000
FXUS63 KMPX 212342
AFDMPX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
642 PM CDT Wed Jun 21 2017

.UPDATE...For 00z Aviation discussion below

&&

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday)
Issued at 332 PM CDT Wed Jun 21 2017

Visible satellite shows very little cu this afternoon across the
vast majority of the area with the remnants of the morning MCS
maintaining mid level cloud cover across far southern Minnesota.
Chances for thunderstorms tonight will be focused in two areas,
although those probabilities have also decreased. One area will be
this evening over west central and possibly extending east into
central Minnesota by late evening. A line of cu has formed along
the cold front over North Dakota, which is progged to continue
pushing southeast tonight to southern Minnesota by Thursday
morning. A few storms may fire along it this evening in an
environment characterized by MUCAPE of 1000 J/kg before they
reach a much more stable airmass further east across Minnesota mid
evening. The other area will be across southeastern MN and into
central WI late this evening with the development of a LLJ. Given
where the nose of this LLJ is expected to be around 06Z tonight,
over southern WI, the most concentrated activity will be across
central and eastern WI - east of our CWA. Maintained chc PoPs for
both these areas, and a dry forecast from southwest to east
central MN. CAMs have consistently been showing this all day and
believe the global models are way too overdone with developing
convection locally, especially the GFS which shows widespread
precip occurring across southwestern MN this afternoon.

As the front sags south into South Dakota overnight, additional
storms may develop as it encounters deeper moisture. This activity
will spread east Thursday across central and southern MN behind
the front. Forecast soundings are quite stable behind the
boundary with poor lapse rates and a cool boundary layer. Further
south across southern MN, the close proximity to the EML and
deeper low level moisture/higher thetaE should allow for
widespread thunderstorms by afternoon. A few of them may become
severe with 50-60 kts in the mid levels, but the best probability
will be south of I-90 where the quasi-stationary front should be
for much of the day.

.LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Wednesday)
Issued at 332 PM CDT Wed Jun 21 2017

Overall the long term period will be cool and fairly quiet as we
will be under northwest flow with the main jet to our south.
Saturday will bring a chance for showers and isolated thunderstorms
with an upper level shortwave moving through the region.  A warming
trend appears to be on tap for early to middle of next week, which
could bring more thunderstorm chances to the region.

By tomorrow evening, the thunderstorm activity across our area will
be pushing to the east, with most of the area drying out in the
evening.  Storms could linger from south central Minnesota through
parts of west central Wisconsin.  A few of these could be strong but
the main severe threat looks to be in the short term period (during
the day).  All storms should be east of the forecast area by the
overnight period.

Behind this activity, the flow becomes northwesterly as the cold air
advection ensues from the northwest.  850H temps will fall during
the day Friday down to around 5 to 8 degrees C.  At the surface,
expect highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s.  The cool northwest flow
will continue through the weekend so highs will continue to be
cooler than normal right through the weekend.  On top of that, a
compact shortwave will move through Saturday and spark showers and
possible thunderstorms mainly during the afternoon.  Continued to
follow the GFS primarily for this evolution, but the ECMWF is slower
and slightly farther north with this wave.

The GFS and EC agree that the flow will become progressive next week
and shift the west coast ridge to the east, displacing the deep
longwave trough east of our area and beginning a warming trend into
the middle of the week as southwest flow develops.  With this, more
low chances for thunderstorms are sprinkled into the forecast.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Thursday evening)
Issued at 642 PM CDT Wed Jun 21 2017

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will move into west central
MN this eve as a cold front approaches, and then sag into central
MN and west central WI during the early morning hours. Prefer the
latest HRRR run which shows showers and thunderstorms lingering
across central MN/WI through the morning, with afternoon convective
redevelopment occurring to the south/east of most TAF sites (with
the exception of possibly KEAU). Storms could be severe up toward
KAXN this eve, and again with the afternoon redevelopment on
Thursday. MVFR cigs/vsbys are possible with thunderstorms, and
also with/behind the frontal passage. Winds shift to the northwest
behind the front.

KMSP...
Changes have been made to shower/ts timing based upon the latest
trends of the HRRR model. -SHRA now look to affect the site from
10z through the morning, with isolated embedded thunder possible
from 13-16z. First round of precip looks to end around 18-19z,
with latest thinking that the afternoon TS development will be
south/east of KMSP.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
Fri...VFR. Wind NW 10 kts.
Sat...Mainly VFR. Slight chc -TSRA/MVFR. Wind NW 5-10 kts.
Sun...Mainly VFR. Slight chc -TSRA/MVFR. Wind NW 5-10 kts.

&&

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

$$

SHORT TERM...BORGHOFF
LONG TERM...SPD
AVIATION...LS