000
FXUS63 KARX 210737
AFDARX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
237 AM CDT Fri Jul 21 2017

.SHORT TERM...(Today through Saturday)
Issued at 237 AM CDT Fri Jul 21 2017

High Impact Weather Potential: Focus of the forecast is squarely on
the next 24-36 hours in terms of the potential for additional
convection, including a risk for both severe storms and also
additional heavy rains and potential reinvigoration of flooding.

Rain...rain...go away! We simply don`t need any more water for those
areas so badly impacted by flooding the past 24 hours, but
unfortunately the weather doesn`t look to cooperate much through
tonight. While the usual caveats regarding lower confidence with
convective evolution do apply to some degree today into tonight,
starting to get a sense for how things will play out, and that does
include a pretty good risk for additional heavy rains in some areas
through tonight. Early this morning, a warm front remains draped
down into central Iowa, with much of our local area "cleaned out" of
instability as ongoing convection just to our south continues to
hold the boundary well intact. That will change through the morning
hours as low level ridging overhead right now works east, with
strengthening return flow ahead of an approaching weak shortwave
from western Nebraska/South Dakota helping bump the front and
associated instability back north, becoming centered somewhere
either side of the Mississippi River into the afternoon hours.

A gradual uptick in warm advection ascent ahead of that wave in
addition to broad moisture transport over the boundary should help
gradually develop convection through the morning and early afternoon
hours, though per current trends, that activity may be more
scattered than widespread. Heading into the later afternoon and
evening hours, there continue to be hints of a better organized
complex working east out of south-central Minnesota, tied to another
shortwave emanating from western South Dakota this morning. It`s
this activity that may have a severe risk as we overlay better deep
layer and low level shear near the warm frontal boundary. Can`t at
all rule out some damaging wind potential and some smaller hail
(freezing levels back up around 14kft or better), with even a lower
end risk for a tornado or two given pretty decent low level shear
profiles near the warm front itself. Per CAM guidance, wondering if
we`ll see a mix of line segments and perhaps even a few supercells
during the later afternoon, rather similar actually to the setup
from Wednesday evening.

Thereafter, some pretty scary signals regarding a rapid uptick in
deep layer moisture transport directly toward the Mississippi River
counties once again after sunset. While the exact evolution will be
determined by the placement of the low level boundary and early
convective trends, the potential is quite high for another round of
very heavy rain-producing convection through the late evening and
early overnight hours, before the stronger moisture transport
finally shifts to our east after 08Z. Still, pending the
placement of convection, the damage may be done if heavy rains
repeat over those areas so severely impacted already, so this
bears very close watching. Thankfully, much of Saturday is looking
more and more quiet as opposed to earlier thinking as we again
see some type of bubble high slip into the area, with just a low
end risk for a shower or storm mainly toward I-94.

.LONG TERM...(Saturday Night through Thursday)
Issued at 237 AM CDT Fri Jul 21 2017

A well-deserved break from the very active weather still looks on
track from Saturday night through at least Tuesday if not Wednesday
as thermal troughing dominates the region while rather expansive
Canadian low level ridging works into the area. Outside of a risk
for some diurnal showers (maybe a rumble?) Sunday afternoon with a
better shortwave dropping through the northern Great Lakes, just not
seeing much in the way of any precip chances, with temps and
humidity levels much more comfortable as well. Toward midweek,
looking like we`ll return some of the heat and humidity with
additional chances for showers and storms for a least a period or
two, though confidence in any timing this far out remains quite
low.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Friday night)
Issued at 1157 PM CDT Thu Jul 20 2017

IFR conditions are possible in fog this morning. The visibility
is expected to fall to around 1/2 SM or less at KLSE after 08Z
and to around 4 SM at KRST after 09Z. The visibility may go lower.
will have to monitor if the high cloud edging up from the south
will have an impact. The visibility will then improve after
sunrise tomorrow as mid level clouds increase. A few rounds of
showers and thunderstorms are expected during the day today into
tonight. Some of these storms may be severe with heavy rain,
damaging winds, and possibly large hail.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 237 AM CDT Fri Jul 21 2017

Aerial flood warnings continue for counties impacted by
significant rains and flooding east of the Mississippi River, with
flood crests currently working down the Trempealeau and Kickapoo
Rivers as well as down the La Crosse River. Showers and
thunderstorms will again increase in coverage through the day
today and into tonight, with several rounds of storms possible.
Given very high moisture levels in place (precipitable water
values around 2 inches or better) and the increasing potential
for storms to redevelop over much of the same area where 4-6+
inches already fell, flash flooding could rapidly develop later
today into tonight. Those along waterways really need to pay very
close attention to the weather today, and be prepared to act
quickly if heavy rains again develop.

&&

.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...Flash Flood Watch from noon CDT today through Saturday morning
     for WIZ032>034-041>044-053>055-061.

MN...Flash Flood Watch from noon CDT today through Saturday morning
     for MNZ079-086>088-094>096.

IA...Flash Flood Watch from noon CDT today through Saturday morning
     for IAZ009>011-030.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Lawrence
LONG TERM...Lawrence
AVIATION...Wetenkamp
HYDROLOGY...Lawrence