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000
FXUS63 KIWX 271739
AFDIWX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1239 PM EST TUE JAN 27 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 828 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2015

SKIES WILL CLEAR TODAY WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE MID TO
UPPER 20S. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE TO NEAR FREEZING ON WEDNESDAY
WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. THE NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL
ARRIVE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH A WINTRY MIX EXPECTED.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)
ISSUED AT 403 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2015

ANOTHER RELATIVELY QUIET SHORT TERM BUT CLOUD CONCERNS AND POSSIBLE
FZDZ THIS MORNING MAKE FOR A FEW ISSUES. FAR WESTERN CWA SATURATED
OVERNIGHT WITH FLURRIES OR VERY LIGHT SNOW FALLING IN DOWNSHEAR SIDE
OF MID LEVEL JET AXIS. ADVISORY ISSUED LAST EVENING FOR FREEZING
DRIZZLE THAT NEVER REALLY MATERIALIZED OVER OUR AREA DUE TO
SATURATED DGZ AND SEEDER FEEDER MECHANISMS ALLOWING FOR SNOW CRYSTAL
GROWTH. HOWEVER...STILL A SLIGHT CONCERN FOR LIGHT FZDZ THROUGH
SUNRISE AS SATELLITE SHOWS WARMING CLOUD TOPS UPSTREAM ACROSS WI
MOVING QUICKLY SOUTH AND LOSS OF HIGHER SEED CLOUDS EXPECTED NEXT
FEW HOURS. HIRES MODEL SOUNDINGS INDEED SHOWING DGZ DRYING OUT EARLY
THIS MORNING IN THE WEST BUT LOW LEVELS ALSO DRYING. THUS CHANCES
FOR ANY PCPN WILL BE DIMINISHING BUT PCPN TYPE OF ANY RESIDUAL PCPN
COULD BE FZDZ. CALLS TO WHITE AND PULASKI COUNTY INDICATE NO
PROBLEMS FROM FZDZ OVERNIGHT AND LITTLE TO NO REPORTS OF FZDZ
UPSTREAM AT THIS HOUR. WITH ADVISORY SET TO EXPIRE AT 6AM ANYWAY
PLAN TO CANCEL EARLY AND HANDLE ANY SPOTTY FREEZING LIQUID
DEVELOPMENT WITH SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS IF NEEDED.

DRY WEDGE IN LOWER LEVELS HAS REMAINED IN PLACE ACROSS REMAINDER OF
CWA WITH LIGHT EASTERLY FLOW AIDING IN DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT. THIS DRY
EASTERLY FLOW ALONG WITH SUBSIDENCE TODAY EXPECTED TO HELP BREAK UP
CLOUDS FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE DAY.
HOWEVER...SATELLITE SHOWS AREA OF STRATUS OVER WI MOVING SLOWLY
SOUTHWARD AND MODELS DO NOT HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THIS CLOUD COVER.
LOW LEVEL RH PROGS FROM VARIOUS MODELS ALL SEEM TO SUPPORT DRYING
TODAY FROM THE NORTHEAST BUT RUC13 HAS ALSO SHOWN A TENDENCY FOR
HIGHER RH ACROSS CENTRAL OH TO ADVECT WEST INTO OUR EASTERN AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. ALL THESE CLOUD ISSUES MAKE FOR DIFFICULT FORECAST
TODAY. MOST SURROUNDING OFFICES FAVORING THE CLEARING SCENARIO SO
WILL LEAN TOWARD THE DRYING AND BE OPTIMISTIC WITH SKIES BECOMING
PARTLY CLOUDY AND EVENTUALLY MOSTLY CLEAR TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE TO
THEN SLIDE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT WITH LIGHT WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES. THIS SHOULD ALLOW GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING AND TEMPS TO DROP
BACK TO SINGLE DIGITS EASTERN HALF AND LOWER TEENS WEST WHERE SOME
MID AND HIGH CLOUDS MAY SPILL OVER RIDGE.

&&

.LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 403 AM EST TUE JAN 27 2015

