000
FXUS63 KDTX 110453
AFDDTX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1153 PM EST TUE DEC 10 2013


.AVIATION...

//DISCUSSION...

THE SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY OFF LAKE MICHIGAN HAS BEEN DIMINISHING THE
LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE WILL PASS THROUGH THE
REGION ON WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL INVOKE A SUBSTANTIAL RESPONSE OFF
LAKE MI AND WILL LEAD TO HIGHER INTENSITY SNOW SHOWERS EARLY THIS
MORNING. THESE SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD BE IN THE VICINITY OF FNT AND PTK
BY 11Z...THEN SHIFT INTO DETROIT DURING THE AFTERNOON. ACCUMULATIONS
AROUND AN INCH ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE IF THE SNOW SHOWERS REMAIN
PERSISTENT ENOUGH AT THE TERMINALS.

FOR DTW...THE SW LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL LIKELY HOLD MVFR CONDITIONS AND
FLURRIES/LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS NORTH OF METRO THROUGH DAYBREAK.
CEILINGS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BE HIGHLY VARIABLE THROUGH THE
MORNING. CONDITIONS SHOULD BEGIN TO DETERIORATE AFTER 15Z...WITH THE
PROBABLE TIME PERIOD OF HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED BETWEEN 17Z
AND 21Z. AN INCH OF POWDERY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WED
AFTERNOON.


//DTW THRESHOLD THREATS...

* MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN CEILINGS BELOW 5000 FT THIS MORNING. HIGH
CONFIDENCE ON WEDNESDAY.

* HIGH CONFIDENCE PRECIP TYPE WILL BE ALL SNOW.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 938 PM EST TUE DEC 10 2013

UPDATE...

THE PASSAGE OF SFC TROUGH EARLIER THIS EVENING HAS TRANSITIONED
THE LOW LEVEL FLOW TOWARD THE WEST. A LOW LEVEL CONVERGENT AXIS
HAS SET UP ALONG THE M 59 CORRIDOR WHERE SNOW SHOWERS HAVE BEEN
PERSISTENT THIS EVENING. OUTSIDE OF THIS REGION...SNOW HAS BEEN MORE
ISOLATED. DEEPER MOISTURE IS NOW ADVANCING INTO NRN IL AND SRN
WI...ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING MID LEVEL WAVE. THE INFLUX OF
DEEPER MOISTURE OVER SRN LAKE MI WILL BOOST THE RESPONSE OFF THE
LAKE AND WILL ALLOW AN UPTICK IN SNOW SHOWER INTENSITY. SHALLOW
LIFT CENTERED AROUND -15C WITH STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES SHOULD
SUSTAIN GOOD DENDRITES. THE LOW LEVEL FLOW IS EXPECTED TO BACK
MORE TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST SOUTH OF THE I-94 CORRIDOR OVERNIGHT.
THIS SHOULD EITHER SUSTAIN THE BETTER LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG
THE M 59 CORRIDOR OR LIFT IT NORTHWARD TOWARD THE I-69 CORRIDOR.
THE ABOVE FACTORS SUGGEST LOCALLY INTENSE SNOW SHOWERS WITHIN
THIS BETTER CONVERGENCE TOWARD DAYBREAK AND SUPPORTS A SLIGHT
UPWARD ADJUSTMENT TO SNOW AMOUNTS ALONG THE M-59/I-69 CORRIDOR
TOWARD WED MORNING. THE ONLY OTHER UPDATE WILL BE TO RAISE
OVERNIGHT TEMPS A COUPLE DEGREES GIVEN THE BETTER MODIFICATION TO
THE AIRMASS THAT THE WESTERLY FLOW OVER LAKE MI IS HAVING.

PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 405 PM EST TUE DEC 10 2013

SHORT TERM...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT

SHORTWAVE ENERGY SEEN ON WV IMAGERY HAS NOW MOVED TO THE EAST OF THE
CWA...BUT THE BROAD 500 MB TROUGH AND CORRESPONDING COLD AIR ALOFT
REMAINS IN PLACE. 850 MB TEMPERATURES REMAIN IN THE NEGATIVE TEENS,
BUT LAPSE RATES ARE NOT EXCEPTIONALLY STEEP ON THE EAST HALF OF THE
STATE. LAKE MICHIGAN PROVIDES PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND WARMTH FOR OUR
WESTERN AREAS TO SEE LIGHT LAKE EFFECT SNOW...AND THAT CHANCE WILL
LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. THE THERMAL TROUGH EMITTED FROM LAKE
MICHIGAN WILL PRODUCE ENOUGH OF AN OMEGA FIELD TO PRODUCE SOME LIGHT
SNOW NORTHWEST OF THE GLACIAL RIDGE EARLY THIS EVENING AS WELL.

THE LAKE EFFECT SETUP WILL GET A SYNOPTIC BOOST FROM A COLD FRONT
LOOKING TO CROSS LAKE MICHIGAN OVERNIGHT. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, SOME
SURFACE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL HELP FUNNEL AN OMEGA MAXIMUM FROM
M-59 TO I-94. A HALF-INCH OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THAT CORRIDOR
BEFORE 7AM...AND WILL BE THE FAVORED LOCATION FOR SNOW BANDS TO
SETUP FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY TOMORROW.

LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE HELD UP (CLOSER TO MOS GUIDANCE) WITH THE
STRONG WIND FIELD AND BKN/OVC CLOUD DECK IN PLACE. DESPITE UPPER AIR
VALUES WELL BELOW NORMAL, OUR MIN T`S SHOULD STAY WITHIN 10 DEGREES
OF NORMAL IN THE LOW TO MID TEENS. WIND CHILL VALUES TONIGHT,
HOWEVER, WILL FEEL LIKE 5 BELOW TO ZERO IN A 10 TO 20 MPH WIND.

