Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Twin Cities, MN

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FXUS63 KMPX 180005
AFDMPX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
705 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

.UPDATE...
FOR 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW

&&

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY)
ISSUED AT 327 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

TSRA/S HAVE BEGUN ACROSS SW/WC MN EARLY THIS AFTN. THE TSRA WERE
ASSOCIATED WITH TIGHT INSTABILITY GRADIENT ACROSS FAR SW MN WHERE
DEW PTS HAVE RISEN INTO THE LOW TO MID 60S. THERE REMAINS AN
ELEVATED BOUNDARY ACROSS THIS AREA WHICH SHOULD FOCUS CONVECTION
THRU THE AFTN BEFORE THE MAIN FOCUS ACTIVITY DEVELOPS ACROSS
SD/NEBRASKA OVERNIGHT. RESIDUAL SHRA/ISOLD TSRA WILL REMAIN ACROSS
EC MN/WC WI DURING THE LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING HRS. THERE STILL
REMAINS SOME SUBTLE SHRTWV ACROSS SW MN WHICH MAY ENHANCE THE SHRA
ACROSS EC MN/SE MN DURING THE EVENING. AFT MIDNIGHT THE MAIN FOCUS
FOR SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY SHOULD REMAIN ACROSS WC/CENTRAL MN WHERE A
STRONGER SHRTWV MOVING ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS OF NEBRASKA/SD
INTERACT WITH THE AMPLE MOISTURE ACROSS THIS REGION. ALTHOUGH SVR WX
IS POSSIBLE IN FAR WC MN AFT MIDNIGHT...THE BULK OF THE SVR WX
SHOULD REMAIN ACROSS SD/NEBRASKA WHERE HIGHER SHEAR VALUES AND
INSTABILITY EXISTS.

.LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 327 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

THE PERIOD BEGINS WITH A DEEP UPPER TROUGH JUST EAST OF THE
ROCKIES. MODEL CONSENSUS TODAY IS FOR TWO UPPER LOWS TO FORM OVER
THE WEEKEND. THE FIRST TO FORM WILL BE OVER THE DAKOTAS...WHICH
IS PROJECTED TO MOVE INTO NW MN ON SUNDAY. THIS FIRST LOW IS THE
FOCUS FOR HEAVY RAIN AND SOME SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE EASTERN
DAKOTAS...WEST CENTRAL AND NW MN. THE DETAILS ARE STILL NOT CLEAR
WITH WRF SOLUTIONS VARYING ON THE TIMING AND LOCATION OF THE
CONVECTION. THE 15Z SREF INDICATES PROBABILITIES AROUND 30 PERCENT
FOR AN INCH OF RAIN SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS EASTERN SD AND WEST
CENTRAL MN. PROBABILITIES FOR TWO INCHES OF RAIN ARE AROUND 10
PERCENT JUST WEST OF THE MN BORDER. MODEST CAPE AND SHEAR VALUES
ARE PROJECTED SATURDAY EVENING ACROSS OUR FAR WEST. THERE IS NOT
MUCH OF A LOW LEVEL JET AND THE SURFACE TROUGH IS ACROSS CENTRAL
SD AND SE ND/NRN MN. AT THIS POINT...A FEW SEVERE STORMS CAN NOT
BE RULED OUT FOR OUR WEST CENTRAL MN COUNTIES.

A SECOND UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO FORM BY SUNDAY MORNING OVER
WESTERN NE/KS AND DEEPEN WHILE MOVING TO KFSD BY MONDAY MORNING.
DEEPENING SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL ADVANCE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE
CENTRAL PLAINS...LIKELY ENDING UP BETWEEN OMAHA AND NORFOLK
NEBRASKA BY SUNDAY EVENING. DP/DT TODAY SHOWED JUST A SLIGHT SW
DRIFT WITH TIME (SLOWING). A WARM FRONT WILL STRETCH ESE FROM THE
LOW ACROSS IA AND INTO SOUTHERN IL AND WILL MARK THE BOUNDARY OF
ADVANCING MT AIR. A COLD FRONT WILL TRAIL SOUTH FROM THE LOW INTO
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SHEAR AND CAPE VALUES INCREASE MARKEDLY ON
SUNDAY OFF TO OUR SOUTH WITH 50 KNOT 500 MB WINDS ADVANCING NE
FROM KS INTO IA BY EVENING. THE AREA EAST OF THE COLD FRONT...AS
WELL AS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT...IS A PRIME AREA FOR
SEVERE WEATHER SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS
WORK OUT...SEVERE STORMS MAY PUSH INTO SOUTHERN/SE MN SUNDAY
EVENING AS THE WARM FRONT ADVANCES NORTHWARD.

WITH THE SLOWER MOVEMENT TO THE UPPER/SURFACE LOWS...THIS OPENS THE
DOOR FOR THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER FAR EASTERN MN AND
WEST CENTRAL WI ON MONDAY. ITS POSSIBLE FOR STORMS TO DEVELOP
ALONG THE MN/WI BORDER AROUND MIDDAY ON MONDAY AND ADVANCE
EASTWARD ACROSS WEST CENTRAL WI IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS IS SOMETHING
LATER SHIFTS WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON. THE TUESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY PERIOD WILL FEATURE THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY PASSING ACROSS
THE FA WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS...PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND HIGH
TEMPERATURES RUNNING SOME 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. DRY WEATHER IS
FORECAST TO RETURN ON FRIDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY EVENING)
ISSUED AT 706 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS WILL LINGER NEAR WEST CENTRAL WI SITES THIS
EVENING...AND THEN SHOULD IT SHOULD BE PRECIP-FREE UNTIL THE
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP OVERNIGHT IN THE DAKOTAS
MOVE EASTWARD TO REACH MN EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. MEANWHILE...THE
WIDESPREAD AREA OF IFR CIGS BLANKETING THE TAF AREA WILL GRADUALLY
LIFT NORTH OVERNIGHT...WITH MVFR CIGS BECOMING MORE COMMON BY
DAYBREAK SATURDAY. LIGHT FOG WITH VSBYS OF 2-5SM IS THEN EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT. EXPECT SOME SCATTERING AND IMPROVEMENT TO VFR ON
SATURDAY AFTERNOON...BUT MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED AFTER 00Z SUNDAY.

KMSP...
CIGS AROUND OR SLIGHTLY BELOW 1000FT ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF
THE NIGHT...WITH IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR ON SATURDAY MORNING. SOME
LIGHT FOG WITH VISBILITIES AROUND 5SM IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT AS
WELL. SHOWERS THAT DEVELOP OVER SOUTH DAKOTA OVERNIGHT MAY REACH
KMSP BY MID-MORNING...AND LINGER INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
SOUTHEAST WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD...GENERALLY FROM 6 TO 12 KTS.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/

SUN...VFR/MVFR CIGS. CHC SHRA/TSRA WITH IFR. S-SE WINDS 8-12 KTS.
MON...VFR/MVFR CIGS. CHC SHRA/TSRA WITH IFR. S WIND 10-15 KTS.
TUE...VFR/MVFR CIGS. CHC SHRA/TSRA WITH IFR. E-NE WIND 5 KTS.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...JLT
LONG TERM...RAH
AVIATION...LS






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