Forecast Discussions mentioning any of "HRRR" "RAP" "RUC13" "RUC" "RR" received at GSD on 05/16/24


Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1058 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Showers move through overnight with additional thunderstorms possibly developing east of the Mississippi River Thursday afternoon. Can`t rule out hail with storms tomorrow afternoon. - Seasonably warm temperatures in the 70s to low 80s through the weekend. - Next rounds of showers and storms come Saturday, more active period for showers and storms shaping up for the first part of next week (predictability low at the present time). && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 240 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 Tonight and Thursday: Multiple Rounds of Showers and Storms A predominantly zonal flow exists this afternoon across the CONUS with a few waves of note across the country. One such wave axis was evident across the western Dakotas in water vapor imagery with a weak surface low reflection over the northern Siouxland region driving a broad swath of showers and isolated thunderstorms. This complex slides eastward tonight, with the short-range guidance struggling to resolve how the precipitation shield will evolve during this time owing to a lack of both instability and favorable wind profiles. Overall impacts tonight will be minimal outside of some heavier showers and occasional lightning. The convective complex works ahead of the surface front by the morning hours, and depending on how much recovery takes place in its wake, we may see redevelopment along the surface trough in the early afternoon on Thursday east of the Mississippi River. A 70-kt upper level jet overspreads the region as it rounds the base of the upper trough, lengthening hodographs ahead of the frontal boundary. The biggest question revolves around how much recovery can take place ahead of the front before it clears the region. The 12/18Z HRRR runs show about 1000-1400 J/kg of SBCAPE developing ahead of the trough, but it remains to see if this scenario will pan out. If storms do manage to form, hail of 1-2" in diameter would be the main threat. Explicit composite reflectivity progs from members of the 12Z HREF do lend credence to a line of convection developing by 18-20Z and exiting the area by 22-23Z, but a small change in the thermodynamic environment could quickly change this scenario. Linear hodographs would support storm splitters and mergers, so the line would grow upscale quickly as it advances eastward into south-central WI during the mid to late afternoon and morph into more of a wind threat. Saturday and Early Next Week: Next Rounds of Rainfall Split flow brings dry conditions for Friday, with the progressive flow ushering the next negatively-tilted shortwave through during the afternoon and evening on Saturday. With the shortwave already recoiling to the north and taking the 100-kt 300-mb jet with it, there is some uncertainty as to how much development takes place along the attendant surface front that slides into our area. Forecast soundings from the GEFS members don`t show much for inhibition ahead of this front (albeit with lower CAPE values), so it is probable that we`ll see some scattered storms with this surface forcing. Overall impacts will be limited in space and time owing to the lack of deep shear and compact hodographs. Attention then turns to early next week as longwave troughing deepens over the western CONUS, ejecting multiple weak perturbations through the region between Sunday and Tuesday. The subtle nature of these waves makes them tough to pin down more than a few days out. Looking though the 12Z guidance, odds are better that the surface baroclinic zone will stay south of the region and take the severe weather threat with it. That being said, there is plenty of variability in the ensemble members and such factors will be increasingly driven by how the previous day`s convection unfolds. This longwave ejects Tuesday and may be enough to lift the warm sector into the region, but confidence in such a scenario is low at the present time. Temperature Trends into Next Week Overall, expect at or slightly above average temperatures for the remainder of the week and into next week with highs in the 70s to low 80s and lows in the 40s and 50s. Despite the passage of a weak cold front Thursday night, warm 925-700-mb southwesterly flow builds in its wake across the High Plains for Friday and Saturday. Some of this warmer lower tropospheric air spills eastward into the Driftless region and allows highs to creep into the low 80s during this period. Confidence in the temperature forecast wanes slowly as we head through the first half of next week owing to the aforementioned precipitation uncertainties, but the pattern definitely favors at or above average temperatures with no cold snaps on the horizon. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1058 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 A mix of VFR and MVFR conditions are expected through the TAF period as showers and isolated storms (~15% chance) progress through the region overnight and into the early morning Thursday. As this disturbance, passes through the region cigs will begin to drop to MVFR with visbys of 4-5SM possible in more robust showers. There is some signal (20-30% chance) for IFR cigs to get into KRST into the morning hours however this appears unlikely at this time. Otherwise, as the disturbance begins to exit the region conditions will return to VFR by the afternoon with diurnal mixing. Depending on how fast sky cover clears, will have to watch for some redeveloping showers and storms (Roughly 20% chance at KLSE) east of the Mississippi River later into the afternoon. Winds will remain fairly light at 5- 10 kts through the TAF period and will shift from the southeast to west/northwest during the day on Thursday. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Skow AVIATION...Naylor
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
553 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 339 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 Key Messages: Marginal (level 1 of 5) risk of severe thunderstorm tonight and tomorrow Medium to high chance of moderate to major risk of heat-related impacts tomorrow A warm and sunny afternoon will continue before cloud cover and rain chances increase this evening into tonight. A few hi-res models led by the HRRR are showing convection developing this evening over Mexico and crossing the border into the Rio Grande Plains this evening after sunset. While chances are low that this activity will make past the Brush Country, included a 20% chance of precipitation tonight across the Coastal Plains into the Coastal Bend. As these storms cross the border, there is a low chance that these storms could become strong to severe, thus prompting SPC to highlight the Rio Grande Plains and Brush Country under a Marginal Risk of severe weather. A shortwave will sweep across the Southern Plains tomorrow ejecting a weak cold front into Texas. Nevertheless, storms are expected to develop along the front as it moves southward with models showing an MCS moving into our CWA and impacting the Victoria Crossroads, where SPC has a Marginal Risk for severe weather for tomorrow afternoon. While storms develop north of of the CWA and move southward, there is also a low chance for showers and thunderstorms to develop ahead of the front across the Coastal Plains and Coastal Bend. Daytime highs tomorrow are going to be highly dependent of the development of precipitation and cloud cover. If cloud cover is less than expected, then warmer temperatures can be felt, while if cloud cover is more then highs will be lower. Along with the warm temperatures expected tomorrow, dew points in the upper 70s to lower 80s will lead to miserable heat indices tomorrow across the southern Coastal Plains, southern Coastal Bend and the Brush Country with a moderate to major risk of heat-related impacts. Overnight lows will remain mild with only a slight cool down into the mid to upper 70s. