000
FXUS63 KMPX 062333 AAA
AFDMPX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
533 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY)
ISSUED AT 345 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

ONE WORD SUMS UP THE SHORT TERM...COLD. ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL
CONTINUE TO BUILD OVER THE REGION WITH THE CENTER OF THE HIGH NOT
OVER THE FA UNTIL SATURDAY. HENCE...THERE WILL BE A SURFACE PRESSURE
GRADIENT THAT WILL KEEP A BRISK WESTERLY WIND IN PLACE TONIGHT WITH
THE WIND SPEED A LITTLE LESS ON FRIDAY. VERY LITTLE CHANGE TO THE
LOW AND HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECASTS WERE MADE TODAY AS THEY WERE
PRETTY MUCH OF THE LOW SIDE OF GUIDANCE. ABOUT THE ONLY ONE LOWER
WAS THE ECE WHICH WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING AS THE GEM IS USUALLY ON
THE COLD SIDE IN THIS PATTERN. GIVEN THE COLD AND WIND...APPARENT
TEMPERATURES LOWER QUICKLY TO MINUS 25 THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN
MINNESOTA AND TO NEAR MINUS 35 BY FRIDAY MORNING... WHILE EASTERN
AREAS ARE MORE NEAR MINUS 25 FRIDAY MORNING. EASTERN AREAS RECOVER
SOME ON FRIDAY WHILE WESTERN MINNESOTA REMAINS NEAR MINUS 25.
THEREFORE...THE TIMING WITH THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS OKAY.

.LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 345 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

SHORTWAVE ENERGY CURRENTLY OFF THE COAST OF WA/OR ON THE WESTERN
EDGE OF THE LONG WAVE TROUGH SPANNING THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL
CONUS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR A SNOW EVENT SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY
MORNING /THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT PRECIP EVENT OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS/.
THE NAM/SREF SOLUTION REMAINS THE FARTHEST NORTH AND STRONGER WITH
THE SURFACE LOW EXPECTED TO TRACK A STATE OR TWO TO OUR SOUTH
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THE 06.12Z GFS/EC DID COME IN A LITTLE
HIGHER WITH THE QPF ACROSS IA...BUT THEY STILL HAVE LESS THAN 0.20"
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE BIG CONCERN IS THE DEEP DENDRITE
GROWTH ZONE AND EXPECTED HIGH SNOW RATIOS. THE OMEGA AND FORCING
ISN`T OVERLY IMPRESSIVE...BUT WE WILL QUICKLY SATURATE THE COLUMN
WITH RESPECT TO ICE AND WE HAVE ABOUT 8000-10000 FT OF GOOD
DENDRITE GROWING TEMPS. WE THINK SNOW RATIOS SHOULD BE NEAR 25:1.
WE INCREASED SNOW TOTALS BY 1-2 INCHES AND BUMPED THE POPS TO 100%
ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR SUNDAY EVENING.
THE KEY TO THE NORTHERN NAM FORECAST SEEMS TIED TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF PRECIP FARTHER NORTH WITH AN EARLY WEAKER BAND OF FGEN...WHICH
IN TURN DEVELOPS MORE LATENT HEATING AND PULLS THE SYSTEM FARTHER
NORTH AND STRENGTHENS IT. THIS CERTAINLY APPEARS LIKE AT LEAST AN
ADVISORY-TYPE EVENT WITH 3-5" POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHEAST FORECAST
AREA. A STRONG UNIDIRECTIONAL WIND PROFILE ON MONDAY SUGGEST WE
WILL HAVE PLENTY OF SURFACE GUSTS UP NEAR 30 KTS AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR GOOD BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF ALL THAT HIGH RATIO
SNOW THAT FALLS THE PREVIOUS DAY. SNOW WILL END LATE SUNDAY NIGHT
WITH COLD AIR PERSISTING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MODELS DO HINT AT
SOME MODERATION AFTER MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK AS UPPER FLOW FLATTENS
SOMEWHAT ALLOWING NEAR SURFACE FLOW FROM THE WEST AS OPPOSED TO
THE ARCTIC. PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO NEXT WEEK APPEAR RATHER
MINIMAL WITH SYSTEMS PASSING TO JUST TO THE NORTH OR REMAINING
WEST AND SOUTH OF THE AREA BY LATE IN THE FORECAST CYCLE...LIGHT
SNOW WITH THE CLIPPER SYSTEM MON-TUE IS POSSIBLE HOWEVER. IN TERMS
OF TEMPERATURES...THE WEEKEND CONTINUES TO BE VERY COLD WILL
ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE HANGING TOUGH AND WIND CHILL HEADLINES WILL
BE NEEDED THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY WITH ANOTHER ARCTIC
BOUNDARY EXPECTED WITH MORE OF A WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM ON TUESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY EVENING)
ISSUED AT 521 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

VFR CONDITIONS WITH WEST WINDS AROUND 10 KT.

KMSP...NO SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
SUN...BECOMING MVFR/IFR WITH SN BY AFTN. WINDS SE AT 5-10KTS.
MON...MVFR/-SN ENDING EARLY...THEN VFR. WINDS W AT 15G25KTS.
TUE...VFR. WINDS WNW 15G25KTS.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST SATURDAY
     FOR MNZ045-052-053-060>063-066>070-074>078-082>085-091>093.

     WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR MNZ041>044-
     047>051-054>059.

     WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST SATURDAY FOR MNZ064-065-073.

WI...WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST SATURDAY
     FOR WIZ014>016-023>028.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...MPG
LONG TERM...CLF
AVIATION...BORGHOFF