LONG TERM... WEDNESDAY AND BEYOND

AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS EVIDENCE OF THE NEXT SHORT WAVE
OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND PLAINS ON TRACK TO AFFECT THE GREAT
LAKES WEDNESDAY. CORRESPONDING RADAR COMPOSITE AND SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS INDICATE RESPECTABLE POCKETS OF SNOW GIVEN THE MOISTURE
SUPPLY LIMITED TO MID LEVEL PACIFIC SOURCES. A BOOST FROM LAKE
MICHIGAN IS THEN EXPECTED TO ENHANCE THE PATTERN OF SNOW AS THE
SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH LOWER MICHIGAN DURING WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH
ABOUT MID AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE REFLECTION OF LOW PRESSURE IS
EXPECTED TO MERGE WITH LAKE INDUCED CONVERGENT FLOW OFF THE SOUTH
END OF LAKE MICHIGAN TO FORM A HYBRID BAND/ARCTIC FRONTAL FEATURE
THAT WILL EXTEND THROUGH SE MICHIGAN ROUGHLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 69
TO M 59 CORRIDOR AND THEN SETTLE SOUTHWARD AND EASTWARD WITH TIME.
CROSS SECTIONS IN THE NAM INDICATE A DISTINCT BUT SHALLOW
AGEOSTROPHIC CIRCULATION WITHIN THE LOW LEVEL THETA-E GRADIENT
SETTING UP WITHIN THE LARGER SCALE SURFACE TROUGH. MODEL VERTICAL
MOTION IS ALSO CONFINED TO THE LOW LEVELS BUT WITHIN FAVORABLE
TEMPERATURE AROUND -15C WITH GOOD SATURATION. THAT ALONG WITH STEEP
LAPSE RATES BELOW 850 MB ADDS CONFIDENCE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR LAKE
BANDS TO SURVIVE THE TRIP FROM LAKE MICHIGAN WITHIN THE SURFACE
TROUGH/DEVELOPING ARCTIC FRONT. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON
LOCATION AND DURATION, BUT A QUICK BURST OF SNOW IS LIKELY TO
PRODUCE UP TO AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION AS THE LARGER SCALE WEATHER
FEATURES MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH THE REGION. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL
FOR EXTRA ACHIEVEMENT BASED ON DURATION WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE
EVALUATED IN THE SHORT TERM.

THE PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM WILL BRING IN A REINFORCING SURGE OF
ARCTIC AIR WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. MIN TEMPS IN THE SINGLE
DIGITS LOOK EASILY REACHABLE BY THURSDAY MORNING BASED ON BELOW ZERO
AFTERNOON READINGS TODAY OVER NORTHERN MINNESOTA. SOME MINOR
MODIFICATION FROM THE LAKES WILL SOFTEN THE AIR MASS SLIGHTLY,
ALONG WITH SOME POCKETS OF CLOUD COVER, BUT LINGERING GRADIENT WIND
WILL MAINTAIN WIND CHILL NEAR ADVISORY VALUES OF -15F.

THE NEXT MAJOR SYSTEM TO IMPACT SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN WILL BE ON FRIDAY
NIGHT AND SATURDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE OHIO
VALLEY. SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN STILL APPEARS TO BE NORTH OF THIS SYSTEM
KEEPING PRECIPITATION AS ALL SNOW. SNOW WILL BEGIN ON FRIDAY NIGHT
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES AND EVENTUALLY IMPACT ALL OF SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN BY SATURDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL QUITE A BIT OF
UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM...QPF AMOUNTS ALONG
WITH RESULTING SNOW ACCUMULATION AMOUNTS AND LENGTH OF LINGERING
SNOW AFTER THE SYSTEM DEPARTS. EVEN WITH THIS UNCERTAINTY...FEELING
FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL SNOW DURING THE SATURDAY TIMEFRAME AND
HAVE BUMPED UP PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO LIKELY POPS ACROSS ALL OF
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. HAVE INCLUDED A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS FOR THE
AREA FOR SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY TO ACCOUNT FOR LINGERING
SHOWERS. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS ALONG WITH VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR FOR
SUNDAY NIGHT /LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS/ LASTING THROUGH MONDAY
BEFORE THE NEXT CLIPPER SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES ON
TUESDAY BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SNOW.

MARINE...

THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WITH A TIGHTENED PRESSURE
GRADIENT WILL BRING WESTERLY GALES FOR THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE HURON
TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. A HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING
ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT TO ACCOMPANY THE GALE WARNING. A WEAK SURFACE
RIDGE WILL TRY TO PUSH THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES ON THURSDAY...
HOWEVER...THIS HIGH IS EXPECTED TO BE SQUEEZED SOUTHWARD WHICH WILL
KEEP RELATIVELY STRONG GRADIENT FLOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES WELL INTO
FRIDAY.

&&

.DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...NONE.

LAKE HURON...
     HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING...LHZ361-LHZ362-LHZ363-LHZ421-LHZ441-
     LHZ462-LHZ463-LHZ464...UNTIL 10 AM WEDNESDAY.

     GALE WARNING...LHZ361-LHZ362-LHZ363-LHZ421-LHZ441-LHZ462-LHZ463-
     LHZ464...UNTIL 10 AM WEDNESDAY.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...LHZ422-LHZ442-LHZ443...UNTIL 10 AM WEDNESDAY.

LAKE ST CLAIR...
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...UNTIL 4 AM WEDNESDAY.

MI WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...UNTIL 4 AM WEDNESDAY.

&&

$$

AVIATION.....SC
UPDATE.......SC
SHORT TERM...MM
LONG TERM....BT/RK
MARINE.......BT


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