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through next Tuesday) Issued at 339 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 Key Messages: - Marginal Risk (level 1 out of 5) of Severe Storms Friday across the Victoria Crossroads and northern Coastal Bend. - A moderate to major risk of heat related impacts Monday through Wednesday across the Rio Grande Plains and Brush Country. Models are in good agreement with a long wave trough tracking eastward across western portions of Texas on Friday and pushing a dryline/surface trough into S TX. The surface trough will provide strong low level convergence across the area. CAPE is forecast to be up to 4400J/kg across the Coastal Bend along with deepening moisture with PWATs of 1.8 to 2 inches across the northern Coastal Bend. The upper level energy ahead of the upper trough will increase through Friday as a 105-110 knot upper level jet nudges across the area and increases the upper level diffluence across S TX. The combination of these features will be conducive for strong, possibly severe storms on Friday. Therefore, the Storms Prediction Center has a marginal risk of severe weather on Friday across the northern Coastal Bend and Victoria Crossroads. The uncertainty is how strong the cap will be and how long it will take to weaken across the northeastern CWA. Across the south and west portions of the CWA, it is expected to be drier and more capped, thus a much lower chance of severe storms across those areas. Overall, the chance of any storms developing Friday is low to medium (20-30%), mainly eastern CWA. Behind the trough, a ridge will build across TX leading to drier conditions and increasingly hot temperatures. In the low levels, the humidity is progged to increase early next week leading to Heat Index values approaching 110 degrees across the Rio Grande Plains and western Brush Country by Monday and continuing through the middle of next week. This could lead to a moderate to major risk of heat related impacts across the Rio Grande Plains and Brush Country. Heat Advisories may be needed across the western CWA Mon-Wed. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 548 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 VFR conditions will persist through this evening. MVFR ceilings will develop late tonight across South Texas. Brief IFR visibility is also expected over the Coastal Plains and Victoria Crossroads, so have left in the TEMPO for ALI and VCT. MVFR ceilings will lift to VFR by midday Thursday. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Thursday. && .MARINE... Issued at 339 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 Moderate onshore flow tonight around 15-17 knots will increase to moderate to strong levels tomorrow between 17-19 knots before decreasing back to weaker levels under 15 knots tomorrow night. There is a low to medium chance for showers and thunderstorms across the local waters tomorrow with the best chances across the northern bays and offshore waters. If a storm does develop, there is a low chance they can become strong enough to produce gusts to 34-40 knots. A low chance (10-20%) of showers and thunderstorms are expected Friday. Weak to moderate onshore flow will continue through the weekend, with periods of more moderate flow expected early next week across the southern bays and nearshore waters. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Corpus Christi 78 92 78 92 / 20 30 0 20 Victoria 72 89 73 87 / 10 60 20 20 Laredo 78 102 77 98 / 20 0 10 20 Alice 76 94 75 94 / 20 30 10 30 Rockport 78 87 78 88 / 10 30 10 20 Cotulla 77 97 74 96 / 20 20 10 10 Kingsville 78 93 77 92 / 20 20 10 30 Navy Corpus 80 89 80 90 / 10 20 10 30 && .CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...JCP LONG TERM....TE AVIATION...LS/77
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI
1155 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Dry conditions into tomorrow. - Increasing precipitation chances Thursday night with scattered to numerous showers and possible embedded thunderstorms Friday. - Low chances for showers and thunderstorms over the weekend, mainly Saturday, with an active weather pattern setting up early to middle of next week. && .AVIATION... Some degree of low level moisture will work back west into the area around high pressure to the north overnight into early Thursday as mid/upper level moisture begins to stream in from the west. Will maintain a very conservative cloud forecast given late evening trends, but still may be some patches of lower VFR stratus early in the morning. Meanwhile, cigs between 8-15kft will thicken from the west as low pressure shifts from the upper midwest to northern Great Lakes. Any shower activity associated with this moisture feed will hold off until after 03z-06z. Light northeast flow will veer to southeast on Thursday. For DTW/D21 Convection...There is a chance of isolated thunderstorms within a broader area of scattered showers overnight Thursday night. While a heavy downpour is not out of the question with some of this activity, strong storms are not anticipated and impacts should be minimal. DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES... * Low for ceiling aob 5000 feet early Thursday morning (~09z-12z). * Low for thunderstorms after 06z Thursday night. && .PREV DISCUSSION... Issued at 350 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 DISCUSSION... A surface low pressure will continue the slow progression eastward today with northeast winds gusting to around 15 knots across most of southeast Michigan this afternoon. Drier air filtering into the region has brought decreasing clouds north of I-96 with lingering clouds to the south with even a hint of elevated smoke from wildfires present across parts of central Michigan. Any low chance of precipitation this afternoon has come to an end with dry conditions expected to hold through this evening and overnight. Surface high pressure center over Hudson Bay and shortwave ridging aloft passing through Michigan early in the day will help maintain dry conditions through much of the day tomorrow, but high falls will be encroaching into the western/central Great Lakes associated with an upper Midwest trough. Increasing clouds will arrive downstream of this