Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Detroit/Pontiac, MI

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000 FXUS63 KDTX 151454 AFDDTX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 1054 AM EDT SAT JUN 15 2013 .UPDATE...
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THE INHERITED FORECAST IS IN GOOD SHAPE WITH LITTLE REFINEMENT NEEDED IN THE UPDATE. DEFINITIVE MCV FROM YESTERDAYS UPSTREAM CONVECTION IS CHURNING EASTWARD. THIS FEATURE IS EMBEDDED WITHIN A MERIDIONAL 700-850MB THETA E GRADIENT ON THE BACK EDGE OF THE MIDLEVEL GEOPOTENTIAL HEIGHT RIDGE IN PLACE OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. TWO SPOKES OF ENHANCED MOISTURE HAVE DEVELOPED DUE TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE MESOSCALE CIRCULATION...THE FIRST OF WHICH IS WASHING ASHORE OF FAR WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN THIS MORNING...THE SECOND MORE COMPACT WITH THE CONVECTIVE VORT ITSELF. THE LEAD ACTIVITY HERE IN LOWER MICHIGAN IS WEAKENING WITH TIME AS IT OUTPACES THE AFOREMENTIONED THETA E GRADIENT. NWP SUGGESTS SOME DIURNAL BOUNDARY LAYER GROWTH MAY CONNECT WITH THIS MIDLEVEL MOISTURE CAUSING SOME LATE AFTERNOON REVIVAL AFTER 20Z OVER SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN. CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT AFTERNOON ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN SCATTERED WITH QPF AMOUNTS LIGHT. GENERAL CHANCE POPS THIS AFTERNOON HAVE THIS IN HAND. WARM MIDLEVELS DUE TO RESIDUAL LATENT HEATING WILL KEEP CAPE DENSITIES AT A MINIMUM...NO SEVERE WEATHER RISK ANTICIPATED. THE DEEPER THETA E IS EXPECTED TO WASH ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN THIS EVENING. LINEAR EXTRAPOLATION OF UPSTREAM RADAR MOSAIC TIMES THIS ACTIVITY LARGELY AFTER 01Z. THIS SUPPORTS THE LIKELY TO NUMEROUS POP FORECAST.
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&& .AVIATION...
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ISSUED 722 AM EDT SAT JUN 15 2013 //DISCUSSION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL HOLD FIRM AS LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS PERSIST BEHIND DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE. A PASSING CIRRUS CANOPY WILL GIVE WAY TO A LOWERING CLOUD DECK AND DEVELOPING CEILINGS AROUND 4KFT BY LATE AFTERNOON AS MOISTURE TRANSPORT INCREASES INTO THE AREA. A PASSING SHOWER OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM MID-AFTERNOON ONWARD AS THE MOIST AIRMASS PUSHES INTO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN, BUT WIDESPREAD RAINFALL STILL APPEARS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR AFTER MIDNIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD AS A DEVELOPING LOW-LEVEL JET PROVIDES MARGINAL NOCTURNAL INSTABILITY. //DTW THRESHOLD THREATS... * HIGH CONFIDENCE IN CEILINGS BELOW 5KFT AFTER 20Z * LOW CONFIDENCE THAT A THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT KDTW AIRSPACE
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&& .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 355 AM EDT SAT JUN 15 2013 SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT EXPANSIVE FIELD OF DEEP SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE STRETCHING FROM THE GULF COAST TO SOUTH-CENTRAL CANADA IS IN PLACE ALONG THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE CENTRAL CONUS LONGWAVE RIDGE THIS MORNING. MULTIPLE FOCI OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ARE ONGOING WITHIN THIS GENERAL REGION, MOST NOTABLY THE IOWA/MISSOURI CONVECTIVE COMPLEX THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO APPRECIABLE CLOUD DEBRIS ENVELOPING THE CWA THROUGH THE EARLY PORTION OF THE DAY. MEANWHILE, THE CONVERGENT EASTERN FLANK OF THIS PROMINENT MOISTURE FIELD IS NOTED ON REGIONAL RADAR IMAGERY AS AN ACTIVE REGION OF SHOWERS/TSTORMS EXTENDING FROM THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES INTO WESTERN ONTARIO. AN EASTWARD SURGE OF THIS WARM MOIST AIRMASS CAN BE EXPECTED BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LARGE CLOSED LOW OVER MANITOBA FORCES A RAPID DEAMPLIFICATION OF THE FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN STATES. AS A RESULT, MID AND HIGH CLOUDS/DEBRIS WILL EVENTUALLY GIVE WAY TO AN INCREASING COVERAGE OF DIURNALLY-ENHANCED CU AS MID-LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE LOWER PENINSULA RAMPS UP