NEXT CLIPPER-TYPE SYSTEM STILL SLATED TO IMPACT THE AREA LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THIS WAVE WILL ACTUALLY BE AIDED TO
SOME DEGREE BY ANOTHER VORT MAX LEFTOVER FROM OLD BAJA CUTOFF LOW
CURRENTLY BEING REABSORBED INTO THE MEAN WESTERLIES. STILL SOME
INCONSISTENCIES IN THE MODELS REGARDING WHERE EXACTLY THESE TWO
WAVES TRACK AND HOW THEY INTERACT BUT OUR AREA SHOULD SEE A PERIOD
OF DECENT PV ADVECTION/CVA THAT WILL GENERATE AT LEAST SOME FORCED
ASCENT AND LIGHT PRECIP. THE PROBLEM IS THAT UPPER JET SUPPORT IS
MARGINAL AT BEST AND LATEST CONSENSUS TRACK FORECAST KEEPS THE BEST
LOW LEVEL ISENTROPIC ASCENT AND FRONTOGENESIS GENERALLY NORTH OF OUR
AREA. FURTHERMORE...STRONG LOW LEVEL WAA WILL INTRODUCE A MELTING
LAYER ALOFT (AND EVENTUALLY AT THE SURFACE) THAT WILL MAKE
ACCUMULATING SNOW VERY DIFFICULT WITH A HODGEPODGE OF ALL DIFFERENT
PRECIP TYPES OVER SPACE AND TIME. IMPOSSIBLE TO CORRECTLY NAIL DOWN
EXACT TIMING AND LOCATION OF VARIOUS PRECIP TYPES THIS FAR OUT BUT
DID TRY TO PUT A "BEST GUESS" IN THE GRIDS FOR NOW...BASED ON
CONSENSUS OF FORECAST LOW TRACK AND THERMAL PROFILES. PREFERENCE
LIES WITH A GFS/ECMWF COMBO. NAM SURFACE TEMPS APPEAR TOO COLD AND
QPF AMOUNTS TOO LIGHT. GEM THERMAL PROFILES ARE DECENT BUT KEEPS
PRECIP LOCKED UP TOO FAR NORTH. SUPPOSE THIS IS POSSIBLE IF FORECAST
TRACK IS IN LARGE ERROR BUT SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY STABLE THUS
FAR AND SUSPECT MOST AREAS WILL SEE AT LEAST SOME LIGHT PRECIP WITH
A MODEST PV ANOMALY PASSING DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. THIS IS ESPECIALLY
TRUE GIVEN SUPERB MOISTURE AVAILABILITY WITH 700MB MIXING RATIOS
OVER 4 G/KG AND PW VALUES AROUND 0.75 INCHES. AS FAR AS PRECIP
TYPES...EXPECT COLD SURFACE TEMPS TO SUPPORT FREEZING RAIN AT THE
ONSET...TRANSITIONING TO ALL RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH EARLY THURSDAY
MORNING. LATENT HEAT RELEASE DUE TO FREEZING AND CONTINUAL WAA WITH
S/SW SURFACE WINDS SHOULD LEAD TO A NONDIURNAL TEMPERATURE TREND AND
A FAIRLY QUICK CHANGEOVER TO RAIN WITH MINIMAL ICE ACCUMULATION.
STILL COULD BE SOME SLICK ROADS DURING THE EARLY MORNING COMMUTE
THOUGH...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF US-30. ATYPICAL DIURNAL TEMP TREND
CONTINUES ON THURSDAY WITH HIGHS PROBABLY OCCURRING IN THE LATE
MORNING AND THEN FALLING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS COLDER AIR WRAPS
BACK AROUND EXITING LOW. THIS WILL LEAD TO A CHANGE BACK TO SNOW
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH WITH SOME TRANSITORY SLEET MIXING IN AS WELL.
EXPECT SNOW AMOUNTS AROUND AN INCH AT MOST WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
IN OUR FAR NORTHEAST. ANY ACCUMULATION OF FREEZING RAIN AT THE ONSET
WILL BE LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH. SOME LIGHT LAKE EFFECT/
ENHANCED SNOW POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT BUT BY AND LARGE EVENT WILL BE
WINDING DOWN BY THEN.

NEXT CHANCE OF SNOW LOOKS TO BE ON SUNDAY AS ELONGATED/POSITIVELY
TILTED TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH THE CENTRAL CONUS. MODELS HAVE SHOWN A
HIGH DEGREE OF VARIABILITY DURING THIS TIMEFRAME SO FORECAST
CONFIDENCE IS LOW. DID FOCUS THE POP FORECAST A BIT BUT WILL HOLD
OFF FOR A FEW MORE RUNS BEFORE LATCHING ONTO ANY SPECIFICS. STILL
LOOKS LIKE AT LEAST A GLANCING BLOW OF MUCH COLDER AIR BEHIND THIS
SYSTEM ON MONDAY. NUDGED THE FORECAST TOWARD COLDER RAW GUIDANCE
WITH HIGHS IN THE TEENS AND LOWS FLIRTING WITH 0F.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1235 PM EST TUE JAN 27 2015

VFR WITH LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF CYCLE. MAY SEE A
SCT CU DECK NEAR 3 KFT MATERIALIZE FOR A BRIEF TIME THIS AFTERNOON
AS MOISTURE STREAMS OFF OF LAKE HURON UNDER A STRENGTHENING
SUBSIDENCE INVERSION. OTHERWISE ANTICIPATE SOME MID-HIGH LEVEL
CLOUDINESS...ESPECIALLY BY TOMORROW AS WAA ENSUES.

&&

.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...NONE.
MI...NONE.
OH...NONE.
LM...NONE.
&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...BENTLEY
SHORT TERM...LASHLEY
LONG TERM...AGD
AVIATION...STEINWEDEL


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