feature during the afternoon into the evening. Lower level moisture advection will ramp up throughout the day as well. Marginal instability tries to develop along the southwestern fringes of the CWA during the afternoon, but synoptic lift is rather weak. This should keep any isolated or scattered showers and possible thunderstorms that may develop during the afternoon to the west of the forecast area. Warm advection throughout tomorrow will bring afternoon high temperatures up a few degrees compared to today into the mid 70s. Weak shortwave energy over Michigan tomorrow night will bring increasing precipitation chances during the overnight period, but any activity should be scattered. The weakening trough lifting into the northern Great Lakes/Ontario will drag a weakening frontal boundary through the central Great Lakes on Friday with more appreciable chances for rainfall during the morning and afternoon. Models have some increasing instability into the afternoon ahead of this front. MLCAPE values generally around 500-750 J/kg are forecast by the RAP for Friday afternoon. Bulk shear at 0-6 km will be around the 25-40 knot range. Though, steep mid level lapse rates will be lacking based on the forecast right now. This environment will be supportive of mainly general thunderstorms given the lack of strong forcing. The start of the weekend will see a southern stream shortwave lift out of the southern plains and into the central/northern Appalachian Mountains while the northern stream jet situates west to east from the PacNW through the upper Midwest. Saturday will see weak surface flow with a relatively warm and moist airmass residing across Michigan. Weak lift in the vicinity of the southern stream trough combining with the diurnal instability may be enough to generate some isolated to possibly scattered convection, though much of the area probably remains dry. Will maintain lower end PoPs of 20-30% for Saturday afternoon. Lead shortwave trough at the front end of the northern stream jet will help drive a cold front through Michigan on Sunday. Confidence decreases in regards to precipitation chances along this front, but it looks like chances will be limited as deeper forcing holds off to the north. Zonal flow pattern sets up for early next week setting up a possible active stretch of weather. MARINE... Low pressure exits the Ohio Valley today, keeping fresh northeast flow in place. Small Craft Advisories are in effect for Saginaw Bay through 8pm and for the nearshore zones between Port Sanilac and Port Huron through 11pm tonight. Northeast wind over the bay up to 25 knots will continue to die down through the evening hours, and peak hazard conditions have already occurred for that area. High waves are the concern for the Port Sanilac to Port Huron near shore zone. High pressure briefly influences the area Thursday morning, before showers return on Thursday evening into Friday due to low pressure dragging a front across the Great Lakes. Thunderstorms are also possible with this event, but other than localized impacts due to these showers/storms, winds are expected to remain gentle at 10 knots, with waves expected to remain low through Friday and into the weekend. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. Lake Huron...None. Lake St Clair...None. Michigan waters of Lake Erie...None. && $$ AVIATION.....DG DISCUSSION...AA MARINE.......BC You can obtain your latest National Weather Service forecasts online at www.weather.gov/detroit.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
537 PM MDT Wed May 15 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 155 PM MDT Wed May 15 2024 Much of the area will have a chance for a shower or thunderstorm for Thursday, but any precipitation will be light. Gusty winds and small hail will be the main concerns. Starting Friday, we enter a warming trend, peaking on Sunday. Winds will increase as well Sunday going forward making for very warm to hot and breezy afternoons. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 155 PM MDT Wed May 15 2024 The weather pattern for our area features a closed low over the Northern Baja Peninsula and an UL ridge across the Plains, to our east. Some diffluence is noted on the GFS 500 mb analysis and is marked by a cumulus field that extends across the Gila and Sacramento Mountains into Albuquerque`s CWA. Radars are showing some echos beneath these cumulus clouds. Low rain chances will continue across these areas through sunset. Much of this activity will then dissipate, but the HRRR is showing a few showers lingering throughout the night into the morning, likely associated with increasing divergence aloft as the low approaches. The low will shift northeastward, crossing Central NM throughout the day Thursday, keeping much of the CWA within favorable dynamics and thermodynamics for instability showers and thunderstorms. The best chance for activity will be roughly I-10 to the north and especially the mountains. Looking at forecasting soundings and severe weather parameters, there won`t be much CAPE, generally less than 500 J/kg nor much shear, less than 20 knots. Nevertheless, T-Td spreads 20-40 degrees with high bases and DCAPE values around 1000 J/kg mean gusty winds up to 50 MPH will be the primary concern, but I would not be surprised by a severe caliber gust (58+ MPH) or two either. Given much of the CAPE is within the ice-growing zone some small hail or graupel (<0.5") will be possible as well. Some lingering energy will stick around through Friday morning, so rain/storm chances do not entirely end until then. We will see the low/trough be replaced with a building ridge that will translate eastward. Temperatures will warm each afternoon Friday through Sunday. By Sunday afternoon, the ridge axis will be to our east with deep SW-flow, allowing us to approach our first 100 degree day at El Paso. Yesterday, both the GFS and Euro showed a trough passing NM on Monday, but both models have slowed its passage. The GFS is about 6-12 hours slower pushing the trough through Monday night. Winds will would be breezy in this situation with fire danger being the concern. The Euro is considerably slower, pushing the trough through Tuesday morning, meaning Monday and Tuesday would both be breezy but with marginal fire concerns. In either case it will be dry and warm to very warm to hot. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 525 PM MDT Wed May 15 2024 Breezy winds expected for much of the period, mostly from W-SW. Winds remain AOA 10kts through the AM, becoming gusty during the day tomorrow to around 25kts. An upper disturbance moves in from the north during the period, increasing the threat of TSRA for all TAF sites. KTCS is most likely to see lightning nearby tomorrow afternoon with the activity drifting southward late in the period. A few SHRA also should develop along the Black Range near KTCS early in the AM. No mention of TSRA in the southern three terminals since confidence is not high enough. To signify the elevated storm threat, SCT-BKN100 have been added later in the period. Gusty and erratic outflow winds are possible with this activity. