM...Hovorka_42 AVIATION...Gerard
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
544 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 00Z RAOBS/LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS SHOW A SPLIT FLOW REGIME ACRS THE CONUS WITH A STRONGER W-E POLAR BRANCH FLOW NEAR THE CNDN BORDER TO THE N OF A WEAKER SRN BRANCH OVER THE SCENTRAL STATES. SHRTWV RDG EMBEDDED IN THE POLAR BRANCH AND OVER NE MN/NW ONTARIO AS WELL AS VERY DRY AIR SHOWN ON THE 00Z INL/MPX RAOBS ARE BRINGING DRY WX TO UPR MI THIS MRNG EXCEPT OVER FAR SRN MENOMINEE COUNTY...WHERE SOME ISOLD -SHRA ARE STILL PRESENT ON THE NRN EDGE OF RIBBON OF DEEPER MSTR STRUNG W-E THRU THE CENTRAL LKS AND SAMPLED BY THE FAIRLY MOIST 00Z GRB RAOB. MORE WDSPRD SHRA/EMBEDDED TS ARE PRESENT OVER SW WI/FAR SE MN UNDER DEEPER MSTR/SOME UPR DVGC AHEAD OF DISTURBANCE ON THE NRN EDGE OF SRN BRANCH FLOW. ALTHOUGH COLDER CLOUD TOPS ARE EXPANDING TOWARD THE WI BORDER TO THE NE OF THESE SHOWERS...THE LOWER LVL W FLOW OF VERY DRY AIR FM THE DIRECTION OF MPX IS LIMITING THE N SPREAD OF THE SHRA LOCATED JUST S OF THAT RAOB SITE. OTRW...SOME LOCALLY DENSE FOG HAS FORMED OVER THE CENTRAL/ERN CWA AS THE DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVED OVER LOCATIONS THAT DID NOT SEE SGNFT LLVL DRYING YDAY AFTN. OVER THE W WHERE SFC DEWPTS MIXED OUT AS LO AS 25-30 AT IWD ON SUN AND TEMPS ARE STILL ABV 32 AT MOST SPOTS...THERE IS LTL IF ANY FOG. A MUCH STRONGER SHRTWV IN THE POLAR BRANCH FLOW IS NEAR LK WINNIPEG AND MOVING STEADILY TO THE E. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHOWERS AND EVEN SOME LGT STRIKES IN MANITOBA RIGHT UNDER THE STEEPER LAPSE RATES CLOSE TO THE CORE OF THIS DISTURBANCE. BUT SINCE THIS SHRTWV IS CUTOFF FM THE MOISTER AIRMASS TO THE S... THERE IS ONLY A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG ITS ATTENDANT COLD FNT MOVING THRU NW MN EARLY THIS MRNG. MAIN FCST CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM INVOLVE FOG EARLY THIS MRNG AND THEN PCPN CHCS LATER TODAY/TNGT AS POLAR BRANCH SHRTWV/ATTENDANT COLD FNT IMPACT UPR MI. TODAY...EXPECT LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO PERSIST EARLY THIS MRNG OVER THE SE HALF OF THE CWA...BUT INCRSG HI CLDS SHOULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR WDSPRD DENSE FOG. WL ISSUE AN SPS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO LOCALLY REDUCED VSBYS. SHRTWV NEAR LK WINNIPEG IS FCST TO MOVE E THRU NW ONTARIO AND DRAG IT ATTENDANT COLD FNT ACRS UPR MI THIS AFTN. SINCE BULK OF DPVA/DEEP LYR QVECTOR CNVGC WL REMAIN TO THE N AND JUST BRUSH THE NRN LAND CWA...SUSPECT ONLY ISOLD-SCT SHOWERS WL ACCOMPANY THE FROPA. ALMOST ALL THE MODELS THAT WERE SHOWING A GREATER INTERACTION BTWN THIS SHRTWV/DEEPER MSTR TO THE S AND SGNFT EXPANSION OF THIS MSTR/SHOWERS INTO UPR MI HAVE RETREATED A BIT FM THIS FCST...A REASONABLE TREND CONSIDERING THE VERY DRY NATURE OF THE 00Z MPX RAOB AND LACK OF SGNFT BACKING OF THE UPR FLOW FM THE W THRU THE DAY. THE 00Z HI RES CNDN MODEL SHOWS THE HEAVIER PCPN OVERSPREADING MOST OF UPR MI ALONG WITH THE MOST UNSTABLE MIXED LYR CAPES AOA 1000 J/KG. FCST SDNGS FM THIS MODEL SHOW FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE MOISTENING THRU THE LOWER TROP WITH SFC DEWPTS RISING TO ARND 55...WHICH DOES NOT SEEM RSNBL IN THE ABSENCE OF A DEEPER SW FLOW. THE 00Z NAM SHOWS MORE MODEST MOISTENING/DESTABILIZATION OVER THE SCENTRL. WL CARRY THE HIER CHC POPS THIS AFTN WHERE THIS MODEL SHOWS THE GREATER INSTABILITY UP TO 700-800 J/KG OVER THE SCNTRL. INCLUDED A SCHC OF TS IN THIS AREA AS WELL GIVEN ARRIVAL OF COLD FNT DURING PEAK HEATING TIME THAT WL PUSH TEMPS WELL ABV NORMAL AGAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF H85 TEMPS NOT FAR FM 10C AND AWAY FM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF THE LKS. COOLER AIR WL ARRIVE OVER THE W LATER IN THE DAY FOLLOWING THE FROPA. TNGT...NW FLOW WITH H925 WINDS UP TO 25-35 KTS IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FROPA WL DRIVE COLDER AIR BACK INTO THE UPR LKS TNGT. MODELS SHOW H85 TEMPS SINKING AS LO AS -7 TO -8C OVER THE W BY 12Z TUE. WHILE THIS INCOMING AIRMASS WL NOT BE COLD ENUF FOR LK EFFECT PCPN...MODELS DO SHOW SOME LLVL MOISTENING BLO STRENGTHENING SUBSIDENCE INVRN ARND H85 UNDER THE LARGE SCALE QVECTOR DVGC LEFT IN THE WAKE OF DEPARTING SHRTWV. GOING FCST SHOWS SOME DRIZZLE/FRZG DRIZZLE OVER THE HIER TERRAIN WITH MOISTENING/INVRN BASE BLO THE DGZ. THIS FCST SEEMS RSNBL...BUT DID ADD SOME FLURRIES AS WELL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 543 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 SFC TEMPS SHOULD WARM QUICKLY TUESDAY MORNING...LIMITING THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE. WILL STILL KEEP DRIZZLE GOING GIVEN THE LIMITED LIKELIHOOD OF ICE CRYSTALS IN THE SOUNDING. OTHERWISE COOL N-NW WINDS WILL BE THE RULE...WITH 850MB TEMPS IN THE -6 TO -8C RANGE HELPING TO KEEP MAX SFC TEMPS TUESDAY IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S OVER MUCH OF THE CWA. DRY HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL RESULT IN NEARLY CALM WINDS WEDNESDAY MORNING. WITH FEW IF ANY CLOUDS AROUND AND PW VALUES FALLING TO AROUND 45 PERCENT OF NORMAL /0.25IN/ SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL INTO THE 20S TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLENTY OF UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH OUR END OF THE WEEK SYSTEM. WHILE POPS HAVE BEEN INCREASED AND MUCH OF THE FOCUS FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIP REMAINS OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...THE 21/00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF HAS BACKED AWAY FROM THE DEEPER MORE WRAPPED UP SFC LOW THAT IT/S 20/12Z RUN INDICATED. STILL...ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT 0.5-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR AND W OF A LINE FROM MQT TO MNM THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF ENSEMBLES HAVE 30-40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SEEING 1IN OR MORE OVER THE W HALF. GIVEN THAT MUCH OF THE SYSTEM IS AROUND 84HRS OR MORE INTO THE FUTURE...WILL CONTINUE WITH A MORE BROAD/AVERAGED SOLUTION AT THIS POINT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 122 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 THE BIG FCST CONCERN OVERNIGHT WILL BE FOG...ESPECIALLY AT KSAW WHERE DEWPOINTS REMAIN MOIST (IN THE LOWER 40S). HAVE FOLLOWED MOS GUIDANCE FOR MUCH OF THE TIMING ON THE FOG AND INTENSITY. KIWD MAY NOT SEE MUCH FOG TONIGHT AS LIGHT DOWNSLOPING SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL LIKELY LIMIT FOG POTENTIAL. THE CONCERN AT KCMX IS WHETHER DRIER AIR OVER LAKE SUPERIOR MAY LIMIT FOG POTENTIAL DESPITE WEAK UPSLOPE EAST FLOW DEVELOPING LATE TONIGHT. SINCE THE DEWPOINT DEPRESSION AT KCMX IS ONLY 2F STILL THINK PREVAILING IFR VBSY IS A GOOD BET FOR THE 07-14Z TIME FRAME. KSAW SHOULD HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO FALL TO LIFR/PERHAPS VLIFR/BLO LANDING MINS BASED ON LOWER 40S DEWPOINTS AND LIGHT SOUTH-SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT UNDER GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES. EXPECT THE FOG TO BURN OFF DURING THE MORNING AS MIXING INCREASES AND SOME MID CLOUDS APPROACH TOWARDS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT WESTERLY BEHIND TROUGH/FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LIGHT WINDS UNDER 15 KTS THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SHIFT TO THE NW LATE TODAY/THIS EVENING FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND INCREASE UP TO 25-30 KTS TONIGHT AS MUCH COLDER AIR INVADES THE UPPER LAKES. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THERE COULD BE SOME GALES OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST HALF OF THE LAKE UNDER THE SHARPER GRADIENT/STRONGEST LOW LEVEL WINDS. MENTIONED SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS OVER THE ECENTRAL FOR NOW. THESE STONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUE THRU WED AS A HI PRES RIDGE AND WEAKER PRES GRADIENT MOVE OVER THE AREA. AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS LATER IN THE WEEK AND THE GRADIENT SHARPENS AGAIN...INCREASING SE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NE. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS LO...THERE COULD BE AT LEAST A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1202 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 HIGHEST SNOW DEPTH REPORTED YESTERDAY MORNING OF 32IN AT MOHAWK WAS ABLE TO DROP DOWN TO 28IN BY LATE EVENING. AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM...SEVERAL SITES FROM IWD THROUGH ISQ WERE REPORTING LITTLE TO NO SNOW. TODAY WILL BE ANOTHER DAY OF MELTING...AS HIGH TEMPERATURES JUMP INTO THE 50S AND LOW 60S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. THE MELT WILL SLOW TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT OVER N UPPER MI AS COLD N-NNW WINDS KEEP TEMPS TOPPING OUT IN THE 30S AND LOW 40S TUESDAY. AS FOR FURTHER OUT...TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES TEMPORARILY WEDNESDAY BEFORE FALLING BACK INTO THE 30S AND 40S THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WILL CONTINUE TO NOTICE SIGNIFICANT STREAM/RIVER RISES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ADDING TO THE RUNOFF. AT THIS POINT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...AND SPECIFICALLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WHERE 0.75-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE FCST AS THE TIME NEARS. SO FAR THE LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RISES HAVE BEEN ALSTON/ALSM4/ ON THE STURGEON RIVER...ROCKLAND/RKLM4/ ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE HYDE/FRDM4/ ON THE FORD RIVER. WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT FORESEEN AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...ANY RIVER THAT HAS ICE REMAINING ON IT...ESPECIALLY THE ESCANABA RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY...COULD EXPERIENCE AN ICE JAM WITH THE RISING RIVER LEVELS THIS WEEK. THOSE LIVING AROUND RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR BOTH RIVER LEVELS AND ICE CONDITIONS. ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK QUICKLY...RESULTING IN RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RIVER LEVELS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...KC LONG TERM...KF AVIATION...VOSS/KC MARINE...KC HYDROLOGY...KF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
425 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 00Z RAOBS/LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS SHOW A SPLIT FLOW REGIME ACRS THE CONUS WITH A STRONGER W-E POLAR BRANCH FLOW NEAR THE CNDN BORDER TO THE N OF A WEAKER SRN BRANCH OVER THE SCENTRAL STATES. SHRTWV RDG EMBEDDED IN THE POLAR BRANCH AND OVER NE MN/NW ONTARIO AS WELL AS VERY DRY AIR SHOWN ON THE 00Z INL/MPX RAOBS ARE BRINGING DRY WX TO UPR MI THIS MRNG EXCEPT OVER FAR SRN MENOMINEE COUNTY...WHERE SOME ISOLD -SHRA ARE STILL PRESENT ON THE NRN EDGE OF RIBBON OF DEEPER MSTR STRUNG W-E THRU THE CENTRAL LKS AND SAMPLED BY THE FAIRLY MOIST 00Z GRB RAOB. MORE WDSPRD SHRA/EMBEDDED TS ARE PRESENT OVER SW WI/FAR SE MN UNDER DEEPER MSTR/SOME UPR DVGC AHEAD OF DISTURBANCE ON THE NRN EDGE OF SRN BRANCH FLOW. ALTHOUGH COLDER CLOUD TOPS ARE EXPANDING TOWARD THE WI BORDER TO THE NE OF THESE SHOWERS...THE LOWER LVL W FLOW OF VERY DRY AIR FM THE DIRECTION OF MPX IS LIMITING THE N SPREAD OF THE SHRA LOCATED JUST S OF THAT RAOB SITE. OTRW...SOME LOCALLY DENSE FOG HAS FORMED OVER THE CENTRAL/ERN CWA AS THE DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVED OVER LOCATIONS THAT DID NOT SEE SGNFT LLVL DRYING YDAY AFTN. OVER THE W WHERE SFC DEWPTS MIXED OUT AS LO AS 25-30 AT IWD ON SUN AND TEMPS ARE STILL ABV 32 AT MOST SPOTS...THERE IS LTL IF ANY FOG. A MUCH STRONGER SHRTWV IN THE POLAR BRANCH FLOW IS NEAR LK WINNIPEG AND MOVING STEADILY TO THE E. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHOWERS AND EVEN SOME LGT STRIKES IN MANITOBA RIGHT UNDER THE STEEPER LAPSE RATES CLOSE TO THE CORE OF THIS DISTURBANCE. BUT SINCE THIS SHRTWV IS CUTOFF FM THE MOISTER AIRMASS TO THE S... THERE IS ONLY A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG ITS ATTENDANT COLD FNT MOVING THRU NW MN EARLY THIS MRNG. MAIN FCST CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM INVOLVE FOG EARLY THIS MRNG AND THEN PCPN CHCS LATER TODAY/TNGT AS POLAR BRANCH SHRTWV/ATTENDANT COLD FNT IMPACT UPR MI. TODAY...EXPECT LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO PERSIST EARLY THIS MRNG OVER THE SE HALF OF THE CWA...BUT INCRSG HI CLDS SHOULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR WDSPRD DENSE FOG. WL ISSUE AN SPS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO LOCALLY REDUCED VSBYS. SHRTWV NEAR LK WINNIPEG IS FCST TO MOVE E THRU NW ONTARIO AND DRAG IT ATTENDANT COLD FNT ACRS UPR MI THIS AFTN. SINCE BULK OF DPVA/DEEP LYR QVECTOR CNVGC WL REMAIN TO THE N AND JUST BRUSH THE NRN LAND CWA...SUSPECT ONLY ISOLD-SCT SHOWERS WL ACCOMPANY THE FROPA. ALMOST ALL THE MODELS THAT WERE SHOWING A GREATER INTERACTION BTWN THIS SHRTWV/DEEPER MSTR TO THE S AND SGNFT EXPANSION OF THIS MSTR/SHOWERS INTO UPR MI HAVE RETREATED A BIT FM THIS FCST...A REASONABLE TREND CONSIDERING THE VERY DRY NATURE OF THE 00Z MPX RAOB AND LACK OF SGNFT BACKING OF THE UPR FLOW FM THE W THRU THE DAY. THE 00Z HI RES CNDN MODEL SHOWS THE HEAVIER PCPN OVERSPREADING MOST OF UPR MI ALONG WITH THE MOST UNSTABLE MIXED LYR CAPES AOA 1000 J/KG. FCST SDNGS FM THIS MODEL SHOW FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE MOISTENING THRU THE LOWER TROP WITH SFC DEWPTS RISING TO ARND 55...WHICH DOES NOT SEEM RSNBL IN THE ABSENCE OF A DEEPER SW FLOW. THE 00Z NAM SHOWS MORE MODEST MOISTENING/DESTABILIZATION OVER THE SCENTRL. WL CARRY THE HIER CHC POPS THIS AFTN WHERE THIS MODEL SHOWS THE GREATER INSTABILITY UP TO 700-800 J/KG OVER THE SCNTRL. INCLUDED A SCHC OF TS IN THIS AREA AS WELL GIVEN ARRIVAL OF COLD FNT DURING PEAK HEATING TIME THAT WL PUSH TEMPS WELL ABV NORMAL AGAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF H85 TEMPS NOT FAR FM 10C AND AWAY FM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF THE LKS. COOLER AIR WL ARRIVE OVER THE W LATER IN THE DAY FOLLOWING THE FROPA. TNGT...NW FLOW WITH H925 WINDS UP TO 25-35 KTS IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FROPA WL DRIVE COLDER AIR BACK INTO THE UPR LKS TNGT. MODELS SHOW H85 TEMPS SINKING AS LO AS -7 TO -8C OVER THE W BY 12Z TUE. WHILE THIS INCOMING AIRMASS WL NOT BE COLD ENUF FOR LK EFFECT PCPN...MODELS DO SHOW SOME LLVL MOISTENING BLO STRENGTHENING SUBSIDENCE INVRN ARND H85 UNDER THE LARGE SCALE QVECTOR DVGC LEFT IN THE WAKE OF DEPARTING SHRTWV. GOING FCST SHOWS SOME DRIZZLE/FRZG DRIZZLE OVER THE HIER TERRAIN WITH MOISTENING/INVRN BASE BLO THE DGZ. THIS FCST SEEMS RSNBL...BUT DID ADD SOME FLURRIES AS WELL. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 438 PM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 A SERIES OF FAIRLY ENERGETIC SYSTEMS WILL TRACK ACROSS THE CONUS OVER THE NEXT 7 TO 10 DAYS. GIVEN THE TIME OF YEAR...CAN`T RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MID/UPPER LEVEL LOWS DEVELOPING/CLOSING OFF AND SLOWING THE PROGRESSION DOWN. IF SO...DEPENDING ON WHERE IT HAPPENS...SIGNIFICANT PCPN COULD BE IN THE OFFING ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LATE SEASON SNOW. AT THIS POINT...MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE POINTS TOWARD A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN WITH THE FIRST SHORTWAVE TROF PASSING ACROSS THE UPPER LAKES MON NIGHT. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ARRIVING WED. ON ITS HEELS WILL BE THE NEXT MORE POTENT SHORTWAVE TROF WHICH MOVES ONSHORE OVER THE WRN CONUS TUE. BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE GREAT LAKES LATE IN THE WORK WEEK...THIS SHORTWAVE TROF WILL HAVE INTERACTED WITH A NRN STREAM WAVE DROPPING S THRU CNTRL CANADA. DEPENDING ON WHERE/WHEN THE INTERACTION BTWN THE 2 WAVES OCCURS...PTYPE COULD BECOME MORE OF AN ISSUE DURING THE PRIMARY PUSH OF PCPN ACROSS THE AREA. RIGHT NOW...IT APPEARS RAIN WILL BE THE MAIN PTYPE. FEATURES INVOLVED ARE CERTAINLY FAR ENOUGH OUT IN THE FCST CYCLE FOR IMPORTANT ADJUSTMENTS TO OCCUR. IN ANY EVENT...THE INFUSION OF THE NRN STREAM WAVE WILL RESULT IN A DUMP OF COLDER AIR/BLO NORMAL TEMPS LATE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND...INCLUDING AT LEAST SOME LIGHT SNOW ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE LATE WEEK SYSTEM. BEYOND THIS 7 DAY FORECAST... THERE ARE HINTS FLOW COULD BECOME QUITE BLOCKY ACROSS CANADA WHICH MAY HOLD COOL AIR IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF THE NRN CONUS/SRN CANADA. SO...TEMPS NEXT WEEK ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN THE NORMAL TO BLO NORMAL RANGE RATHER THAN ABOVE NORMAL. KEEP IN MIND NORMALS NEXT WEEK ARE GENERALLY 50S N TO LOW/MID 60S S. BEGINNING MON NIGHT...COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH SHORTWAVE PASSING THRU THE UPPER LAKES WILL BE EXITING THE E IN THE EVENING. UNDER CAA REGIME MON NIGHT...NAM/GFS INDICATE SIGNIFICANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE N/NNW WIND UPLSOPE AREAS...WHICH RAISES THE PROSPECT FOR SOME -DZ/-FZDZ TO DEVELOP AS MOISTURE DOES NOT EXTEND TO -10C ISOTHERM. LOW CONFIDENCE IF IT WILL HAPPEN... BUT THE E WOULD BE MOST FAVORED. AFTER SOME MORNING CLOUDS IN CYCLONIC FLOW AND THEN LIKELY A PERIOD OF BKN CU DEVELOPMENT LATE MORNING THRU EARLY AFTN UNDER 850MB THERMAL TROF...SKIES WILL CLEAR IN THE AFTN AS MUCH DRIER AIR MASS SETTLES INTO THE AREA IN ASSOCIATION WITH SFC HIGH PRES RIDGE SHIFTING INTO THE UPPER LAKES. N TO NW GRADIENT WIND AIDED BY LAKE BREEZE COMPONENT WILL LEAD TO A CHILLY DAY ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S. WELL INLAND...TEMPS SHOULD STILL RISE WELL INTO THE 40S TO AROUND 50F UNDER LATE APR SUNSHINE. IDEAL RADIATIONAL COOLING NIGHT SETS UP TUE NIGHT UNDER SFC HIGH PRES AND CLEAR SKIES. PRECIPITABLE WATER OF 40-60PCT OF NORMAL WILL AID THE COOLING PROCESS. FAVORED THE LOW END OF GUIDANCE... ESPECIALLY WHERE DECENT SNOW COVER WILL STILL EXIST. TRADITIONAL COLD SPOTS MAY SLIP INTO THE TEENS. SFC HIGH PRES SLIPS E WED. ALTHOUGH 06Z GFS/00Z ECMWF SHOW PCPN REACHING WRN UPPER MI LATE IN THE DAY WED ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK LEAD SHORTWAVE CUTTING THRU MID/UPPER RIDGE WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED LATE WEEK SYSTEM...WILL MAINTAIN DRY WEATHER THRU THE AFTN AS EASTERLY LOW-LEVEL WIND COMPONENT EMANATING FROM DEPARTING SFC HIGH SHOULD HELP HOLD LOW-LEVEL DRY AIR IN PLACE. 12Z RUNS HAVE SLOWED EASTWARD PCPN PROGRESSION...SO DRY FCST SEEMS IN GOOD SHAPE. DESPITE COMPLEXITIES IN THE FLOW REGIME...MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE SHORTWAVE TROF MOVING ONSHORE OVER THE W COAST TUE AND REACHING THE GREAT LAKES FRI. WITH PUSH OF STRONGEST WAA/ISENTROPIC ASCENT ARRIVING THU...HIGHEST POPS WILL BE USED AT THAT TIME AS AN AREA OF RAIN WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. GEM/ECMWF SHOW 850MB TEMPS HOVERING AROUND 0C WED NIGHT THRU THU ON FRONT SIDE OF SYSTEM...BUT BOUNDARY LAYER SHOULD BE SUFFICIENTLY WARM FOR ONLY RAIN GIVEN THAT IT`S LATE APR. STILL...IT WILL BE SOMETHING TO MONITOR IN THE COMING DAYS DUE TO SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE NRN STREAM FLOW ACROSS CANADA AND THE INTERACTION IT HAS WITH THE SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE CONUS. WOULDN`T TAKE MUCH OF SOUTHWARD SHIFT OF SYSTEM TO RESULT IN ANOTHER LATE SEASON SNOW FOR THE W AND N HIGHER TERRAIN. TODAYS 12Z ECMWF HAS TRENDED DEEPER WITH THE MIDLEVEL LOW AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE UPPER LAKES THU NIGHT/FRI. IF VALID...SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH DEFORMATION PCPN SHIELD IMPACTING WRN AND NRN UPPER MI THU NIGHT/FRI. ANY LINGERING PCPN WILL WIND DOWN/END SAT AS SYSTEM MOVES OFF TO THE E. TEMPS SAT WILL BE WELL BLO NORMAL IN THE 30S N TO LOW/MID 40S SCNTRL. ONLY SLIGHT MODERATION IS EXPECTED SUN AS SFC HIGH PRES RIDGE NOSES INTO THE AREA. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 122 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 THE BIG FCST CONCERN OVERNIGHT WILL BE FOG...ESPECIALLY AT KSAW WHERE DEWPOINTS REMAIN MOIST (IN THE LOWER 40S). HAVE FOLLOWED MOS GUIDANCE FOR MUCH OF THE TIMING ON THE FOG AND INTENSITY. KIWD MAY NOT SEE MUCH FOG TONIGHT AS LIGHT DOWNSLOPING SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL LIKELY LIMIT FOG POTENTIAL. THE CONCERN AT KCMX IS WHETHER DRIER AIR OVER LAKE SUPERIOR MAY LIMIT FOG POTENTIAL DESPITE WEAK UPSLOPE EAST FLOW DEVELOPING LATE TONIGHT. SINCE THE DEWPOINT DEPRESSION AT KCMX IS ONLY 2F STILL THINK PREVAILING IFR VBSY IS A GOOD BET FOR THE 07-14Z TIME FRAME. KSAW SHOULD HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO FALL TO LIFR/PERHAPS VLIFR/BLO LANDING MINS BASED ON LOWER 40S DEWPOINTS AND LIGHT SOUTH-SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT UNDER GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES. EXPECT THE FOG TO BURN OFF DURING THE MORNING AS MIXING INCREASES AND SOME MID CLOUDS APPROACH TOWARDS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT WESTERLY BEHIND TROUGH/FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LIGHT WINDS UNDER 15 KTS THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SHIFT TO THE NW LATE TODAY/THIS EVENING FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND INCREASE UP TO 25-30 KTS TONIGHT AS MUCH COLDER AIR INVADES THE UPPER LAKES. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THERE COULD BE SOME GALES OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST HALF OF THE LAKE UNDER THE SHARPER GRADIENT/STRONGEST LOW LEVEL WINDS. MENTIONED SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS OVER THE ECENTRAL FOR NOW. THESE STONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUE THRU WED AS A HI PRES RIDGE AND WEAKER PRES GRADIENT MOVE OVER THE AREA. AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS LATER IN THE WEEK AND THE GRADIENT SHARPENS AGAIN...INCREASING SE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NE. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS LO...THERE COULD BE AT LEAST A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1202 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 HIGHEST SNOW DEPTH REPORTED YESTERDAY MORNING OF 32IN AT MOHAWK WAS ABLE TO DROP DOWN TO 28IN BY LATE EVENING. AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM...SEVERAL SITES FROM IWD THROUGH ISQ WERE REPORTING LITTLE TO NO SNOW. TODAY WILL BE ANOTHER DAY OF MELTING...AS HIGH TEMPERATURES JUMP INTO THE 50S AND LOW 60S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. THE MELT WILL SLOW TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT OVER N UPPER MI AS COLD N-NNW WINDS KEEP TEMPS TOPPING OUT IN THE 30S AND LOW 40S TUESDAY. AS FOR FURTHER OUT...TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES TEMPORARILY WEDNESDAY BEFORE FALLING BACK INTO THE 30S AND 40S THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WILL CONTINUE TO NOTICE SIGNIFICANT STREAM/RIVER RISES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ADDING TO THE RUNOFF. AT THIS POINT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...AND SPECIFICALLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WHERE 0.75-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE FCST AS THE TIME NEARS. SO FAR THE LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RISES HAVE BEEN ALSTON/ALSM4/ ON THE STURGEON RIVER...ROCKLAND/RKLM4/ ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE HYDE/FRDM4/ ON THE FORD RIVER. WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT FORESEEN AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...ANY RIVER THAT HAS ICE REMAINING ON IT...ESPECIALLY THE ESCANABA RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY...COULD EXPERIENCE AN ICE JAM WITH THE RISING RIVER LEVELS THIS WEEK. THOSE LIVING AROUND RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR BOTH RIVER LEVELS AND ICE CONDITIONS. ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK QUICKLY...RESULTING IN RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RIVER LEVELS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...KC LONG TERM...ROLFSON AVIATION...VOSS/KC MARINE...KC HYDROLOGY...KF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HASTINGS NE
1223 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1217 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 JUST A SHORT UPDATE EARLIER TO ADJUST PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR THE REGION OVERNIGHT. ONE AREA WILL LINGER OVER NORTHERN KANSAS WHERE THE MID LEVEL LOW WILL SLOWING CHURN EAST/SOUTHEAST. THIS AREA WILL SEE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND HEAVIER RAINFALL TONIGHT. SECOND AREA OF SHOWERS/ISOLATED STORMS IS ALONG THE ADVANCING FRONT MOVING INTO VALLEY COUNTY. EXPECTING THESE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS TO BE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS THE NORTH THE NEXT FEW HOURS BUT GRADUALLY LESSEN IN COVERAGE AS THEY APPROACH THE I-80 CORRIDOR PER HRRR MODEL TRENDS. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 ...SPOTTY SHWRS WITH POSSIBLE THUNDER DIMINISH WITH SUNSET THEN A BURST OF N WINDS TOMORROW MORNING WITH TEMPS REMAINING MILD... ALOFT: SPLIT FLOW CONTINUED OVER THE CONUS...WITH FASTER MORE PROGRESSIVE FLOW ALONG THE US-CANADIAN BORDER. THE SLOWER/WEAKER SRN STREAM WAS OVER THE SRN USA. A NRN STREAM SHORTWAVE TROF WAS OVER SASKATCHEWAN. THIS TROF WILL CONTINUE E INTO ONTARIO THRU TOMORROW. MEANWHILE...A COMPACT LOW WAS OVER THE SRN PLAINS. IT TOO WILL MOVE E ROUGHLY IN PHASE WITH THE NRN TROF. THE FLOW WILL CONSOLIDATE TOMORROW AND BECOME NW AS A RIDGE ADVANCES THRU THE WRN USA...AHEAD OF A TROF THAT WILL MOVE ONTO THE W COAST MON NIGHT. SURFACE: THE REMNANTS OF A COOL FRONT EXTENDED SW-NE FROM THE SANDHILLS TO NEAR MCCOOK. A PACIFIC ORIGIN COOL FRONT WAS PROGRESSING THRU THE NRN ROCKIES THIS AFTERNOON /ASSOCIATED WITH THE SASK TROF/ AND WE JUST EMERGING INTO THE WRN DAKOTAS. THIS FRONT WILL CROSS THE FCST AREA TONIGHT...BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND SUNRISE. NRN PLAINS HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN TOMORROW. THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON: PARTLY-MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHWRS AND TSTMS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL NOT LAST LONG AT ANY ONE LOCATION...BUT COVERAGE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THRU ROUGHLY 6 PM. MLCAPE WILL ONLY PEAK AT 500-750 J/KG. DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL BE LESS THAN 15 KTS. SO SHWRS/TSTMS WILL BE PULSE-TYPE. THE ONLY REAL ORGANIZATION WILL BE SMALL CLUSTERS WHERE SHWRS/TSTMS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY GENERATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO A COMMON COLD POOL. INSTABILITY AND SHEAR ARE TOO WEAK FOR STRONG STORMS. SO THAT POTENTIAL THREAT WAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE HWO AT 1153 AM. QPF: UNFORTUNATELY...THE SHWRS/TSTMS WONT LAST LONG ENOUGH TO BE OF MUCH BENEFIT. TONIGHT: THE SCT SHWRS/TSTMS ARE DIURNALLY DRIVEN. SO EXPECT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO DIMINISH OR END 7PM-9PM. WITH THE NEXT COOL FRONT MOVING IN LATE...CANT COMPLETELY RULE OUT SOME ISOLATED RENEWED SHWR ACTIVITY /POSSIBLY THUNDER?/ S AND E OF THE TRI- CITIES. CLOUD DEBRIS FROM DISSIPATED SHWRS/TSTMS WILL EVENTUALLY BE SCOURED FROM NW-SE...MAINLY N AND W OF THE TRI-CITIES. USED BIAS CORRECTED CONSENSUS OF ALL GUIDANCE FOR LOW TEMPS. TOMORROW: THE DAY WILL START WITH LEFTOVER CLOUDS FROM THE TRI- CITIES S AND E. THESE CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE DEPARTING TO THE SE. COULD STILL SEE A COUPLE SHWRS OVER THE FAR SE FRINGE OF THE FCST AREA /E OF A LINE FROM YORK-NELSON-BELOIT/. WIND: THE PRES GRADIENT WILL BE TIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH A DECREASING 6 HR PRES RISE MAXIMUM. COMBINED WITH AN UNSTABLE BURST OF COLD AIR ADVECTION...EXPECT ABOUT A 6-HR PERIOD OF WINDY CONDITIONS FORENOON. WINDS WILL THEN DIMINISH IN THE AFTERNOON. THE CONSENSUS OF ALL GUIDANCE /MOS AND RAW MODEL 2M TEMPS/ APPEARED TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON DEWPOINTS. KNOCKED 1-2F OFF AFTER EXAMINING FCST SOUNDINGS. BUT THIS WILL STILL KEEP MINIMUM RH LEVELS JUST ABOVE 20%. THERE SHOULD ONLY BE ABOUT 3 HRS OF NEAR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER...AS WINDS WILL BE SUBSIDING AS RH LEVELS BOTTOM OUT. THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF SPREAD IN HIGH TEMP GUIDANCE. USED THE WEIGHTED CONSENSUS OF THE RECENTLY BEST-PERFORMING GUIDANCE. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 WE BEGIN MONDAY NIGHT WITH BROAD RIDGING BUILDING IN ALOFT AND A SPLIT FLOW REGIME. AT THE SURFACE...A RIDGE WILL APPROACH AS WELL. THIS ENSURES A DRY FORECAST FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. ONE THING OF NOTE FOR TUESDAY IS A SURFACE TROUGH STRENGTHENING IN THE LEE SIDE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. MODELS VARY WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE SURFACE RIDGE IS FOR TUESDAY. THIS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE HOW WINDY WE WILL BE. THE ECMWF SOLUTION PLACES THE RIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY 00Z WEDNESDAY AND OTHER MODELS...INCLUDING THE GFS...HAVE COME IN LINE WITH THIS SOLUTION. THERE WILL BE A CONSIDERABLE SOUTH BREEZE AS A RESULT. THIS WILL INCREASE THE DEWPOINTS AT THE SURFACE AND PRIME US FOR INCREASED INSTABILITY FOR WEDNESDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE CONSIDERABLY ABOVE NORMAL DUE TO THE WARM AIR ADVECTION TUESDAY NIGHT...AND GOING TOWARD THE CONSRAW SOLUTION FOR LOWS BECAUSE OF THIS. THERE IS INCREASING AGREEMENT AMONG NUMERICAL MODEL SOLUTIONS HEADING INTO WEDNESDAY. WE WILL BE SQUARELY IN THE RELATIVELY NARROW WARM SECTOR. BY AFTERNOON A DRY LINE WILL PROBABLY SCRAPE THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CWA. WITH INCREASING MOISTURE AND PLENTY OF BULK SHEAR...THERE IS A GOOD SHOT AT SOME SEVERE WEATHER...ESPECIALLY IN OUR SOUTH...AND LESS SO IN OUR NORTHERN CWA. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER COULD CONTINUE WELL INTO THE EVENING...BUT MOST SOLUTIONS HAVE THE COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE CWA BY MIDNIGHT OR SO. WE COULD HAVE SOME LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE NEXT FOCUS OF PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARRIVE FOR NEXT WEEKEND AS A NEGATIVELY TILTED WAVE MOVES INTO THE PLAINS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MODEL DIFFERENCES IN STRENGTH AND TIMING...THERE IS A GENERAL INDICATION OF A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT SOME POINT OVER THE WEEKEND. IT IS STILL VERY MUCH UP IN THE AIR ON WHETHER WE COULD GET SEVERE WEATHER OUT OF THIS. NOT ENOUGH SEVERE PARAMETERS HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR ME TO MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE HWO. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1217 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FOR THE GRAND ISLAND AIRPORT BUT THERE AREA A WEATHER CHANGES. THE MAIN CHANGES WILL OCCUR WITH AN ADVANCING FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLATED TO PASS BY AROUND JUST PRIOR TO SUNRISE. AHEAD OF AND ALONG THE FRONT...SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS MAY BE IN THE AREA BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO SAY FOR SURE THE AIRPORT WILL ACTUALLY MEASURE ANY RAINFALL. HAVE INCLUDING THE SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY. ONCE THE FRONT GOES THROUGH...NORTH WINDS WILL PICK UP DRAMATICALLY AND GUST OVER 25KTS BY LATE MORNING AND DURING THE AFTERNOON. MID LEVEL CEILINGS WILL GIVE WAY TO SOME SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDS BY LATE MORNING. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...NOAA/NWS/MORITZ SHORT TERM...HALBLAUB LONG TERM...HEINLEIN AVIATION...NOAA/NWS/MORITZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BISMARCK ND
