Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
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175 FXUS63 KLSX 091139 AFDLSX Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 639 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Showers and thunderstorms are expected across portions of the area this afternoon into tonight, and then again at times through the first half of next week. Strong to severe thunderstorms are not currently anticipated. - Temperatures will be cooler than normal Friday, but seasonable the rest of the forecast period. && .SHORT TERM... (Through Friday Night) Issued at 317 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024 The low responsible for yesterday`s severe thunderstorms is spinning through central Illinois currently, its cold front entering southeastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Moisture pooling along the front has led to a patchy area of low stratus and fog currently along the Mississippi River that will continue to drift slowly eastward this morning before dissipating with the rising sun. Today, a broad upper-level trough will begin to shear apart as a shortwave dives through the Midwest, with part of the trough becoming cut off over the western CONUS. The shortwave will aid in forcing isolated to scattered showers and weak thunderstorms among moisture wrapping around the backside of the departing low. This convection will mainly occur across portions of northeastern Missouri and west-central Illinois this afternoon before drifting south-southeast this evening and tonight as the axis of the shortwave digs into the Ohio Valley. Tomorrow, the eastern portion of the upper-level trough will deepen across the eastern CONUS, placing the Middle Mississippi Valley beneath deep northwesterly flow. Within this flow, cooler air will move into the CWA, causing temperatures to run below climatological normals. Weak warm air advection in the low to mid-levels ahead of another shortwave digging into the Midwest may lead to widely scattered showers and maybe a thunderstorm on Friday. However, the signal for convection is currently weak, so a dry forecast has been maintained for now. Elmore && .LONG TERM... (Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 317 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024 Early Saturday, guidance consensus is that the previously mentioned shortwave will be diving southward through the Midwest along the western periphery of the eastern upper-level trough. In turn, another cold front will pass north to south through the CWA. However, a majority of the global ensemble members show mid-level temperatures warming as ridging builds into the Middle Mississippi Valley. Skies are expected to be mostly clear, allowing for deep mixing and surface temperatures to be warmer than they are expected to be on Friday despite the cold front and northwesterly surface winds. Confidence is high that this will be a dry FROPA, as the ensemble-based probability for measurable rainfall (0.01") is 10% or less across eastern portions of the CWA. On Sunday, ensemble clusters show upper-level ridging building further into the area ahead of a shortwave over the Great Plains. As a result, a surface high south of the region will move eastward and return southerly low-level flow to the CWA. This will advect warmer air into the CWA, with ensemble means supporting temperatures rising back to or just above seasonal normals. The shortwave will move into the Midwest on Monday, deepening and tracking a surface low through approximately the Mid-South and then into the Ohio Valley. Ensemble guidance shows a wide spread in the track and timing of this low, leading to a medium chance (roughly 50%) for showers and thunderstorms Monday through Tuesday. However, the chance for rain is much higher and will likely be confined to a 12-24 hour period or at the very least not a constant threat Monday through Tuesday. Ensembles and deterministic guidance diverge on the phasing of the upper-level pattern as we reach the middle of next week. Solutions vary from zonal to southwesterly flow ahead of a deepening trough over the Plains to northwesterly flow over the much of the Midwest. If the former two solutions are realized, the CWA may experience additional rounds of rain and a warming trend with temperatures. If the latter solution is realized, calmer and cooler weather may take place. Confidence in any of the scenarios is not high given guidance spread, so the NBM initialization as been left as is. Elmore && .AVIATION... (For the 12z TAFs through 12z Friday Morning) Issued at 628 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024 Moisture pooling behind a departing cold front is producing low stratus and patchy fog. Relative to the local terminals, this fog and stratus is dissipating and moving eastward with VFR flight conditions expected shortly. However, low stratus will return from the north later this morning, impacting KUIN. This terminal will be on the edge of this stratus through much of the day, so there may be rapid and frequent changes in flight conditions through the late morning into the afternoon. Additionally, isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon around KUIN. Confidence in direct impacts is low at this time, but this convection will be capable of brief reductions in visibility and frequent lightning. This convection may also shift southward toward the other local terminals during the evening and overnight hours, but confidence in this occurring is very low right now. Low stratus will expand further tonight to impact all local terminals through the early morning hours. Elmore && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. && $$ WFO LSX