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 155 PM MDT Wed May 15 2024 An upper-level system will move through the area throughout the day on Thursday. It will bring an increase in moisture as well as a bit cooler temperatures, especially across the northern half of the forecast area and for the mountains. It will also bring at least scattered showers and a few thunderstorms, especially for the mountains. Min RH values will still be on the low side, so dry lightning and gusty winds are the main concerns with any stronger cell. Small hail may also occur. This system clears out Friday, and we enter a warm and dry pattern. Winds will begin to increase for Sunday allowing elevated conditions. On Monday, winds increase further with widespread near critical to critical conditions expected. The magnitude of winds is a bit uncertain, but confidence is high for very dry air. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... El Paso 65 86 62 91 / 10 20 10 0 Sierra Blanca 62 80 54 84 / 10 10 0 10 Las Cruces 59 83 56 90 / 10 40 10 10 Alamogordo 55 78 52 86 / 10 60 10 10 Cloudcroft 40 55 39 63 / 10 80 10 20 Truth or Consequences 57 75 55 87 / 20 60 10 10 Silver City 49 73 50 79 / 10 40 10 10 Deming 55 83 55 89 / 10 30 10 10 Lordsburg 52 82 53 87 / 10 10 0 0 West El Paso Metro 62 83 59 88 / 10 20 10 0 Dell City 60 84 52 89 / 0 30 0 10 Fort Hancock 63 87 55 91 / 10 10 0 10 Loma Linda 57 76 54 83 / 10 20 0 10 Fabens 63 86 57 91 / 0 10 0 0 Santa Teresa 57 82 55 87 / 10 20 10 0 White Sands HQ 62 81 61 88 / 10 40 10 10 Jornada Range 53 79 52 87 / 10 50 10 10 Hatch 55 82 52 90 / 10 50 10 10 Columbus 59 83 59 89 / 0 10 0 0 Orogrande 57 79 54 86 / 10 40 10 10 Mayhill 45 65 44 74 / 10 70 10 10 Mescalero 45 65 42 75 / 20 80 20 20 Timberon 44 66 42 73 / 10 60 10 10 Winston 47 69 47 80 / 30 70 10 10 Hillsboro 51 75 51 85 / 20 50 10 10 Spaceport 52 76 50 88 / 10 50 10 10 Lake Roberts 44 71 44 81 / 20 60 10 10 Hurley 47 76 49 83 / 10 30 10 10 Cliff 52 79 50 87 / 20 40 0 10 Mule Creek 51 74 50 82 / 20 30 0 10 Faywood 50 76 51 83 / 10 40 10 10 Animas 53 82 53 88 / 10 0 0 0 Hachita 54 82 54 87 / 0 10 0 0 Antelope Wells 52 82 52 87 / 0 0 0 0 Cloverdale 50 76 52 82 / 0 0 0 0 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. NM...None. && $$ FORECASTER...39-Aronson
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1055 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 .UPDATE... Issued at 1052 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 Other than a few light showers over the NE mountains, rain has come to an end. The forecast remains on track, and no changes are planned. /SEC && .SHORT TERM... (This afternoon through Thursday) Issued at 232 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 The main focus for this AFD is the showers ongoing over the area with isolated thunderstorms. Overall, expecting very summerlike pop up showers when it comes to this afternoon and evening, with no real severe threat. After the upper level low centered over Tennessee causing these showers moves to the east, your forecast should remain dry until Friday. Gusty winds will be the main concern with gusts up to 25mph this afternoon into the evening. Hernandez && .LONG TERM... (Friday morning through next Tuesday) Issued at 232 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 The first 2 days of the extended period will likely be the majority of the sensible weather for the extended period. The period begins with a mid level disturbance located over the Mid MS valley early Friday within the modest mid level flow of the jet extending back over TX and Mexico. The tail end of the CAMS including the WRF FV3, ARW, NAM3km and HRRR in fairly good agreement that a remnant or decaying MCS could be approaching the region by early Friday..which is entirely possible given upper support and surface based instability available to the west of the region during the day on Thu. If that`s the case, early Friday may be more of a rain shield with embedded thunderstorms type of start to the day...which in turn could limit the amount of destabilization that occurs during the day Friday. The NAM3km tries to surge north much higher CAPE values behind the departing MCS but fails to reach the southern CWA by the end of the run Friday eve. Similar to the thinking in the previous AFD, there is likely going to be a significant increase in instability toward the gulf coast which may act serve as a deterrent to convection further north and help keep the main axis of any MCS development further to the south. All of that being said, there is still a higher likelihood of widespread showers and a few embedded thunderstorms north of any MCS which tracks to the south...hence NBM guidance is ranging 60-80 pops late Friday through Saturday. Saturday`s forecast remains a bit more uncertain given the uncertainty in how Friday plays out, however, given the proximity of the upper support over TN, modest mid and upper level jet energy, sufficient deep and low level shear, there is a risk for severe storms early through mid day Saturday....under the assumption that an MCS to the south or early in the day doesn`t disrupt surface heating processes. GFS soundings for W. GA midday Saturday certainly support a severe risk, but given the many uncertainties in how things evolve leading into Saturday, SPC correctly went the conservative route with no outlined risk for Saturday. The CSU MLP severe risk outlined for Day 4(Saturday) is in line with what the potential could be IF other factors don`t come into play, which is possibly a 15% including some Tor and wind risk. Stay tuned for updates. Beyond Saturday...the main upper system from Friday/Saturday shifts east and basically becomes stationary well offshore of the SE coastline, but close enough to keep the region within a mid level NW flow and pleasant weather through the remainder of the extended period. 30 && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 747 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 Shower and thunderstorm activity has mostly been winding down over the last hour or so. There are a few showers over N GA that have increased in intensity a bit as some lingering shortwave energy skirts by, but they should begin to weaken again with the loss of daytime heating. Gusty winds are diminishing at this time. VFR conditions are expected overnight with light W-NW winds. Light winds will continue during the day Thu with few clouds. //ATL Confidence...00Z Update... High for all elements. SEC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 60 86 61 80 / 0 0 10 50 Atlanta 61 86 65 80 / 0 0 10 60 Blairsville 57 79 57 74 / 20 0 20 70 Cartersville 57 85 62 79 / 10 0 20 60 Columbus 62 89 67 84 / 0 0 20 60 Gainesville 61 85 62 77 / 0 0 10 60 Macon 63 88 65 84 / 10 0 10 40 Rome 58 86 62 80 / 0 0 20 70 Peachtree City 60 87 63 80 / 0 0 20 60 Vidalia 65 88 68 87 / 10 0 0 30 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. $$ SHORT TERM...SEC LONG TERM....30 AVIATION...SEC
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