348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 NO MAJOR FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. CURRENTLY...QUASI-ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH A STRONG EMBEDDED S/WV TROUGH PUSHING EAST ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...NOW CENTERED NEAR TO EAST OF LAKE WINNIPEG. WRAP AROUND MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF LOW LEVEL STRATUS SURGING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS MY NORTHERN COUNTIES THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. AT THIS TIME DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRATUS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. LOW BKN-OVC CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA NOW THROUGH 10Z...EVENTUALLY DEPICTED BY BOTH THE RAP AND 00Z/06Z NAM TO PUSH AS FAR SOUTH AS BISMARCK AND JAMESTOWN 10-14Z. AFTERWARDS...STRATUS SHOULD DISSIPATE/BURN OFF BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE MORNING CLOUDS COUPLED WITH CAA THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY IN THE 50S ALONG TO NORTH AND EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER...60S SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MISSOURI. RETURN FLOW/WAA TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE ROCKIES TODAY THEN PROPAGATES EAST INTO THE HIGH PLAINS TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ACTIVE PERIOD EXPECTED WITH STRONG STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT. LARGE SURFACE LOW INITIALLY CENTERED OVER CENTRAL MONTANA 00Z WEDNESDAY TRANSITIONS TO DUAL SURFACE LOWS OVER SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA BY 12Z WED AS SHORTWAVE/90KT H250 JET STREAK ROTATE AROUND PARENT UPPER LOW. BREEZY TO WINDY EAST/SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALSO WITH TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT AND 850MB WINDS TO 45KTS LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SPC CONTINUES TO INCLUDE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE IN GENERAL THUNDERSTORM AREA WITH MODELS INDICATING LOW CAPE NUDGING INTO THIS REGION ALONG WITH H7-H5 LAPSE RATES APPROACHING 8C/KM TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW HIGHEST QPF ACROSS NORTH AND EAST AS DRY SLOT IS MORE OF A FACTOR ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AREAS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY THE CLOSED UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODEL DIFFERENCES INCREASE WITH THIS FEATURE WITH THE GFS A LITTLE FASTER AND FARTHER SOUTH COMPARED TO ECMWF. BOTH MODELS...HOWEVER...BRING SUB 0C H850 AIR ACROSS THE STATE IN NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE SYSTEM THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT PRECIP IN THE FORM OF RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. SUBSTANTIAL MODEL DIFFERENCES BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH GFS SHOWING STRONGER RIDGE AND DRYER WEATHER OVER ND ON SATURDAY WHILE ECMWF HAS LESS AMPLIFIED PATTERN AND ANOTHER BATCH OF PRECIP MOVING IN UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MVFR STRATUS SURGING SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA AT THIS TIME...AND WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH MID- MORNING. IMPACTED LOCATIONS INCLUDE KISN-KMOT-KJMS AND POSSIBLY KBIS. OTHERWISE VFR AT ALL TAF SITES THE REST OF THE 06Z FORECAST PERIOD. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...NH LONG TERM...JNS AVIATION...NH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BISMARCK ND
110 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 110 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 FORECAST REMAINS MAINLY ON TRACK. MAIN UPDATE WAS TO INCREASE SKY COVER NORTH AS AN AREA OF LOW STRATUS PUSHES SOUTH FROM CANADA. THE LATEST RAP AND 00Z NAM ARE CAPTURING THESE CLOUDS VERY WELL SO LEANED HEAVILY ON THEIR FUTURE DEPICTION. STRATUS LOOKS TO LINGER THROUGH MID MORNING THEN SHOULD BURN OFF BY 17-18Z. UPDATE ISSUED AT 940 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 LOCAL RADARS SHOW THE NARROW BAND OF SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT ARE JUST ABOUT OUT OF THE REGION. ANOTHER ONE OR TWO HOURS OF WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE NORTHERN JAMS RIVER VALLEY IS ABOUT IT. UPPER LOW CIRCULATION IN CANADA WITH H850 COLD ADVECTION SHOULD BRING IN SOME CLOUDS NORTH CENTRAL LATE TONIGHT. OTHERWISE MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWERED THE MIN TEMPS 2 TO 4 DEGREES CENTRAL AND EAST AS LOW RH/DRY AIR AND RAPIDLY DIMINISHING WINDS SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL A BIT MORE TONIGHT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 624 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 AS OF 620 PM CDT...THE COLD FRONT HAS MOVE TO A RUGBY TO HARVEY TO LINTON LINE AND MOVING RAPIDLY EAST. ONLY SOME LIGHT SHOWERS NORTH BUT THE SHOWERS ARE ENHANCING THE WINDS A BIT NORTH CENTRAL DO TO EVAPORATIVE COOLING. WEST OF THE FRONT A WELL MIXED LAYER HAS RESULTED IN GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH. THESE ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH RAPIDLY AFTER SUNSET. ADJUSTED WINDS AND CLOUDS TO FOLLOW THE FRONT WITH THIS FORECAST && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 323 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 A COLD FRONT HAS ENTERED WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED INTO THE 70S OVER CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA...AND INTO THE UPPER 60S OVER NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. NO PRECIPITATION HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE BOUNDARY JUST YET. HOWEVER...WILL MAINTAIN SLIGHT CHANCES FOR SHOWERS PRIMARILY OVER NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AS THE MAIN UPPER SHORTWAVE TRAVERSES THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY. THE COMBINATION OF WARM TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE A "VERY HIGH" FIRE DANGER OVER MOST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AREAWIDE OVERNIGHT. BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS AROUND 30 KNOTS SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL TONIGHT...WITH LOWS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S. A DRY DAY IS FORECAST FOR MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION. HOWEVER...COOLER CANADIAN AIR IS EXPECTED TO ROTATE SOUTH BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER SHORTWAVE ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA MONDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ABOUT A CATEGORY ABOVE NORMAL...WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 323 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST ARE A POTENTIAL STORM SYSTEM FOR TUESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THE 12 UTC GUIDANCE SUITE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING ALONG AND AHEAD OF AN OCCLUDING WARM FRONT SUPPORTED BY A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET AND STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. THE THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY IS FORECAST TO BE FOCUSED ACROSS THE NORTH THROUGH THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY AS A DRY SLOT BEGINS TO OVERTAKE THE WEST. THE 12 UTC SUITE...COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...SUGGESTS THIS DRY SLOT WILL OVERTAKE MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY LESS QPF. PRECIPITATION CHANCES INCREASE ONCE AGAIN DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THURSDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO PROPAGATE SOUTH OUT OF CANADA. THEREAFTER...WELL BELOW NORMAL HIGHS IN THE 40S ARE FORECAST FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS A COLD...STRONG SURFACE HIGH BUILDS INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 110 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA IS FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTH INTO NORTH DAKOTA MONDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING SOME STRATO-CUMULUS CLOUDS INTO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL BETWEEN NOW AND 12Z. SCT-BKN CLOUDS 1-3 THOUSAND FOOT AGL EXPECTED FOR THE MORNING HOURS KISN-KMOT...POSSIBLY KJMS. OTHERWISE VFR AT ALL TAF SITES. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...NH SHORT TERM...TM LONG TERM...AYD AVIATION...NH/WAA
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
128 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA BEFORE A COLD FRONT CROSSES EAST ON TUESDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK IN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT AFFECTING THE REGION ON FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/... AS OF 130 AM...A QUIET NEAR TERM IS EXPECTED...AS SHARP UPR RIDGE AXIS TRANLATES EAST ACRS THE CWFA. AN INVERTED SFC RIDGE AXIS ALSO REMAINS INVOF THE REGION...RESULTING IN LGT NE FLOW EAST OF THE MTNS AND DRY CONDITIONS. THERE MAY BE SOME PATCHY FROST IN THE NORTHERN MTNS...BUT NOTHING WIDESPREAD ACRS THE REST OF THE HIGH TERRAIN TO WARRANT A FROST ADVISORY. TEMPS CURRENTLY LOOK ON TRACK. AS OF 1030 PM...NC PIEDMONT STRATOCU HAS BEEN STEADILY OOZING AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING...SO THE SKY COVER FORECAST HAS BEEN LOWERED ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST TIER OF ZONES. OTHERWISE... PRIMARILY THIN CIRRUS WILL PASS OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT...BUT THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE NOCTURNAL COOLING CYCLE. WITH LIGHT MIXING EXPECTED IN THE PIEDMONT TONIGHT...MIN TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE JUST A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL...WHILE SHELTERED MTN VALLEYS WILL AVERAGE AT LEAST 5 DEGREES BELOW CLIMO. IN FACT...IT APPEARS PATCHY FROST IS LIKELY IN SHELTERED AREAS OF THE SRN/CTRL MTNS MONDAY MORNING...AND WE HAVE ADDED THIS TO THE FORECAST. IN ADDITION...VALLEY FOG LOOKS LIKE A DECENT BET...PRIMARILY IN THE LITTLE TENN BASIN AND ADJACENT DRAINAGES. AS OF 750 PM SUNDAY...OTHER THAN PATCHY STRATOCU ACROSS THE EXTREME SE TIER OF ZONES...SKIES ARE CLEAR ACROSS THE AREA AT MID-EVENING. MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE QUITE DISPARATE REGARDING THE EVOLUTION OF THIS STRATOCU LAYER OVERNIGHT...WITH THE NAM BEING SOMEWHAT OF AN OUTLIER IN DRAGGING IT WEST TO ENCOMPASS MUCH OF THE NC PIEDMONT/EASTERN SC PIEDMONT LATER THIS EVENING. IN LIGHT OF THIS...HAVE OPTED TO INTRODUCE SKY COVER AT THE MOSTLY CLEAR/PARTLY CLOUDY END OF THE SPECTRUM ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE AREA. AS OF 150 PM EDT SUNDAY...WITH THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY MOVING OUT TO SEA...ONLY THE FAR EASTERN ZONES SHOULD SEE ANY CLOUD COVER THIS EVENING. THE NAM IS QUITE AGGRESSIVE IN BRINGING CLOUDS INTO THE WRN NC PIEDMONT...BUT AS THE GFS AND RUC DO NOT DO THIS...I/VE GONE WITH A SKY FORECAST CLOSER TO THE DRIER MODELS. THERE SHOULD BE MORE LOCALLY DENSE FOG IN THE SOUTHWEST IN MTN VALLEYS OVERNIGHT. DRY AIR AND WEAK MIXING SHOULD KEEP MOST OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FA FROM SEEING ANY FOG OVERNIGHT. MIN TEMPS WILL BE COOL...BUT THEY SHOULD BE WARM ENOUGH TO PREVENT FROST OVER ALL BUT SOME OF THE INTERIOR NORTHERN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. MONDAY WILL BE SEASONABLY MILD WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF MIDDAY SUNDAY...UPPER PATTERN BEGINS TO AMPLIFY ACRS THE ERN CONUS MON NIGHT AS DEEP RIDGE PUSHES INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. CORE OF TROUGH BEGINS TO DIG ACRS THE GREAT LAKES...AND SFC LOW SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPS AND MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND DURING THE DAY TUE. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT IS STILL PROGGED TO ENTER OUR CWFA AT THAT TIME...MOVING OUT TUE EVENING. WE WILL BE WELL SOUTH OF THE BETTER FORCING THOUGH SOME DPVA IS PROGGED AS THE AXIS OF THE BROAD TROUGH PASSES. FRONTOGENESIS AND LLVL CONVERGENCE FIELDS ARE MURKY...SO PRECIP CHANCES MOSTLY RESULT FROM DECENT PREFRONTAL INSTABILITY. CAPE PROFILES ARE SKINNY ON PROG SOUNDINGS AND DEEP SATURATION IS INITIALLY EVIDENT. SHEAR PARAMETERS CONTINUE TO PROMPT LITTLE CONCERN...BUT IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH DRYING RAPIDLY OCCURS ABV 700 MB. THIS OCCURS IN THE MID TO LATE AFTN WHEN SOME SFC BASED INSTABILITY IS STILL PRESENT. THUS SOME OF THE LATER STORM ACTIVITY COULD POSE A MICROBURST AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT...MAINLY OVER THE PIEDMONT. TEMPS MON NIGHT AND TUE WILL BE A CATEGORY OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL. DEEP LAYER DRYING CONTINUES TUE NIGHT AS PLAINS RIDGE MOVES INTO THE ERN US...AND SKIES WILL CLEAR OVERNIGHT...PERHAPS MORE SLOWLY IN THE MTNS WHERE A VERY SHALLOW SFC BASED MOIST LAYER REMAINS IN NW FLOW. BRISK WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THE HIGH ELEVATIONS AT THAT TIME BUT THESE SUBSIDE TOWARD DAWN WED. DRY AND MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS PERSIST THRU WED WITH SUBSIDENCE INVERSION ACRS THE FA BUT LACKING MOISTURE ANYWAY. THICKNESSES DO DROP A BIT FOR WED...RETURNING TEMPS TO AROUND NORMAL DESPITE PRIME INSOLATION. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 230 PM EDT SUNDAY...THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD INITIALIZES ON WEDNESDAY EVENING AS DEEP LAYER RIDGING PREVAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. A SURFACE HIGH DIVING OUT OF ONTARIO WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO A BERMUDA TYPE HIGH BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON SETTING UP RETURN FLOW. MEANWHILE...A NORTHERN STREAM LOW AMPLITUDE UPPER TROF WILL PUSH THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OCCURRING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY ON THURSDAY EVENING AS THE PARENT SURFACE CYCLONE EJECTS NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ABOVE MENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT ON FRIDAY MORNING/AFTERNOON. A WARM FRONT WILL SURGE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF AND WESTERN ATLANTIC SOURCE REGIONS ALLOWING FOR INCREASING DEWPOINTS AND STEEPENING LAPSE RATES DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS WILL LEAD TO MODEST INSTABILITY ACROSS THE CWFA WITH GFS/ECMWF SOLUTIONS INDICATIVE OF SBCAPE IN EXCESS OF 1000J/KG WITH ENOUGH SHEAR TO SUPPORT SOME ORGANIZED CONVECTION. STILL TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO DIAL IN ON STORM MODES AND SPECIFIC TIMING/INTENSITY. HOWEVER...CURRENT FCST SOUNDINGS DO INDICATE PW VALUES APPROACHING 1.5 INCHES LEADING TO MODERATELY HEAVY RAIN RATES WITH CAPE PROFILES SUPPORTIVE OF LARGE HAIL. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...CAPPED POPS AT HIGH END CHANCE LEVELS ACROSS THE REGION FOR FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL PASS INTO THE COASTAL PLAINS/MIDLANDS BY EARLY MORNING SATURDAY LEADING TO A DRY FCST UNTIL SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AT THAT TIME POPS SLOWLY RAMP UP ACROSS THE WESTERNMOST ZONES AS ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH AND INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE EXTENDED RANGE PERIOD WILL REMAIN AT OR JUST ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS DESPITE THE FROPA FRIDAY EVENING. && .AVIATION /06Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT KCLT...A QUIET TAF PERIOD AS SFC HIGH PRES AXIS TRANSLATES ACRS THE AREA...WITH GENERALLY SKC OR FEW/SCT250 THRU THE PERIOD. LGT WINDS WILL FAVOR A NE DIRECTION UNTIL ABOUT NOON...THEN BECOME VARIABLE DURING THE AFTN BEFORE SWITCHING TO SW. ELSEWHERE...SIMILAR TO KCLT ABOVE...WITH LGT NE WINDS OR VARIABLE THRU MID MORNING...THEN FAVORING SW BY EARLY AFTN. FCST SNDGS SHOW POSSIBLE SOME HIGH-BASED CUMULUS DEVELOPING ACRS THE NC MTNS AND INTO THE UPSTATE LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING...BUT OTHERWISE CIRRUS ONLY CLOUDS EXPECTED THRU THE PERIOD. OUTLOOK...A FAIRLY WET FRONTAL SYSTEM...WITH PIEDMONT THUNDERSTORMS...IS EXPECTED ON TUE...WITH DRYING RETURNING MID WEEK. CONFIDENCE TABLE... 05-11Z 11-17Z 17-23Z 23-05Z KCLT HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KGSP HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KAVL HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KHKY HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KGMU HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% KAND HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% HIGH 100% THE PERCENTAGE REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED TAF ISSUANCE FLIGHT RULE CATEGORY. COMPLETE HOURLY EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLES AND ENSEMBLE FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: (MUST BE LOWER CASE) WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION_TABLES && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SBK NEAR TERM...ARK/JDL/MCAVOY SHORT TERM...WIMBERLEY LONG TERM...CDG AVIATION...ARK
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS ABERDEEN SD
1227 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... SEE UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. CURRENT RADAR SHOWS AN AREA OF TSTORMS MOVING THROUGH LYMAN AND SOUTHERN HUGHES COUNTY. LIKE THE HRRR DEPICTION OF CONVECTIVE PROGRESSION EASTWARD SO NUDGED POPS A BIT TO REFLECT THE 21Z GUIDANCE. EVEN THOUGH RADAR IS ALSO SHOWING SOME WEAK RETURNS ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA KEPT THIS AREA DRY. DUE TO THE 35 DEGREE DEWPOINT SPREAD AND THE LACK OF ANY STRONG ECHOES THIS ACTIVITY IS LIKELY ALL VIRGA IN THE EAST FOR NOW. DROPPED OVERNIGHT LOWS ABOUT FIVE DEGREES IN THE NORTH...FROM THE JAMES VALLEY TO CORSON COUNTY. EVEN WITH MOISTER AID ADVECTING IN FROM THE WEST ACROSS THE SOUTH...NORTHERN UPSTREAM OBS HAVE DEWPOINTS IN THE 20S TO LOWER 30S WHICH SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO TANK AFTER SUNSET SINCE WINDS ARE LIGHT. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COOL FRONT WILL TRACK ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. FAIRLY WARM TEMPERATURES HAVE AIDED IN A LITTLE INSTABILITY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE...AND MAY SEE SOME SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING OVER THE SOUTHERN CWA. MOISTURE IS PRETTY LIMITED...SO NOT ANTICIPATING ANY SEVERE WEATHER. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN BEHIND THE EXITING LOW ON MONDAY. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT COOLER...DECENT MIXING WILL BRING BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE EASTERN CWA...AND WITH THE DRIER AIR IN PLACE...THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR FIRE WEATHER ISSUES. THEREFORE...HAVE ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE EASTERN CWA...INCLUDING THE TWO MINNESOTA COUNTIES FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON. AFTER THAT...THINGS STAY QUIET UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN WARM FRONTAL RAIN SHOWERS LOOK TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE CWA AHEAD OF ANOTHER APPROACHING LOW...ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS SPREADING FROM WEST TO EAST. WITH THE HIGH DOMINANT ON MONDAY...SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS IN THE 60S WILL BE COMMON FOR HIGHS...WITH JUST A BIT OF A RISE IN HIGHS ON TUESDAY...MAINLY MID 60S TO LOWER 70S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE MAINLY IN THE 40S TONIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH COOLER 30S EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. TIMING OF PRECIP WILL BE TRICKY AS DETAILS DIFFER ALONG WITH THE PRESENCE OF A DRY SLOT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS THE UPPER LOW PUSHES INTO NE MT. HAVE TRENDED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES HIGHEST IN THE EAST WHERE DRY SLOT INFLUENCE APPEARS TO BE NOT AS STRONG. MODELS DIFFER ON WHAT THIS UPPER WILL DO...EC HAS IT WEAKENING THEN REORGANIZING IT OVER NORTHERN MN. EXPECT SHOWERS ON BACKSIDE OF LOW FRIDAY. CONFIDENCE LOW ON POSITION OF DRY SLOT AT THIS TIME BUT WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED AS IT WILL PLAY A BIG ROLE ON WHAT AREAS STAY ON THE DRIER SIDE. THE UPPER RIDGE LOOKS TO POP BACK INTO THE AREA SATURDAY WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT AS FLOW QUICKLY BECOMES SOUTHWEST ALOFT. TEMPS WILL HAVE A HARD TIME REBOUNDING IN THE RIDGE WITH COOLER AIR IN PLACE AND A QUICK RETURN OF CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES. && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFS FOR THE KABR...KATY...KPIR AND KMBG TERMINALS VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. A WEAK FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION OVERNIGHT TURNING WINDS TO THE NORTHWEST. THE FRONT HAS ALREADY PASSED THROUGH ALL SITES EXCEPT KATY WHICH SHOULD EXPERIENCE VERY GUSTY WINDS WITH FROPA BRIEFLY BETWEEN 6Z AND 8Z. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY AT 15 TO 30 KTS AT ALL SITES BY LATE MORNING MONDAY. && .ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR PRAIRIE COTEAU-RED RIVER VALLEY-UPPER JAMES RIVER. MN...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR BIG STONE-TRAVERSE. && $$ UPDATE...WISE SHORT TERM...PARKIN LONG TERM...SCARLETT AVIATION...TDK WEATHER.GOV/ABERDEEN
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SIOUX FALLS SD
1155 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 911 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG FRONT AND LOW HAS BEEN EXPANDING OVER THE WESTERN EDGE OF OUR FORECAST AREA. THIS IS IN LINE WITH CURRENT PROJECTIONS BY THE HRRR AND EVEN THE RAP. LESS CERTAIN IS HOW ACTIVITY WILL BEHAVE SOUTHEAST...IN NORTHWEST IOWA...HAVING UNDERGONE A DECREASE LAST HOUR OR TWO...BUT EXPECT SOME SEPARATE REGENERATION THERE AS THE LOW/FRONT APPROACH. ANYWAY...THE MAIN CHANGE FOR NOW IS TO INCREASE POPS/COVERAGE OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS NORTH FROM THE EARLIER SLIGHT CHANCE. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 406 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 ELEVATED BAND OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY WORKING/DEVELOPING NORTHEAST. NOT ANTICIPATING A WHOLE LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM THIS CONVECTION BUT SHOULD PRODUCE SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. ANOTHER AREA LIKELY TO PRODUCE ISOLATED ACTIVITY WILL BE IN CENTRAL SD NEAR AN INCOMING WEAK CONVERGENT BOUNDARY. UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT NOT TOO GOOD AND DRY LOW LEVELS SUGGEST THAT MAYBE NOTHING WILL GET GOING BUT STILL WORTH AN ISOLATED THREAT AT THIS POINT. THE MAIN AREA TO FOCUS ON WILL AGAIN BE NORTHWEST IOWA WHERE THERE IS A BETTER COMBINATION OF UPPER LEVEL FORCING...INSTABILITY AND AND LOW TO MID LEVEL FRONT. WILL KEEP LIKELIES GOING AND ALSO THE IDEA THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL NOT BE A THREAT. CAPE VALUES MAY APPROACH 500 TO 1000 J/KG THIS EVENING BUT WITH THE MODELS OVERDOING THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THOSE VALUES COULD BE A BIT PESSIMISTIC. THE BETTER CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION SHOULD SHIFT SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE TO THE NORTH BRINGS IN DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR. LOWS LIKELY TO RANGE FROM THE MID 40S IN THE NORTHERN CWA TO THE MID 50S IN PARTS OF NORTHWEST IOWA. THIS DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR MASS WILL ALSO COME WITH A WELL MIXED ATMOSPHERE AND DECENT PRESSURE GRADIENT WHICH WILL LEAD TO A WINDY MONDAY IN MOST LOCATIONS. RECENT TRENDS IN GUIDANCE HAS BEEN TO FORECAST DEW POINT TEMPERATURES TOO HIGH...ESPECIALLY IN A WELL MIXED ENVIRONMENT SO WENT MUCH CLOSER TO THE BIAS CORRECTED OUTPUT WHICH HAS BEEN HANDLING OUR DRY GROUND BETTER AS THE MODELS SEEM TO BE HAVING TROUBLE WITH OUR DRIER THAN NORMAL BOUNDARY LAYER. SO...BECAUSE OF THE LOW DEW POINTS AND HIGH WINDS WENT AHEAD AND ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR MOST OF THE AREA AS AFTERNOON HUMIDITY VALUES LIKELY TO FALL BELOW 25 PERCENT IN MANY LOCATIONS AS HIGHS CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 406 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO EASE SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION ON MONDAY NIGHT. DIMINISHING WINDS AND MAINLY CLEAR SKIES...ALONG WITH A DRIER AIRMASS SHOULD LEAD TO LOWS TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THE FORECAST ENVELOPE...MAINLY MID TO UPPER 30S. BY TUESDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA ALONG WITH AN EASTWARD RETURN OF A FAIRLY STRONG MID LEVEL FRONTAL ZONE. MOISTURE IS PRETTY ANEMIC THROUGH THE DAY AT LOWER LEVELS... BUT ELEVATED PARCELS AROUND 700 HPA OR A BIT HIGHER DO INDICATE SOME CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY. HAVE NOT INCLUDED ANY PRECIPITATION WORKING SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA...BUT WOULD CERTAINLY THINK AT LEAST A COUPLE OF SPRINKLES WOULD ACCOMPANY THE THICKENING MID CLOUDS THROUGH THE DAY TOWARD AT LEAST I29 BY LATE DAY. SHADED DEWPOINT FORECAST TOWARD DRIER RAW PROFILES...AS HAS BEEN THE CASE OF LATE. STRONG LOW LEVEL JET OF 50 TO 60 KNOTS DEVELOPS ON TUESDAY NIGHT WITH MOISTURE SURGE WORKING RAPIDLY NORTHWARD FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS. FAIRLY GOOD WAVE MOVING THROUGH RIDGE DURING THE NIGHT...MAIN CONVERGENCE WITH LOW LEVEL JET ESTABLISHES NORTH...BUT CONTINUED MID LEVEL INSTABILITY WITH 8-9C/KM AND INCREASING MOISTURE SUGGESTS A BETTER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDER WITH TIME OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL ALSO BECOME AN ISSUE LATER IN THE NIGHT...AND COULD GET SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO WIND ADVISORY NEAR AND WEST OF I 29...AND EXPANDING OVER MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. LAPSE RATES REMAIN STEEP INTO THE DAYTIME...BUT GRADUALLY MODIFY A BIT MIDDAY WITH WARMER LAYER ALOFT BUILDING IN...WHICH COULD WORK TO SLOW UP OR EVEN END CONVECTION FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST DURING THE MORNING AND LINGERING INTO THE AFTERNOON. SHOULD KEEP A FAIR AMOUNT OF CLOUDS AROUND WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL JET...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA INTO NORTHWEST IOWA. IF IT BREAKS OUT... COULD BE APPRECIABLY WARMER AND GENERATE MORE INSTABILITY BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...TO CORRELATE WITH APPROACH OF STRONGER UPPER LIFT FORCING AND CONVERGENT BOUNDARY TOWARD THE JAMES VALLEY BY LATER IN THE DAY. WOULD CERTAINLY MAINTAIN AT LEAST A SMALL SEVERE WEATHER THREAT GIVEN THE SHEAR AND INSTABILITY POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY FROM THE LOWER JAMES AND BIG SIOUX VALLEY EASTWARD. TROUGH WILL LIFT PAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH DYNAMICS SUPPORTIVE OF HIGHER POPS EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER...AND ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST IOWA. PRECIP THREAT GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT...LINGERING IN THE FAR EASTERN CWA INTO THURSDAY MORNING. UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO DEEPEN AND CLOSE OFF NORTHEAST OF THE AREA ON THURSDAY...PLACING AREA IN A MORE SUBSIDENT FAVORED QUADRANT WITH MOISTURE DISPLACED TO THE NORTH/EAST. HAVE TRIMMED BACK POPS SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE MISSOURI VALLEY...AND TAKEN TEMPS CLOSER THE 850 HPA MIXING OF DRIER SOLUTIONS. HANDLING OF THE INTENSE UPPER TROUGH...AND NEXT ONE LATER IN THE WEEKEND...IS WIDELY VARIED BETWEEN MODELS AND LEADS TO QUITE LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE OVERALL PATTERN FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. COULD EVEN FIND THREAT FOR A LITTLE SNOWFALL WITHOUT STRAYING TOO FAR FROM A COUPLE SOLUTIONS...BUT WAY TOO FAR OUT TO PUT ANY FAITH IN THE FORECAST. DOES APPEAR AS IF IT WILL BE AN ACTIVE TIME LATER IN THE WEEKEND...AND WITH THE ABUNDANCE OF CLOUDS AND OR COOLER AIR IN PLACE...HAVE KEPT NEAR TO A BIT ON THE COOLER SIDE OF GUIDANCE FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1155 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THERE WILL BE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...BUT WILL BE EAST OF THE KHON TAF SITE. TIMED THE CONVECTION FOR THE KFSD AND KSUX TAF SITES BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z AND WILL MONITOR FOR ANY ALTERATIONS. OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE FREQUENT GUSTS BETWEEN 25 AND 30 KNOTS ALONG AND EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON ON MONDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 406 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 A STRONG NORTHWEST WIND WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE MORNING ON MONDAY IN A WELL MIXED ATMOSPHERE...LEADING TO DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL LIKELY DROP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE AREA WITH WINDS AVERAGING ABOUT 20 TO 30 MPH AND A FEW GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH. SOUTH CENTRAL SD WILL SEE WINDS MORE IN LINE WITH 15 TO 25 MPH AND WITH EXPECTED RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ABOVE 20 PERCENT A VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER WILL BE MAINTAINED. THIS MOST DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FROM ABOUT 100 PM TO 700 PM ON MONDAY. DEW POINTS MAY END UP JUST A BIT HIGHER BUT THE TRENDS SO FAR THIS SPRING HAVE BEEN FOR THE GUIDANCE TO OVER FORECAST DEW POINTS BY ABOUT 3 TO 6 DEGREES SO TOOK THIS INTO ACCOUNT. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR SDZ256>258. MN...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR MNZ900. IA...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR IAZ300-301. NE...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR NEZ249. && $$ UPDATE... SHORT TERM...08 LONG TERM...CHAPMAN AVIATION...MJ FIRE WEATHER...08
