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000
FXUS63 KMPX 231716
AFDMPX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1216 PM CDT WED APR 23 2014

UPDATED FOR 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW...

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)
ISSUED AT 419 AM CDT WED APR 23 2014

SHORT TERM CONCERNS ARE SHOWER/THUNDER THREAT TODAY INTO TONIGHT AND
STRONG WINDS OVER THE WESTERN CWA TODAY.

LATEST RADAR TRENDS INDICATE BAND OF LIGHT RAIN LIFTING
EAST/NORTHEAST...CLOSE TO THE 00Z HIRES NMM MODEL WAS INDICATING.
WILL FOLLOW THIS GENERAL TREND OF THE LIGHT RAIN BAND MOVING INTO
EASTERN MN THROUGH 17Z. THUNDER LIMITED TO THE SOUTHWEST DURING THE
MORNING...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS TRANSLATING MORE TO THE EAST
THROUGH 00Z THU.  INSTABILITY NOT IMPRESSIVE OVER THE FAR EASTERN
DURING THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

OTHER ISSUE FOR TODAY REMAINS STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS DEVELOPING TO
THE WEST INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASE AND LOW
LEVEL JET SHOULD BE ABLE TO MIX OUT IN THE SHOWERS.  WILL CONTINUE
THE WIND ADV FOR TODAY IN WEST CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST THROUGH 7 PM.

MAIN UPPER TROUGH STILL PROGGED TO LIFT NORTHEAST...BECOMING MORE
NEGATIVELY TILTED LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.  THIS BRINGS
IN STRONG FORCING INTO THE EASTERN CWA DURING THIS PERIOD.
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES INCREASE OVER THE SOUTHEAST AREA TO AROUND
1 INCH WHICH IS ABOUT 200% OF NORMAL.  THIS ALONG WITH THE STRONG
FORCING SHOULD BE ABLE TO GENERATE SOME HEAVIER RAIN OVER THE
SOUTHEAST CWA INTO THURSDAY. RAIN TOTALS OF AN INCH OR MORE LOOK
GOOD HERE.  THUNDER LOOKS BEST OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...PERHAPS CLIPPING THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS INTO A PART OF
WEST CENTRAL WI LATE TONIGHT.

TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE LIMITED BY CLOUDS AND RAIN TODAY...AND REMAIN
STABLE OVERNIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW...AND SURFACE LOW TRACKS CLOSE TO
THE MN/IA BORDER.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 419 AM CDT WED APR 23 2014

A WET LONG TERM FORECAST SEEMS TO BE A GIVEN...WITH AN AMPLIFIED
AND BLOCKY LARGE SCALE PATTERN FORECAST TO EVOLVE. FORECAST
CONFIDENCE /AND MODEL AGREEMENT/ IS DECENT THROUGH SUNDAY...BUT THEN
DEGRADES INTO NEXT WEEK DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN HOW QUICKLY A
CENTRAL CONUS CLOSED LOW EJECTS EASTWARD AND A REX BLOCK PATTERN
DEVELOPS.

THE FIRST RAIN-MAKER WILL BE ONGOING AT THE START OF THE LONG TERM
PERIOD /THURSDAY/...ESPECIALLY NORTH AND EAST OF THE I94 CORRIDOR
FROM THE TWIN CITIES TO EAU CLAIRE. SAID AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO SEE
AN ADDITIONAL ONE QUARTER TO NEAR ONE INCH OF RAINFALL DURING THE
DAYTIME THURSDAY /ON TOP OF WHAT FALLS WEDNESDAY NIGHT/. THURSDAY
HIGHS WILL RANGED FROM THE MID 40S IN AREAS WHERE PRECIP
LINGERS...TO THE LOWER 60S IN WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MN WHERE
AFTERNOON CLEARING IS MORE PROBABLE.

THE BAROCLINIC ZONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID LEVEL LOW DRIFTING
ACROSS NORTHERN ND/MN/WI WILL TAKE RESIDENCE NEAR THE AREA ON
FRIDAY. ITS FORECAST POSITION HAS WOBBLED A BIT OVER MODEL
RUNS...BUT HAS TRENDED NORTH WITH TIME. THEREFORE NUDGED PRECIP
CHANCES A BIT NORTH...AND ALSO LEANED TOWARD THE WARMER
TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE. DID NOT GO AS HIGH AS WHAT THE NAM/MET
GUIDANCE INDICATE...BUT DO THINK LOW/MID 60S ARE ACHIEVABLE
GENERALLY SOUTH OF THE I94 CORRIDOR...WITH LOW/MID 50S MORE LIKELY
TO THE NORTH.

FRIDAY NIGHT BRINGS HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING INTO THE AREA...ALONG
WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF NEAR TO SUB-FREEZING LOW TEMPS. SATURDAY
LOOKS TO BE A DRY DAY...BUT WITH TEMPS AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL /LOW TO MID 50S FOR HIGHS/ AND A BRISK EAST/NORTHEAST WIND.

THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING AND RESPITE FROM PRECIPITATION WILL BE
SHORT LIVED...AS A FOUR CORNERS MID/UPPER LOW MEANDERS EAST AND
SLIGHTLY NORTH DURING THE WEEKEND INTO THE UPCOMING WEEK. EXPECT
RELATED SHOWERS TO START LIFTING INTO SOUTHERN MN LATE SATURDAY
NIGHT...GRADUALLY EXPANDING NORTH AND EAST ON SUNDAY AS THE LOW
DRIFTS TOWARD THE AREA. AREAS ALONG/NORTH OF I94 COULD STAY MOSTLY
DRY UNTIL CLOSER TO SUNDAY EVENING. AS MENTIONED
PREVIOUSLY...CONFIDENCE DECREASES NOTABLY BY MONDAY GIVEN THE
UNCERTAINTY WITH HOW QUICKLY THE LOW SHIFTS EAST. CLOUDS AND LIGHT
PRECIP COULD LINGER INTO TUESDAY. HAVE INCLUDED 20-30 POPS THROUGH
TUESDAY. SNOW AND/OR RAIN/SNOW COULD ALSO ENTER THE PICTURE ON
MONDAY/TUESDAY NIGHTS...BUT ANY ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE MINIMAL.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1117 AM CDT WED APR 23 2014

COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA OVER THE NEXT
24-36 HRS. OUR FIRST BAND OF RAIN IS MOVING THROUGH EAST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AT THE NOON HOUR WITH A SUBSTANTIAL BREAK BACK TO THE
WEST. ADDITIONAL SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BLOSSOM ACROSS SW MN LATER
THIS AFTN WITH A HEAVIER, STEADIER RAIN MOVING IN AFTER MIDNIGHT
AS THE MAIN TROUGH AXIS APPROACHES. VFR CONDS THIS AFTN WILL
DETERIORATE TO MVFR IF NOT IFR LATE TONIGHT ACROSS ALL OF THE TAF
SITES AS THIS SYSTEM WRAPS UP AND MOVES OVERHEAD.

KMSP...INITIAL BAND OF RAIN SHOULD BE PRETTY MUCH THROUGH BY
22Z...WITH MORE STEADY RAIN RETURNING AFTER MIDNIGHT. IFR CONDS
ARE EXPECTED BY 09Z...NOT IMPROVING UNTIL MID TO LATE AFTN.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
THU NIGHT...VFR. NW WIND 5-10 KT.
FRI-SAT...VFR. N WIND 5-15 KT.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR MNZ047-054>056-064-
     065-073-074-082-091.

WI...NONE.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...DWE
LONG TERM...LS
AVIATION...JCA