840 PM MST Wed May 15 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms this evening will diminish and shift eastward overnight. Rain and thunderstorm chances remain Thursday for portions of northern and northeast Arizona. High pressure returns Friday through the weekend, resulting in breezy, warm, and drier conditions. Unsettled weather returns next week. && .UPDATE...Scattered showers persist across northern Arizona this evening. Despite extensive cloud cover to end the day and the loss of daytime heating, instability remains due to cooler air aloft. CAPE values from the afternoon upper-air sounding (launched at 4:30 PM MST) show around 300-400 J/kg with RAP presenting 200-500 J/kg across much of the area (at 8:30 PM MST), allowing for ongoing thunderstorm activity. A few updates were made to the forecast PoPs to track current observations and the latest CAMs. Rain chances this evening will decrease overnight into the early morning both with regards to coverage and probability. The low`s center has progressed and now resides along the southern border of Arizona. Water vapor satellite imagery shows drier air beginning to enter the northwestern portion of the state as the trough and low continue their trek eastward. These are early signs of decreasing chances for showers and storms tomorrow. Don`t expect as active of a day on Thursday with most of the rainfall and convection occurring east of Flagstaff. && .PREV DISCUSSION /433 PM MST/...The closed low along with a longwave trough to the northeast are working in conjunction to bring showers and thunderstorms to a good portion of northern Arizona. Mostly light westerly winds are being impacted significantly by the erratic gusts from the scattered storms. A few of the stronger storms have produced wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph as outflow boundaries propagate in various directions. Be aware, thunderstorms do not have to be directly overhead to bring hazardous winds and/or lightning. These gust fronts continue to trigger additional activity, tapping into the 250-500 J/kg of CAPE across the area. Most of the gauges where precipitation has fallen thus far have recorded only a few hundredths of an inch. However, heavier showers are impacting localized areas along the Mogollon Rim, Coconino Plateau, and Black Mesa with radar indicated QPE of 0.5" to 1.25". Additional isolated strong storms and rainfall will continue to be possible, especially over high terrain. Tonight through Thursday...The scattered showers and storms will continue through the afternoon and evening hours before shifting eastward as the low to our south tracks eastward. More isolated to widely scattered showers and convection will linger overnight, primarily relegated to Navajo County and Apache County. While the dynamics will not be nearly as conducive for precipitation Thursday, the ECMWF and GFS show a small shortwave ripple through eastern Arizona. This wrinkle in the atmosphere along with left over moisture will allow for a slight chance of rain. The best chances will be along the Arizona/New Mexico border and White Mountains (20-35%) that will extend along the Mogollon Rim as far west as the Flagstaff area (10-15%). Much of western Arizona is expected to remain dry tomorrow with diminishing cloud cover. Once again, widespread heavy rainfall is not forecast with precipitation amounts of less than 0.1" likely. Friday through Sunday...By Friday, an upper-level ridge will begin to form across the Southwest U.S., leading to a warming and drying trend that will extend through the weekend. Afternoon highs will be roughly 5 degrees above average each day. Winds do strengthen out of the southwest, becoming breezy each afternoon as a longwave trough to our north pushes against the ridge, tightening pressure gradients. Overall, winds are forecast to remain below advisory levels with gusts of 25 to 35 mph expected. Monday through Wednesday...More unsettled conditions are expected as models show a trough pushing into the region to start next week. There is low confidence that this system will have the moisture required to bring precipitation to Arizona. Anticipate another increase in the already breezy west-southwest winds along with temperatures cooling to near to just below seasonal norms. These winds along with drier conditions will push us towards near critical fire weather conditions once again. However, the rainfall we are currently experiencing should help somewhat in this regard. More updates to follow. && .AVIATION...Thursday 16/00Z through Friday 17/00Z...Scattered SHRA/TSRA continue this evening with brief periods of MVFR and wind gusts up to 40 kts possible. Showers decrease by 03-06Z, with a few lingering showers across eastern AZ overnight. Outside of showers, VFR conditions continue. Varying wind directions tonight with a trough passage, but more predominantly NW at 10-20 kts on Thursday. OUTLOOK...Friday 17/00Z through Sunday 19/00Z...Mainly VFR conditions expected with W to SW winds 10-20 kts each afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER...Tonight through Friday...Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue through tonight, becoming more isolated on Thursday. Variable winds overnight, becoming west to northwest on Thursday. Erratic outflow winds up to 40 mph possible in or near showers and storms. Dry conditions return on Friday. South to west winds 10-20 mph with afternoon RH values between 10-20%. Saturday through Monday...Warmer and drier weather conditions are expected through the weekend. Southwest to west winds 15-25 mph gusting 30-35 mph, increasing to 35-40 mph on Monday. Afternoon RH values will range between 5-15%, increasing to 10-20% on Monday. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && $$ PUBLIC...Mazon AVIATION...MCT FIRE WEATHER...MCT For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Indianapolis IN
947 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder through early evening across the south. - Fog possible overnight to early tomorrow morning. - Rain and storm chances return at times late Thursday through Saturday. - Above normal temperatures for this weekend through the middle of next week. && .FORECAST UPDATE... Issued at 947 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 - Decreasing cloudiness overnight; Patchy Fog expected. Surface analysis late this evening shows low pressure in place over West Virginia, exiting east. A weak ridge of high pressure was found over IL and Indiana. Another area of low pressure was found over the southern plains. GOES16 shows some diurnal CU across the area, continuing to dissipate. Dew point temperatures across the area were in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Overnight, the weak surface high in combination with ridging aloft is expected to build across Central Indiana. This will lead to continued subsidence overnight and continued clearing. Models suggest continued clearing skies overnight but dew point depressions less than 2F. Thus with light winds and clear skies and these high dew points expected, some patchy fog will be expected overnight. Lows should fall to the middle and upper 50s. Overall, ongoing forecast appears on track. && .SHORT TERM (This evening through Thursday)... Issued at 259 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 The low pressure system that has brought ample rain since