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS AMARILLO TX
102 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... QUICK UPDATE TO THE FORECAST TO INCORPORATE PATCHY DENSE FOG ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE LOWEST VISIBILITIES HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO THE CITY OF AMARILLO AND HAVE BEEN FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 1/2 AND 1/4 MILE. EXPECT THE FOG TO DISSIPATE BY 8 AM AT THE LATEST ONCE WINDS SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND INCREASE. UPDATED TEXT PRODUCTS SENT. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1138 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR OR AT THE AMARILLO TAF SITE BACK SOUTHEAST INTO THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE LATEST HRRR FORECASTING THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG CONTINUING TO DEVELOP NORTH AND WEST TOWARD THE GUYMON TAF SITE BY 07Z TO 09Z MONDAY. IFR TO VLIFR CONDITIONS COULD DEVELOP AT BOTH THE AMARILLO AND GUYMON TAF SITES BETWEEN 06Z AND 10Z MONDAY. THE HRRR SHOWING THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG DISSIPATING FROM WEST TO EAST AWAY FROM BOTH TAF SITES AROUND 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT AND DRIER AIR PUSHES SOUTH AND EAST. THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG NOT EXPECTED TO REACH AS FAR WEST AS THE DALHART TAF SITE WHERE VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN TO THE AMARILLO AND GUYMON TAF SITES BY 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY. WINDS SHOULD BECOME EAST AND SOUTHEAST 5 TO 15 KNOTS AT THE GUYMON AND AMARILLO TAF SITES THROUGH 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY...THEN SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE WINDS WILL VEER AROUND TO THE NORTHEAST AND DIMINISH AFTER 20Z MONDAY 5 TO 10 KNOTS OR LESS. AT THE DALHART TAF SITE...WINDS WILL REMAIN WEST TO NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 KNOTS THEN SHIFTING TO THE NORTH 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS AFTER 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...THEN VEERING AROUND TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST AFTER 20Z MONDAY 5 TO 15 KNOTS. SCHNEIDER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1046 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ UPDATE... CONVECTION HAS PUSHED EAST OF MOST OF THE PANHANDLES LATE THIS EVENING. A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN TX PANHANDLE WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. UPDATED FORECAST TO REFLECT THESE TRENDS. KB PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 616 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS THE PANHANDLES MAY AFFECT THE THREE TAF SITES THROUGH 01Z TO 02Z MONDAY. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ALONG WITH SOUTHWESTERLY TO WESTERLY WINDS BECOMING NORTH BEHIND A COLD FRONT LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE DALHART AND GUYMON TAF SITES AROUND 08Z TO 12Z MONDAY...AND THEN ACROSS THE AMARILLO TAF SITE BY 14Z TO 15Z MONDAY. NORTHERLY TO NORTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS BEHIND THE FRONT AND THEN DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS AFTER 20Z MONDAY. SCHNEIDER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ DISCUSSION... ONLY MINOR CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FORECAST. HAVE INCREASED POPS THIS EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA... CLOSER TO PROXIMITY OF INCOMING UPPER-LEVEL JET STREAK...IN REGION OF GREATER INSTABILITY. POPS AFTER MIDNIGHT HAVE BEEN TRIMMED TO INCLUDE ONLY FAR EASTERN SECTIONS...AHEAD OF DEPARTING VORTICITY MAXIMUM. MONDAY AND TUESDAY EXPECTED TO BE DRY AND MILD. LOW-LEVEL JET DEVELOPS TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF NEXT MID-LEVEL TROF. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN INCREASED SLIGHTLY AND SPREAD A BIT FARTHER WEST DUE TO EXPECTED POSITION OF DRYLINE. WEDNESDAY EVENING POPS HAVE BEEN KEPT IN EASTERN SECTIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN INCREASED SLIGHTLY...AND HAVE ALSO BEEN SPREAD A BIT FARTHER WEST. NO POPS IN REMAINDER OF FORECAST. NO FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. 03 COCKRELL FIRE WEATHER... NO ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE PANHANDLES. ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE PANHANDLES. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE PANHANDLES. 03 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && $$ 09/14
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LUBBOCK TX
1141 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 .AVIATION... SHOWERS AND THUNDER JUST ABOUT TO AN END ACROSS THE AREA... CERTAINLY FINISHED AT BOTH TEMINALS...AS THE UPPER TROUGH THAT SPAWNED THEM SHIFTS EWD INTO OKLAHOMA. LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS THE ROLLING PLAINS AND ERN PANHANDLE WITH SOME PATCHY LOW CLOUDS NOTED ON SATELLITE WHERE CIRRUS HAS CLEARED. COULD SEE SOME PERIODS OF MVFR...IF NOT IFR...CIGS AT KCDS BEFORE A COLD FRONT ARRIVES TOWARD 13Z. ON THE CAPROCK AT KLBB WINDS ALREADY FROM THE WEST WITH MODEST DRY ADVECTION LIKELY TO KEEP LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND LOW CLOUDS EAST OF THE TERMINAL. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 624 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ AVIATION... UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS THE PANHANDLE ATTM WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDER UNDERNEATH IT. CONVECTION SHOULD SHIFT TO THE EAST OF THE AREA BY 03Z. THREAT OF THUNDER AT EITHER TERMINAL IS NON-ZERO BUT NOT BIG ENOUGH TO RUN WITH A PREVAILING OR TEMPO GROUP ATTM. VFR CONDITIONS LIKELY THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH SMALL CHANCE FOR SOME FOG AND/OR LOW CLOUDS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TOWARD 12Z...AGAIN THE CHANCE OF WHICH IS TOO SMALL TO INSERT MENTION INTO EITHER TAF. FINALLY...WIND SWITCH TO NORTH WITH THE COLD FRONT MONDAY MORNING. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 337 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ SHORT TERM... VIS SAT SHOWS A LINE OF CU DEVELOPING IN THE WESTERN TX PANHANDLE AND IS GRADUALLY PUSHING EASTWARD WHILE DEVELOPING SOUTHWARD. A FEW RETURNS HAVE SHOWED UP ON RADAR OVER PARMER COUNTY WHICH IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH THIS CU DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS MOST LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE /DRY/ LINE AS SURFACE OBS INDICATE A SURFACE TROF IN THE AFOREMENTIONED AREA WITH WESTERLY WINDS AND SLIGHTLY DRIER DEWPOINTS MOVING IN BEHIND THE TROF. THE DRY LINE WILL CONTINUE WITH ITS EAST/SOUTHEASTWARD MOVEMENT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TO OUR NORTHWEST MOVES CLOSER. CURRENT RAP ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT COLDER AIR ALOFT IS PUSHING IN AND IS INCREASING OUR LAPSE RATES. SCATTERED SKIES ARE HELPING AID SOME SURFACE HEATING IN TURN HELPING TO SLOWLY ERODE WHAT CAP IS LEFT. AS CLEARER SKIES MOVE EASTWARD THIS SHOULD HELP WARM THE SURFACE MORE TO THE POINT OF FULL CAP EROSION. THIS WILL HELP FIRE CONVECTION MORE QUICKLY AS THE DRYLINE MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS AND TX PANHANDLE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SVR CONVECTION WITH CHANCES INCREASING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON/EVENING EASTWARD. WHILE CAPE THERMO PROFILES ARE ADEQUATE TO PRODUCE SVR HAIL AND WINDS...0-6KM SHEAR IS HIGH END MARGINAL TOPPING OUT AT AROUND 40 KTS OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS AND 35 KTS ALONG THE I27/HWY84 CORRIDOR. I HAVE KEPT INHERITED POPS BEFORE 00Z WITH SVR MENTION AND INCREASED COVERAGE TO 50 POPS OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS FOR LATER TONIGHT. PRECIP/CONVECTION CHANCES WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH AS THE DRY LINE/UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES EASTWARD AND AS A WEAK FRONT PUSHING INTO THE AREA TOMORROW MORNING. TEMPS WILL BE WARM IN THE MID 70S TO 80S TOMORROW AS CAA WILL BE WEAK AND SHORT LIVED DURING THE MORNING AND SKIES WILL CLEAR MAKING WAY FOR SOLAR HEATING. ALDRICH LONG TERM... LITTLE CHANGE FOR THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST THIS GO AROUND. WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WARMER TEMPS AND A RETURN TO SOUTH BREEZES TUESDAY AS SHORTWAVE RIDGE BRIEFLY TRANSITS WTX DOWNSTREAM OF A FAIRLY DEEP TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE WEST. FAIRLY ROBUST MOISTURE RETURN IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT ON THE NOSE OF THE LLJ. THE GFS AND ECMWF REMAIN IN DECENT AGREEMENT THAT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH CROSSES THE ROCKIES...A DRYLINE SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE SRN PLAINS. MODELS ARE STILL IN FLUX WITH THE EAST-WEST POSITION OF THE DRYLINE BY PEAK HEATING...BUT IT APPEARS LIKELY IT WILL BE SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT. WE CONTINUE TO CARRY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS TO THE EAST OF THE DRYLINE...AND HAVE BUMPED POPS UP SLIGHTLY INTO THE CHANCE CATEGORY ACROSS THE NE ZONES. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL FOLLOW ON THURSDAY...ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT PASS THROUGH THE ENTIRE CWA BEFORE LIFTING. ANOTHER LARGE TROUGH WILL FOLLOW FOR NEXT WEEKEND...ALTHOUGH THERE CONTINUES TO BE A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE STRENGTH AND ORIENTATION OF THE MID-LVL FLOW ACROSS THE SRN PLAINS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN HOLD ON TO LOW-LVL MOISTURE. DRYLINE ACTIVITY MAY BE POSSIBLE SAT AND SUN ACROSS ERN ZONES...BUT HAVE MAINTAINED POPS BELOW MENTION FOR NOW. AFTER A BRIEF COOL DOWN MOST AREAS ON THURSDAY....TEMPS SHOULD BE A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 50 74 51 79 52 / 10 10 0 0 0 TULIA 51 76 50 80 55 / 30 10 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 53 78 51 81 56 / 20 10 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 54 80 54 82 59 / 10 10 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 55 81 56 81 60 / 20 10 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 55 78 55 82 61 / 10 10 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 54 79 56 83 60 / 10 10 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 58 82 56 82 57 / 50 10 0 0 0 SPUR 58 83 57 82 60 / 40 10 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 60 85 58 83 61 / 40 10 0 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ 07
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS AMARILLO TX
1138 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR OR AT THE AMARILLO TAF SITE BACK SOUTHEAST INTO THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE LATEST HRRR FORECASTING THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG CONTINUING TO DEVELOP NORTH AND WEST TOWARD THE GUYMON TAF SITE BY 07Z TO 09Z MONDAY. IFR TO VLIFR CONDITIONS COULD DEVELOP AT BOTH THE AMARILLO AND GUYMON TAF SITES BETWEEN 06Z AND 10Z MONDAY. THE HRRR SHOWING THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG DISSIPATING FROM WEST TO EAST AWAY FROM BOTH TAF SITES AROUND 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT AND DRIER AIR PUSHES SOUTH AND EAST. THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG NOT EXPECTED TO REACH AS FAR WEST AS THE DALHART TAF SITE WHERE VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN TO THE AMARILLO AND GUYMON TAF SITES BY 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY. WINDS SHOULD BECOME EAST AND SOUTHEAST 5 TO 15 KNOTS AT THE GUYMON AND AMARILLO TAF SITES THROUGH 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY...THEN SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE WINDS WILL VEER AROUND TO THE NORTHEAST AND DIMINISH AFTER 20Z MONDAY 5 TO 10 KNOTS OR LESS. AT THE DALHART TAF SITE...WINDS WILL REMAIN WEST TO NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 KNOTS THEN SHIFTING TO THE NORTH 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS AFTER 10Z TO 12Z MONDAY AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...THEN VEERING AROUND TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST AFTER 20Z MONDAY 5 TO 15 KNOTS. SCHNEIDER && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1046 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ UPDATE... CONVECTION HAS PUSHED EAST OF MOST OF THE PANHANDLES LATE THIS EVENING. A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN TX PANHANDLE WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. UPDATED FORECAST TO REFLECT THESE TRENDS. KB PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 616 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS THE PANHANDLES MAY AFFECT THE THREE TAF SITES THROUGH 01Z TO 02Z MONDAY. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ALONG WITH SOUTHWESTERLY TO WESTERLY WINDS BECOMING NORTH BEHIND A COLD FRONT LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE DALHART AND GUYMON TAF SITES AROUND 08Z TO 12Z MONDAY...AND THEN ACROSS THE AMARILLO TAF SITE BY 14Z TO 15Z MONDAY. NORTHERLY TO NORTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 15 TO 25 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS BEHIND THE FRONT AND THEN DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS AFTER 20Z MONDAY. SCHNEIDER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014/ DISCUSSION... ONLY MINOR CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FORECAST. HAVE INCREASED POPS THIS EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA... CLOSER TO PROXIMITY OF INCOMING UPPER-LEVEL JET STREAK...IN REGION OF GREATER INSTABILITY. POPS AFTER MIDNIGHT HAVE BEEN TRIMMED TO INCLUDE ONLY FAR EASTERN SECTIONS...AHEAD OF DEPARTING VORTICITY MAXIMUM. MONDAY AND TUESDAY EXPECTED TO BE DRY AND MILD. LOW-LEVEL JET DEVELOPS TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF NEXT MID-LEVEL TROF. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN INCREASED SLIGHTLY AND SPREAD A BIT FARTHER WEST DUE TO EXPECTED POSITION OF DRYLINE. WEDNESDAY EVENING POPS HAVE BEEN KEPT IN EASTERN SECTIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN INCREASED SLIGHTLY...AND HAVE ALSO BEEN SPREAD A BIT FARTHER WEST. NO POPS IN REMAINDER OF FORECAST. NO FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. 03 COCKRELL FIRE WEATHER... NO ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE PANHANDLES. ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE PANHANDLES. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE PANHANDLES. 03 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && $$ 11
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS THROUGH TONIGHT IS ON THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE AND THE CONVECTION THAT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF IT TODAY. SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WHICH IS IN A BROAD CHANNEL OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT AHEAD OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT. THE 21.07Z RAP ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE HIGHEST 0-3KM MUCAPE OF A FEW HUNDRED J/KG IS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WHERE DEW POINTS ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S AND TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOW 60S. 0-6KM SHEAR IS ALSO WEAK AT 20-30KTS...SO ANY STORMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED ARE PULSEY AND COLLAPSE RATHER QUICKLY. THE 21.00Z NAM/GFS/GEM/ECMWF AND 21.06Z RAP/HRRR/HOPWRF ARE ALL IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT COMING THROUGH THE REGION TODAY. CURRENTLY...SURFACE OBS SHOW THAT THIS FRONT IS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA/EASTERN NEBRASKA. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THE FRONT WILL BE INTO NORTHEAST WISCONSIN/FAR SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA/NORTHEAST IOWA AROUND NOON AND THEN CLEAR OF SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN BY MID AFTERNOON. INSTABILITY WILL BUILD AHEAD OF THE FRONT THOUGH THE 21.00Z NAM/GFS AND 21.06Z RAP LIKELY DEVELOP TOO HIGH OF MUCAPE WITH THEM SHOWING SURFACE DEW POINTS CLIMBING UP TO THE LOW 60S WHEN THEY WILL LIKELY BE MORE IN THE MID 50S. THERMAL PROFILES SHOW THAT THIS INSTABILITY IS IN THE 0C TO -20C PORTION OF THE SOUNDINGS...SO THERE COULD BE SOME SMALL HAIL THAT DEVELOPS FROM THIS CONVECTION DESPITE 0-6KM SHEAR REMAINING WEAK AT 20-30KT. ONCE THE FRONT COMES THROUGH...THERE IS A SOLID SLUG OF DRIER AIR THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES MAY NOT MAKE TOO MUCH OF AN INITIAL DROP SINCE THE FRONT IS COMING THROUGH DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WITH THE DRIER AIR MASS BEHIND THE FRONT ALLOWING FOR QUICKER WARMING UNDER SUNNY SKIES. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET TONIGHT WITH THE DRY AIR MASS IN PLACE AND NORTHWESTERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS KICKING IN. COULD SEE SOME GUSTY WINDS AS WELL WITH THIS DRY AIR IN THE AFTERNOON WITH SOME 35MPH GUSTS POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SE MN/NE IA. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS IN THE EXTENDED IS ON A BROAD MID LEVEL TROUGH CURRENTLY ALONG THE WEST COAST WHICH WILL PROPAGATE EAST ALONG THE US/CANADIAN BORDER FROM THE MIDDLE TO END PORTION OF THE WEEK. GUIDANCE HAS BEEN IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THIS SYSTEM THOUGH THERE ARE SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES THAT ARISE TOWARD THE LATER PORTION OF THE SYSTEM. CONFIDENCE IS STILL FAIRLY HIGH THAT PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE IN FROM THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE LEAD WARM AIR ADVECTION BAND FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN MOISTURE CHANNEL AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY. THERMAL PROFILES STILL DO NOT SHOW MUCH IN THE WAY OF INSTABILITY BUT DO INCREASE PW VALUES UP TO AROUND 1-1.50" EARLY ON THURSDAY. BASED ON THIS CONSISTENT SIGNAL...HAVE UPPED PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO THE 70-85 PERCENT RANGE FOR MUCH OF THE REGION WITH TOTAL QPF VALUES EXPECTED TO BE AROUND AN INCH. GUIDANCE STARTS TO DEVIATE QUITE A BIT STARTING FRIDAY WITH THE 21.00Z GFS SHOWING A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM HUDSON BAY THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE THE 21.00Z ECMWF IS WEAKER WITH THIS RIDGE AND KEEPS A LOW LEVEL THERMAL GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION ON INTO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. THE GFS SOLUTION WOULD BE A COLDER/DRIER ONE FOR US WHILE THE ECMWF SOLUTION WOULD MEAN A WETTER/SLIGHTLY WARMER SOLUTION THAT STILL COULD BRING SOME P-TYPE ISSUES IN WITH IT. CURRENTLY...WPC IS FAVORING THE GFS MORE THAN THE ECMWF BUT TIME WILL TELL. FOR NOW...HAVE DONE A BLEND WITH SOME PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THERE FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1114 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2014 SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA...SITUATED JUST NORTH OF A WARM FRONT ALONG US-20...ARE INCHING THEIR WAY NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE TAF SITES. ITS POSSIBLE FOR THESE SHOWERS TO AFFECT THE TAF SITES FROM NOW THROUGH 14-16Z WHEN A COLD FRONT IS SLATED TO MOVE ACROSS. SINCE CONFIDENCE OF THESE SHOWERS HANGING AT EITHER TAF SITE FOR MORE THAN 1 OR 2 HOURS IS LOW... HAVE ONLY WENT WITH A VCSH. ALSO DID NOT INCLUDE THUNDER AS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHTNING HAS DROPPED OFF QUITE A BIT WITH LOSS OF INSTABILITY. THERE HAS BEEN SOME BR AROUND THE TAF SITES...ENOUGH TO KNOCK LSE DOWN TO MVFR. MVFR VISIBILITIES SHOULD BE THE GENERAL RULE UNTIL COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. PLAN ON CEILINGS TO STAY VFR. AFTER THE COLD FRONT PASSES...DRIER AIR COMES IN ON GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS TO ENSURE VFR CONDITIONS. THE WINDS COULD GUST UPWARDS OF 25 KT. PLAN ON THE WIND GUSTS TO DIMINISH AROUND 01Z WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...BUT A 10-15 KT SUSTAINED WIND LOOKS LIKELY TO PERSIST ASSOCIATED WITH COLD AIR FLOWING IN. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ANYWHERE FROM A TENTH OF AN INCH TO AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN FELL YESTERDAY ACROSS THE REGION WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RAIN FALLING EARLY THIS MORNING FROM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THIS HAS LEAD TO A SMALL CLIMB IN AREA RIVERS...PARTICULARLY IN NORTHEAST IOWA WHERE SOME OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS FALLEN. RAIN WILL COME TO AN END FROM WEST TO EAST THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL COME IN AROUND MID WEEK WHICH COULD DROP A WIDESPREAD AREA OF AN INCH OR MORE OF RAIN FROM WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THIS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO A SECOND CREST ON MANY AREA RIVERS. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...HALBACH LONG TERM...HALBACH AVIATION...AJ HYDROLOGY...HALBACH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
305 AM PDT MON APR 21 2014 .SYNOPSIS... FAIR SKIES AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS. A FRONTAL SYSTEM ON TUESDAY WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT COOLING AND BLUSTERY CONDITIONS TO THE REGION AND A CHANCE OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE COOLER THAN AVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE REBOUNDING A FEW DEGREES AT THE END OF THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... ONE MORE DAY OF ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA UNDER A RIDGE...THEN A SHARP CHANGE IN THE WEATHER BEGINS TONIGHT AND CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE 00Z MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH SLIGHT WARMING TODAY AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT...WITH 850-MB TEMPERATURES OVER THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WARMING ABOUT 0.5-1.0 C. HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SUNDAY WERE MAINLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S...AND SHOULD BE IN THE MID 80S TO AROUND 90 TODAY. THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW WAS LOCATED NEAR 51N/142W THIS MORNING...WEST OF THE NORTHERN TIP OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. A NARROW FRONTAL BAND EXTENDED FROM THE WASHINGTON/OREGON COAST SOUTHWEST TO EAST OF HAWAII...WHILE THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH AXIS WAS ALONG 140W. PRECIPITATION AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL REACH THE CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA THIS EVENING AND SPREAD SOUTH INTO THE FRESNO COUNTY MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT AS WELL AS INTO MERCED AND MADERA COUNTIES IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS TUESDAY...BUT RAIN IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN NORTH OF FRESNO ON THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FLOOR. THE MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH 850-MB TEMPERATURES OVER THE CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY PLUNGING FROM AROUND 15.5 C THIS AFTERNOON TO AROUND 4 C TUESDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS ARE FORECAST TO FALL TO AROUND 5500 FEET BY WEDNESDAY MORNING DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER... THIS APPEARS TO BE A RELATIVELY MOISTURE-STARVED SYSTEM...AND QPF FOR THE MOUNTAINS IS EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH... AND ONLY A FEW HUNDREDTHS ON THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FLOOR. THE MAIN IMPACT OF THIS STORM WILL BE GUSTY WINDS OVER THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA CREST AND ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS OF KERN COUNTY AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAIN FALLS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...BLOWING DUST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY COULD BE A CONCERN. BLOWING DUST IS MORE LIKELY IN THE KERN COUNTY DESERT AND THE INDIAN WELLS VALLEY TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING. AT THIS TIME...WINDS ARE FORECAST TO ONLY BRIEFLY REACH ADVISORY LEVELS IN THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT AREAS TUESDAY...AND REMAIN MAINLY BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. BASED ON HOW THE 12Z RUNS OF THE HIGHER-RESOLUTION NAM-12 AND HRRR HANDLE THE WINDS...ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED BUT WILL LET THE DAY CREW EVALUATE THINGS. ANOTHER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO BUILD INTO CALIFORNIA FOR NEXT THURSDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF DRY AND WARMER WEATHER. HIGH TEMPERATURES NEXT THURSDAY ARE FORECAST TO RECOVER TO NEAR NORMAL. CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HIGHS NEXT FRIDAY ARE FORECAST TO WARM INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S...A FEW DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL FOR LATE APRIL. THE GLOBAL-COMPOSITE WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS THE NEXT UPPER-LEVEL LOW STRADDLING THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE AT 50N. BOTH THE GFS AND THE ECMWF FORECAST THIS LOW TO IMPACT THE WFO HANFORD WARNING/FORECAST AREA FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. THE GFS IS STRONGER WITH THIS SYSTEM THAN THE ECMWF...BUT AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE MAINLY A MOUNTAIN PRECIPITATION EVENT. && .AVIATION... MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AND LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS IN SHOWERS OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA AROUND YOSEMITE AFTER 06Z TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE. && .CERTAINTY... THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 IS HIGH. THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 3 THROUGH 7 IS HIGH. THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS PART OF A TRIAL PROJECT CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD. CERTAINTY LEVELS INCLUDE LOW...MEDIUM...AND HIGH. PLEASE VISIT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HNX/CERTAINTY.PHP /ALL LOWER CASE/ FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. && .CLIMATE... RECORDS SITE DATE HI_MAX:YEAR LO_MAX:YEAR HI_MIN:YEAR LO_MIN:YEAR KFAT 04-21 98:2009 50:1900 64:2012 36:1968 KFAT 04-22 96:2012 57:2010 66:2012 33:1968 KFAT 04-23 100:1910 56:1961 62:2012 39:1958 KBFL 04-21 99:2009 57:2010 64:2009 33:1904 KBFL 04-22 98:2012 58:2010 67:2012 34:1920 KBFL 04-23 100:1910 59:1960 62:2012 33:1904 && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ PUBLIC...SANGER AVN/FW...DCH SYNOPSIS...SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DES MOINES IA
652 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 STUBBORN COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY SWING THROUGH THE STATE TODAY AND BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FORECAST AREA DURING MUCH OF THE MORNING. FRONT LOOKS TO CREEP INTO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY AROUND 14-15Z AND CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEAST AND CLEAR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA BY AROUND 00Z TUESDAY OR SLIGHTLY SOONER. LEANED TOWARD THE SLOWER SREF/GFS/ECMWF WRT TO WINDS AND TEMPERATURES TODAY. 21.05Z HRRR IS A LITTLE TOO FAST WITH THE PRECIP MOVING EAST AND THE 21.03Z HOPWRF IS LIGHTER ON THE COVERAGE. REGARDLESS...UTILIZED A BLEND OF THE TWO FOR POPS/WX TRENDS THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY...THEN THE 21.03Z SREF/21.00Z HIRES-ARW/NMM FOR TRENDS THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE LOW LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST IOWA/SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA WITH COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO NEBRASKA. WEAK AND BROAD LARGE SCALE FORCING AHEAD THIS COLD FRONT AS WELL AS ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE TO FEED MOISTURE INTO THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING. INSTABILITY NOT IMPRESSIVE TODAY BUT ENOUGH AVAILABLE TO KEEP MENTION OF THUNDER. HAVE BULK OF THE HIGHER POPS OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN IOWA THROUGH 12-14Z BEFORE SHIFTING FURTHER SOUTHEAST LATE THIS MORNING. BELIEVE MUCH OF THE PRECIP WILL QUICKLY DISSIPATE PAST 18-20Z OR BE CONFINED TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA. HAVE NON-DIURNAL TEMPERATURE TREND MENTIONED ACROSS THE NORTH AS SHOULD SEE THE CAA DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. 850MB TEMPS DROP TO +4C TO +6C BY 18Z IN THE NORTH. GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH WINDS ATOP THE MIXED LAYER INCREASING TO AROUND 25 TO 30 KNOTS. MUCH DRIER AIR MASS FILTERS INTO THE STATE AS WELL WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS DROPPING INTO UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S OVER THE NORTHWEST. RH VALUES DECREASE TO NEAR 25 PERCENT ACROSS A SMALL WESTERN PORTION OF FORECAST AREA. THOUGH AN INCREASED FIRE WEATHER DANGER TODAY...HELD OFF ON RED FLAG WARNING DUE TO CRITERIA NOT BEING MET WIDESPREAD. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 EARLY IN THE PERIOD...FEW CONCERNS. SYSTEM ON THE WAY OUT BY 00Z TONIGHT WITH SECONDARY COLD FRONT NOW OVER NORTHERN MN DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...BRINGING DRIER AND COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION BY MORNING. DESPITE WARM TEMPS THE PAST FEW DAYS... MORNING LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE MUCH COOLER WITH MID 30S NORTH TO MID 40S SOUTH. TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE A NICE DAY WITH GENERALLY SUNNY SKIES AND A FEW FAIR WX CUMULUS DURING THE MID AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE DROPS SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY...KEEPING WINDS LIGHT. LITTLE MIXING TO PROMOTE MUCH WARMING OTHER THAN SUNSHINE...SO WILL STICK WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S NORTHEAST AND MID 60S ACROSS THE WEST. MODELS DIFFER SLIGHTLY ON TIMING OF UPSTREAM WAVE AND EXPECTED WARM AIR ADVECTION/CLOUDS AND APPROACHING SHOWERS FOR WED. OVERALL...INCREASE IN CLOUDS EXPECTED LATE DAY WEST TUESDAY WITH SHOWERS NEARING THE WESTERN BORDER BY 12Z. THOUGH THUNDER MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS AND NE...DRY AIR OVER IOWA WILL COOL AND DIMINISH INSTABILITY WHEN INITIAL PUSH OF MOISTURE ARRIVES. MODELS SHOW LITTLE INSTABILITY UNTIL AFTERNOON WED AND THAT AGAIN IS LESS THAN YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS. THUS...HAVE TRIMMED AREAL COVERAGE OF THUNDER TO ISO WEST IN THE MORNING AND ISO EAST/SCT FAR WEST IN THE PM HOURS WEDNESDAY WITH THE FIRST REAL SURGE OF THETAE ADVECTION. AS THE SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION...CONFIDENCE IN EVOLUTION OF SYSTEM HAS LESSENED SLIGHTLY. MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE GENERAL TRENDS SIMILAR... BUT DETAILS DIFFER. OVERALL THE BETTER INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN WEST OF THE AREA UNTIL NEARER 00Z THUR...THEN WEAKEN OVERNIGHT PRIOR TO INCREASING AGAIN FROM LATE MORNING THUR THROUGH 00Z FRI. STILL SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OVERNIGHT CONVECTION ACROSS SOUTH/CENTRAL SECTIONS WED NIGHT AS SOME BULK SHEAR COULD AID SVR POTENTIAL. BOTH THE 00Z GFS AND THE 12Z/NEW 00Z EURO NOW SUGGEST THAT THE LOW WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS IA NEARLY EXITING OUR FORECAST AREA BY 18Z THUR...KEEPING THE BEST INSTABILITY AND SVR POTENTIAL EAST OF THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. FOR NOW...WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR POTENTIAL BUT OVERALL CHANCES WOULD REMAIN CONDITIONAL ON ANY BETTER ALIGNMENT OF FORCING AND STRONGER INSTABILITY THURSDAY. BEYOND THUR AFTERNOON...MORE UNCERTAINTY IS ARISING IN THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST. MODELS HANDLING THE DEPARTURE OF THE SYSTEM WITH DIFFERING SPEED THUR NIGHT AND FRIDAY DUE TO A SECONDARY H500 SYSTEM OVER CENTRAL CANADA POTENTIALLY PHASING WITH THE DEPARTING H500 LOW. BOTH THE GEM/EURO TAKE THE FIRST SYSTEM EAST QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT MUCH PHASING WHILE THE GFS HOLDS ON TO A TROUGH EXTENDING WEST INTO MN. THIS RESULTS IN A FARTHER WEST RIDGE AXIS OVER CANADA THAT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND DRIVES THE JET STREAM FARTHER SOUTH...DIRECTLY NEXT WEEKENDS STORM SOUTH OF IOWA. THE GEM/EURO SHOW ONLY A SLIGHT DELAY IN TIMING AND STILL BRING RAIN BACK INTO THE AREA FOR THE WEEKEND. FOR NOW THE GFS SHOWS TOO DRASTIC A CHANGE FOR SUCH A SMALL H500 FEATURE. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...WILL CUT BACK ON POP CHANCE AT ONSET OF PRECIP EVENT NEXT SATURDAY BUT WILL STILL KEEP POP INCREASING WITH TIME THROUGH SUNDAY. TEMPS WILL HAVE EVEN GREATER UNCERTAINTY NOW...AS TIED TO CHANGES IN EVOLUTION AND TRACK OF WEEKEND UPPER AIR PATTERN AND STORM TRACK. NEWEST 21/00Z EURO STILL KEEPS TREND OF WET WEATHER NEXT WEEKEND...WHILE THE GFS REMAINS DRY. OVERALL THE EURO TENDS TO PERFORM MORE CONSISTENTLY AFTER FCST 120 HOURS SO WILL LEAN TOWARD GEM/EURO SOLUTIONS OF WETTER WEATHER SAT/SUN. AS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS NIGHTS AFDS...THERE IS A CONSISTENT SIGNAL OF ENERGY STRETCHING FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL PACIFIC EAST TO THE PLAINS...WHICH WOULD FAVOR INCLEMENT WEATHER HERE. && .AVIATION...21/12Z ISSUED AT 650 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 SHOWER AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. BRIEF MVFR AND POSSIBLY IFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE...BUT LOW CONFIDENCE WITH MENTIONING AS THEY WILL HAVE A SHORT DURATION. OTHERWISE...COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE STATE AND CLEARS SKIES THIS AFTERNOON FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. INCREASED WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...PODRAZIK LONG TERM...REV AVIATION...PODRAZIK
