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000
FXUS63 KDLH 031156
AFDDLH

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
556 AM CST TUE MAR 3 2015

.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 555 AM CST TUE MAR 3 2015

UPDATED AVIATION SECTION BELOW.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT)
ISSUED AT 332 AM CST TUE MAR 3 2015

INCOMING WINTER STORM WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TODAY IS THE
PRIMARY CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM...WITH A SECONDARY FOCUS ON THE
VERY COLD AIR EXPECTED TO PUSH IN LATE TONIGHT.

SNOW HAS STARTED TO MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTH THIS MORNING WITH THE
LATEST RADAR LOOP SHOWING THE RETURNS INCREASING SOUTH OF HIGHWAY
TWO AND THE COLUMN QUICKLY BECOMING SATURATED AS THE AREA OF SNOW
LIFTS TO THE NORTH. THE LATEST RAP MESO ANALYSIS SHOWS A BAND OF
700MB F-GEN ALONG THE NRN EDGE OF STRONG WAA...AND THE CORRIDOR OF
STRONGEST SNOWFALL DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THIS FORCING. THIS AREA
OF F-GEN WILL DEFINE WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR THIS
MORNING...AND IS STILL EXPECTED FROM AROUND THE BRAINERD
LAKES/LAKE MILLE LACS AREA NEWD TO THE TWIN PORTS AND INTO
PORTIONS OF NW WISCONSIN. A BROAD AREA OF 3 TO 5 INCHES IS
EXPECTED IN THIS ZONE. OTHER AREAS TO THE NORTH/NW...AND EVEN TO
THE SE...SOUTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 70 IN WI WILL SEE AROUND 1 TO 2
INCHES. THE MOST FAVORABLE TIME FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL STILL
BE THIS MORNING FROM AROUND 5 AM TO 11 AM.

THE SFC COLD FRONT...CURRENTLY MOVING INTO FAR NW MN WILL MOVE
ACROSS THE NORTHLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND ALLOW THE WINDS TO SHIFT
FROM SW TO NW. THIS FRONT WILL ALSO BRING WITH IT VERY GUSTY
WINDS. STILL EXPECTING SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 10 TO 20 MPH AND
GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING. THE
COMBINATION OF THE INITIAL SNOW THIS MORNING...AND BLOWING SNOW
LATER TODAY WILL KEEP CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS THROUGH MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT. NO CHANGES...SPATIAL OR TIMING...HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES.

THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS
TONIGHT FROM WEST TO EAST WITH THE COLD AIR BEHIND THE FRONT
POURING IN ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. 850MB TEMPS FROM -25 TO -28
DEG C ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS AIR MASS. THIS WILL ALLOW SFC
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS BELOW
ZERO...AND THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY NW WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIND
CHILLS IN THE -25 TO -35 F RANGE. WILL LIKELY NEED A WIND CHILL
ADVISORY OVER MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT/WED MORNING.

.LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 332 AM CST TUE MAR 3 2015

WEDNESDAY TO BE A COLD AND BLUSTERY DAY WITH THE STRONG SURFACE LOW
MOVING NORTHEAST ACROSS QUEBEC.  AN INVERTED TROUGH WILL EXTEND WEST
FROM THIS LOW...AND SLOWLY SAG SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA
DURING THE DAY. A STRONG SURFACE HIGH WILL BUILD DOWN THE PLAINS
DURING THE DAY AS WELL.  EXPECT THAT WE WILL SEE FLURRIES OR LIGHT
SNOW IN THE VICINITY OF THE TROUGH AXIS...AND AM CARRYING SOME SMALL
POPS FOR THIS ALONG WITH CLOUDY SKIES.  WITH THE PRESSURE GRADIENT STILL
FAIRLY STEEP SURFACE WINDS WILL REMAIN IN THE 10-15MPH RANGE WITH
GUSTS IN THE 20-25MPH RANGE...ESPECIALLY IN EXPOSED AREAS.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE AREA A LITTLE MORE
AND ALLOWS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TO WEAKEN...AND THE CLOUDS AND
FLURRIES ARE PULLED OFF TO THE EAST WITH THE SURFACE LOW.  THERE MAY
BE SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOW AFFECTING THE SOUTH SHORE EAST OF ASHLAND...
BUT WIND TRAJECTORY IS NOT THE MOST FAVORABLE AND HAVE KEPT POPS
LOW.  TEMPERATURES TO BOTTOM OUT IN THE NEGATIVE TEENS FOR MANY
LOCATIONS...AND WITH THE LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY
NEED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING.
FOR NOW WILL DISCUSS IN HWO...AND WILL HAVE TO RE-EVALUATE AS WE GET
CLOSER IN.