yesterday is slowly making its way eastward leaving scattered showers across the southern portion of the forecast area this afternoon. The rain should fully exit central Indiana by late this evening. Brief upper ridging will then move through, allowing a quick break in precipitation before the next system moves in for the end of the week. Clouds will likely stick around for much of the night tonight with model soundings showing persistent saturation at the top of the boundary layer, but will have to keep an eye out for any locations that do begin to clear as the recent rains will help to supersaturate the low levels and may allow for some fog formation. The low confidence that things will clear out enough for widespread fog makes a Dense Fog Advisory seem a bit overdone at this time, but will have to monitor things going into this evening. Warmer temperatures are expected tomorrow with highs back into the mid 70s to near 80. Another upper short wave behind the ridging will bring additional rain later in the day tomorrow. Time of arrival is still not clear but could arrive from the west as early as the 2 to 8pm timeframe. && .LONG TERM (Thursday night through Wednesday)... Issued at 259 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 Thursday night through Saturday... An approaching southern stream shortwave will keep elevated rain or storm chances in the forecast towards the end of this week. The best chance for rain looks to be late Thursday night through Friday evening when the best forcing/moisture move across the Ohio Valley. Anomalous moisture and warm rain processes could potentially lead to another round of locally heavy rain. Considering grounds are already saturated from heavy rain over the past 24 hours, there are elevated flooding concerns if this scenario plays out. The one caveat to this is that a strong MCS will likely move across the Gulf coast states late Thursday into Friday morning which could limit deeper moisture return further north. A few models have recently trended lower on precipitation amounts for this reason. Rain chances persist into Saturday as the aforementioned system should still be centered near the Ohio Valley. Confidence is somewhat limited on how long precipitation lingers Saturday due to model discrepancies. The GFS is noticeably slower compared to other guidance keeping elevated rain chances into Saturday night. Decided to stick with the larger suite of models showing a more progressive pattern with the system departing Saturday evening and decreasing rain chances overnight. Sunday onward... Brief ridging building in Sunday should provide mostly dry conditions, but can`t rule isolated diurnal convection, mainly over SE counties as there could still be sufficient PBL moisture in place. Confidence decreases some towards next week with model solutions diverging. However, guidance is in general agreement that upper level pattern switch from split-flow to more full-latitude troughing across the western CONUS. The pattern looks to remain active with multiple embedded shortwaves potentially moving through next week. Look for rain chances to return late Monday PM and persist through at least midweek. At least a low end severe weather threat looks possible Tuesday/Tuesday night as increasing instability and deep-layer shear ahead of an approaching surface low could support organized convection. CIPS Analogs and CSU machine learning are showing increasing severe weather probabilities during this period. It is still too early for exact details, but this will be monitored closely over the coming days. Strengthening southerly flow should help to warm temperatures well into the 80s early next week. && .AVIATION (00Z TAF Issuance)... Issued at 837 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 Impacts: - VFR conditions expected this evening. - IFR or worse visibilities possible late tonight in fog. - A return to VFR after 1300Z on Thursday. Discussion: Wrap around diurnal clouds were slowly dissipating this evening as low pressure east of the TAF sites continues to exit to the east. Weak high pressure in place over the middle Mississippi valley is expected build across Central Indiana allowing the clouds to dissipate. Low dew point depressions overnight along with clearing skies, light winds and residual lower level moisture will allow for some fog development late tonight. Have included some MVFR fog mention with IFR tempo groups for now. Fog will dissipate in typical diurnal fashion tomorrow morning, with a SCT-BKN low end VFR cumulus deck likely to develop on Thursday. HRRR suggests some scattered convection on Thursday afternoon as diurnal highs area reached. For now have included a VCSH mention. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ UPDATE...Puma SHORT TERM...KF LONG TERM...Melo AVIATION...Puma
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Memphis TN
642 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 221 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 Pleasant and dry conditions will come to an end tomorrow as a few systems cross the region. Showers and thunderstorms, some may be strong to severe, are possible tomorrow evening and Friday. Thursday`s potential for severe weather looks to be north of Interstate 40 and Friday may be more widespread with the most likely area across north Mississippi. High pressure settles in on Sunday and temperatures will be on the rise and our first 90 degree day will arrive early next week. && .DISCUSSION... (This evening through next Tuesday) Issued at 221 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 A nice cumulus field is depicted on satellite across the region as skies gradually clear out as upper level ridging slides in. Temperatures have risen to the mid to upper 70s this afternoon as the sun shines through. A weak surface cold front is draped across the TN/KY border at 1 PM. This cold front may have enough pull for a few afternoon showers and thunderstorms across west Tennessee, slight chance PoPs were carried near the Tennessee River to account for any development. Skies will continue to clear this evening with light winds making fog development possible. Radiational cooling will enhance fog development mainly for areas near the Tennessee River. Confidence is low in dense fog development. An MCV on track across Missouri may bring a few strong, possibly severe storms to the Mid-South tomorrow. Any development tomorrow afternoon will most likely be confined to north of the I-40 corridor. This MCV does look to approach early tomorrow morning, but it must act as a battering ram first to push the ridge out of the way. By the time the MCV reaches the area, it will be running out of daytime heating and diurnal stability trends. There however may be enough low-level shear (31 kts 0-3km) for a strong to severe storm late tomorrow evening with low confidence in the overnight severe threat. Model uncertainty has painted Friday as a few different outcomes. A deep trough under southerly flow aloft will push across the southeast from the southern plains. The strength of this trough will be highly dependent on how long the decaying MCV takes to push out of the Mid-South and if the