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
952 AM CDT Mon Apr 21 2014 ...UPDATE TO SYNOPSIS... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 950 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Water vapor imagery and 12Z upper air analysis indicate an upper level shortwave trough transitioning eastward across the Central Plains. Meanwhile, upper level ridging is shifting eastward across the Intermountain West. Near the surface, a weak cold front extends from southeastern Colorado northeast across west central Kansas into southeastern Nebraska. High pressure is building behind the front across the Colorado Rockies. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 317 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 The main shortwave trough is depicted by the models to move into eastern Kansas this morning. The RUC model has picked up on the MCV over central Kansas and moves it southward into northwest Oklahoma today in the northwesterly flow on the backside of the trough. Model soundings show instability around 600-800 j/kg of CAPE as a mid level cold pool moves southeast across western Kansas today. Given the forcing with the MCV and a nearly uncapped sounding profile this afternoon over south central Kansas, will add some slight chance pops for showers and isolated thunder to the forecast. Things will quiet down fairly quickly late this afternoon and early evening as a ridge of surface high pressure moves east through the High Plains. Winds will become light and variable in the evening and gradually swing around to the southeast and south. Overnight lows will be the coolest over central Kansas where low to mid 40s are expected. Lows will drop into the upper 40s to around 50 along the Colorado border where increasing southerly winds will help keep temperatures up a few degrees more. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) ISSUED AT 414 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 An upper ridge will be transitioning eastward across the Great Plains on Tuesday. Surface pressure falls along the lee of the Rockies and the retreating surface high pressure across the Missouri valley will create a moisture transport zone over the central High Plains, effectively causing an increasing in surface and 850 mb dew points across western and central Kansas. Afternoon heating across the higher terrain around the Palmer Divide will allow thunderstorms to form and be steered eastward into this moisture and instability axis. Some thunderstorms could move into western Kansas through the evening hours most likely around Syracuse. With a lack of dynamics, convection should be mainly diurnally driven, and as a result dry weather is likely through the overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning with mild lows. An upper wave will be approaching the region Wednesday with several impacts. A decent surface pressure gradient will be in place as much drier air mixes out eastward though the morning and afternoon. The overall momentum transfer will probably be negatively influenced by mid level cloud decks indicated on model soundings and may even prevent a high wind event given 0-1 km mean winds on the order of 35-40 knots. Additionally a set up for severe storms will exist along and ahead of the dryline as the atmosphere destabilizes through the morning. Potential for rotating supercells exist with NAM model suggesting around 2-3 m2/s2 EHI(3km) with up to round 2000 J/kg of surface based CAPE ahead of the dryline feature. Good subsidence should follow in behind this dryline overnight into Thursday morning. Dry and warm conditions will likely follow into Friday as the next flat upper ridge settle across the region. Additional thunderstorm chances are in the forecast later in the weekend and early nextweek associated with yet another west coast jet carving a trough into the southern Rockies by the GFS and ECMWF. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) ISSUED AT 1257 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Low level moisture advecting up into southwest Kansas could result in 2-4 miles in mist along with IFR stratus. There is some uncertainty as to how widespread it will become. For now will have a tempo group for lower visibility at Garden City and Dodge City early this morning with conditions improving to VFR between 10 and 12z. A cold front will move through around sunrise and sweep the low level moisture out of the area. By this afternoon, some instability showers could develop in the area around and east of Dodge City and have added VCSH to the Dodge City TAF for this. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 414 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Elevated fire danger is expected for Tuesday as breezy southerly winds and dew points in the 20s prevail through the day. A more significant risk is expected Wednesday as a dryline moves as far east as highway 283 by afternoon with strong gusty surface winds. Fire weather watches and eventually red flag warningS may be issued in the coming forecast shifts especially for areas west of Highway 83 for Wednesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 76 45 80 56 / 10 0 0 10 GCK 75 45 82 57 / 10 0 10 10 EHA 74 50 85 57 / 10 0 10 10 LBL 76 48 85 57 / 10 0 0 10 HYS 75 43 80 55 / 80 0 10 20 P28 76 47 80 54 / 30 0 0 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...JJohnson SHORT TERM...Gerard LONG TERM...Russell AVIATION...Gerard FIRE WEATHER...Russell
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GRAND RAPIDS MI
927 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LATEST UPDATE... UPDATE .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS WISCONSIN AND LOWER MICHIGAN WILL BRING LIGHT RAIN TO SW LOWER TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS IS A VERY SLOW MOVING SYSTEM AND GIVEN THE DRY AIR ALREADY IN PLACE...WE/RE NOT LOOKING AT TOO MUCH RAIN...PERHAPS A QUARTER INCH. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S AGAIN TODAY EXCEPT FOR AREAS NORTH OF US-10 WHERE 60S ARE EXPECTED. COOLER WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH MORE RAIN POSSIBLE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. && .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 925 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 UPDATED FORECAST TO CUT POPS FOR THIS AFTERNOON BASED ON RADAR AND LATEST HRRR WHICH SHOWS SHOWERS JUST ENTERING NORTHERN ILLINOIS ATTM AND NOT ARRIVING UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 FORECAST CONCERNS DEAL WITH RAIN CHANCES TODAY AS A SLOW MOVING LOW CROSSES WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN. THE LOW IN WISCONSIN WILL SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS NRN LWR TODAY. AHEAD OF IT...WARM AIR WITH TEMPS IN THE 70S WILL BE NOTED. THE WARMER AIR WILL BRING SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY WITH IT...BUT NOTHING TOO SIGNIFICANT. MUCAPE AROUND 500 J/KG AND LI/S SLIGHTLY BELOW 0C MAY BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE A FEW STORMS. KEPT THE CHC OF THUNDER IN THE GRIDS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS THIS AFTERNOON SHOW THE PRESENCE OF SOME DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER TROP. THIS MAY RESULT IN SOME GUSTY WINDS AS SHOWERS/STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. THE LOW SHOULD MOVE OVER LAKE HURON BY MIDNIGHT AND COOLER AIR WILL BEGIN TO FLOW BACK INTO THE CWA AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT LAKES. SUNSHINE WILL RETURN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BUT HIGHS WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN TRACKING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION THU NIGHT. A SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET MOVES IN AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THAT WILL ACT TO DEVELOP A BAND OF SHOWERS. THESE SHOWERS WILL CROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WITH MOST LOCATIONS EXPECTED TO SEE SOME PRECIPITATION. WILL KEEP POPS RELATIVELY HIGH THEN. SOME INSTABILITY IS SHOWING UP IN THE MODELS WITH THIS RUN...SO WE MAY NEED TO ADD THUNDER TO THE FORECAST. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT IT WILL TURN WINDY ON FRIDAY. GUSTS OVER 35M MPH LOOK LIKELY. AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES...SHOWERS SHOULD DEVELOP ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THE HIGH RES EURO DOES SHOW A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK TO THE IS UPPER LOW WITH THE 00Z MON RUN. THE GFS IS STRONGER AND FURTHER SOUTH WITH THIS FEATURE AS COMPARED TO THE HIGH RES EURO. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME CAPE DURING THE AFTERNOON. MAY NEED TO ADD THUNDER TO THE FORECAST. SHOWERS LOOK HIGH BASED GIVEN THE LARGE T/TD SPREAD AT THE SURFACE. I WILL MAINTAIN THE RISK FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 626 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 VFR WEATHER TO START THE PERIOD...BUT LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT WE WILL SEE MVFR CLOUDS/VSBYS AS A COLD FRONT ARRIVES. SOME INSTABILITY WILL BE AROUND...AND THAT COULD SUPPORT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. AS THE MOISTURE BECOMES SHALLOWER TONIGHT...WE MAY SEE SOME ICING SHOWING UP IN THE MVFR CLOUD DECK. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1153 AM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 MINOR FLOODING EXISTS ON THE MUSKEGON RIVER AT CROTON AND EVART. THE DOWNWARD TREND CONTINUES ON ALL AREA RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES. WE SHOULD SEE A FEW MORE ADVISORIES DROP OFF THE LIST OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO. HOWEVER...LOCAL IMPACTS MAY STILL BE EVIDENT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ALONG THE MUSKEGON RIVER. LIGHT RAIN IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AHEAD OF A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. BEST CHANCES TONIGHT SHOULD REMAIN ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 10. THE FRONT WILL FINALLY PUSH THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON AND THATS WHEN RAIN IS MORE LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE AREA. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL BE RATHER LIGHT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE AFFECTS ON RIVERS. ANOTHER SHOT OF RAIN WILL MOVE IN LATER IN THE WORK WEEK BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE HEAVIEST SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF LOWER MICHIGAN. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...OSTUNO SYNOPSIS...93 SHORT TERM...93 LONG TERM...MJS AVIATION...MJS HYDROLOGY...JAM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
746 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 00Z RAOBS/LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS SHOW A SPLIT FLOW REGIME ACRS THE CONUS WITH A STRONGER W-E POLAR BRANCH FLOW NEAR THE CNDN BORDER TO THE N OF A WEAKER SRN BRANCH OVER THE SCENTRAL STATES. SHRTWV RDG EMBEDDED IN THE POLAR BRANCH AND OVER NE MN/NW ONTARIO AS WELL AS VERY DRY AIR SHOWN ON THE 00Z INL/MPX RAOBS ARE BRINGING DRY WX TO UPR MI THIS MRNG EXCEPT OVER FAR SRN MENOMINEE COUNTY...WHERE SOME ISOLD -SHRA ARE STILL PRESENT ON THE NRN EDGE OF RIBBON OF DEEPER MSTR STRUNG W-E THRU THE CENTRAL LKS AND SAMPLED BY THE FAIRLY MOIST 00Z GRB RAOB. MORE WDSPRD SHRA/EMBEDDED TS ARE PRESENT OVER SW WI/FAR SE MN UNDER DEEPER MSTR/SOME UPR DVGC AHEAD OF DISTURBANCE ON THE NRN EDGE OF SRN BRANCH FLOW. ALTHOUGH COLDER CLOUD TOPS ARE EXPANDING TOWARD THE WI BORDER TO THE NE OF THESE SHOWERS...THE LOWER LVL W FLOW OF VERY DRY AIR FM THE DIRECTION OF MPX IS LIMITING THE N SPREAD OF THE SHRA LOCATED JUST S OF THAT RAOB SITE. OTRW...SOME LOCALLY DENSE FOG HAS FORMED OVER THE CENTRAL/ERN CWA AS THE DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVED OVER LOCATIONS THAT DID NOT SEE SGNFT LLVL DRYING YDAY AFTN. OVER THE W WHERE SFC DEWPTS MIXED OUT AS LO AS 25-30 AT IWD ON SUN AND TEMPS ARE STILL ABV 32 AT MOST SPOTS...THERE IS LTL IF ANY FOG. A MUCH STRONGER SHRTWV IN THE POLAR BRANCH FLOW IS NEAR LK WINNIPEG AND MOVING STEADILY TO THE E. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHOWERS AND EVEN SOME LGT STRIKES IN MANITOBA RIGHT UNDER THE STEEPER LAPSE RATES CLOSE TO THE CORE OF THIS DISTURBANCE. BUT SINCE THIS SHRTWV IS CUTOFF FM THE MOISTER AIRMASS TO THE S... THERE IS ONLY A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG ITS ATTENDANT COLD FNT MOVING THRU NW MN EARLY THIS MRNG. MAIN FCST CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM INVOLVE FOG EARLY THIS MRNG AND THEN PCPN CHCS LATER TODAY/TNGT AS POLAR BRANCH SHRTWV/ATTENDANT COLD FNT IMPACT UPR MI. TODAY...EXPECT LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO PERSIST EARLY THIS MRNG OVER THE SE HALF OF THE CWA...BUT INCRSG HI CLDS SHOULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR WDSPRD DENSE FOG. WL ISSUE AN SPS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO LOCALLY REDUCED VSBYS. SHRTWV NEAR LK WINNIPEG IS FCST TO MOVE E THRU NW ONTARIO AND DRAG IT ATTENDANT COLD FNT ACRS UPR MI THIS AFTN. SINCE BULK OF DPVA/DEEP LYR QVECTOR CNVGC WL REMAIN TO THE N AND JUST BRUSH THE NRN LAND CWA...SUSPECT ONLY ISOLD-SCT SHOWERS WL ACCOMPANY THE FROPA. ALMOST ALL THE MODELS THAT WERE SHOWING A GREATER INTERACTION BTWN THIS SHRTWV/DEEPER MSTR TO THE S AND SGNFT EXPANSION OF THIS MSTR/SHOWERS INTO UPR MI HAVE RETREATED A BIT FM THIS FCST...A REASONABLE TREND CONSIDERING THE VERY DRY NATURE OF THE 00Z MPX RAOB AND LACK OF SGNFT BACKING OF THE UPR FLOW FM THE W THRU THE DAY. THE 00Z HI RES CNDN MODEL SHOWS THE HEAVIER PCPN OVERSPREADING MOST OF UPR MI ALONG WITH THE MOST UNSTABLE MIXED LYR CAPES AOA 1000 J/KG. FCST SDNGS FM THIS MODEL SHOW FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE MOISTENING THRU THE LOWER TROP WITH SFC DEWPTS RISING TO ARND 55...WHICH DOES NOT SEEM RSNBL IN THE ABSENCE OF A DEEPER SW FLOW. THE 00Z NAM SHOWS MORE MODEST MOISTENING/DESTABILIZATION OVER THE SCENTRL. WL CARRY THE HIER CHC POPS THIS AFTN WHERE THIS MODEL SHOWS THE GREATER INSTABILITY UP TO 700-800 J/KG OVER THE SCNTRL. INCLUDED A SCHC OF TS IN THIS AREA AS WELL GIVEN ARRIVAL OF COLD FNT DURING PEAK HEATING TIME THAT WL PUSH TEMPS WELL ABV NORMAL AGAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF H85 TEMPS NOT FAR FM 10C AND AWAY FM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF THE LKS. COOLER AIR WL ARRIVE OVER THE W LATER IN THE DAY FOLLOWING THE FROPA. TNGT...NW FLOW WITH H925 WINDS UP TO 25-35 KTS IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FROPA WL DRIVE COLDER AIR BACK INTO THE UPR LKS TNGT. MODELS SHOW H85 TEMPS SINKING AS LO AS -7 TO -8C OVER THE W BY 12Z TUE. WHILE THIS INCOMING AIRMASS WL NOT BE COLD ENUF FOR LK EFFECT PCPN...MODELS DO SHOW SOME LLVL MOISTENING BLO STRENGTHENING SUBSIDENCE INVRN ARND H85 UNDER THE LARGE SCALE QVECTOR DVGC LEFT IN THE WAKE OF DEPARTING SHRTWV. GOING FCST SHOWS SOME DRIZZLE/FRZG DRIZZLE OVER THE HIER TERRAIN WITH MOISTENING/INVRN BASE BLO THE DGZ. THIS FCST SEEMS RSNBL...BUT DID ADD SOME FLURRIES AS WELL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 543 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 SFC TEMPS SHOULD WARM QUICKLY TUESDAY MORNING...LIMITING THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE. WILL STILL KEEP DRIZZLE GOING GIVEN THE LIMITED LIKELIHOOD OF ICE CRYSTALS IN THE SOUNDING. OTHERWISE COOL N-NW WINDS WILL BE THE RULE...WITH 850MB TEMPS IN THE -6 TO -8C RANGE HELPING TO KEEP MAX SFC TEMPS TUESDAY IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S OVER MUCH OF THE CWA. DRY HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL RESULT IN NEARLY CALM WINDS WEDNESDAY MORNING. WITH FEW IF ANY CLOUDS AROUND AND PW VALUES FALLING TO AROUND 45 PERCENT OF NORMAL /0.25IN/ SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL INTO THE 20S TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLENTY OF UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH OUR END OF THE WEEK SYSTEM. WHILE POPS HAVE BEEN INCREASED AND MUCH OF THE FOCUS FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIP REMAINS OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...THE 21/00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF HAS BACKED AWAY FROM THE DEEPER MORE WRAPPED UP SFC LOW THAT IT/S 20/12Z RUN INDICATED. STILL...ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT 0.5-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR AND W OF A LINE FROM MQT TO MNM THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF ENSEMBLES HAVE 30-40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SEEING 1IN OR MORE OVER THE W HALF. GIVEN THAT MUCH OF THE SYSTEM IS AROUND 84HRS OR MORE INTO THE FUTURE...WILL CONTINUE WITH A MORE BROAD/AVERAGED SOLUTION AT THIS POINT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 727 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 ANY LINGERING FOG AT SAW WL BURN OFF QUICKLY THIS MRNG WITH DAYTIME HEATING. EVEN THOUGH A COLD FNT WL SWING THRU UPR MI TODAY...THE AIRMASS WL BE TOO DRY FOR ANY SGNFT SHRA ACTIVITY. THE BEST CHC FOR A FEW -SHRA WL BE AT SAW...AS THE LATER ARRIVAL OF THE FNT WL BE IN BETTER PHASE WITH DAYTIME HEATING. GUSTY NW WINDS THAT WL APRCH 30 KTS AT THE MORE EXPOSED CMX LOCATION TNGT BEHIND THE FROPA WL DRAW MUCH COLDER AIR AS WELL AS SOME LO CLDS INTO THE UPR LKS. THE BEST CHC FOR IFR CONDITIONS WL BE AT IWD AND ESPECIALLY CMX...PLACES THAT WL EXPERIENCE THE SHARPEST UPSLOPE WIND COMPONENT. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LIGHT WINDS UNDER 15 KTS THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SHIFT TO THE NW LATE TODAY/THIS EVENING FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND INCREASE UP TO 25-30 KTS TONIGHT AS MUCH COLDER AIR INVADES THE UPPER LAKES. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THERE COULD BE SOME GALES OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST HALF OF THE LAKE UNDER THE SHARPER GRADIENT/STRONGEST LOW LEVEL WINDS. MENTIONED SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS OVER THE ECENTRAL FOR NOW. THESE STONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUE THRU WED AS A HI PRES RIDGE AND WEAKER PRES GRADIENT MOVE OVER THE AREA. AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS LATER IN THE WEEK AND THE GRADIENT SHARPENS AGAIN...INCREASING SE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NE. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS LO...THERE COULD BE AT LEAST A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1202 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 HIGHEST SNOW DEPTH REPORTED YESTERDAY MORNING OF 32IN AT MOHAWK WAS ABLE TO DROP DOWN TO 28IN BY LATE EVENING. AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM...SEVERAL SITES FROM IWD THROUGH ISQ WERE REPORTING LITTLE TO NO SNOW. TODAY WILL BE ANOTHER DAY OF MELTING...AS HIGH TEMPERATURES JUMP INTO THE 50S AND LOW 60S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. THE MELT WILL SLOW TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT OVER N UPPER MI AS COLD N-NNW WINDS KEEP TEMPS TOPPING OUT IN THE 30S AND LOW 40S TUESDAY. AS FOR FURTHER OUT...TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES TEMPORARILY WEDNESDAY BEFORE FALLING BACK INTO THE 30S AND 40S THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WILL CONTINUE TO NOTICE SIGNIFICANT STREAM/RIVER RISES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ADDING TO THE RUNOFF. AT THIS POINT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...AND SPECIFICALLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WHERE 0.75-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE FCST AS THE TIME NEARS. SO FAR THE LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RISES HAVE BEEN ALSTON/ALSM4/ ON THE STURGEON RIVER...ROCKLAND/RKLM4/ ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE HYDE/FRDM4/ ON THE FORD RIVER. WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT FORESEEN AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...ANY RIVER THAT HAS ICE REMAINING ON IT...ESPECIALLY THE ESCANABA RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY...COULD EXPERIENCE AN ICE JAM WITH THE RISING RIVER LEVELS THIS WEEK. THOSE LIVING AROUND RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR BOTH RIVER LEVELS AND ICE CONDITIONS. ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK QUICKLY...RESULTING IN RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RIVER LEVELS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...KC LONG TERM...KF AVIATION...KC MARINE...KC HYDROLOGY...KF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
654 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 644 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 UPDATED TO INCLUDE 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 333 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MAIN CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM IS THE CONVECTION CURRENTLY OCCURRING ACROSS THE AREA... AND HOW IT WILL EVOLVE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A TIGHT DEWPOINT GRADIENT FROM WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA THROUGH WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN... ACTING AS A WARM FRONT OF SORTS... WITH THE THERMAL GRADIENT A BIT FARTHER NORTH AND ALSO TO THE WEST ALONG THE SURFACE TROUGH. SPC MESOANALYSIS MUCAPE SHOWS VALUES OF 250-500 J/KG COINCIDENT WITH THE AREA OF ACTIVITY CURRENTLY OVER THE AREA... LINING UP FAIRLY WELL WITH THE RAP ANALYZED 850MB THETA-E RIDGE AHEAD OF THE SURFACE FRONT AND SHORTWAVE APPARENT IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. THINGS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO SHIFT EAST THIS MORNING... WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA AFTER 15Z. HOWEVER... UNTIL THAT TIME WE WILL SEE SOME LOCAL DOWNPOURS AND PEA-SIZED HAIL WITH THE STORMS THAT ARE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. BY 18Z WE SHOULD SEE CLEARING QUICKLY WORKING ITS WAY FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA... WITH STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS... PARTICULARLY OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE 20S THIS AFTERNOON WILL RESULT IN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER POTENTIAL FOR FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SO WILL CONTINUE THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THAT AREA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION TONIGHT... WITH WINDS QUICKLY DYING OFF DURING THE EVENING HOURS... AND COOLER TEMPERATURES MOVING BACK INTO THE AREA... MAKING FOR LOWS IN THE 30S AND PERHAPS BELOW FREEZING IN OUTLYING AREA. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 333 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 TRENDS IN THE LONG TERM CONTINUE TO INDICATE A FAIRLY ACTIVE MIDWEEK...FOLLOWED BY A COOLING TRNED THAT WILL LAST THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS THE LONG TERM FOR TUESDAY. IT SHOULD BE A RATHER PLEASNT DAY WITH LIGHT WINDS...AND MILD TEMPERATURES. THE NEXT WESTERN CONUS TROUGH DIGS SOUTHEAST AND BEGINS TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. RETURN FLOW AND LLJ INTENSIFIES OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL DEVELOP AT LEAST SOME WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION IN THE EASTERN DAKOTAS...SPILLING EAST INTO WEST CENTRAL MN LATE. STEEPER LAPSE RATES MOVE INTO THE WEST DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WITH THE THREAT OF ISOLATED CONVECTION EXPECTED. THE MORNING ACTIVITY WILL SPREAD EAST INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN WITH REDEVELOPMENT AGAIN TO THE WEST INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE BETTER INSTABILITY WORKS EAST WITH TROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. AREA OF STEEP LAPSE RATES LIFT NORTH ACROSS AT LEAST THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW WHICH IS PROGGED TO MOVE SOUTH OF THE CWA...ALONG/NEAR THE MN/IA BORDER. STILL SEE SOME ELEVATED HAIL POSSIBILITIES LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. MODEL DISCREPANCIES REMAIN AS TO HOW QUICKLY THE UPPER LOW MOVES EAST OF THE AREA. THE 00Z ECMWF IS MOST PROGRESSIVE WITH THE SYSTEM AND DROPS SOME COLDER AIR SOUTH OVER THE AREA INTO THE WEEKEND. THE 00Z GFS IS SLOWER AND MUCH MORE AMPLIFIED WITH THE SYSTEM. IT EVENTUALLY DROPS 85H TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO MINUS 12C ONCE AGAIN BY SATURDAY MORNING. THIS MAY BE OVERDONE...BUT IT DOES APPEAR WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE ONCE AGAIN IN STORE WELL INTO THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 644 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ACTIVITY CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE AREA... THE FORECAST PERIOD LOOKS FAIRLY QUIET WITH VFR CONDITIONS. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS BY LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE THE ONLY OTHER ITEM OF NOTE. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS COLD FRONT THROUGH ABOUT HALF OF THE AREA... AND CURRENT TRENDS AND LATEST RAP SHOW IT MOVING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA BY THE END OF THE MORNING. THIS WILL WORK TO PUSH THE PCPN OUT AND ALLOW SUNSHINE TO BECOME PREVALENT FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE MORNING HOURS. THERE ARE SOME LOW CLOUDS TRYING TO DROP SOUTH THROUGH NORTH DAKOTA AT THE CURRENT TIME... AND INDICATIONS ARE THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE IT TO NEAR KAXN BEFORE THEY ERODE AND STOP THEIR FORWARD PROGRESS. OTHERWISE... LOOK FOR SURFACE RIDGING TO STEADILY BUILD LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT... WHICH WILL WORK TO KNOCK DOWN THE WINDS DURING THE EVENING HOURS. KMSP...MAIN UNCERTAINTY IS IN THE FIRST HOUR OR TWO OF THE FORECAST AND WHETHER ANY ADDITIONAL SHRA AND/OR THUNDER MANAGES TO IMPACT THE AREA. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF LONE SHRA STILL TO THE WEST RIGHT ALONG THE EXTENSION OF THE UPPER WAVE AND A SECONDARY SURFACE BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT. ALLOWED FOR A VCSH THROUGH 1330Z TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS POSSIBILITY. OTHERWISE... WE SHOULD SEE VFR CONDITIONS WITH GENERALLY SKC AFTER 16Z. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST AOA 25 KT FOR MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON BEFORE DYING OFF THIS EVENING AS THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES INTO THE AREA. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ TUESDAY AFTERNOON...VFR. VARIABLE WIND 5 KT OR LESS BECOMING SOUTHEAST 5 TO 10 KT. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...MVFR CEILINGS EXPECTED WITH MVFR VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 20 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT...MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES EXPECTED... IFR POSSIBLE WITH RAIN LIKELY. SOUTHEAST WIND 15 TO 20 KT. THURSDAY...MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES EXPECTED EARLY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 KT SHIFTING WEST. THURSDAY NIGHT...VFR. WEST WIND 5 TO 15 KT. FRIDAY...MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. WEST WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING NORTHWEST. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR MNZ047-054>056-064-065-073>075-082-083-091-092. WI...NONE. && $$ UPDATE... SHORT TERM...TRH LONG TERM...DWE AVIATION...
