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000
FXUS63 KGRR 242019
AFDGRR

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
319 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2015

LATEST UPDATE...
SYNOPSIS/SHORT TERM/LONG TERM/HYDRO

.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 224 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2015

A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES
REGION TONIGHT. BEHIND IT A REINFORCING SHOT OF ARCTIC AIR WILL
ARRIVE CAUSING TEMPERATURES TO FALL ONCE AGAIN. A LARGE AREA OF
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES WILL TRACK INTO THE
SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION INTO THE WEEKEND...KEEPING THE WEATHER
RELATIVELY DRY AND UNSEASONABLY COLD.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 224 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2015

ONE AREA OF SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE
FORECAST AREA AND IS GENERALLY WEAKENING. THE BACK EDGE OF THIS
LAKE ENHANCED BAND WAS NEAR MUSKEGON. BEHIND IT THERE WAS A BREAK
IN THE PRECIPITATION WITH EVEN SOME SUN SHOWING UP OVER LAKE MI.
HOWEVER A STRENGTHENING COLD FRONT NEAR GREEN BAY WAS DIVING
SOUTHEAST WITH A BROKEN LINE OF SNOW SQUALLS ALONG IT. LATEST RUC
MODEL RUN TRIES TO STRENGTHEN THESE APPROACHING SQUALLS. VISIBILITIES
HAVE LOWERED TO A HALF MILE OR LESS IN THE STRONGER SQUALLS. THIS
FRONT WILL TRACK STEADILY SOUTHEAST THROUGH LOWER MICHIGAN THIS
EVENING. SOME IMPACTS LIKELY AT THE START THE COMMUTE FOR SOUTH
HAVEN...KALAMAZOO THROUGH GRAND RAPIDS AND LANSING WITH SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND DRIFTING SNOW FROM THE WINDS THAT ARE STILL
GUSTING OVER 35 MPH IN PLACES. WHILE THERE WILL BE A BREAK IN THE
SNOW...CONSIDERING ANOTHER BRIEFER BURST OF SNOW ARRIVES WITH THE
COLD FRONT...WE WILL KEEP THE HEADLINE GOING.

WE DID CHECK IN WITH A FEW COUNTY ROAD COMMISSIONS. OTTAWA COUNTY
SAID IT WAS VERY ICY WITH NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS. MASON COUNTY HAD
SOME IMPASSABLE ROADS EARLIER BUT CONDITIONS HAD IMPROVED.
IONIA...ISABELLA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES REPORTED DRIFTING SNOW OVER
SOME ROADS. THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT ICE COULD BECOME MORE
WIDESPREAD AS ROAD SURFACE TEMPERATURES FALL TOWARD SUNSET.

LOTS OF CLEARING SKIES BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. OVERALL I WILL
DOWNPLAY POPS FOR LATER TONIGHT AND DECREASE THE CLOUD COVER
SOMEWHAT. WITH THE LOW LEVEL THERMAL TROUGH TRACKING THROUGH
THURSDAY...WE WILL LIKELY SEE HIGHS ONLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS FOR
MUCH OF THE AREA.

.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 224 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2015

FAIRLY QUIET WEATHER IN MUCH OF THE EXTENDED WITH COLD HIGH PRESSURE
DOMINATING INTO THE WEEKEND. THE HIGH MOVES EAST ON SUNDAY AND
RETURN FLOW MOISTURE ALONG WITH WEAK ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL BRING
SOME LIGHT SNOW...BUT THIS DOES NOT LOOK TO AMOUNT TO MORE THAN AN
INCH OR TWO. SFC HIGH BUILDS IN ON MONDAY WITH MODIFIED ARCTIC AIR
TO BE QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY WHAT LOOKS LIKE A VIGOROUS SOUTHERN STREAM
LOW ON TUESDAY.

THIS LOW BEARS WATCHING AS THE GULF INFLOW IS SUBSTANTIAL. THERE ARE
STILL THE USUAL MODEL DIFFERENCES AND ENSEMBLE SPREAD TO BE EXPECTED
OF A DAY 7 FORECAST SO WILL GO WITH LESS THAN 50 POPS FOR NOW. WE
HAVE SEEN THE NORTHERN STREAM REMAIN DOMINANT THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS
AND THE MODELS EVENTUALLY BACK OFF ON BRINGING GULF MOISTURE THIS
FAR NORTH...BUT THE PATTERN MAY BE MORE CONDUCIVE TO SUCH A
SCENARIO THIS TIME. STAYED TUNED.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1245 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2015

FIRST BAND OF LIFR SNOW NOW PASSING THROUGH KGRR AND EXPECTED TO
IMPROVE A BIT TO IFR AS IT CONTINUES TO SINK ESE THROUGH
KAZO...KLAN..AND KJXN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. ANOTHER
AREA OF SNOW SHOWERS IS NOW DEVELOPING ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE
ARCTIC FRONT OVER NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. THOSE WILL ALSO DEVELOP
INTO A BROKEN LINE OF LIFR SNOW SHOWERS ARRIVING IN KLDM AROUND
22Z...AND THEN PRESSING SE REACHING KJXN AROUND 02Z. THEREAFTER
(03-06Z) EXPECT VFR WITH UNLIMITED VIS AND CIGS AT OR ABOVE 035
KFT WITH DIMINISHING NORTH WINDS.

OUTLOOK...VFR EXCEPT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF MVFR SNOW WED EVENING
INTO THU MORNING SOUTH OF KBIV TO KLAN LINE. SNOW WILL BE
ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING UP THE OHIO VALLEY.


&&

.HYDROLOGY...
ISSUED AT 224 PM EST TUE FEB 24 2015

CURRENTLY NO SUSPECTED ICE JAMS AND RIVER LEVELS ARE HOLDING RATHER
STEADY. FORECAST CALLS FOR BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES INTO NEXT
WEEK WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW OPPORTUNITIES. THE RISK OF FLOODING IS
FAIRLY LIMITED UNTIL A NOTABLE WARM-UP OR RAIN EVENT.

&&

.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
     MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074.

LM...NONE.
&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...MJS
SHORT TERM...MJS
LONG TERM...OSTUNO
AVIATION...COBB
HYDROLOGY...CAS