atmosphere has enough time to recover. Shear does still look to remain impressive and supportive of updrafts, but instability could be lacking. The highest probability for severe weather currently appears to be from far southeast TX across much of LA and central/southern MS into western AL. Some severe potential could extend farther north into the TN Valley, but uncertainty regarding moisture return and the track of the surface low. We will continue to monitor this active pattern. The GFS is a bit pessimistic to push the precipitation activity out of the region by Saturday morning while the ECMWF has dry conditions returning Saturday morning. Due to the uncertainty, 20-30 PoPs were carried for Saturday. High pressure begins to settle in Sunday, and we could see our first 90 degree days of the season. DNM && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 641 PM CDT Wed May 15 2024 No significant impacts expected this evening, with light winds and VFR. Will need to watch an area of SHRA/TSRA lifting east across north central AR. None of CAMs initialized this activity earlier and recent runs of the HRRR squash it quickly, despite 30-40KT of bulk sheer. This may indeed happen, given significantly weaker low level flow over eastern AR by 03Z. Overnight, patchy fog will develop where skies partially clear. Bulk of SHRA/TSRA to arrive at MEM after 06z Friday, beyond the TAF period. Decided to include a PROB30 for TSRA for late Thursday evening, given the potential for impacts. PWB && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. && $$ PUBLIC FORECAST...DNM AVIATION...PWB
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City NC
1000 PM EDT Wed May 15 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will sweep across ENC tonight with high pressure building in behind it, keeping Thursday dry. Another low pressure system impacts us this weekend. && .NEAR TERM /Through Tonight/... As of 10 PM Wed...Severe threat has since ended, and in it`s wake an MCV has formed off the NC coast with a stratiform rain area with some embedded thunder in it`s wake. Thus will hang onto likely showers with chc thunder through the next few hours, before showers taper off and move offshore. Rest of the night is quiet. Prev disc... As of 707 PM Wed...Severe storms that formed over the last two hours are beginning to weaken over the past 30 min, and should cont to do so. Still, some small hail and gusty winds can be expected with any remaining storms through around 9 pm this evening, before storms weaken to showers and eventually dissipating after midnight. Remainder of the night will be quiet, with some patchy light fog developing late. Prev disc...As of 3:30 PM Wednesday...Latest surface analysis shows the cold front draped nearly parallel to Core Banks. This boundary has been a source of lift for the showers and thunderstorms that have moved across the area over the past several hours. All convection within the FA has waned, but a second round is expected later this afternoon and evening (especially south of HWY 64) due to a cold front and mid-level low moving across the area. Storms that develop have the potential to become strong to severe given the RAP mesoanalysis showing 1000-2000 J/kg of MLCAPE, 50-55+ kt of effect shear, and mid-level lapse rates around 6 C/km. As a result, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 8 PM for Lenoir, Pamlico, Jones, Craven, Duplin, Onslow, and Carteret Counties. The primary concerns with these storms are damaging wind gusts and hail. The severe threat will decrease after sunset, but strong to severe storms are still possible through the evening. Convection will decrease after midnight and lows will drop to the low 60s across the area. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY/... As of 4 PM Wednesday...A nice day is in store as we settle into the post-frontal air mass and upper ridging builds in. Cloud cover will hang around through the day, but we`ll be dry with highs in the upper 70s along the coastal plain and low 70s along the OBX. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 430 AM Wednesday...High pressure builds in Thursday night into Friday but another low pressure system will impact the area this weekend. High pressure builds in early next week. Thursday through Friday...Upper ridging builds in from the west Thursday with a vertically stacked low off the Mid-Atlantic coast slowly moving eastward. Lowered PoPs to below mentionable with most guidance now indicating dry conditions and model soundings showing only a shallow saturated layer above 850mb and very dry well mixed conditions below that. If any showers do develop, they will likely only produce virga. Ridging crest over the area Friday with mainly dry conditions expected but will see increasing clouds as the next system approaches and could see an isolated shower move in from the west late in the day. Friday night through Sunday night...A complex low pressure system will impact the region through most of the weekend. A southern stream wave will transport ample gulf moisture into the region Friday night into Saturday with sfc low pressure moving across the region late Saturday or early Sunday. The system then transitions into a vertically stack low as it slowly pushes across the Mid-Atlantic and off the coast through the latter half of the weekend. As with most cut-off systems, there are differences among the models with the evolution, timing and track with this system but unsettled weather will impact the region through much of the period. Monday and Tuesday...The upper low slowly pulls away from the area early next week with high pressure building in from the west with generally dry conditions expected. && .AVIATION /02Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... SHORT TERM /through Thursday/... As of 707 PM Wed...A mixed bag of flight categories is expected over the next 24 hours. Showers and thunderstorms that developed south of Hwy 70, will be ongoing through the mid evening, and eventually dissipate by midnight. With the today`s rainfall and overnight winds expected to go light to calm, fog development cannot be ruled out, but the most likely scenario will be IFR to possibly LIFR stratus. Conditions will improve to VFR by mid- morning. LONG TERM /Thursday through Sunday/... As of 445 AM Wednesday...Pred VFR expected Thursday through Friday with high pressure building into the area. Another low pressure system will impact the area through the weekend bringing periods of sub-VFR conditions Friday night through Sunday. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM /Today and Tonight/... As of 4 PM Wed...Poor boating conditions continue with 4-6 ft seas and SW winds around 10-15 kt, veering to the NW overnight. SCA conditions should cease by early tomorrow morning with seas decreasing to 3-5 ft. LONG TERM /Thursday through Sunday/... As of 5 AM Wednesday...Low pressure off the Mid-Atlantic will slowly push away from the area Thursday with high pressure transitioning across the waters on Friday with conditions expected to remain below Small Craft Criteria. A complex low pressure system will impact the region Friday night through Sunday bringing unsettled weather through the period. Guidance for the most part keeping conditions below SCA criteria through the weekend but cannot rule out a period of low end SCA mainly late Saturday/Saturday night. The best opportunity for SCA conditions will be late in the weekend or early next week as low pressure deepens as it pulls offshore. There are differences among the models the timing and track of this system, so be sure to follow updates as details come into focus. && .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM EDT Thursday for AMZ158. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MHX NEAR TERM...TL/OJC SHORT TERM...OJC LONG TERM...SK/SGK AVIATION...SK/TL MARINE...SK/OJC