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BISMARCK ND
1003 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1003 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CWA THIS MORNING BASED ON THE TRAJECTORY OF LOW STRATUS ROTATING SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. STRONG SYNOPTIC SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE REGION SHOULD ERODE THIS CLOUD DECK BY EARLY AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...THE REMAINING FORECAST ELEMENTS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. THE UPDATED PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN SENT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 625 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ONLY CHANGES TO FORECAST WERE TO POPULATE WITH LATEST HOURLY OBSERVATIONS. TEMPS WERE RUNNING A LITTLE COLDER THAN FORECAST IN A FEW LOCATIONS. OTHERWISE...LOW STRATUS CONTINUES TO SLOWLY PUSH SOUTHWARD WHICH IS HANDLED WELL IN FORECAST. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 NO MAJOR FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. CURRENTLY...QUASI-ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH A STRONG EMBEDDED S/WV TROUGH PUSHING EAST ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...NOW CENTERED NEAR TO EAST OF LAKE WINNIPEG. WRAP AROUND MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF LOW LEVEL STRATUS SURGING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS MY NORTHERN COUNTIES THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. AT THIS TIME DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRATUS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. LOW BKN-OVC CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA NOW THROUGH 10Z...EVENTUALLY DEPICTED BY BOTH THE RAP AND 00Z/06Z NAM TO PUSH AS FAR SOUTH AS BISMARCK AND JAMESTOWN 10-14Z. AFTERWARDS...STRATUS SHOULD DISSIPATE/BURN OFF BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE MORNING CLOUDS COUPLED WITH CAA THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY IN THE 50S ALONG TO NORTH AND EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER...60S SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MISSOURI. RETURN FLOW/WAA TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE ROCKIES TODAY THEN PROPAGATES EAST INTO THE HIGH PLAINS TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ACTIVE PERIOD EXPECTED WITH STRONG STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT. LARGE SURFACE LOW INITIALLY CENTERED OVER CENTRAL MONTANA 00Z WEDNESDAY TRANSITIONS TO DUAL SURFACE LOWS OVER SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA BY 12Z WED AS SHORTWAVE/90KT H250 JET STREAK ROTATE AROUND PARENT UPPER LOW. BREEZY TO WINDY EAST/SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALSO WITH TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT AND 850MB WINDS TO 45KTS LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SPC CONTINUES TO INCLUDE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE IN GENERAL THUNDERSTORM AREA WITH MODELS INDICATING LOW CAPE NUDGING INTO THIS REGION ALONG WITH H7-H5 LAPSE RATES APPROACHING 8C/KM TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW HIGHEST QPF ACROSS NORTH AND EAST AS DRY SLOT IS MORE OF A FACTOR ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AREAS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY THE CLOSED UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODEL DIFFERENCES INCREASE WITH THIS FEATURE WITH THE GFS A LITTLE FASTER AND FARTHER SOUTH COMPARED TO ECMWF. BOTH MODELS...HOWEVER...BRING SUB 0C H850 AIR ACROSS THE STATE IN NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE SYSTEM THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT PRECIP IN THE FORM OF RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. SUBSTANTIAL MODEL DIFFERENCES BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH GFS SHOWING STRONGER RIDGE AND DRYER WEATHER OVER ND ON SATURDAY WHILE ECMWF HAS LESS AMPLIFIED PATTERN AND ANOTHER BATCH OF PRECIP MOVING IN UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 625 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MVFR STRATUS CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AT THIS TIME...AND WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH MID-MORNING. IMPACTED LOCATIONS INCLUDE KISN-KMOT-KJMS AND POSSIBLY KBIS. OTHERWISE VFR AT ALL TAF SITES THE REST OF THE 06Z FORECAST PERIOD. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...TM SHORT TERM...NH LONG TERM...JNS AVIATION...NH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BISMARCK ND
625 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 625 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ONLY CHANGES TO FORECAST WERE TO POPULATE WITH LATEST HOURLY OBSERVATIONS. TEMPS WERE RUNNING A LITTLE COLDER THAN FORECAST IN A FEW LOCATIONS. OTHERWISE...LOW STRATUS CONTINUES TO SLOWLY PUSH SOUTHWARD WHICH IS HANDLED WELL IN FORECAST. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 NO MAJOR FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. CURRENTLY...QUASI-ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH A STRONG EMBEDDED S/WV TROUGH PUSHING EAST ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...NOW CENTERED NEAR TO EAST OF LAKE WINNIPEG. WRAP AROUND MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF LOW LEVEL STRATUS SURGING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS MY NORTHERN COUNTIES THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. AT THIS TIME DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRATUS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. LOW BKN-OVC CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA NOW THROUGH 10Z...EVENTUALLY DEPICTED BY BOTH THE RAP AND 00Z/06Z NAM TO PUSH AS FAR SOUTH AS BISMARCK AND JAMESTOWN 10-14Z. AFTERWARDS...STRATUS SHOULD DISSIPATE/BURN OFF BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE MORNING CLOUDS COUPLED WITH CAA THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY IN THE 50S ALONG TO NORTH AND EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER...60S SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MISSOURI. RETURN FLOW/WAA TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE ROCKIES TODAY THEN PROPAGATES EAST INTO THE HIGH PLAINS TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ACTIVE PERIOD EXPECTED WITH STRONG STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT. LARGE SURFACE LOW INITIALLY CENTERED OVER CENTRAL MONTANA 00Z WEDNESDAY TRANSITIONS TO DUAL SURFACE LOWS OVER SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA BY 12Z WED AS SHORTWAVE/90KT H250 JET STREAK ROTATE AROUND PARENT UPPER LOW. BREEZY TO WINDY EAST/SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALSO WITH TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT AND 850MB WINDS TO 45KTS LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SPC CONTINUES TO INCLUDE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE IN GENERAL THUNDERSTORM AREA WITH MODELS INDICATING LOW CAPE NUDGING INTO THIS REGION ALONG WITH H7-H5 LAPSE RATES APPROACHING 8C/KM TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW HIGHEST QPF ACROSS NORTH AND EAST AS DRY SLOT IS MORE OF A FACTOR ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AREAS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY THE CLOSED UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODEL DIFFERENCES INCREASE WITH THIS FEATURE WITH THE GFS A LITTLE FASTER AND FARTHER SOUTH COMPARED TO ECMWF. BOTH MODELS...HOWEVER...BRING SUB 0C H850 AIR ACROSS THE STATE IN NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE SYSTEM THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT PRECIP IN THE FORM OF RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. SUBSTANTIAL MODEL DIFFERENCES BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH GFS SHOWING STRONGER RIDGE AND DRYER WEATHER OVER ND ON SATURDAY WHILE ECMWF HAS LESS AMPLIFIED PATTERN AND ANOTHER BATCH OF PRECIP MOVING IN UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 625 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MVFR STRATUS CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AT THIS TIME...AND WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH MID-MORNING. IMPACTED LOCATIONS INCLUDE KISN-KMOT-KJMS AND POSSIBLY KBIS. OTHERWISE VFR AT ALL TAF SITES THE REST OF THE 06Z FORECAST PERIOD. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...JNS SHORT TERM...NH LONG TERM...JNS AVIATION...NH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MEDFORD OR
847 AM PDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL TROUGHS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK BRINGING PRECIPITATION AND UNSETTLED WEATHER. THIS MORNING, AN UPPER TROUGH IS LOCATED OFF THE PACNW COAST AND A FRONT IS JUST OFFSHORE. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, SOUTHERLY MOISTURE AND AREA OF VORTICITY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. THIS WILL BRING SOME PRE-FRONTAL SHOWERS, MAINLY ALONG THE CASCADES AND SISKIYOUS. THEN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND IN THE EVENING, EXPECT THE FRONT TO BEGIN TO MOVE INLAND SPREADING STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK WITH THE FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING INLAND TONIGHT. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS ALONG THE CASCADES AND SISKIYOUS. ALSO HAVE ADDED A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SUMMER LAKE AREA FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE NAM, RAP AND GFS MODELS SHOW A 40 TO 50 KT SOUTHWEST JET MOVING INTO THE AREA DURING THIS PERIOD. GUIDANCE ALSO INDICATES GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH FOR THE SUMMER LAKE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. EXPECT THE MAIN AREA FOR GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL OCCUR FROM PAISLEY NORTH ALONG HIGHWAY 31 NEAR SUMMER LAKE. OTHER AREAS THAT WILL SEE WINDS GUSTING TO 45 MPH WILL BE OVER THE MOUNTAINS IN LAKE COUNTY. && .AVIATION...BASED ON 21/12Z TAF CYCLE...A FRONT WILL BRING SOME RAIN TO THE COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD INLAND DURING THE EVENING. EXPECT CIGS TO LOWER TO MVFR AT MOST WEST SIDE LOCATIONS DURING THIS TIME FRAME...AND LOWERED FLIGHT CONDITIONS AND PRECIPITATION SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD. EAST SIDE AND NORCAL LOCATIONS WILL LIKELY REMAIN VFR THROUGH MONDAY...BUT GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON. SOME AREAS OF MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES COULD DEVELOP OVER THE EAST SIDE LATE TONIGHT. FREEZING LEVELS WILL DROP RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT...REACHING DOWN TO 3000 TO 4000 FEET ABOVE MSL BY 12 UTC TONIGHT. -BPN && .MARINE...WEST SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THROUGH TONIGHT AND EVENTUALLY STABILIZE AT AROUND 10 FEET ON MONDAY. VARIOUS SWELL TRAINS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...KEEPING SEAS AT AROUND 10 FEET THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A WEAK FRONT WILL PASS OVER THE WATERS TODAY...PRODUCING LIGHT NORTH WINDS (15-20 KT) BEHIND IT INTO MONDAY EVENING. A STRONGER FRONT IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THIS WILL BRING SOLID SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS TO ALL WATERS WITH GALES POSSIBLE OVER THE WATERS NORTH OF CAPE BLANCO. THE MODELS ARE STARTING TO SHOW SOME CONSISTENCY WITH THIS SOLUTION...THUS WILL PROBABLY NEED TO HOIST A GALE WATCH OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MODEL CYCLES IF THIS TREND HOLDS. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY LOOK QUIET...BUT ANOTHER MODERATELY STRONG FRONT IS POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND AND PERHAPS ANOTHER EARLY NEXT WEEK. -WRIGHT/BPN && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 353 AM PDT MON APR 21 2014/ DISCUSSION...THE COLD FRONT IS MOVING INTO THE COASTAL WATERS THIS MORNING. THIS FRONT IS ON TRACK TO BRING GUSTY WINDS TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE WEST SIDE AND VERY GUSTY WINDS IN THE KLAMATH AND GOOSE LAKE BASINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SO FAR WIND SPEEDS DON`T APPEAR TO BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR A WIND ADVISORY BUT THIS BEARS WATCHING NONETHELESS. HOWEVER WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BE VERY STRONG AT THE UPPER HALF OF MOUNT SHASTA (50+ MPH) AND ANY HIKERS NEED TO TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. SHORT TERM GUIDANCE DOES NOT BRING RAIN TO INLAND VALLEYS UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. THIS LOOKS REASONABLE AS UPPER LEVEL STEERING FLOW IS ALMOST PARALLEL TO THE FRONT. ALSO WITH LACK OF STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS..WE SHOULD SEE MINIMUM DOWNSLOPING EFFECT AND THE ROGUE VALLEY COULD SEE RAIN ALONG THE FRONT AS IT MOVES INLAND THIS EVENING. THE FRONT MAY ALSO HAVE A FEW WAVES DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT WHICH SHOULD HELP SLOW THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION. TONIGHT A SERIES OF STRONG WILL MOVE INLAND. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM IS FAIRLY DEEP AND SHOWS A NEGATIVELY TILTED PROFILE. THERE WILL ALSO BE A STRONG ONSHORE FLOW WHICH WILL HELP ENHANCE PRECIPITATION ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND TIMING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO HALF AN INCH OF RAIN IN THE PARTS OF THE ROGUE AND UMPQUA VALLEYS ARE NOT UNREASONABLE FOR TONIGHT TIME FRAME. PRECIPITATION IS MUCH LIGHTER EAST OF THE CASCADES OVERNIGHT BUT THE KLAMATH BASIN IS EXPECTED TO PICK UP TOWARD TUESDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN RATHER HIGH TONIGHT AND THIS SHOULD NOT AFFECT TRAVEL ACROSS THE MAJOR PASSES. COOLER NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING SNOW LEVELS DOWN ON TUESDAY. CURRENT FORECAST CALLS FOR THE SNOW LEVELS TO LOWER TO AROUND 3500 TO 4000 FEET TUESDAY. THIS WILL DEFINITELY IMPACT TRAVELS ACROSS THE CASCADES WITH A FEW INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE AND LESSER IMPACT OVER THE SISKIYOU PASSES. WEAK SHORT WAVE RIDGING MOVES INTO THE AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION CHANCE DECREASES SOMEWHAT BUT THIS WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS A WARM FRONT WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN TO THE COAST WEDNESDAY. THIS WARM FRONT WILL BRING VERY GUSTY WINDS TO THE COASTAL AREA WEDNESDAY WITH RAIN SPREADING INLAND. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE ON WEDNESDAY. THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK COULD SEE SIGNIFICANT RAIN AT LEAST FOR SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH HIGH LEVEL OF MOISTURE TRANSPORT FROM THE PACIFIC. /FB && .MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ030-031. CA...NONE. PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS UNTIL 5 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR PZZ350-356-370-376. $$ CC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NWS MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1037 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... A NARROW BAND OF RAIN SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDER HAS DEVELOPED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL WI. THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER SHORTWAVE APPROACHING FROM THE SW AND SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE STATE. RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF UPPER JET OVER SE CANADA ALSO PROVIDING SOME FORCING. HRRR AND RAP MODELS SLIDE THIS BAND TO THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE ANOTHER BROKEN BAND COMES THROUGH IN THE EVENING WITH THE SURFACE COLD FRONT. NAM AND NMM INDICATE MU CAPE 600 TO 1600 J/KG ACROSS THE CWA SO THUNDERSTORMS STILL A POSSIBILITY THROUGH THE DAY. ATMOSPHERE IS VERY MOIST SO HEAVIER RAIN SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE. 12Z GRB SOUNDING STILL INDICATES PW VALUES 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT ABOUT 1 INCH. MODELS SWEEP THE HIGH PW AXIS QUICKLY TO THE SOUTHEAST AND OUT OF THE CWA LATE THIS EVENING. TEMPS STILL ON TRACK FOR LOWER 70S TODAY. DRIER AND COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT ENDING PRECIP CHANCES LATE IN THE EVENING. && .AVIATION/18Z TAFS/... SHOWERS WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. THOUGH THERE IS CURRENTLY SOME ACTIVITY FROM THE WATERTOWN AREA SOUTHWEST THROUGH MUCH OF DANE COUNTY...MANY LOCATIONS WILL LIKELY STAY DRY UNTIL THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SOME LOWER CIGS/VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN HEAVIER SHOWERS/STORMS...BUT OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH TUESDAY. RAIN CHANCES WILL WIND DOWN FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST LATER AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...WITH DRY WEATHER THEN EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND TUESDAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 325 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014/ TODAY AND TONIGHT...FORECAST CONFIDENCE - MEDIUM. FOCUS OF THIS FORECAST ON PRECIP THREAT TODAY. WATER VAPOR PLUME OF DEEPER MID-UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE HAS BEEN SPREADING INTO WISCONSIN OVERNIGHT. COLUMN PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 1 AND 1.25 INCHES TODAY OVER SRN WI...AHEAD OF SHARPENING MID-LEVEL TROUGH. PWAT VALUES AT THIS RANGE FOR MID-APRIL ARE ABOUT 150-200 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND ABOVE THE 75TH PERCENTILE... APPROACHING 2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS AT KGRB. INITIAL SURGE OF MOISTURE HELPING TO TRIGGER SCATTERED -SHRA EARLY THIS MRNG OVER SRN WI WITH MORE -SHRA INCREASING UPSTREAM OVER SOUTHEAST IA INTO WRN IL. WL KEEP SCT OR CHC POPS OVER MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH THE MID-MORNING WITH LIKELY WORDING CONTINUING IN THE FAR WEST CLOSER TO BETTER SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT. LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTN...PHASING OF STRONGER MID-LEVEL SHORT WAVE CURRENTLY IN VICINITY OF ND/MN BORDER INTO SRN CANADA WITH WEAKER WAVE MOVING THROUGH SRN STREAM. LAYER Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE INCREASES DURING THIS PERIOD BUT VALUES REMAIN LESS THAN 10 UNITS. CONSIDERING THAT RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF UPPER JET BRUSHES PORTIONS OF SRN WI LATER TODAY...RATHER SURPRISED Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE NOT A LITTLE STRONGER. NEVER THE LESS...WITH DEEP COLUMN MOISTURE IN PLACE...THINK SHOWERS AND SCT T WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD LATER THIS MRNG AND AFTN...SO INCREASED POPS TO CATEGORICAL FOR SEVERAL HOURS. MUCAPE INCREASES TO 500 TO 1000 J/KG BUT BULK SHEAR REMAINS LOW. NOT IMPOSSIBLE STRONGER T MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL LATER TODAY. ALSO...CORFIDI VECTORS REMAIN BETWEEN 5 TO 15 KNOTS DURING PEAK FORCING. WARM CLOUD DEPTH REMAINS LESS THAN 7K FEET...HOWEVER SOME LOCATIONS MAY RECEIVE SEVERAL BOUTS OF MODERATE SHRA/T THAT MAY RESULT IN ONE HALF INCH TO ONE INCH OF RAINFALL CAUSING LOCALIZED MINOR STREET FLOODING. SHARPENING MID-LEVEL TROUGH EXITS AREA FAIRLY QUICKLY DURING THE LATE AFTN AND EARLY EVENING AS DRIER...COLDER AIR SWEEPS IN. WL CARRY CHANCE POPS IN THE EARLY EVENING IN THE SOUTHEAST FOLLOWED BY CLEARING SKIES. BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING AND INFLUX OF DRIER AIR WILL PREVENT FOG FORMATION. TUESDAY CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS TO THE EAST WITH COLD ADVECTION CONTINUING. LOW LEVEL COLD POOL LINGERS FOR THE DAY WITH 850 TEMPS A DEGREE OR SO EITHER SIDE OF 0C. 925 TEMPS CONSIDERABLY COLDER AT ONLY 4-7C. THIS WILL LIKELY YIELD HIGHS OF ONLY IN THE 50S AT INLAND AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE INFLUENCE. MANY LAKESHORE LOCATIONS LIKELY TO STAY IN THE 40S. LOW LEVEL RH PROGS AS WELL AS MOS SHOWING A MUCH MORE GLANCING SHOT OF LOW LEVEL RH..MAINLY IN THE FAR EAST EARLY ON. HOWEVER MOS AND BUFKIT ARE REALLY SHOWING A VERY PARCHED LOOK SO LOOKS LIKE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE ON TAP. WEDNESDAY - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE SHIFTS EAST WITH SE LOW LEVEL FLOW. MID LEVEL RIDGE AXIS APPROACHES. LOW LEVEL WAA STARTS TO INCREASE. HOWEVER 850 JET CORE WELL WEST OF THE AREA THROUGH 18Z WITH DRY AIRMASS STILL IN PLACE. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS REVEAL THE VAST AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL DRY AIR TO OVERCOME EAST OF THE LLJ AXIS. THE NAM IS MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED IN THIS REGARD ESP IN THE ERN CWA...WITH THE GFS STILL SHOWING DRY AIR THOUGH NOT AS DEEP. MODELS ARE IN SYNC WITH KEEPING PRECIP LARGELY WEST OF CWA THROUGH 18Z...THEN SOME DIVERGENCE OCCURS IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE GEM/NAM ARE SLUGGISH TO EXPAND PRECIP INTO THE EAST...WHICH HAS MERIT GIVEN THE EXTENT OF DRY AIR ON THE PROGGD SOUNDINGS...WHILE THE GFS/ECMWF BRING QPF ALL THE WAY INTO ERN WI. WILL CONTINUE THE IDEA OF HAVING HIGHEST POPS IN THE WEST...IN BETTER PROXIMITY TO LOW LEVEL JET AXIS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM LLJ RAMPS UP AND TRANSLATES EAST INTO WI. GREATEST MOISTURE INFLUX ASSOCIATED WITH LLJ AND OVERALL PROGGD POSITION OF LLJ DYNAMICS FAVORS PORTIONS OF WRN AND NRN WI FOR THE BETTER/MORE ORGANIZED CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL. THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM POTENT SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS WITH BEST DCVA FROM LATE AFTN INTO THE ERLY EVE HOURS. SOME DISAGREEMENT ON POSITIONING OF SFC LOW CENTER WITH THE GFS MORE OF BLEND OF THE SRN ECMWF AND MORE NW GEM SOLUTIONS. CWASP VALUES ARE NOW JUST SHOWING 50S WITH THE BETTER VALUES FURTHER SOUTH OF THE STATE WHICH IS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED BY THE CIPS ANALOG GUIDANCE. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS ARE ALSO NOT SHOWING A VAST AMOUNT OF CAPE TO WORK WITH. SO WHILE A DECENT COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED...CONFIDENCE IN ORGANIZED SVR IS RATHER LOW AT THE MOMENT. FRIDAY - CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM COLD FRONT WILL HAVE SHIFTED OFF TO THE EAST BUT LOW PRESSURE SLOW TO DEPART THE REGION. SO EXPECTING A SHOWERY REGIME TO LINGER. SEVERAL SPOKES OF VORTICITY LIKELY TO BE ENHANCING LIFT IN ADDITION TO THE SURFACE/850 TROUGH AXES COMING INTO PLAY. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY - CONFIDENCE...LOW SUBSTANTIAL MODEL DIFFERENCES WITH THE GFS SHOWING A MORE PROLONGED INFLUENCE OF THE ERN UPPER TROUGH. MEANWHILE THE ECMWF IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THAT FEATURE WITH A RENEWED TROUGH MORE AGGRESSIVELY ADVANCING INTO THE PLAINS AND SETTING UP AN ACTIVE BAROCLINIC ZONE EVENT FROM IOWA INTO ILLINOIS WITH SRN WI ON THE NRN FRINGE OF PRECIP. ALLBLEND POPS TO HANDLE THIS FOR NOW WITH RAIN CHANCES IN THE EXTREME SW CWA SATURDAY AND EXPANDING CWA WIDE FOR SUNDAY. AVIATION/12Z TAFS/...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR BULK OF THIS FORECAST CYCLE. HOWEVER LIKELY TO BE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF PRECIP AFFECTING TAF SITES. BEST CHANCE LATER THIS MRNG THROUGH MID-LATE AFTN WHEN SCT T WILL BE IN THE VICINITY. BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ACCOMPANY SHRA/T AS WELL WITH LIKELY MVFR CIGS/VSBYS. PATCHY LIGHT FOG MAY AFFECT KMSN EARLY THIS MRNG AS WELL. MARINE...LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS WILL BECOME MORE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST THIS MORNING AND THEN VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST AHEAD OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS SOUTHWEST LAKE MI LATE AFTN AND EARLY EVE CAUSING WINDS TO CONTINUE VEERING TO THE NORTHWEST. ENOUGH OF A SURGE OF COLD AIR BEHIND FRONT TO CAUSE WIND GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS OVER THE NEARSHORE WATERS AS PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS. WL POST SMALL CRAFT ADVY FOR TNGT THRU TUE MRNG. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR LMZ643>646. && $$ UPDATE...SM/DDV TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION/MARINE...MBK TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...COLLAR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS PUEBLO CO
328 PM MDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 328 PM MDT MON APR 21 2014 ...INCREASING WINDS FOR TUESDAY... UPPER RIDGE AXIS HAS BEEN SHIFTING EASTWARD ACROSS CO THIS AFTERNOON WITH WEAK PV ANOMALY EXITING THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. SFC DEW POINTS HAVE DROPPED OFF INTO THE 20S ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA...WITH SOME LOWER TO MID 30S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS AND SOUTHERN I-25 CORRIDOR. AFTERNOON HEATING HAS TRIGGERED ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...BUT WITH LACK OF FORCING COVERAGE HAS BEEN PRETTY SPARSE AND LACK OF MOISTURE HAS LIMITED UPDRAFT STRENGTH. HRRR HAS BEEN TRENDING DRIER WITH EACH RUN...SO HAVE DECREASED POPS FOR THE EVENING HOURS...AND CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH QUICKLY THIS EVENING ONCE THE SUN GOES DOWN. SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT INCREASES FOR TUESDAY...WHICH SHOULD INCREASE WINDS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BY AFTERNOON. MOISTURE BEGINS TO INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...WITH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS SPREADING IN. WITH AFTERNOON HEATING...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON...THEN SPREAD OFF INTO THE ADJACENT PLAINS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. ONE CONCERN FOR TOMORROW IS THE POTENTIAL FOR NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE I-25 CORRIDOR. GFS IS DRIER WITH SFC DEW POINTS (UPPER 20S)...WHILE NAM ACTUALLY INCREASES THEM IN THE AFTERNOON (30S TO AROUND 40) AS CLOUDS INCREASE AND -SHRA/VIRGA DRIFT OFF THE MOUNTAINS. LATEST 4KM WRF ALSO SHOWS THIS MOISTENING TREND DURING THE AFTERNOON. FARTHER EAST...SOUTHERLY FLOW KEEPS MID- UPPER 30S ACROSS THE FAR EAST PLAINS WHICH RESULTS IN AFTERNOON HUMIDITIES IN THE 18-25% RANGE...TOO HIGH FOR FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS. QUITE A BIT OF HUERFANO COUNTY HAD SOME GOOD RAIN FROM THE SYSTEM OVER THE WEEKEND...SO THE MOST LIKE SPOTS FOR MARGINAL CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP WOULD BE PUEBLO COUNTY...SOUTHERN EL PASO...AND WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTIES. LOCAL WRF IS SLOW TO INCREASE WINDS ACROSS PUEBLO COUNTY UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON WHICH MAY LIMIT THE DURATION TO LESS THAN THE 3 HR REQUIRED MINIMUM. WITH ALL THESE MARGINAL CRITERIA...DECIDED NOT TO HOIST ANY FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS...BUT THIS WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY AS MORE HIGH RES MODELS BEGIN TO RESOLVE THESE FINER DETAILS. OTHERWISE...ANOTHER ROUND OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP. THESE WILL BE PRETTY HIGH BASED AND MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING AND ONLY SOME BRIEF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN SPOTTY AREAS. A MARGINALLY STRONG THUNDERSTORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A DIFFUSE DRY LINE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEAST PLAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON...BUT CAPES WILL ONLY BE RUNNING AROUND 500 J/KG OR LESS...WITH GUSTY WINDS THE PRIMARY STORM THREAT. -KT .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 328 PM MDT MON APR 21 2014 RELATIVELY ACTIVE LONGER TERM PATTERN SETTING UP OVER THE FORECAST DISTRICT...ESPECIALLY FROM THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. PRIMARY LONGER TERM METEOROLOGICAL CHALLENGES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO POPS...TEMPERATURES...ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AT TIMES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER/NEAR EASTERN SECTIONS AT TIMES. RECENT LONGER TERM FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS AND COMPUTER MODEL SIMULATIONS INDICATE THAT INITIAL UPPER DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE PRIMARILY TO THE NORTH OF THE CWFA FROM WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT ALLOWING FOR SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER MAINLY NORTHERN SECTIONS AS WELL AS INCREASED DRY SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE FLOW OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST DISTRICT...THEREFORE WILL ALLOW THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AS WELL AS OVER ALL OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS. IN ADDITION...A SURFACE DRY LINE IS EXPECTED TO SET-UP NEAR THE COLORADO/KANSAS BORDER WEDNESDAY...WITH THE SPC DAY 3 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK PAINTING A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY JUST EAST OF THE COLORADO/KANSAS BORDER. WFO PUEBLO WILL MONITOR CLOSELY. THEN BASICALLY DRY ZONAL TO SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN COLORADO FROM LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING IN ADVANCE OF NEXT APPROACHING SYSTEM. AT THIS TIME WILL DEPICT GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS DURING THIS TIME-FRAME IN COMBINATION WITH ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS OVER PORTIONS OF THE SAN LUIS VALLEY AND SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS. NEXT POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM IS PROJECTED TO BEGIN IMPACTING THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM LATER SATURDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. COMPUTER SIMULATIONS HAVE VARYING FORECAST TRACKS WITH THIS SYSTEM WITH GFS FURTHEST SOUTH AND ECMWF AND DGEX FURTHER NORTH THROUGH 18Z NEXT MONDAY. WFO PUEBLO WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE TRACK AND STRENGTH OF THIS POTENTIAL SYSTEM AS IT NEARS THE FORECAST DISTRICT BY THIS WEEKEND. FINALLY...ABOVE SEASONAL LATE APRIL TEMPERATURES ARE PROJECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST DISTRICT FROM TUESDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH BELOW SEASONAL TEMPERATURES THEN ANTICIPATED FROM LATER SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 328 PM MDT MON APR 21 2014 VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ISOLATED -SHRA/-TSRA WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...WITH A FEW WEAK CELLS MOVING INTO THE ADJACENT LOWER ELEVATIONS THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. PROBABILITIES OF ONE OF THESE IMPACTING THE TAF SITES LOOKS TOO SMALL AT THIS POINT TO WARRANT INCLUSION IN THE TAFS...THOUGH WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR GUSTY WINDS FROM OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AS THEY COME OFF THE MOUNTAINS. INCREASING SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED FOR TUESDAY...WHICH WILL PROBABLY START AT THE KCOS AND KALS TAF SITES DURING THE LATE MORNING TO AROUND THE NOON HOUR. GUSTY WINDS WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO SET IN AT KPUB. GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON. ANOTHER ROUND OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL SPREAD INTO THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. THESE WILL BE HIGH BASED AND MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE GUSTY ERRATIC WINDS AND LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH SOME BRIEF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL. -KT && .PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR COZ226>237. && $$
