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000
FXUS63 KMPX 291146
AFDMPX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
546 AM CST THU JAN 29 2015

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT)
ISSUED AT 349 AM CST THU JAN 29 2015

SHORT TERM CONCERNS ARE HEADLINES EARLY THIS MORNING.  THEN OVERALL
IMPROVING TREND AND TURNING COLDER.

RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW SOME LIGHT INTENSITY ECHOES MOVING ACROSS
EAST CENTRAL MN.  WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING SECONDARY TROUGH
MOVING INTO WESTERN MN NOW.  THE TREND ON THE RAP HAS BEEN
GENERATING SOME LIGHT QPF INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MN THROUGH ABOUT 14Z.
NOTHING TOO DRAMATIC ON RADAR...ALTHOUGH SURFACE OBS CONTINUE TO
SHOW SOME VISIBILITY REDUCTION IN BR AND OCCASIONALLY SOME -SN OR UP.
WILL CONTINUE THE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY THROUGH 12Z. WILL WORD
THAT PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE ENDING THIS MORNING.

THE OTHER CONCERN IS THE WIND ADV TO THE SOUTHWEST.  WINDS HAVE BEEN
INCREASING TO THE WEST OVERNIGHT AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES
WITH THE COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH.  THIS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH AT
LEAST MID MORNING AS THE GREATEST PRESSURE RISE MOVES THROUGH THE
AREA.  HAVE INCLUDED A COUPLE MORE COUNTIES IN WEST CENTRAL MN AS
WELL.

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH OVERALL AFTER 18Z AND BECOME LIGHT
INTO TONIGHT.  CLOUDS WILL THIS AS WELL WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING
THROUGH THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS FOR LOWS TONIGHT.

.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 349 AM CST THU JAN 29 2015

WEST/NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE LONG
TERM FORECAST PERIOD...WITH ONLY MINOR/FLEETING CHANCES FOR
PRECIPITATION FORESEEN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

FRIDAY WILL BE A TALE OF TWO STORIES WITHIN THE FORECAST AREA...AS
THE DEPARTING SURFACE HIGH YIELDS TEMPS AROUND 5 TO 10 DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL IN THE EAST OVER WISCONSIN...AND LOW LEVEL WARM AIR
ADVECTION OVER THE WEST BRINGS HIGHS FROM 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL TO WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA. EXPECT HIGH
TEMPS TO RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 DEGREES OVER WEST CENTRAL WI...TO THE
LOWER 30S ALONG THE MN RIVER VALLEY.

ON SATURDAY...THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS ARE STICKING TO THEIR GUNS
IN PROGGING THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION TO PASS SOUTH OF THE
FORECAST AREA...AS AN INCOMING ARCTIC HIGH SUPPRESSES THE SYSTEM
LIFTING OUT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN CONUS. COULD SEE A LIGHT ROUND OF
SNOWFALL WITH INCH OR SO ACCUMULATIONS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF
THE APPROACHING HIGH...BUT THE MAIN /SOUTHERN STREAM/ SYSTEM
SHOULD STAY WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA.

THE ARCTIC HIGH WILL INEVITABLY BE ACCOMPANIED BY A NOTABLE
REDUCTION IN TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS FROM 5 TO 15 DEGREES ON
SUNDAY...AND SUB-ZERO LOWS OCCURRING NEARLY AREA-WIDE ON SUNDAY
NIGHT. ASSOCIATED WINDS WILL BE RATHER LIGHT...SO DO NOT CURRENTLY
EXPECT WIND CHILLS TO DIP LOWER THAN -15 TO -20 ON SUNDAY NIGHT
AND MONDAY MORNING.

AS THE HIGH SLIPS OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST...TEMPERATURES WILL
GRADUALLY MODERATE BACK TO NORMAL AS A SURFACE TROUGH APPROACHES
FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THIS FEATURE MAY BRING A LIGHT ROUND OF
SNOW ON MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...DURING WHICH 20-30
POPS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING)
ISSUED AT 540 AM CST THU JAN 29 2015

FREEZING DRIZZLE THREAT ENDING TO THE SOUTHEAST. TRANSITIONED TO
SNOW SHOWERS/FLURRIES UPSTREAM. THIS SHOULD COME TO AN END IN AN
THROUGH MID MORNING. THEN MVFR CIGS SHOULD GRADUALLY BREAK FROM
WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING. EXPECT VFR
CONDITIONS THEN INTO THE LATE EVENING WITH SOME MID/HIGH LEVEL
CLOUDS RETURNING LATE. STRONG NW WINDS GUSTING 35-40KTS OUT IN
WESTERN AREAS THIS MORNING...DIMINISHING FROM WEST TO EAST INTO
EARLY EVENING.

KMSP...FREEZING DRIZZLE THREAT HAS ENDED. SOME FLURRIES POSSIBLE
FOR AN HOUR OR TWO. MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH ABOUT 22Z.
THEN BECOMING VFR THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERIOD. SOME MID HIGH
LEVEL CLOUDS MOVE IN LATE TONIGHT BUT WILL REMAIN VFR. STRONG NW
WINDS GUSTING AROUND 25KTS THROUGH THE DAY...DIMINISHING THIS
EVENING AND BECOMING LIGHT SOUTHEAST FRIDAY MORNING.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
FRI AFTERNOON...VFR. WIND S 5 KT.
SAT...MAINLY VFR...CHC MVFR CIGS/-SN SAT NIGHT. WIND N 5-10 KT.
SUN...MAINLY VFR...CHC MVFR CIGS EARLY. WIND N 10 KT.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
     MNZ051>053-059>063-066>070-075>078-083>085.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR MNZ047-048-054>057-
     064-065-073>075-082>084-091>093.

WI...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
     WIZ014>016-023>028.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...DWE
LONG TERM...LS
AVIATION...DWE