THURSDAY SOME STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION SETS IN ALOFT AND HIGHS
SHOULD RISE INTO THE 10-15 DEGREE RANGE...IF NOT WARMER.  OTHERWISE
QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE IN THE VICINITY.

ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IS DUE TO MOVE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY.
FOR NOW AM NOT CARRYING ANY SNOW CHANCES BUT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED
TO SEE FLURRIES. CURRENTLY HAVE HIGHS FRIDAY UP IN LOWER TO MIDDLE
30S. INITIALLY THIS WARMING SEEMS OVERDONE COMPARED TO THURSDAY.
HOWEVER...PURE MIXING TECHNIQUES WOULD INDICATE MID 20S TO LOW
30S...AND THEN YOU ADD IN SOME SUNSHINE AND OUR DARK TREES AND
SUDDENLY THOSE LOW TO MIDDLE 30S SEEM MORE REASONABLE.

THE WEEKEND LOOKS QUESTIONABLE WITH A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES DROPPING
DOWN ACROSS THE AREA IN UPPER LEVEL NORTHWEST FLOW.  MODELS ARE
BRINGING SOME WARM 850MB TEMPERATURES INTO THE AREA ALOFT...BUT WITH
THE INCREASED CLOUD COVER ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLIPPERS...AND OUR
DECENT SNOWPACK...AM WONDERING IF WE MIGHT NOT GET A BUNCH OF
STRATUS AND FOG AND COOLER TEMPERATURES INSTEAD OF SUNSHINE AND MID
30S.  HAVE LEFT CONSENSUS ALONE IN THIS LOW CONFIDENCE SITUATION...
BUT WE WILL NEED TO WATCH THIS CAREFULLY.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING)
ISSUED AT 555 AM CST TUE MAR 3 2015

BAND OF SNOW WITH IFR TO LIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES TO
CONTINUE TO AFFECT KBRD...KDLH...KHIB AND KHYR UNTIL 18Z-21Z. KINL
TO ONLY GET IFR VISIBILITIES AND MVFR CEILINGS WITH THIS BAND.
NORTHWEST WINDS TO INCREASE TO 15-20KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25KTS AFTER
18Z...AND THOUGH SNOW EXPECTED TO END...BLOWING SNOW WILL KEEP
VISIBILITIES MVFR. CONDITIONS TO SLOWLY IMPROVE TO VFR AROUND
21Z OR SHORTLY AFTER. WINDS TO DIMINISH AGAIN BETWEEN 04Z AND 08Z.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH  25  -9   4 -11 / 100  10  10   0
INL  19 -15   3 -19 /  60  10  10   0
BRD  22 -11   5 -14 / 100  10  10   0
HYR  27  -8   6 -15 / 100  10  20  10
ASX  28  -4   7  -8 / 100  20  20  10

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT
     FOR MNZ011-012-018-019-021-025-026.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR MNZ020-
     033>038.

WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR
     WIZ001>004-006>009.

LS...NONE.
&&

$$

UPDATE...LE
SHORT TERM...BJT
LONG TERM...LE
AVIATION...LE