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DES MOINES IA
105 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... ISSUED AT 343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 STUBBORN COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY SWING THROUGH THE STATE TODAY AND BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FORECAST AREA DURING MUCH OF THE MORNING. FRONT LOOKS TO CREEP INTO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY AROUND 14-15Z AND CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEAST AND CLEAR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA BY AROUND 00Z TUESDAY OR SLIGHTLY SOONER. LEANED TOWARD THE SLOWER SREF/GFS/ECMWF WRT TO WINDS AND TEMPERATURES TODAY. 21.05Z HRRR IS A LITTLE TOO FAST WITH THE PRECIP MOVING EAST AND THE 21.03Z HOPWRF IS LIGHTER ON THE COVERAGE. REGARDLESS...UTILIZED A BLEND OF THE TWO FOR POPS/WX TRENDS THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY...THEN THE 21.03Z SREF/21.00Z HIRES-ARW/NMM FOR TRENDS THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE LOW LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST IOWA/SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA WITH COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO NEBRASKA. WEAK AND BROAD LARGE SCALE FORCING AHEAD THIS COLD FRONT AS WELL AS ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE TO FEED MOISTURE INTO THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING. INSTABILITY NOT IMPRESSIVE TODAY BUT ENOUGH AVAILABLE TO KEEP MENTION OF THUNDER. HAVE BULK OF THE HIGHER POPS OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN IOWA THROUGH 12-14Z BEFORE SHIFTING FURTHER SOUTHEAST LATE THIS MORNING. BELIEVE MUCH OF THE PRECIP WILL QUICKLY DISSIPATE PAST 18-20Z OR BE CONFINED TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA. HAVE NON-DIURNAL TEMPERATURE TREND MENTIONED ACROSS THE NORTH AS SHOULD SEE THE CAA DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. 850MB TEMPS DROP TO +4C TO +6C BY 18Z IN THE NORTH. GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH WINDS ATOP THE MIXED LAYER INCREASING TO AROUND 25 TO 30 KNOTS. MUCH DRIER AIR MASS FILTERS INTO THE STATE AS WELL WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS DROPPING INTO UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S OVER THE NORTHWEST. RH VALUES DECREASE TO NEAR 25 PERCENT ACROSS A SMALL WESTERN PORTION OF FORECAST AREA. THOUGH AN INCREASED FIRE WEATHER DANGER TODAY...HELD OFF ON RED FLAG WARNING DUE TO CRITERIA NOT BEING MET WIDESPREAD. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 343 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 EARLY IN THE PERIOD...FEW CONCERNS. SYSTEM ON THE WAY OUT BY 00Z TONIGHT WITH SECONDARY COLD FRONT NOW OVER NORTHERN MN DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...BRINGING DRIER AND COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION BY MORNING. DESPITE WARM TEMPS THE PAST FEW DAYS... MORNING LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE MUCH COOLER WITH MID 30S NORTH TO MID 40S SOUTH. TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE A NICE DAY WITH GENERALLY SUNNY SKIES AND A FEW FAIR WX CUMULUS DURING THE MID AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE DROPS SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY...KEEPING WINDS LIGHT. LITTLE MIXING TO PROMOTE MUCH WARMING OTHER THAN SUNSHINE...SO WILL STICK WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S NORTHEAST AND MID 60S ACROSS THE WEST. MODELS DIFFER SLIGHTLY ON TIMING OF UPSTREAM WAVE AND EXPECTED WARM AIR ADVECTION/CLOUDS AND APPROACHING SHOWERS FOR WED. OVERALL...INCREASE IN CLOUDS EXPECTED LATE DAY WEST TUESDAY WITH SHOWERS NEARING THE WESTERN BORDER BY 12Z. THOUGH THUNDER MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS AND NE...DRY AIR OVER IOWA WILL COOL AND DIMINISH INSTABILITY WHEN INITIAL PUSH OF MOISTURE ARRIVES. MODELS SHOW LITTLE INSTABILITY UNTIL AFTERNOON WED AND THAT AGAIN IS LESS THAN YESTERDAYS SOLUTIONS. THUS...HAVE TRIMMED AREAL COVERAGE OF THUNDER TO ISO WEST IN THE MORNING AND ISO EAST/SCT FAR WEST IN THE PM HOURS WEDNESDAY WITH THE FIRST REAL SURGE OF THETAE ADVECTION. AS THE SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION...CONFIDENCE IN EVOLUTION OF SYSTEM HAS LESSENED SLIGHTLY. MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE GENERAL TRENDS SIMILAR... BUT DETAILS DIFFER. OVERALL THE BETTER INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN WEST OF THE AREA UNTIL NEARER 00Z THUR...THEN WEAKEN OVERNIGHT PRIOR TO INCREASING AGAIN FROM LATE MORNING THUR THROUGH 00Z FRI. STILL SOME CONCERNS ABOUT OVERNIGHT CONVECTION ACROSS SOUTH/CENTRAL SECTIONS WED NIGHT AS SOME BULK SHEAR COULD AID SVR POTENTIAL. BOTH THE 00Z GFS AND THE 12Z/NEW 00Z EURO NOW SUGGEST THAT THE LOW WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS IA NEARLY EXITING OUR FORECAST AREA BY 18Z THUR...KEEPING THE BEST INSTABILITY AND SVR POTENTIAL EAST OF THE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. FOR NOW...WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR POTENTIAL BUT OVERALL CHANCES WOULD REMAIN CONDITIONAL ON ANY BETTER ALIGNMENT OF FORCING AND STRONGER INSTABILITY THURSDAY. BEYOND THUR AFTERNOON...MORE UNCERTAINTY IS ARISING IN THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST. MODELS HANDLING THE DEPARTURE OF THE SYSTEM WITH DIFFERING SPEED THUR NIGHT AND FRIDAY DUE TO A SECONDARY H500 SYSTEM OVER CENTRAL CANADA POTENTIALLY PHASING WITH THE DEPARTING H500 LOW. BOTH THE GEM/EURO TAKE THE FIRST SYSTEM EAST QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT MUCH PHASING WHILE THE GFS HOLDS ON TO A TROUGH EXTENDING WEST INTO MN. THIS RESULTS IN A FARTHER WEST RIDGE AXIS OVER CANADA THAT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND DRIVES THE JET STREAM FARTHER SOUTH...DIRECTLY NEXT WEEKENDS STORM SOUTH OF IOWA. THE GEM/EURO SHOW ONLY A SLIGHT DELAY IN TIMING AND STILL BRING RAIN BACK INTO THE AREA FOR THE WEEKEND. FOR NOW THE GFS SHOWS TOO DRASTIC A CHANGE FOR SUCH A SMALL H500 FEATURE. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...WILL CUT BACK ON POP CHANCE AT ONSET OF PRECIP EVENT NEXT SATURDAY BUT WILL STILL KEEP POP INCREASING WITH TIME THROUGH SUNDAY. TEMPS WILL HAVE EVEN GREATER UNCERTAINTY NOW...AS TIED TO CHANGES IN EVOLUTION AND TRACK OF WEEKEND UPPER AIR PATTERN AND STORM TRACK. NEWEST 21/00Z EURO STILL KEEPS TREND OF WET WEATHER NEXT WEEKEND...WHILE THE GFS REMAINS DRY. OVERALL THE EURO TENDS TO PERFORM MORE CONSISTENTLY AFTER FCST 120 HOURS SO WILL LEAN TOWARD GEM/EURO SOLUTIONS OF WETTER WEATHER SAT/SUN. AS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS NIGHTS AFDS...THERE IS A CONSISTENT SIGNAL OF ENERGY STRETCHING FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL PACIFIC EAST TO THE PLAINS...WHICH WOULD FAVOR INCLEMENT WEATHER HERE. && .AVIATION...21/18Z ISSUED AT 1257 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 COLD FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA WILL EXIT INTO ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG NORTHWEST SURFACE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE DIMINISHING SOME THIS EVENING AS MIXING DECREASES. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VICINITY OF KOTM WILL DEPART WITH THE FRONT AS WELL. SCATTERED AREAS OF MVFR CEILINGS WILL GIVE WAY TO WIDESPREAD VFR CONDITIIONS BY THIS EVENING ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL IOWA WITH THESE CONDITIONS PERSISTING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...PODRAZIK LONG TERM...REV AVIATION...COGIL
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS DODGE CITY KS
1205 PM CDT Mon Apr 21 2014 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 950 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Water vapor imagery and 12Z upper air analysis indicate an upper level shortwave trough transitioning eastward across the Central Plains. Meanwhile, upper level ridging is shifting eastward across the Intermountain West. Near the surface, a weak cold front extends from southeastern Colorado northeast across west central Kansas into southeastern Nebraska. High pressure is building behind the front across the Colorado Rockies. && .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) ISSUED AT 317 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 The main shortwave trough is depicted by the models to move into eastern Kansas this morning. The RUC model has picked up on the MCV over central Kansas and moves it southward into northwest Oklahoma today in the northwesterly flow on the backside of the trough. Model soundings show instability around 600-800 j/kg of CAPE as a mid level cold pool moves southeast across western Kansas today. Given the forcing with the MCV and a nearly uncapped sounding profile this afternoon over south central Kansas, will add some slight chance pops for showers and isolated thunder to the forecast. Things will quiet down fairly quickly late this afternoon and early evening as a ridge of surface high pressure moves east through the High Plains. Winds will become light and variable in the evening and gradually swing around to the southeast and south. Overnight lows will be the coolest over central Kansas where low to mid 40s are expected. Lows will drop into the upper 40s to around 50 along the Colorado border where increasing southerly winds will help keep temperatures up a few degrees more. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) ISSUED AT 414 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 An upper ridge will be transitioning eastward across the Great Plains on Tuesday. Surface pressure falls along the lee of the Rockies and the retreating surface high pressure across the Missouri valley will create a moisture transport zone over the central High Plains, effectively causing an increasing in surface and 850 mb dew points across western and central Kansas. Afternoon heating across the higher terrain around the Palmer Divide will allow thunderstorms to form and be steered eastward into this moisture and instability axis. Some thunderstorms could move into western Kansas through the evening hours most likely around Syracuse. With a lack of dynamics, convection should be mainly diurnally driven, and as a result dry weather is likely through the overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning with mild lows. An upper wave will be approaching the region Wednesday with several impacts. A decent surface pressure gradient will be in place as much drier air mixes out eastward though the morning and afternoon. The overall momentum transfer will probably be negatively influenced by mid level cloud decks indicated on model soundings and may even prevent a high wind event given 0-1 km mean winds on the order of 35-40 knots. Additionally a set up for severe storms will exist along and ahead of the dryline as the atmosphere destabilizes through the morning. Potential for rotating supercells exist with NAM model suggesting around 2-3 m2/s2 EHI(3km) with up to round 2000 J/kg of surface based CAPE ahead of the dryline feature. Good subsidence should follow in behind this dryline overnight into Thursday morning. Dry and warm conditions will likely follow into Friday as the next flat upper ridge settle across the region. Additional thunderstorm chances are in the forecast later in the weekend and early nextweek associated with yet another west coast jet carving a trough into the southern Rockies by the GFS and ECMWF. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Tuesday afternoon) ISSUED AT 1203 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 VFR conditions will prevail at all TAF sites through early Tuesday morning. Northeasterly winds of 15 to 25kt will continue through late this afternoon behind a weak cold front pushing southeast across south central Kansas into Oklahoma. Winds will then subside this evening while becoming more easterly as surface high pressure moves from the Colorado Rockies into the Western High Plains. Southerly winds of 10 to 20kt will develop early Tuesday morning as the surface high shifts further east into eastern Kansas. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 414 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Elevated fire danger is expected for Tuesday as breezy southerly winds and dew points in the 20s prevail through the day. A more significant risk is expected Wednesday as a dryline moves as far east as highway 283 by afternoon with strong gusty surface winds. Fire weather watches and eventually red flag warnings may be issued in the coming forecast shifts especially for areas west of Highway 83 for Wednesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 76 45 80 56 / 10 0 0 10 GCK 75 45 82 57 / 10 0 10 10 EHA 74 50 83 58 / 10 0 10 10 LBL 76 48 83 58 / 10 0 0 10 HYS 75 43 75 56 / 80 0 10 20 P28 76 47 78 55 / 30 0 0 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...JJohnson SHORT TERM...Gerard LONG TERM...Russell AVIATION...JJohnson FIRE WEATHER...Russell
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS PADUCAH KY
302 PM CDT Mon Apr 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Wednesday night) Issued at 301 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Radar has been showing light showers and sprinkles across parts of the area all day, with the greatest concentration over southeast Missouri and southwest IN. It it fairly dry in the lowest levels in some places across the east, and sprinkles were noted in those areas. Cold front is still poised well off to our west and will continue making eastward progress later today and tonight. Short term models have not done well with the ongoing precipitation. The HRRR did pretty well early on but now the RAP models seems to be doing ok. As the front approaches and until its departure, we will continue to have scattered convection. The problem will be where and when to place the best POPS as lift with this system is not too strong. Will maintain at least scattered to likely wording for now. With all the cloud cover, instability has been hard to come by, but new thunderstorms are forming over northern Arkansas this afternoon, which have some hope of moving into parts of the area. Showers should quickly taper off from northwest to southeast between 05z and 10z Tuesday, with just a few showers possibly lingering in our far southeast counties early Tuesday morning. High pressure will build over the upper Mississippi valley Tuesday, sliding slowly east over the Great Lakes region by Wednesday. Winds out of the north on Tuesday will gradually shift to the east by Wednesday, which will help give us cooler, near seasonal conditions, as 900 mb temps drop back down into the single digits. The region should see quite a bit of sunshine by Tuesday afternoon and again on Wednesday with dry air in place over the area. Clouds will increase late Wednesday night with increasing moisture ahead of our next weather system. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Monday) Issued at 301 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 The 12Z models are in fairly good agreement in bringing the southern end of a mid/upper level trough eastward through the area, with a cold front, Thursday afternoon and evening. The upper system is negatively tilted, so there should be enough forcing to overcome very meager instability and create a band of showers and thunderstorms near the front. Wind fields will be pretty good, but instability is lacking, so would not expect much of a severe threat. A stray strong storm cannot be ruled out, though. given the speed of the system, would not expect much of a heavy rain threat either. The cold front Thursday is quite weak, so temperatures will still be well into the 70s for highs on Friday with plenty of sunshine. However, all bets are off beginning Friday night, as the models diverge significantly in the details for our region. The GFS is the most amplified in developing a Omega blocking pattern centered on our region. It is particularly strong with its eastern trough, and pushes a significant cold front through the area Friday night and Saturday morning. This should be a dry frontal passage. The GFS ends up with a very skinny ridge running northward right through our region. This would keep the eastern half of the area under the influence of the cool surface high and precipitation free over the weekend. The question would be how much convective activity would slip southeast over our western areas from Saturday night on through Monday. The ECMWF is quite a bit less amplified with the east coast trough, and has varied considerably with the southward push of the cold front. The 12Z version stalls the east-west oriented front right through our region, and has a rather wet forecast from Saturday night through at least Monday. The GFS looks too amplified, but the ECMWF has not been very consistent in its frontal/precipitation details. Will have small pops mainly in the west Saturday night and Sunday, and then just broad brush 30 to 40 PoPs for Sunday night through Monday night. Temperatures will be tricky given the different synoptic possibilities, but in general, they should be at or above normal through Sunday and then fall below normal for Monday. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1230 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 Scattered showers continue across southeast Missouri and are working their way northeast. Additional showers are also trying to develop over southwest IN. A front is poised well off to our west...and the atmosphere will continue to moisten up in the lower levels. Scattered rain showers and possible thunderstorms will be possible for the rest of the afternoon. Tried to time the best chances for precipitation near/along the front late this afternoon and early this evening. Precip will shut off/move east of the area later tonight and with the front passage will come a wind shift as well. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. MO...NONE. IN...NONE. KY...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DRS LONG TERM...CW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
417 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 415 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS SHOW A SPLIT FLOW REGIME ACROSS THE CNTRL AND ERN CONUS. IN THE NRN STREAM...A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE WAS MOVING ACROSS NRN ONTARIO JUST TO THE N OF LAKE SUPERIOR. IN THE SRN STREAM...ANOTHER WAVE WAS MOVING ACROSS THE MID AND LWR MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. DESPITE STRENGTH AND PROXIMITY OF NRN STREAM WAVE...IT`S ONLY BEEN IN THE LAST HR THAT ISOLD -SHRA HAVE MANAGED TO DEVELOP ALONG ASSOCIATED SFC COLD FRONT WHICH IS RUNNING FROM NEAR ISLE ROYALE ACROSS THE KEWEENAW AND THEN S THRU IRON COUNTY. LIMITED COVERAGE IS DUE TO LACK OF INSTABILITY AND THE FACT THAT DEEP LAYER FORCING WITH WAVE IS PASSING MOSTLY N OF UPPER MI. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HRS...WILL CARRY MAINLY ISOLD -SHRA COVERAGE ALONG COLD FRONT AS IT SWEEPS E. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO HEALTHY CAA AND LOW CLOUD/-FZDZ/DZ POTENTIAL. WITH 850MB TEMPS FALLING TO AROUND -8C...LAKE EFFECT PCPN WON`T BE A CONCERN TONIGHT INTO TUE MORNING. HOWEVER...MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SIGNIFICANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTENING TONIGHT WHICH APPEARS ON TRACK GIVEN IFR CIGS THAT WERE OBSERVED UPSTREAM IN NRN MN/ADJACENT ONTARIO EARLIER TODAY. DAYTIME HEATING HAS RAISED CIGS...BUT CLOUDS CONTINUE TO HEAD SE EVEN THOUGH SLOWED BY MIXING OUT OF MOISTURE AT THE LEADING EDGE. ONCE DAYTIME HEATING DIMINISHES...CLOUDS WILL MAKE A QUICKER RUN TO THE SE INTO UPPER MI. EXAMINATION OF FCST SOUNDINGS SHOW MOISTURE DEPTH INCREASES TO 800 TO 700MB...AND WITH TEMPS WITHIN THE MOISTURE DEPTH WARMER THAN -10C...PRESENCE OF ICE CRYSTALS IS UNLIKELY. SO...IF THERE IS ANY PCPN...PTYPE SHOULD BE JUST -DZ/-FZDZ. HOWEVER...SINCE MODEL TREND HAS BEEN FOR MOISTURE DEPTH TO BE DEEPER AND CLOSER TO -10C...WILL INCLUDE A MENTION OF FLURRIES AS WELL. WHILE CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH...WILL CONTINUE WITH LOW POPS FOR -DZ/-FZDZ/FLURRIES OVERNIGHT THRU TUE MORNING...MAINLY IN THE AREAS WHERE UPSLOPING OCCURS WITH A NNW WIND. WITH THE BETTER MOISTURE OVER THE E...WILL NOT MENTION ANY PCPN OVER THE FAR W. ON TUE...IT APPEARS NOW THAT CLEARING TREND WILL BE SLOWER WITH 850MB TROF FIRMLY OVER THE FCST AREA AT 18Z. ANY LOCATIONS THAT START THE DAY WITH SOME SUNSHINE WILL SEE CU/STRATOCU RAPIDLY DEVELOP. DURING THE MID AND LATE AFTN...THE LAKE WILL BECOME A STABILIZING INFLUENCE...RESULTING IN CLOUDS CLEARING OUT OVER THE LAKE FIRST. THEN...THE CLEARING WILL SPREAD INLAND. WITH GRADIENT N/NW WINDS ENHANCED BY LAKE BREEZE...IT WILL BE A BLUSTERY/SHARPLY COLDER DAY WITH TEMPS 20 TO POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS 30 DEGREES COLDER IN SOME SPOTS. IT WILL BE ESPECIALLY CHILLY ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR WHERE TEMPS WON`T GET ABOVE THE MID 30S AT BEST. OVER THE FAR SCNTRL...TEMPS MAY RISE TO AROUND 50F. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 409 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION ON TUESDAY WILL LEAD TO A DRY PERIOD FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND MUCH OF WEDNESDAY. THERE MAY BE A FEW LINGERING CLOUDS OVER THE FAR EAST TO START THE EVENING...BUT OTHERWISE EXPECT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE U.P. LOWS ON TUESDAY NIGHT WILL BE BELOW NORMAL AND IN THE 20S FOR MOST LOCATIONS. DID TREND SOME OF THE INTERIOR COLD SPOTS IN THE TEENS SINCE THE HIGH WILL BE OVERHEAD AND PWATS OF 40-45 PERCENT OF NORMAL WOULD SUPPORT GOING AT OR BELOW MOS GUIDANCE. THE APRIL SUNSHINE SHOULD HELP WARM TEMPS BACK CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR WEDNESDAY. LIGHT WINDS WILL GRADUALLY TURN TO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE AFTERNOON...BUT THEY SHOULD BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO ALLOW LAKE BREEZES TO DEVELOP NEAR THE GREAT LAKES SHORELINES AND KEEP TEMPERATURES COOLER THERE. THE BULK OF THE LONG TERM FORECAST DEALS WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT MOVES THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND LIKELY CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY. THIS UPPER TROUGH IS CURRENTLY WEST OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND WILL COME ONSHORE TONIGHT. AS THIS SYSTEM CROSSES THE ROCKIES...A SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE LEE OF THE CANADIAN/NORTHERN ROCKIES AND SHIFT EAST INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON THURSDAY. AS THIS OCCURS...BROAD ISENTROPIC ASCENT ON THE 290-305K SURFACES WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST INTO UPPER MICHIGAN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS FIRST WAVE WILL STEADILY PUSH NORTHEAST THROUGH THURSDAY...WHILE A SECONDARY WAVE OF PRECIPITATION MOVES IN ON THURSDAY AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS MOVES INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND NEARS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. THIS UPPER TROUGH WILL SHIFT THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...BUT WITH THE MOISTURE PRESENT AND FORCING FROM THE UPPER TROUGH...WOULD EXPECT LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS TO BE ONGOING OVER THE AREA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION TYPE IS VERY TRICKY AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE VARYING SOLUTIONS IN THE MODELS WITH THE THERMAL FIELD WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. AS THE INITIAL SURGE OF PRECIP MOVES INTO THE AREA...IT ENCOUNTERS A ISOTHERMAL LAYER FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH 700MB WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR JUST ABOVE FREEZING. THIS LAYER REMAINS STEADY THROUGH MUCH OF THURSDAY. AS FOR THE MODELS...THE 12Z GFS HAS TRENDED A LITTLE COOLER COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS RUNS...THE 12Z ECMWF REMAINS THE COOLEST AND THE 12Z GEM IS IN BETWEEN INITIALLY. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET TOO SPECIFIC IN THESE SITUATIONS AS JUST A SLIGHT CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 925-700MB OF 1-2C ONE WAY OR ANOTHER CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE PRECIP TYPE AND ASSOCIATED IMPACTS. THUS...WILL FOLLOW AN IDEA OF RAIN/SNOW MIX WITH THE INITIAL SURGE OF PRECIP AND LIKELY TRANSITIONING TO MORE RAIN DURING THE DAY THURSDAY (OVER THE SOUTH HALF). THE NORTHWARD EXTENT OF THIS TRANSITION IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT AND WILL PLACE IT OVER THE NORTH HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. COLDER AIR WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW SHIFTS EAST ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN AND LEAD TO A TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW INTO FRIDAY. BY THE TIME THE PRECIPITATION WILL START TO TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW...THE HEAVIEST RATES WILL HAVE DEPARTED THE AREA AND EXPECT MORE OF A SCATTERED/LIGHT PRECIP TO REMAIN. WILL CONTINUE THE PREVIOUS SHIFTS IDEA OF THE HIGHEST QPF OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA AND AROUND 0.5-1.0IN THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. THAT MATCHES UP WELL WITH SOME OF THE ECMWF/GFS QPF PROBS. AS MENTIONED EARLIER...SNOW POTENTIAL IS TRICKY BUT THE SLIGHTLY COOLER TREND SEEN IN THE 12Z MODELS CREATES CONCERN FOR MEASURABLE (AND POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT) SNOWFALL OVER THE KEWEENAW DUE TO ITS CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE COLDER AIR TO THE NORTH. FINALLY FOR THIS SYSTEM...THE COLD AIR AND BREEZING CONDITIONS SURGING IN BEHIND THE LOW ON FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY WILL MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE MARCH ACROSS THE AREA. WIND CHILL VALUES FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY WILL BE IN THE TEENS AND 20S WITH THE LOWEST VALUES NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. MODELS DO DIFFER ON HOW QUICKLY THE UPPER TROUGH DEPARTS THIS WEEKEND...SO THE FORECAST FOR THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK IS UNCERTAIN. EVEN WITH THIS UNCERTAINTY...THE GENERAL IDEA OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK SEEMS REASONABLE AS A HUDSON BAY HIGH BECOMES STATIONARY AND LEADS TO DRY NORTHEASTERLY FLOW. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DEPEND ON THE NEXT UPPER TROUGH THAT LOOKS TO BE LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS AND AT THIS TIME MAY BE FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO KEEP THE AREA DRY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 118 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 DRY LOW-LEVEL AIR MASS WILL ALLOW VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THIS AFTN AT KIWD/KCMX/KSAW. ALTHOUGH COLD FRONT HAS PASSED KIWD/KCMX AND WILL REACH KSAW IN THE NEXT FEW HRS...DRY AIR MASS SHOULD PREVENT ANY -SHRA FROM OCCURRING AT KSAW. TONIGHT...GUSTY NW WINDS THAT WILL APPROACH 30KT AT THE MORE EXPOSED KCMX LOCATION WILL DRAW MUCH COLDER AIR AS WELL AS LOW CLOUDS INTO THE UPPER LAKES. MVFR CIGS WILL ARRIVE FIRST AT KCMX...EARLY THIS EVENING...AND THEN DURING THE MID TO LATE EVENING AT KIWD/KSAW. CIGS WILL LIKELY FALL FURTHER TO LOW MVFR AT KCMX/KSAW DURING THE NIGHT...AND IFR CIGS MAY EVENTUALLY DEVELOP LATE. ARRIVAL OF DRIER AIR WILL RESULT IN CLOUDS CLEARING OUT AT KIWD LATE TUE MORNING OR EARLY AFTN. CLEARING WILL OCCUR LATER IN THE DAY AT KCMX/KSAW WITH KSAW THE LATEST. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 415 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY PASSING ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR...NW WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15-30KT TONIGHT. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN A CORRIDOR FROM NCNTRL TO SCNTRL/SE LAKE SUPERIOR WHERE SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS WILL PROBABLY OCCUR...MOSTLY IN THE OVERNIGHT/EARLY TUE MORNING TIME PERIOD. THESE STONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH FROM W TO E TUE INTO TUE EVENING AS A HIGH PRES RIDGE ARRIVES. WINDS WILL FALL TO UNDER 15KT TUE NIGHT WITH LIGHT WINDS LINGERING THRU AT LEAST WED MORNING AS HIGH PRES SLOWLY EXITS TO THE E. OVER WRN LAKE SUPERIOR...NE WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE WED AFTN. AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS LATER IN THE WEEK AND THE GRADIENT SHARPENS AGAIN...EASTERLY WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THU. WINDS WILL THEN BACK AROUND TO THE N FRI AS THE LOW PASSES ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS LOW...THERE COULD SOME GALE FORCE WINDS...POSSIBLY OVER WRN LAKE SUPERIOR AHEAD OF THE LOW AND THEN OVER CNTRL AND ERN LAKE SUPERIOR AS THE LOW PASSES TO THE E. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 409 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 ANOTHER ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE DAY WAS SEEN ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN TODAY...WITH HIGHS RISING INTO THE 50S TO LOWER 70S OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. THESE WARM TEMPERATURES AND SUNSHINE HAS LIKELY LED TO ANOTHER GOOD DAY OF MELTING IN THE AREAS THAT HAVE SNOW REMAINING. STARTED TO SEE THE SECOND WAVE OF SNOW MELT RISES ON THE AREA RIVERS YESTERDAY AND WILL CONTINUES TO SEE THAT INTO TONIGHT. BUT COLDER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON TUESDAY SHOULD REALLY SLOW THE MELT AND IN TURN LIMIT ADDITIONAL RISES. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ADDING TO THE RUNOFF. AT THIS POINT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE OVER THE WEST HALF OF UPPER MI...AND SPECIFICALLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...WHERE 0.50-1.00 INCH OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH WILL FALL AS RAIN AND HOW MUCH WILL FALL AS SNOW...BUT THE BEST CHANCE OF SNOW WILL BE OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE FCST AS THE TIME NEARS. SO FAR THE LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RISES HAVE BEEN ALSTON/ALSM4/ ON THE STURGEON RIVER...ROCKLAND/RKLM4/ ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER...CRYSTAL FALLS/CRYM4/ ON THE PAINT RIVER...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE HYDE/FRDM4/ ON THE FORD RIVER (WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN FROM AN ICE JAM). WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT FORESEEN AT THIS TIME...ALTHOUGH SOME LOCATIONS MAY NEAR BANKFULL. HOWEVER...ANY RIVER THAT HAS ICE REMAINING ON IT...ESPECIALLY THE ESCANABA RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY...COULD EXPERIENCE AN ICE JAM WITH THE RISING RIVER LEVELS THIS WEEK. THOSE LIVING AROUND RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR BOTH RIVER LEVELS AND ICE CONDITIONS. ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK QUICKLY...RESULTING IN RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RIVER LEVELS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...ROLFSON LONG TERM...SRF AVIATION...ROLFSON MARINE...ROLFSON HYDROLOGY...SRF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