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
750 PM PDT Wed May 15 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will pose a gusty wind threat for areas along and south of Interstate 15 today. The work week ends warm and dry, with Las Vegas making a run at 100 degrees on Friday. Gradual cooling and increasing winds ensue this weekend and into next week as low pressure develops over the region. && .UPDATE...Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms across the Mojave Desert this afternoon are beginning to wane with the sunset. The low levels remained very dry, with DCAPE measured around 1700 J/kg in the 00Z sounding, so most showers failed to produce enough rain to reach the ground. The exception to this was the higher terrain of Mohave County. Gauges on the Hualapai Mountains measured between 0.08 and 0.16 inches of rain today. Some cells produced frequent lightning as well as gusty winds between 20 and 30 mph, but no cells approached severe criteria this afternoon. Remnant showers in eastern San Bernardino and central Mohave counties will continue to dwindle over the next few hours. No changes made to the forecast this evening, as it looks to be in good shape. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...1245 PM PDT Wed May 15 2024/ .SHORT TERM...Today through Friday. Main story today will be the isolated-to-scattered showers (and possibly a storm or two) along and south of the I-15 corridor. A vorticity max diving south through Utah will interact with remnant moisture associated with the closed low over the San Diego / Baja California area. Convective initiation will favor the local high terrain, with outflow winds more likely to move into surrounding valleys than actual precipitation. As moisture (particularly in the low-levels) is so limited, not concerned with heavy rain or flash flooding from this activity. Instead, any threat posed by convection will likely be from lightning or outflow winds. RAP forecast soundings show deep, inverted-V profiles with DCAPE of 1500+ J/kg, supporting efficient evaporation in the sub-cloud layer and enhancing downdraft potential. This is reflected in the 12z HREF probabilities of 30+ knot winds, which paint a wide swath of 10-30% chances along and south of I-15, along with a small area of 50% chances in southern Mohave County this evening as activity consolidates there. Rain chances completely exit our CWA around midnight, ushering in a dry period that lasts at least a couple days. This dry period ensues because high pressure begins to build over the region. 500mb height anomaly charts show modest positive anomalies over the W/SW US on Thursday and Friday, sandwiches between a cutoff low in the Eastern Pacific and a shortwave over the Northern Rockies. These height rises and the general "breeziness" of the zonal/NW flow pattern will allow Las Vegas to make a run at its first 100 of the year on Friday. Latest NBM probabilities of reaching 100 degrees stand at 50% and Death Valley has a 25% chance of reaching 110. Needless to say, it`s going to be pretty warm out there, with Minor-to-Moderate HeatRisk across the area. .LONG TERM...This weekend into next week. As an additional shortwave enters the Pacific Northwest and the eastern Pacific low begins to move towards shore, our ridge will slowly break down over the weekend. This allows temperatures to gradually cool while breezy conditions persist. By the start of the work week, ensemble guidance is in pretty good agreement, phasing the eastern Pacific low with the Pacific Northwest shortwave. As this occurs, temperatures return to seasonal values (possibly a few degrees below normal) and winds increase. The best chance of wind impacts looks to be across our western deserts, with 50-80% probabilities of 40+ mph winds Saturday - Monday. Elsewhere, impactful wind chances peak on Monday with generally 25-50% probabilities. At least some degree of troughing is forecast to linger across the Western US through most of next week. The depth and southward extent is less clear, which will impact temperatures and winds during this time. This uncertainty is evident in NBM box- and-whisker plots of high temperatures, with a ~10 degree spread between the 25th and 75th percentiles. The same plots for peak wind gusts show 15-20 knot spreads. However, we can generally expect temperatures to be within a few degrees of normal and at least breezy conditions to persist through most of the week. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...In the absence of any convective influence, expecting light winds to persist from a NNW - NNE direction. However, there is potential outflow winds from vicinity precipitation to reach the airport. The first chance comes this afternoon between 21z and 00z, and is dependent on if anything can develop off the Sheep range to the north. The second chance comes later this evening (~06z) from distant convection in SW Utah. This second wave seems to have more model agreement (roughly 60% chance) and would likely be stronger. Latest NBM guidance suggests gusts up to 20 knots are possible. With both outflow scenarios, wind direction should be from the N or NE. By 09z, any outflow influences should cease, leaving light N breezes less than 10 knots to persist through the night, becoming NE tomorrow morning. FEW-SCT clouds aoa 10kft this afternoon and evening, becoming clear overnight. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Isolated to scattered showers and storms may influence conditions (mainly winds) at sites in the Las Vegas and Colorado River Valleys this afternoon and evening. In the Vegas Valley, outflow potential exists this afternoon with any vicinity convection, with a better chance (~60%) late in the evening as outflow from distant activity tries to move into the valley. Any outflow winds should be from the N or E. Similar story for KEED and KIFP, though the outflow direction is more likely to be from the west this afternoon and east this evening. Outside of convective influences, these sites should see typical light and diurnal wind patterns. At KDAG, light NE winds this afternoon with the typical westerly push arriving around 02z with gusts of 20-25 knots. At KBIH, north winds increase to 15-25 knots this afternoon, weakening overnight. VFR conditions prevail with FEW-SCT clouds aoa 10kft. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && $$ UPDATE...Varian DISCUSSION/AVIATION...Woods For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter