000
FXUS64 KAMA 160956
AFDAMA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
456 AM CDT WED APR 16 2014

.SHORT TERM...
EARLY MORNING WV SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL DIG FURTHER TO THE
SOUTHEAST TODAY WHILE A SURFACE LOW MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS.
A SECONDARY SURFACE LOW OVER WEST TX WILL STRENGTHEN AND SLIDE
SOUTHEAST IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING ALONG THE
SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER TROUGH. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH IT MAY STALL ACROSS THE CENTRAL
TEXAS PANHANDLE INITIALLY. THIS CAN COMPLICATE THE FORECAST TODAY
ALTHOUGH THANKFULLY THE AIR MASS BEHIND THE FRONT IS NOT TOO MUCH
COLDER MAKING FOR A LESS TRICKY TEMP FORECAST. IN FACT HIGHS TODAY
WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 60S TO THE MID 70S. RETURN FLOW SETS UP
ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT...ALLOWING FOR AN INCREASE IN
ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE. FAIRLY DRY AIR MASS IS CURRENTLY ACROSS THE
AREA SO IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE ATMOSPHERE TO SUFFICIENTLY
MOISTEN UP TO SUPPORT RAIN CHANCES THIS EVENING. THE UPPER TROUGH
DEEPENS AS IT MOVES OVER THE AREA TONIGHT...FOCUSING THE MAX AREA OF
LIFT ACROSS THE OK PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHERN TX PANHANDLE. THIS WILL
BE THE MOST LIKELY AREA TO RECEIVE RAINFALL DURING THIS PERIOD...BUT
DID MAINTAIN AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE POP ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TX
PANHANDLE. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA BY THURSDAY
EVENING. SKIES WILL CLEAR ALTHOUGH LIGHT SOUTH-SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL
MAINTAIN ADEQUATE MOISTURE OVER THE AREA. SO DESPITE TEMPS COOLING
BACK INTO THE 50S THURSDAY...OVERNIGHT LOWS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY
ABOVE FREEZING.

.LONG TERM...
STILL LOOKS LIKE EASTER WEEKEND WILL FEATURE PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...ALTHOUGH THE BULK OF THIS ACTIVITY WILL OCCUR
SATURDAY AS AN UPPER TROUGH EMERGES OUT OF SOUTHERN CA. AHEAD OF THIS
SYSTEM...SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL PUSH TEMPS BACK INTO THE 70S FRIDAY.
THIS UPPER TROUGH WILL LIFT ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS REGION SATURDAY.
MOISTURE LEVELS REMAIN HIGH ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SCT SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY AS SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT INCREASES ACROSS THE
AREA. INSTABILITY DOESN/T LOOK TOO IMPRESSIVE TO SUPPORT ORGANIZED
SEVERE WX. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON PRECIP CHANCES
GOING INTO EASTER SUNDAY DUE TO A FURTHER NORTHERN TRACK OF THIS TROUGH
BUT A FEW STORMS MAY CONTINUE OVER THE EASTERN ZONES IN THE MORNING
SO LEFT IN THE INHERITED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THIS PERIOD. THE
GFS HAS BACKED OFF ON PRECIP CHANCES EARLY NEXT WEEK AND IS MORE IN
LINE WITH THE DRIER ECMWF. AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BE ALIGNED ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS AT THIS TIME SO WITHOUT ANY SYNOPIC SCALE SUPPORT...EXPECT
DRY WX WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ANOTHER ROUND
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MID WEEK AS AN UPPER LOW/TROUGH DIVES
OUT OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE GFS IS SHOWING THIS AS A CLOSED LOW
VERSUS A WEAKER OPEN TROUGH AS ADVERTISED BY THE ECMWF. STILL PLENTY
OF TIME TO ASSESS FUTURE MODEL RUNS BEFORE BITING OFF ON ADDING
PRECIP CHANCES AS MODEL OUTPUT WILL LIKELY CHANGE BEFORE THEN.

CLK

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN
TEXAS PANHANDLE...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. SOUTH WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH
WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING ACROSS THIS AREA AND PERSIST INTO THE
AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST AND ARE EXPECTED
TO WEAKEN LATER IN THE DAY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RANGE
AROUND 10 PERCENT IN THIS AREA...AND WILL RISE TO ABOVE 20 PERCENT
BY THIS EVENING. RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY ACROSS
THE AREA. NEITHER ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED AFTER TODAY AS HIGHER MOISTURE LEVELS WILL RESULT IN
MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ABOVE 20 PERCENT.

CLK

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMARILLO TX                74  39  56  39  73 /   5  30  20   5   5
BEAVER OK                  70  39  56  37  77 /  10  50  40  10   5
BOISE CITY OK              63  35  57  38  74 /  10  50  20   5   5
BORGER TX                  74  41  58  43  76 /   5  40  30   5   5
BOYS RANCH TX              76  40  60  40  76 /   5  30  20   5   5
CANYON TX                  75  40  59  39  72 /   5  20  20   5   5
CLARENDON TX               76  45  58  42  73 /   5  30  30   5   5
DALHART TX                 70  36  57  36  73 /  10  40  20   5   5
GUYMON OK                  69  37  58  36  75 /  10  50  30   5   5
HEREFORD TX                75  39  61  38  72 /   5  20  20   5   5
LIPSCOMB TX                73  39  52  39  74 /  10  50  50  10   5
PAMPA TX                   73  40  53  40  73 /   5  40  40   5   5
SHAMROCK TX                74  44  56  43  72 /   5  30  40  10   5
WELLINGTON TX              76  46  60  43  76 /   5  20  40  10   5

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
OK...NONE.

&&

$$