410 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 00Z RAOBS/LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS SHOW A SPLIT FLOW REGIME ACRS THE CONUS WITH A STRONGER W-E POLAR BRANCH FLOW NEAR THE CNDN BORDER TO THE N OF A WEAKER SRN BRANCH OVER THE SCENTRAL STATES. SHRTWV RDG EMBEDDED IN THE POLAR BRANCH AND OVER NE MN/NW ONTARIO AS WELL AS VERY DRY AIR SHOWN ON THE 00Z INL/MPX RAOBS ARE BRINGING DRY WX TO UPR MI THIS MRNG EXCEPT OVER FAR SRN MENOMINEE COUNTY...WHERE SOME ISOLD -SHRA ARE STILL PRESENT ON THE NRN EDGE OF RIBBON OF DEEPER MSTR STRUNG W-E THRU THE CENTRAL LKS AND SAMPLED BY THE FAIRLY MOIST 00Z GRB RAOB. MORE WDSPRD SHRA/EMBEDDED TS ARE PRESENT OVER SW WI/FAR SE MN UNDER DEEPER MSTR/SOME UPR DVGC AHEAD OF DISTURBANCE ON THE NRN EDGE OF SRN BRANCH FLOW. ALTHOUGH COLDER CLOUD TOPS ARE EXPANDING TOWARD THE WI BORDER TO THE NE OF THESE SHOWERS...THE LOWER LVL W FLOW OF VERY DRY AIR FM THE DIRECTION OF MPX IS LIMITING THE N SPREAD OF THE SHRA LOCATED JUST S OF THAT RAOB SITE. OTRW...SOME LOCALLY DENSE FOG HAS FORMED OVER THE CENTRAL/ERN CWA AS THE DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVED OVER LOCATIONS THAT DID NOT SEE SGNFT LLVL DRYING YDAY AFTN. OVER THE W WHERE SFC DEWPTS MIXED OUT AS LO AS 25-30 AT IWD ON SUN AND TEMPS ARE STILL ABV 32 AT MOST SPOTS...THERE IS LTL IF ANY FOG. A MUCH STRONGER SHRTWV IN THE POLAR BRANCH FLOW IS NEAR LK WINNIPEG AND MOVING STEADILY TO THE E. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHOWERS AND EVEN SOME LGT STRIKES IN MANITOBA RIGHT UNDER THE STEEPER LAPSE RATES CLOSE TO THE CORE OF THIS DISTURBANCE. BUT SINCE THIS SHRTWV IS CUTOFF FM THE MOISTER AIRMASS TO THE S... THERE IS ONLY A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG ITS ATTENDANT COLD FNT MOVING THRU NW MN EARLY THIS MRNG. MAIN FCST CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM INVOLVE FOG EARLY THIS MRNG AND THEN PCPN CHCS LATER TODAY/TNGT AS POLAR BRANCH SHRTWV/ATTENDANT COLD FNT IMPACT UPR MI. TODAY...EXPECT LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO PERSIST EARLY THIS MRNG OVER THE SE HALF OF THE CWA...BUT INCRSG HI CLDS SHOULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR WDSPRD DENSE FOG. WL ISSUE AN SPS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO LOCALLY REDUCED VSBYS. SHRTWV NEAR LK WINNIPEG IS FCST TO MOVE E THRU NW ONTARIO AND DRAG IT ATTENDANT COLD FNT ACRS UPR MI THIS AFTN. SINCE BULK OF DPVA/DEEP LYR QVECTOR CNVGC WL REMAIN TO THE N AND JUST BRUSH THE NRN LAND CWA...SUSPECT ONLY ISOLD-SCT SHOWERS WL ACCOMPANY THE FROPA. ALMOST ALL THE MODELS THAT WERE SHOWING A GREATER INTERACTION BTWN THIS SHRTWV/DEEPER MSTR TO THE S AND SGNFT EXPANSION OF THIS MSTR/SHOWERS INTO UPR MI HAVE RETREATED A BIT FM THIS FCST...A REASONABLE TREND CONSIDERING THE VERY DRY NATURE OF THE 00Z MPX RAOB AND LACK OF SGNFT BACKING OF THE UPR FLOW FM THE W THRU THE DAY. THE 00Z HI RES CNDN MODEL SHOWS THE HEAVIER PCPN OVERSPREADING MOST OF UPR MI ALONG WITH THE MOST UNSTABLE MIXED LYR CAPES AOA 1000 J/KG. FCST SDNGS FM THIS MODEL SHOW FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE MOISTENING THRU THE LOWER TROP WITH SFC DEWPTS RISING TO ARND 55...WHICH DOES NOT SEEM RSNBL IN THE ABSENCE OF A DEEPER SW FLOW. THE 00Z NAM SHOWS MORE MODEST MOISTENING/DESTABILIZATION OVER THE SCENTRL. WL CARRY THE HIER CHC POPS THIS AFTN WHERE THIS MODEL SHOWS THE GREATER INSTABILITY UP TO 700-800 J/KG OVER THE SCNTRL. INCLUDED A SCHC OF TS IN THIS AREA AS WELL GIVEN ARRIVAL OF COLD FNT DURING PEAK HEATING TIME THAT WL PUSH TEMPS WELL ABV NORMAL AGAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF H85 TEMPS NOT FAR FM 10C AND AWAY FM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF THE LKS. COOLER AIR WL ARRIVE OVER THE W LATER IN THE DAY FOLLOWING THE FROPA. TNGT...NW FLOW WITH H925 WINDS UP TO 25-35 KTS IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FROPA WL DRIVE COLDER AIR BACK INTO THE UPR LKS TNGT. MODELS SHOW H85 TEMPS SINKING AS LO AS -7 TO -8C OVER THE W BY 12Z TUE. WHILE THIS INCOMING AIRMASS WL NOT BE COLD ENUF FOR LK EFFECT PCPN...MODELS DO SHOW SOME LLVL MOISTENING BLO STRENGTHENING SUBSIDENCE INVRN ARND H85 UNDER THE LARGE SCALE QVECTOR DVGC LEFT IN THE WAKE OF DEPARTING SHRTWV. GOING FCST SHOWS SOME DRIZZLE/FRZG DRIZZLE OVER THE HIER TERRAIN WITH MOISTENING/INVRN BASE BLO THE DGZ. THIS FCST SEEMS RSNBL...BUT DID ADD SOME FLURRIES AS WELL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 409 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION ON TUESDAY WILL LEAD TO A DRY PERIOD FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND MUCH OF WEDNESDAY. THERE MAY BE A FEW LINGERING CLOUDS OVER THE FAR EAST TO START THE EVENING...BUT OTHERWISE EXPECT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE U.P. LOWS ON TUESDAY NIGHT WILL BE BELOW NORMAL AND IN THE 20S FOR MOST LOCATIONS. DID TREND SOME OF THE INTERIOR COLD SPOTS IN THE TEENS SINCE THE HIGH WILL BE OVERHEAD AND PWATS OF 40-45 PERCENT OF NORMAL WOULD SUPPORT GOING AT OR BELOW MOS GUIDANCE. THE APRIL SUNSHINE SHOULD HELP WARM TEMPS BACK CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR WEDNESDAY. LIGHT WINDS WILL GRADUALLY TURN TO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE AFTERNOON...BUT THEY SHOULD BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO ALLOW LAKE BREEZES TO DEVELOP NEAR THE GREAT LAKES SHORELINES AND KEEP TEMPERATURES COOLER THERE. THE BULK OF THE LONG TERM FORECAST DEALS WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT MOVES THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND LIKELY CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY. THIS UPPER TROUGH IS CURRENTLY WEST OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND WILL COME ONSHORE TONIGHT. AS THIS SYSTEM CROSSES THE ROCKIES...A SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE LEE OF THE CANADIAN/NORTHERN ROCKIES AND SHIFT EAST INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON THURSDAY. AS THIS OCCURS...BROAD ISENTROPIC ASCENT ON THE 290-305K SURFACES WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST INTO UPPER MICHIGAN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS FIRST WAVE WILL STEADILY PUSH NORTHEAST THROUGH THURSDAY...WHILE A SECONDARY WAVE OF PRECIPITATION MOVES IN ON THURSDAY AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS MOVES INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND NEARS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. THIS UPPER TROUGH WILL SHIFT THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...BUT WITH THE MOISTURE PRESENT AND FORCING FROM THE UPPER TROUGH...WOULD EXPECT LINGERING LIGHT SHOWERS TO BE ONGOING OVER THE AREA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION TYPE IS VERY TRICKY AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE VARYING SOLUTIONS IN THE MODELS WITH THE THERMAL FIELD WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. AS THE INITIAL SURGE OF PRECIP MOVES INTO THE AREA...IT ENCOUNTERS A ISOTHERMAL LAYER FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH 700MB WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR JUST ABOVE FREEZING. THIS LAYER REMAINS STEADY THROUGH MUCH OF THURSDAY. AS FOR THE MODELS...THE 12Z GFS HAS TRENDED A LITTLE COOLER COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS RUNS...THE 12Z ECMWF REMAINS THE COOLEST AND THE 12Z GEM IS IN BETWEEN INITIALLY. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET TOO SPECIFIC IN THESE SITUATIONS AS JUST A SLIGHT CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 925-700MB OF 1-2C ONE WAY OR ANOTHER CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE PRECIP TYPE AND ASSOCIATED IMPACTS. THUS...WILL FOLLOW AN IDEA OF RAIN/SNOW MIX WITH THE INITIAL SURGE OF PRECIP AND LIKELY TRANSITIONING TO MORE RAIN DURING THE DAY THURSDAY (OVER THE SOUTH HALF). THE NORTHWARD EXTENT OF THIS TRANSITION IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT AND WILL PLACE IT OVER THE NORTH HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. COLDER AIR WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW SHIFTS EAST ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN AND LEAD TO A TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW INTO FRIDAY. BY THE TIME THE PRECIPITATION WILL START TO TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW...THE HEAVIEST RATES WILL HAVE DEPARTED THE AREA AND EXPECT MORE OF A SCATTERED/LIGHT PRECIP TO REMAIN. WILL CONTINUE THE PREVIOUS SHIFTS IDEA OF THE HIGHEST QPF OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA AND AROUND 0.5-1.0IN THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. THAT MATCHES UP WELL WITH SOME OF THE ECMWF/GFS QPF PROBS. AS MENTIONED EARLIER...SNOW POTENTIAL IS TRICKY BUT THE SLIGHTLY COOLER TREND SEEN IN THE 12Z MODELS CREATES CONCERN FOR MEASURABLE (AND POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT) SNOWFALL OVER THE KEWEENAW DUE TO ITS CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE COLDER AIR TO THE NORTH. FINALLY FOR THIS SYSTEM...THE COLD AIR AND BREEZING CONDITIONS SURGING IN BEHIND THE LOW ON FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY WILL MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE MARCH ACROSS THE AREA. WIND CHILL VALUES FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY WILL BE IN THE TEENS AND 20S WITH THE LOWEST VALUES NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. MODELS DO DIFFER ON HOW QUICKLY THE UPPER TROUGH DEPARTS THIS WEEKEND...SO THE FORECAST FOR THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK IS UNCERTAIN. EVEN WITH THIS UNCERTAINTY...THE GENERAL IDEA OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK SEEMS REASONABLE AS A HUDSON BAY HIGH BECOMES STATIONARY AND LEADS TO DRY NORTHEASTERLY FLOW. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DEPEND ON THE NEXT UPPER TROUGH THAT LOOKS TO BE LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS AND AT THIS TIME MAY BE FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO KEEP THE AREA DRY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 118 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 DRY LOW-LEVEL AIR MASS WILL ALLOW VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THIS AFTN AT KIWD/KCMX/KSAW. ALTHOUGH COLD FRONT HAS PASSED KIWD/KCMX AND WILL REACH KSAW IN THE NEXT FEW HRS...DRY AIR MASS SHOULD PREVENT ANY -SHRA FROM OCCURRING AT KSAW. TONIGHT...GUSTY NW WINDS THAT WILL APPROACH 30KT AT THE MORE EXPOSED KCMX LOCATION WILL DRAW MUCH COLDER AIR AS WELL AS LOW CLOUDS INTO THE UPPER LAKES. MVFR CIGS WILL ARRIVE FIRST AT KCMX...EARLY THIS EVENING...AND THEN DURING THE MID TO LATE EVENING AT KIWD/KSAW. CIGS WILL LIKELY FALL FURTHER TO LOW MVFR AT KCMX/KSAW DURING THE NIGHT...AND IFR CIGS MAY EVENTUALLY DEVELOP LATE. ARRIVAL OF DRIER AIR WILL RESULT IN CLOUDS CLEARING OUT AT KIWD LATE TUE MORNING OR EARLY AFTN. CLEARING WILL OCCUR LATER IN THE DAY AT KCMX/KSAW WITH KSAW THE LATEST. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LIGHT WINDS UNDER 15 KTS THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SHIFT TO THE NW LATE TODAY/THIS EVENING FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND INCREASE UP TO 25-30 KTS TONIGHT AS MUCH COLDER AIR INVADES THE UPPER LAKES. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THERE COULD BE SOME GALES OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST HALF OF THE LAKE UNDER THE SHARPER GRADIENT/STRONGEST LOW LEVEL WINDS. MENTIONED SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS OVER THE ECENTRAL FOR NOW. THESE STONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUE THRU WED AS A HI PRES RIDGE AND WEAKER PRES GRADIENT MOVE OVER THE AREA. AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS LATER IN THE WEEK AND THE GRADIENT SHARPENS AGAIN...INCREASING SE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NE. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS LO...THERE COULD BE AT LEAST A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 409 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 ANOTHER ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE DAY WAS SEEN ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN TODAY...WITH HIGHS RISING INTO THE 50S TO LOWER 70S OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. THESE WARM TEMPERATURES AND SUNSHINE HAS LIKELY LED TO ANOTHER GOOD DAY OF MELTING IN THE AREAS THAT HAVE SNOW REMAINING. STARTED TO SEE THE SECOND WAVE OF SNOW MELT RISES ON THE AREA RIVERS YESTERDAY AND WILL CONTINUES TO SEE THAT INTO TONIGHT. BUT COLDER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON TUESDAY SHOULD REALLY SLOW THE MELT AND IN TURN LIMIT ADDITIONAL RISES. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ADDING TO THE RUNOFF. AT THIS POINT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE OVER THE WEST HALF OF UPPER MI...AND SPECIFICALLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...WHERE 0.50-1.00 INCH OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH WILL FALL AS RAIN AND HOW MUCH WILL FALL AS SNOW...BUT THE BEST CHANCE OF SNOW WILL BE OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE FCST AS THE TIME NEARS. SO FAR THE LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RISES HAVE BEEN ALSTON/ALSM4/ ON THE STURGEON RIVER...ROCKLAND/RKLM4/ ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER...CRYSTAL FALLS/CRYM4/ ON THE PAINT RIVER...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE HYDE/FRDM4/ ON THE FORD RIVER (WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN FROM AN ICE JAM). WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT FORESEEN AT THIS TIME...ALTHOUGH SOME LOCATIONS MAY NEAR BANKFULL. HOWEVER...ANY RIVER THAT HAS ICE REMAINING ON IT...ESPECIALLY THE ESCANABA RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY...COULD EXPERIENCE AN ICE JAM WITH THE RISING RIVER LEVELS THIS WEEK. THOSE LIVING AROUND RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR BOTH RIVER LEVELS AND ICE CONDITIONS. ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK QUICKLY...RESULTING IN RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RIVER LEVELS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...KC LONG TERM...SRF AVIATION...ROLFSON MARINE...KC HYDROLOGY...SRF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GRAND RAPIDS MI
221 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LATEST UPDATE... HYDRO .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS WISCONSIN AND LOWER MICHIGAN WILL BRING LIGHT RAIN TO SW LOWER TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS IS A VERY SLOW MOVING SYSTEM AND GIVEN THE DRY AIR ALREADY IN PLACE...WE/RE NOT LOOKING AT TOO MUCH RAIN...PERHAPS A QUARTER INCH. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S AGAIN TODAY EXCEPT FOR AREAS NORTH OF US-10 WHERE 60S ARE EXPECTED. COOLER WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH MORE RAIN POSSIBLE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. && .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 925 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 UPDATED FORECAST TO CUT POPS FOR THIS AFTERNOON BASED ON RADAR AND LATEST HRRR WHICH SHOWS SHOWERS JUST ENTERING NORTHERN ILLINOIS ATTM AND NOT ARRIVING UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 FORECAST CONCERNS DEAL WITH RAIN CHANCES TODAY AS A SLOW MOVING LOW CROSSES WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN. THE LOW IN WISCONSIN WILL SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS NRN LWR TODAY. AHEAD OF IT...WARM AIR WITH TEMPS IN THE 70S WILL BE NOTED. THE WARMER AIR WILL BRING SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY WITH IT...BUT NOTHING TOO SIGNIFICANT. MUCAPE AROUND 500 J/KG AND LI/S SLIGHTLY BELOW 0C MAY BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE A FEW STORMS. KEPT THE CHC OF THUNDER IN THE GRIDS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS THIS AFTERNOON SHOW THE PRESENCE OF SOME DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER TROP. THIS MAY RESULT IN SOME GUSTY WINDS AS SHOWERS/STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. THE LOW SHOULD MOVE OVER LAKE HURON BY MIDNIGHT AND COOLER AIR WILL BEGIN TO FLOW BACK INTO THE CWA AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT LAKES. SUNSHINE WILL RETURN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BUT HIGHS WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN TRACKING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION THU NIGHT. A SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET MOVES IN AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THAT WILL ACT TO DEVELOP A BAND OF SHOWERS. THESE SHOWERS WILL CROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WITH MOST LOCATIONS EXPECTED TO SEE SOME PRECIPITATION. WILL KEEP POPS RELATIVELY HIGH THEN. SOME INSTABILITY IS SHOWING UP IN THE MODELS WITH THIS RUN...SO WE MAY NEED TO ADD THUNDER TO THE FORECAST. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT IT WILL TURN WINDY ON FRIDAY. GUSTS OVER 35M MPH LOOK LIKELY. AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES...SHOWERS SHOULD DEVELOP ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THE HIGH RES EURO DOES SHOW A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK TO THE IS UPPER LOW WITH THE 00Z MON RUN. THE GFS IS STRONGER AND FURTHER SOUTH WITH THIS FEATURE AS COMPARED TO THE HIGH RES EURO. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME CAPE DURING THE AFTERNOON. MAY NEED TO ADD THUNDER TO THE FORECAST. SHOWERS LOOK HIGH BASED GIVEN THE LARGE T/TD SPREAD AT THE SURFACE. I WILL MAINTAIN THE RISK FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 122 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY DETERIORATE FROM VFR TO MVFR AS LOWER CLOUDS AND SHOWERS MOVE IN. CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STORM LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL TO WARRANT INCLUSION IN THE TERMINAL FCSTS AT THIS TIME. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR TUESDAY AND WNW WINDS WILL RAMP UP TO AROUND 15 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS BY LATE MORNING. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 220 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 WARNINGS NO LONGER EXIST ON ANY OF THE AREA RIVERS OR STREAMS. ALL HAVE SINCE BEEN DOWNGRADED TO ADVISORIES...WHICH ARE EVEN NUMBERED THEMSELVES. SCOTTVILLE...CROTON AND EVART ARE THE HOLD OUTS WITH THE ONGOING ADVISORIES. CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE WITH DROPPING RIVER LEVELS BUT SOME LOCALIZED AFFECTS ARE STILL POSSIBLE. WE WILL SEE A QUICK HIT OF RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD REMAIN WELL SHY OF CREATING ANY CONCERN FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS. THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN MOVES IN BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...OSTUNO SYNOPSIS...93 SHORT TERM...93 LONG TERM...MJS AVIATION...LAURENS HYDROLOGY...JAM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS GRAND RAPIDS MI
124 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LATEST UPDATE... AVIATION .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS WISCONSIN AND LOWER MICHIGAN WILL BRING LIGHT RAIN TO SW LOWER TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS IS A VERY SLOW MOVING SYSTEM AND GIVEN THE DRY AIR ALREADY IN PLACE...WE/RE NOT LOOKING AT TOO MUCH RAIN...PERHAPS A QUARTER INCH. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S AGAIN TODAY EXCEPT FOR AREAS NORTH OF US-10 WHERE 60S ARE EXPECTED. COOLER WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH MORE RAIN POSSIBLE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. && .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 925 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 UPDATED FORECAST TO CUT POPS FOR THIS AFTERNOON BASED ON RADAR AND LATEST HRRR WHICH SHOWS SHOWERS JUST ENTERING NORTHERN ILLINOIS ATTM AND NOT ARRIVING UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 FORECAST CONCERNS DEAL WITH RAIN CHANCES TODAY AS A SLOW MOVING LOW CROSSES WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN. THE LOW IN WISCONSIN WILL SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS NRN LWR TODAY. AHEAD OF IT...WARM AIR WITH TEMPS IN THE 70S WILL BE NOTED. THE WARMER AIR WILL BRING SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY WITH IT...BUT NOTHING TOO SIGNIFICANT. MUCAPE AROUND 500 J/KG AND LI/S SLIGHTLY BELOW 0C MAY BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE A FEW STORMS. KEPT THE CHC OF THUNDER IN THE GRIDS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS THIS AFTERNOON SHOW THE PRESENCE OF SOME DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER TROP. THIS MAY RESULT IN SOME GUSTY WINDS AS SHOWERS/STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. THE LOW SHOULD MOVE OVER LAKE HURON BY MIDNIGHT AND COOLER AIR WILL BEGIN TO FLOW BACK INTO THE CWA AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT LAKES. SUNSHINE WILL RETURN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BUT HIGHS WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 318 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN TRACKING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION THU NIGHT. A SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET MOVES IN AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THAT WILL ACT TO DEVELOP A BAND OF SHOWERS. THESE SHOWERS WILL CROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WITH MOST LOCATIONS EXPECTED TO SEE SOME PRECIPITATION. WILL KEEP POPS RELATIVELY HIGH THEN. SOME INSTABILITY IS SHOWING UP IN THE MODELS WITH THIS RUN...SO WE MAY NEED TO ADD THUNDER TO THE FORECAST. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT IT WILL TURN WINDY ON FRIDAY. GUSTS OVER 35M MPH LOOK LIKELY. AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES...SHOWERS SHOULD DEVELOP ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THE HIGH RES EURO DOES SHOW A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK TO THE IS UPPER LOW WITH THE 00Z MON RUN. THE GFS IS STRONGER AND FURTHER SOUTH WITH THIS FEATURE AS COMPARED TO THE HIGH RES EURO. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME CAPE DURING THE AFTERNOON. MAY NEED TO ADD THUNDER TO THE FORECAST. SHOWERS LOOK HIGH BASED GIVEN THE LARGE T/TD SPREAD AT THE SURFACE. I WILL MAINTAIN THE RISK FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 122 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY DETERIORATE FROM VFR TO MVFR AS LOWER CLOUDS AND SHOWERS MOVE IN. CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STORM LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL TO WARRANT INCLUSION IN THE TERMINAL FCSTS AT THIS TIME. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR TUESDAY AND WNW WINDS WILL RAMP UP TO AROUND 15 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS BY LATE MORNING. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1153 AM EDT SUN APR 20 2014 MINOR FLOODING EXISTS ON THE MUSKEGON RIVER AT CROTON AND EVART. THE DOWNWARD TREND CONTINUES ON ALL AREA RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES. WE SHOULD SEE A FEW MORE ADVISORIES DROP OFF THE LIST OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO. HOWEVER...LOCAL IMPACTS MAY STILL BE EVIDENT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS ALONG THE MUSKEGON RIVER. LIGHT RAIN IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AHEAD OF A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. BEST CHANCES TONIGHT SHOULD REMAIN ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 10. THE FRONT WILL FINALLY PUSH THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON AND THATS WHEN RAIN IS MORE LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE AREA. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL BE RATHER LIGHT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE AFFECTS ON RIVERS. ANOTHER SHOT OF RAIN WILL MOVE IN LATER IN THE WORK WEEK BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE HEAVIEST SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF LOWER MICHIGAN. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && $$ UPDATE...OSTUNO SYNOPSIS...93 SHORT TERM...93 LONG TERM...MJS AVIATION...LAURENS HYDROLOGY...JAM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS MARQUETTE MI
120 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 00Z RAOBS/LATEST WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS SHOW A SPLIT FLOW REGIME ACRS THE CONUS WITH A STRONGER W-E POLAR BRANCH FLOW NEAR THE CNDN BORDER TO THE N OF A WEAKER SRN BRANCH OVER THE SCENTRAL STATES. SHRTWV RDG EMBEDDED IN THE POLAR BRANCH AND OVER NE MN/NW ONTARIO AS WELL AS VERY DRY AIR SHOWN ON THE 00Z INL/MPX RAOBS ARE BRINGING DRY WX TO UPR MI THIS MRNG EXCEPT OVER FAR SRN MENOMINEE COUNTY...WHERE SOME ISOLD -SHRA ARE STILL PRESENT ON THE NRN EDGE OF RIBBON OF DEEPER MSTR STRUNG W-E THRU THE CENTRAL LKS AND SAMPLED BY THE FAIRLY MOIST 00Z GRB RAOB. MORE WDSPRD SHRA/EMBEDDED TS ARE PRESENT OVER SW WI/FAR SE MN UNDER DEEPER MSTR/SOME UPR DVGC AHEAD OF DISTURBANCE ON THE NRN EDGE OF SRN BRANCH FLOW. ALTHOUGH COLDER CLOUD TOPS ARE EXPANDING TOWARD THE WI BORDER TO THE NE OF THESE SHOWERS...THE LOWER LVL W FLOW OF VERY DRY AIR FM THE DIRECTION OF MPX IS LIMITING THE N SPREAD OF THE SHRA LOCATED JUST S OF THAT RAOB SITE. OTRW...SOME LOCALLY DENSE FOG HAS FORMED OVER THE CENTRAL/ERN CWA AS THE DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVED OVER LOCATIONS THAT DID NOT SEE SGNFT LLVL DRYING YDAY AFTN. OVER THE W WHERE SFC DEWPTS MIXED OUT AS LO AS 25-30 AT IWD ON SUN AND TEMPS ARE STILL ABV 32 AT MOST SPOTS...THERE IS LTL IF ANY FOG. A MUCH STRONGER SHRTWV IN THE POLAR BRANCH FLOW IS NEAR LK WINNIPEG AND MOVING STEADILY TO THE E. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHOWERS AND EVEN SOME LGT STRIKES IN MANITOBA RIGHT UNDER THE STEEPER LAPSE RATES CLOSE TO THE CORE OF THIS DISTURBANCE. BUT SINCE THIS SHRTWV IS CUTOFF FM THE MOISTER AIRMASS TO THE S... THERE IS ONLY A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG ITS ATTENDANT COLD FNT MOVING THRU NW MN EARLY THIS MRNG. MAIN FCST CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM INVOLVE FOG EARLY THIS MRNG AND THEN PCPN CHCS LATER TODAY/TNGT AS POLAR BRANCH SHRTWV/ATTENDANT COLD FNT IMPACT UPR MI. TODAY...EXPECT LOCALLY DENSE FOG TO PERSIST EARLY THIS MRNG OVER THE SE HALF OF THE CWA...BUT INCRSG HI CLDS SHOULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR WDSPRD DENSE FOG. WL ISSUE AN SPS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO LOCALLY REDUCED VSBYS. SHRTWV NEAR LK WINNIPEG IS FCST TO MOVE E THRU NW ONTARIO AND DRAG IT ATTENDANT COLD FNT ACRS UPR MI THIS AFTN. SINCE BULK OF DPVA/DEEP LYR QVECTOR CNVGC WL REMAIN TO THE N AND JUST BRUSH THE NRN LAND CWA...SUSPECT ONLY ISOLD-SCT SHOWERS WL ACCOMPANY THE FROPA. ALMOST ALL THE MODELS THAT WERE SHOWING A GREATER INTERACTION BTWN THIS SHRTWV/DEEPER MSTR TO THE S AND SGNFT EXPANSION OF THIS MSTR/SHOWERS INTO UPR MI HAVE RETREATED A BIT FM THIS FCST...A REASONABLE TREND CONSIDERING THE VERY DRY NATURE OF THE 00Z MPX RAOB AND LACK OF SGNFT BACKING OF THE UPR FLOW FM THE W THRU THE DAY. THE 00Z HI RES CNDN MODEL SHOWS THE HEAVIER PCPN OVERSPREADING MOST OF UPR MI ALONG WITH THE MOST UNSTABLE MIXED LYR CAPES AOA 1000 J/KG. FCST SDNGS FM THIS MODEL SHOW FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE MOISTENING THRU THE LOWER TROP WITH SFC DEWPTS RISING TO ARND 55...WHICH DOES NOT SEEM RSNBL IN THE ABSENCE OF A DEEPER SW FLOW. THE 00Z NAM SHOWS MORE MODEST MOISTENING/DESTABILIZATION OVER THE SCENTRL. WL CARRY THE HIER CHC POPS THIS AFTN WHERE THIS MODEL SHOWS THE GREATER INSTABILITY UP TO 700-800 J/KG OVER THE SCNTRL. INCLUDED A SCHC OF TS IN THIS AREA AS WELL GIVEN ARRIVAL OF COLD FNT DURING PEAK HEATING TIME THAT WL PUSH TEMPS WELL ABV NORMAL AGAIN IN THE PRESENCE OF H85 TEMPS NOT FAR FM 10C AND AWAY FM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF THE LKS. COOLER AIR WL ARRIVE OVER THE W LATER IN THE DAY FOLLOWING THE FROPA. TNGT...NW FLOW WITH H925 WINDS UP TO 25-35 KTS IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FROPA WL DRIVE COLDER AIR BACK INTO THE UPR LKS TNGT. MODELS SHOW H85 TEMPS SINKING AS LO AS -7 TO -8C OVER THE W BY 12Z TUE. WHILE THIS INCOMING AIRMASS WL NOT BE COLD ENUF FOR LK EFFECT PCPN...MODELS DO SHOW SOME LLVL MOISTENING BLO STRENGTHENING SUBSIDENCE INVRN ARND H85 UNDER THE LARGE SCALE QVECTOR DVGC LEFT IN THE WAKE OF DEPARTING SHRTWV. GOING FCST SHOWS SOME DRIZZLE/FRZG DRIZZLE OVER THE HIER TERRAIN WITH MOISTENING/INVRN BASE BLO THE DGZ. THIS FCST SEEMS RSNBL...BUT DID ADD SOME FLURRIES AS WELL. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 543 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 SFC TEMPS SHOULD WARM QUICKLY TUESDAY MORNING...LIMITING THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE. WILL STILL KEEP DRIZZLE GOING GIVEN THE LIMITED LIKELIHOOD OF ICE CRYSTALS IN THE SOUNDING. OTHERWISE COOL N-NW WINDS WILL BE THE RULE...WITH 850MB TEMPS IN THE -6 TO -8C RANGE HELPING TO KEEP MAX SFC TEMPS TUESDAY IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S OVER MUCH OF THE CWA. DRY HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL RESULT IN NEARLY CALM WINDS WEDNESDAY MORNING. WITH FEW IF ANY CLOUDS AROUND AND PW VALUES FALLING TO AROUND 45 PERCENT OF NORMAL /0.25IN/ SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL INTO THE 20S TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLENTY OF UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH OUR END OF THE WEEK SYSTEM. WHILE POPS HAVE BEEN INCREASED AND MUCH OF THE FOCUS FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIP REMAINS OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...THE 21/00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF HAS BACKED AWAY FROM THE DEEPER MORE WRAPPED UP SFC LOW THAT IT/S 20/12Z RUN INDICATED. STILL...ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT 0.5-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR AND W OF A LINE FROM MQT TO MNM THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF ENSEMBLES HAVE 30-40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SEEING 1IN OR MORE OVER THE W HALF. GIVEN THAT MUCH OF THE SYSTEM IS AROUND 84HRS OR MORE INTO THE FUTURE...WILL CONTINUE WITH A MORE BROAD/AVERAGED SOLUTION AT THIS POINT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 118 PM EDT MON APR 21 2014 DRY LOW-LEVEL AIR MASS WILL ALLOW VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THIS AFTN AT KIWD/KCMX/KSAW. ALTHOUGH COLD FRONT HAS PASSED KIWD/KCMX AND WILL REACH KSAW IN THE NEXT FEW HRS...DRY AIR MASS SHOULD PREVENT ANY -SHRA FROM OCCURRING AT KSAW. TONIGHT...GUSTY NW WINDS THAT WILL APPROACH 30KT AT THE MORE EXPOSED KCMX LOCATION WILL DRAW MUCH COLDER AIR AS WELL AS LOW CLOUDS INTO THE UPPER LAKES. MVFR CIGS WILL ARRIVE FIRST AT KCMX...EARLY THIS EVENING...AND THEN DURING THE MID TO LATE EVENING AT KIWD/KSAW. CIGS WILL LIKELY FALL FURTHER TO LOW MVFR AT KCMX/KSAW DURING THE NIGHT...AND IFR CIGS MAY EVENTUALLY DEVELOP LATE. ARRIVAL OF DRIER AIR WILL RESULT IN CLOUDS CLEARING OUT AT KIWD LATE TUE MORNING OR EARLY AFTN. CLEARING WILL OCCUR LATER IN THE DAY AT KCMX/KSAW WITH KSAW THE LATEST. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 424 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 LIGHT WINDS UNDER 15 KTS THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SHIFT TO THE NW LATE TODAY/THIS EVENING FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND INCREASE UP TO 25-30 KTS TONIGHT AS MUCH COLDER AIR INVADES THE UPPER LAKES. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THERE COULD BE SOME GALES OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST HALF OF THE LAKE UNDER THE SHARPER GRADIENT/STRONGEST LOW LEVEL WINDS. MENTIONED SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS OVER THE ECENTRAL FOR NOW. THESE STONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUE THRU WED AS A HI PRES RIDGE AND WEAKER PRES GRADIENT MOVE OVER THE AREA. AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE PLAINS LATER IN THE WEEK AND THE GRADIENT SHARPENS AGAIN...INCREASING SE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NE. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS LO...THERE COULD BE AT LEAST A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1202 AM EDT MON APR 21 2014 HIGHEST SNOW DEPTH REPORTED YESTERDAY MORNING OF 32IN AT MOHAWK WAS ABLE TO DROP DOWN TO 28IN BY LATE EVENING. AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM...SEVERAL SITES FROM IWD THROUGH ISQ WERE REPORTING LITTLE TO NO SNOW. TODAY WILL BE ANOTHER DAY OF MELTING...AS HIGH TEMPERATURES JUMP INTO THE 50S AND LOW 60S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. THE MELT WILL SLOW TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT OVER N UPPER MI AS COLD N-NNW WINDS KEEP TEMPS TOPPING OUT IN THE 30S AND LOW 40S TUESDAY. AS FOR FURTHER OUT...TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES TEMPORARILY WEDNESDAY BEFORE FALLING BACK INTO THE 30S AND 40S THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WILL CONTINUE TO NOTICE SIGNIFICANT STREAM/RIVER RISES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...ADDING TO THE RUNOFF. AT THIS POINT THE BEST CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE OVER THE W HALF OF UPPER MI...AND SPECIFICALLY THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WHERE 0.75-1IN OF LIQUID WILL BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE FCST AS THE TIME NEARS. SO FAR THE LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT RISES HAVE BEEN ALSTON/ALSM4/ ON THE STURGEON RIVER...ROCKLAND/RKLM4/ ON THE ONTONAGON RIVER...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE HYDE/FRDM4/ ON THE FORD RIVER. WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT FORESEEN AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...ANY RIVER THAT HAS ICE REMAINING ON IT...ESPECIALLY THE ESCANABA RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY...COULD EXPERIENCE AN ICE JAM WITH THE RISING RIVER LEVELS THIS WEEK. THOSE LIVING AROUND RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR BOTH RIVER LEVELS AND ICE CONDITIONS. ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK QUICKLY...RESULTING IN RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RIVER LEVELS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...KC LONG TERM...KF AVIATION...ROLFSON MARINE...KC HYDROLOGY...KF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS BISMARCK ND
1252 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1252 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 A NARROW STRIP OF CLOUDS EXTENDED FROM CROSBY TO TIOGA...SOUTH THROUGH CENTER AND BISMARCK. THESE CLOUDS SHOULD ERODE WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO AS SYNOPTIC SUBSIDENCE SPREADS OVER THE REGION. UPDATED THE FORECAST TO REMOVE MORNING WORDING AND INDICATED MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THE REMAINING FORECAST ELEMENTS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. THE UPDATED PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN SENT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 1003 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CWA THIS MORNING BASED ON THE TRAJECTORY OF LOW STRATUS ROTATING SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. STRONG SYNOPTIC SUBSIDENCE OVERSPREADING THE REGION SHOULD ERODE THIS CLOUD DECK BY EARLY AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...THE REMAINING FORECAST ELEMENTS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. THE UPDATED PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN SENT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 625 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ONLY CHANGES TO FORECAST WERE TO POPULATE WITH LATEST HOURLY OBSERVATIONS. TEMPS WERE RUNNING A LITTLE COLDER THAN FORECAST IN A FEW LOCATIONS. OTHERWISE...LOW STRATUS CONTINUES TO SLOWLY PUSH SOUTHWARD WHICH IS HANDLED WELL IN FORECAST. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 NO MAJOR FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. CURRENTLY...QUASI-ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH A STRONG EMBEDDED S/WV TROUGH PUSHING EAST ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER...NOW CENTERED NEAR TO EAST OF LAKE WINNIPEG. WRAP AROUND MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF LOW LEVEL STRATUS SURGING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS MY NORTHERN COUNTIES THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. AT THIS TIME DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRATUS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. LOW BKN-OVC CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA NOW THROUGH 10Z...EVENTUALLY DEPICTED BY BOTH THE RAP AND 00Z/06Z NAM TO PUSH AS FAR SOUTH AS BISMARCK AND JAMESTOWN 10-14Z. AFTERWARDS...STRATUS SHOULD DISSIPATE/BURN OFF BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE MORNING CLOUDS COUPLED WITH CAA THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY IN THE 50S ALONG TO NORTH AND EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER...60S SOUTH AND WEST OF THE MISSOURI. RETURN FLOW/WAA TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE ROCKIES TODAY THEN PROPAGATES EAST INTO THE HIGH PLAINS TONIGHT. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 348 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 ACTIVE PERIOD EXPECTED WITH STRONG STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT. LARGE SURFACE LOW INITIALLY CENTERED OVER CENTRAL MONTANA 00Z WEDNESDAY TRANSITIONS TO DUAL SURFACE LOWS OVER SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA BY 12Z WED AS SHORTWAVE/90KT H250 JET STREAK ROTATE AROUND PARENT UPPER LOW. BREEZY TO WINDY EAST/SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALSO WITH TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT AND 850MB WINDS TO 45KTS LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SPC CONTINUES TO INCLUDE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE IN GENERAL THUNDERSTORM AREA WITH MODELS INDICATING LOW CAPE NUDGING INTO THIS REGION ALONG WITH H7-H5 LAPSE RATES APPROACHING 8C/KM TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW HIGHEST QPF ACROSS NORTH AND EAST AS DRY SLOT IS MORE OF A FACTOR ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AREAS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY THE CLOSED UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MODEL DIFFERENCES INCREASE WITH THIS FEATURE WITH THE GFS A LITTLE FASTER AND FARTHER SOUTH COMPARED TO ECMWF. BOTH MODELS...HOWEVER...BRING SUB 0C H850 AIR ACROSS THE STATE IN NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE SYSTEM THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT PRECIP IN THE FORM OF RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. SUBSTANTIAL MODEL DIFFERENCES BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH GFS SHOWING STRONGER RIDGE AND DRYER WEATHER OVER ND ON SATURDAY WHILE ECMWF HAS LESS AMPLIFIED PATTERN AND ANOTHER BATCH OF PRECIP MOVING IN UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1252 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MVFR CIGS OVER KBIS SHOULD BECOME VFR BY 19Z. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. && .BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...TM SHORT TERM...NH LONG TERM...JNS AVIATION...TM
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS NASHVILLE TN
313 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .DISCUSSION... FORECAST REASONING WILL LEAN TOWARD A CONSENSUS MODEL SOLUTION COMPROMISE FOR THE FORECAST PERIOD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. FORECAST QUANDARIES...WX PATTERN TONIGHT THRU TUE...WX PATTERN LATE THIS WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK...TEMPS. MODELS CONTINUING THEIR RECENT TREND OFF OVERALL WEAKENING OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEM EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO INFLUENCES THE MID STATE`S WX TONIGHT...STILL LOOKING LIKE IT WILL BE MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT... AS A SFC COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE MID STATE FROM THE NW BY 22/12Z. LATEST SHORT RANGE MODELS INCLUDING THE HRRR SHOWING EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS ACTIVITY MAINLY MOVING S OF THE MID STATE TOO. ALTHOUGH MODEL SOUNDING SHOWING LITTLE IN THE WAY OF OVERALL ATM INSTABILITY...WITH UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSAGE EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE MID STATE BY 22/12Z ALSO...CAN NOT RULE OUT A RUMBLE OF THUNDER HERE OR THERE MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...BUT BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SHWRS MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT ALSO. AS FOR RAINFALL AMOUNTS...EXPECT GENERALLY LESS THAN ONE HALF OF AN INCH IN MOST LOCATIONS. AS FOR TEMPS...WITH ADDITIONAL CLOUD COVERAGE...RAINFALL...AND A CONTINUANCE OF SWLY WIND FLOW EXPECTED...TAPPING INTO A SLIGHTLY WARMER AIRMASS TO OUR SW ALSO...WILL GO CLOSE TO AN MOS GUIDANCE CONSENSUS SOLUTION. EXPECT NUMEROUS SHWRS AND ISO TSTMS TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE MID STATE DURING THE MORNING HRS ON TUE AS SFC FRONT MOVES THRU THE MID STATE DURING THE MORNING HRS...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHWRS/TSTMS POSSIBLY PERSISTING ACROSS THE PLATEAU AND SRN COUNTIES. EXPECT A SLIGHT COOL DOWN IN HIGHS FROM THIS AFTERNOON`S VALUES...AND WILL AGAIN GO CLOSE TO CONSENSUS MODEL REASONING ON TEMPS...WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE LOWER 70S. RIDGING INFLUENCES SFC AND ALOFT WILL PROVIDE DRY CONDITIONS WITH LOWS MAINLY IN THE LOWER 40S WED MORNING...HIGHS NEAR SEASONABLE NORMAL VALUES ON WED...AND A RETURN TO TEMPS MAINLY IN THE LOW TO MID 40S ON WED NIGHT. TAKING A LOOK AT THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...THU THRU THE FIRST PORTION OF NEXT WEEK...STILL EXPECTING A FRONTAL SYSTEM TO MOVE THRU THE MID STATE MAINLY ON THU NIGHT...WITH SOME STRONG TSTMS POSSIBLE... BUT MODEL TRENDING TOWARD THIS POSSIBILITY BECOMING MORE AND MORE ISO IN NATURE. AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE DURING THE MORNING HRS ON FRI... CANADIAN BASED SFC RIDGING INFLUENCES SHOULD PROVIDE FOR DRY CONDITIONS THRU AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF SUN. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS AS OF LATE DEALING WITH THE OVERALL WX PATTERN FOR THE SECOND HALF OF SUN INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK...BUT MODEL GUIDANCE STARTING TO COME MORE IN LINE WITH EACH OTHER. SHWRS/TSTMS SHOULD AGAIN DEVELOP ON SUN NIGHT/MON AS A WELL ORGANIZED FRONTAL SYSTEM PUSHES A WARM FRONT FROM THE S INTO THE MID STATE PUTTING THE MID STATE IN THE BROAD WARM SECTOR OF THIS DEVELOPING POTENTIALLY STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM. AS FOR TEMPS...HIGHS WILL CONTINUE AT LEAST SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL NORMAL VALUES THRU SAT...MAINLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S...COOLING BACK TO MORE SEASONABLE NORMAL VALUES BY THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... NASHVILLE 60 72 44 69 / 60 60 0 0 CLARKSVILLE 58 72 41 69 / 60 20 0 0 CROSSVILLE 56 70 39 66 / 60 60 0 0 COLUMBIA 60 73 45 71 / 60 60 0 0 LAWRENCEBURG 59 73 44 73 / 60 60 0 0 WAVERLY 59 72 42 70 / 60 50 0 0 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ 31
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
1255 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS THROUGH TONIGHT IS ON THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE AND THE CONVECTION THAT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF IT TODAY. SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WHICH IS IN A BROAD CHANNEL OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT AHEAD OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT. THE 21.07Z RAP ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE HIGHEST 0-3KM MUCAPE OF A FEW HUNDRED J/KG IS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WHERE DEW POINTS ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S AND TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOW 60S. 0-6KM SHEAR IS ALSO WEAK AT 20-30KTS...SO ANY STORMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED ARE PULSEY AND COLLAPSE RATHER QUICKLY. THE 21.00Z NAM/GFS/GEM/ECMWF AND 21.06Z RAP/HRRR/HOPWRF ARE ALL IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT COMING THROUGH THE REGION TODAY. CURRENTLY...SURFACE OBS SHOW THAT THIS FRONT IS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA/EASTERN NEBRASKA. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THE FRONT WILL BE INTO NORTHEAST WISCONSIN/FAR SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA/NORTHEAST IOWA AROUND NOON AND THEN CLEAR OF SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN BY MID AFTERNOON. INSTABILITY WILL BUILD AHEAD OF THE FRONT THOUGH THE 21.00Z NAM/GFS AND 21.06Z RAP LIKELY DEVELOP TOO HIGH OF MUCAPE WITH THEM SHOWING SURFACE DEW POINTS CLIMBING UP TO THE LOW 60S WHEN THEY WILL LIKELY BE MORE IN THE MID 50S. THERMAL PROFILES SHOW THAT THIS INSTABILITY IS IN THE 0C TO -20C PORTION OF THE SOUNDINGS...SO THERE COULD BE SOME SMALL HAIL THAT DEVELOPS FROM THIS CONVECTION DESPITE 0-6KM SHEAR REMAINING WEAK AT 20-30KT. ONCE THE FRONT COMES THROUGH...THERE IS A SOLID SLUG OF DRIER AIR THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES MAY NOT MAKE TOO MUCH OF AN INITIAL DROP SINCE THE FRONT IS COMING THROUGH DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WITH THE DRIER AIR MASS BEHIND THE FRONT ALLOWING FOR QUICKER WARMING UNDER SUNNY SKIES. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET TONIGHT WITH THE DRY AIR MASS IN PLACE AND NORTHWESTERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS KICKING IN. COULD SEE SOME GUSTY WINDS AS WELL WITH THIS DRY AIR IN THE AFTERNOON WITH SOME 35MPH GUSTS POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SE MN/NE IA. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS IN THE EXTENDED IS ON A BROAD MID LEVEL TROUGH CURRENTLY ALONG THE WEST COAST WHICH WILL PROPAGATE EAST ALONG THE US/CANADIAN BORDER FROM THE MIDDLE TO END PORTION OF THE WEEK. GUIDANCE HAS BEEN IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THIS SYSTEM THOUGH THERE ARE SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES THAT ARISE TOWARD THE LATER PORTION OF THE SYSTEM. CONFIDENCE IS STILL FAIRLY HIGH THAT PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE IN FROM THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE LEAD WARM AIR ADVECTION BAND FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN MOISTURE CHANNEL AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY. THERMAL PROFILES STILL DO NOT SHOW MUCH IN THE WAY OF INSTABILITY BUT DO INCREASE PW VALUES UP TO AROUND 1-1.50" EARLY ON THURSDAY. BASED ON THIS CONSISTENT SIGNAL...HAVE UPPED PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO THE 70-85 PERCENT RANGE FOR MUCH OF THE REGION WITH TOTAL QPF VALUES EXPECTED TO BE AROUND AN INCH. GUIDANCE STARTS TO DEVIATE QUITE A BIT STARTING FRIDAY WITH THE 21.00Z GFS SHOWING A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM HUDSON BAY THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE THE 21.00Z ECMWF IS WEAKER WITH THIS RIDGE AND KEEPS A LOW LEVEL THERMAL GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION ON INTO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. THE GFS SOLUTION WOULD BE A COLDER/DRIER ONE FOR US WHILE THE ECMWF SOLUTION WOULD MEAN A WETTER/SLIGHTLY WARMER SOLUTION THAT STILL COULD BRING SOME P-TYPE ISSUES IN WITH IT. CURRENTLY...WPC IS FAVORING THE GFS MORE THAN THE ECMWF BUT TIME WILL TELL. FOR NOW...HAVE DONE A BLEND WITH SOME PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THERE FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1255 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST OF THE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE STARTS TO BUILD IN FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. A BKN MVFR STRATUS DECK WILL SCATTER OUT AND EVENTUALLY CLEAR THIS AFTERNOON AS DRIER AIR PUSHES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. PLAN ON GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 17 TO 20 KTS THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 30 KT RANGE. THE WINDS WILL SUBSIDE INTO THE 7 TO 10 KT RANGE LATE THIS EVENING. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO TUESDAY MORNING. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1255 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MINOR FLOODING CONTINUES ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT MCGREGOR. ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY FALL THROUGH MID WEEK BUT THEN WILL LEVEL OFF OR RISE SLIGHTLY AS RUNNOFF FROM SNOWMELT OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND CENTRAL INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE LOCAL AREA. RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ELEVATED INTO NEXT WEEK. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...HALBACH LONG TERM....HALBACH AVIATION...WETENKAMP HYDROLOGY....WETENKAMP
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS LA CROSSE WI
1250 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS THROUGH TONIGHT IS ON THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE AND THE CONVECTION THAT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF IT TODAY. SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WHICH IS IN A BROAD CHANNEL OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT AHEAD OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT. THE 21.07Z RAP ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE HIGHEST 0-3KM MUCAPE OF A FEW HUNDRED J/KG IS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WHERE DEW POINTS ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S AND TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOW 60S. 0-6KM SHEAR IS ALSO WEAK AT 20-30KTS...SO ANY STORMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED ARE PULSEY AND COLLAPSE RATHER QUICKLY. THE 21.00Z NAM/GFS/GEM/ECMWF AND 21.06Z RAP/HRRR/HOPWRF ARE ALL IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT COMING THROUGH THE REGION TODAY. CURRENTLY...SURFACE OBS SHOW THAT THIS FRONT IS IN WESTERN MINNESOTA/EASTERN NEBRASKA. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THE FRONT WILL BE INTO NORTHEAST WISCONSIN/FAR SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA/NORTHEAST IOWA AROUND NOON AND THEN CLEAR OF SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN BY MID AFTERNOON. INSTABILITY WILL BUILD AHEAD OF THE FRONT THOUGH THE 21.00Z NAM/GFS AND 21.06Z RAP LIKELY DEVELOP TOO HIGH OF MUCAPE WITH THEM SHOWING SURFACE DEW POINTS CLIMBING UP TO THE LOW 60S WHEN THEY WILL LIKELY BE MORE IN THE MID 50S. THERMAL PROFILES SHOW THAT THIS INSTABILITY IS IN THE 0C TO -20C PORTION OF THE SOUNDINGS...SO THERE COULD BE SOME SMALL HAIL THAT DEVELOPS FROM THIS CONVECTION DESPITE 0-6KM SHEAR REMAINING WEAK AT 20-30KT. ONCE THE FRONT COMES THROUGH...THERE IS A SOLID SLUG OF DRIER AIR THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES MAY NOT MAKE TOO MUCH OF AN INITIAL DROP SINCE THE FRONT IS COMING THROUGH DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WITH THE DRIER AIR MASS BEHIND THE FRONT ALLOWING FOR QUICKER WARMING UNDER SUNNY SKIES. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET TONIGHT WITH THE DRY AIR MASS IN PLACE AND NORTHWESTERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS KICKING IN. COULD SEE SOME GUSTY WINDS AS WELL WITH THIS DRY AIR IN THE AFTERNOON WITH SOME 35MPH GUSTS POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SE MN/NE IA. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT MON APR 21 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS IN THE EXTENDED IS ON A BROAD MID LEVEL TROUGH CURRENTLY ALONG THE WEST COAST WHICH WILL PROPAGATE EAST ALONG THE US/CANADIAN BORDER FROM THE MIDDLE TO END PORTION OF THE WEEK. GUIDANCE HAS BEEN IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THIS SYSTEM THOUGH THERE ARE SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES THAT ARISE TOWARD THE LATER PORTION OF THE SYSTEM. CONFIDENCE IS STILL FAIRLY HIGH THAT PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE IN FROM THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE LEAD WARM AIR ADVECTION BAND FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN MOISTURE CHANNEL AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY. THERMAL PROFILES STILL DO NOT SHOW MUCH IN THE WAY OF INSTABILITY BUT DO INCREASE PW VALUES UP TO AROUND 1-1.50" EARLY ON THURSDAY. BASED ON THIS CONSISTENT SIGNAL...HAVE UPPED PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO THE 70-85 PERCENT RANGE FOR MUCH OF THE REGION WITH TOTAL QPF VALUES EXPECTED TO BE AROUND AN INCH. GUIDANCE STARTS TO DEVIATE QUITE A BIT STARTING FRIDAY WITH THE 21.00Z GFS SHOWING A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM HUDSON BAY THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE THE 21.00Z ECMWF IS WEAKER WITH THIS RIDGE AND KEEPS A LOW LEVEL THERMAL GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION ON INTO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. THE GFS SOLUTION WOULD BE A COLDER/DRIER ONE FOR US WHILE THE ECMWF SOLUTION WOULD MEAN A WETTER/SLIGHTLY WARMER SOLUTION THAT STILL COULD BRING SOME P-TYPE ISSUES IN WITH IT. CURRENTLY...WPC IS FAVORING THE GFS MORE THAN THE ECMWF BUT TIME WILL TELL. FOR NOW...HAVE DONE A BLEND WITH SOME PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN THERE FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1250 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST OF THE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE STARTS TO BUILD IN FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. A BKN MVFR STRATUS DECK WILL SCATTER OUT AND EVENTUALLY CLEAR THIS AFTERNOON AS DRIER AIR PUSHES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. PLAN ON GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 17 TO 20 KTS THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 30 KT RANGE. THE WINDS WILL SUBSIDE INTO THE 7 TO 10 KT RANGE LATE THIS EVENING. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO TUESDAY MORNING. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 1250 PM CDT MON APR 21 2014 MINOR FLOODING CONTINUES ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT MCGREGOR. ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY FALL THROUGH MID WEEK BUT THEN WILL LEVEL OFF OR RISE SLIGHTLY AS RUNNOFF FROM SNOWMELT OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND CENTRAL INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE LOCAL AREA. RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ELEVATED INTO NEXT WEEK. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...HALBACH LONG TERM....HALBACH AVIATION...WETENKAMP HYDROLOGY....HALBACH