AROUND 20Z. BLANKET CHANCE POPS ARE IN PLACE DURING THE EARLY EVENING PERIOD TO ACCOUNT FOR AT LEAST SCATTERED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE H7 THETA-E GRADIENT IN ADDITION TO ANY DIURNALLY FORCED ACTIVITY THAT MAY BE ABLE TO GET GOING BEFORE LOSS OF SURFACE HEATING. WARM MID-LEVELS AND A WEAK AMBIENT WIND FIELD REALLY LIMIT ANY CONCERNS FOR SEVERE POTENTIAL HERE. THE CONVECTIVELY ENHANCED SHORTWAVE OVER THE TX PANDHANDLE AT 08Z THIS MORNING WILL THEN PROVIDE THE MAIN OPPORTUNITY FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE AREA AS IT SHEARS TOWARD SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN WITHIN THE DEAMPLIFYING LARGE SCALE FLOW OVERNIGHT. THE STRENGTHENING UPPER MASS GRADIENT OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES WILL ELICIT RAPID JET STREAK DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL PROVIDE RIGHT ENTRANCE SUPPORT OVER SEMI IN THE 06-12Z PERIOD WHILE A DEVELOPING 40KT LLJ PROVIDES AMPLE MOISTURE TRANSPORT, LOW-LEVEL FORCING, AND SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A RESPECTABLE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH WARM MID-LEVELS LOOK TO ONCE AGAIN LIMIT THE MOST UNSTABLE PARCELS TO AROUND 500 J/KG CAPE, 0-3KM SHEAR PUSHING 45KTS BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING IS ENOUGH TO WARRANT MONITORING OF ANY ONGOING CONVECTION FOR POTENTIAL ORGANIZATION AND A VERY LOW-END SEVERE THREAT. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN FIRMLY POSITIONED WITHIN A ZONAL MID LEVEL FLOW AT 12Z SUNDAY MORNING...WITH THE PROGRESSIVE HEIGHT FALLS EMANATING OFF THE CLOSED LOW WOBBLING ACROSS SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN EFFECTIVELY SUPPRESSING THE MAIN UPPER RIDGE AXIS WELL TO THE SOUTH. SHORTWAVE ENERGY WORKING THROUGH THIS FLOW WILL SHIFT TO THE EAST DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY. PROXIMITY OF THE AREA TO THE BACK EDGE OF THE EXITING MID LEVEL FORCING AND ATTENDANT HIGHER THETA-E/MOISTURE GRADIENT WILL MAINTAIN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS/ELEVATED THUNDER DURING THE MORNING PERIOD. TRAILING FRONTAL BOUNDARY TIED TO THE SOUTHERN EXTENSION OF THE BROADER HEIGHT FALLS WORKING ACROSS SOUTHERN ONTARIO WILL QUICKLY FOLLOW BY MIDDAY. THIS WILL PROMPT A STEADY DRYING OF THE COLUMN WITHIN DEVELOPING AND DEEPENING WEST-NORTHWEST FLOW FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE DAY. NAM THE SLOWEST WITH THIS PROCESS...ALLOWING TIME FOR A MODULATING THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE TO YIELDS SBCAPE VALUES UPWARDS OF 1500-1800 J/KG WITH STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND MINIMAL CAPPING ISSUES...MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF. REGARDLESS...LACK OF ANY IDENTIFIABLE FORCING MECHANISMS REMAINS PROBLEMATIC...SUGGESTING A LOW COVERAGE/ISOLATED POP SCENARIO /IF ANY/ CONDITIONAL ON PROPERLY CAPITALIZING ON A DECREASINGLY SUPPORTIVE MOISTURE FIELD. A WELL MIXED VEERING LOW LEVEL GRADIENT AND A PERIOD OF GOOD INSOLATION WILL BRING HIGHS INTO THE LOWER 80S. ANOTHER ROUND OF HEIGHT FALLS WORKING DOWNSTREAM OF THE AFOREMENTIONED LOW WILL EASE THE NEXT COLD FRONT SOUTHWARD INTO LOWER MICHIGAN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. SUBTLE TIMING DIFFERENCES YET AS TO WHETHER THE BOUNDARY ACTUALLY REACHES THE SAGINAW VALLEY PRIOR TO MONDAY...BUT THE OVERALL NET EFFECT WILL BE FOR THE LOW LEVEL FRONTAL ZONE TO EVENTUALLY ALIGN WITHIN THE MEAN WESTERLY FLOW DRAPED ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY. A RATHER DISORGANIZED LOOKING FORCING FIELD...SOME SEMBLANCE OF WEAK CONVERGENCE/FGEN ATTEMPTS TO EMERGE ALONG THE FRONTAL SLOPE BENEATH THE UPPER JET CORE AND WITHIN A WEAKLY CYCLONIC MID LEVEL FLOW. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A GENERAL CHANCE POP MENTION WITH THE AID OF MODERATE LOW TO MID LEVEL DAYTIME DESTABILIZATION. PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF THE THERMODYNAMIC FIELD FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS COOLER/DRIER AIR WORKS IN BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS WILL BE ONGOING COINCIDENT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE MAIN MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS. ANY LEGITIMATE SPIKE IN LARGE SCALE ASCENT WILL ARRIVE AS BOTH THE MOISTURE QUALITY AND DEGREE OF INSTABILITY IS ON THE DOWNTURN. THIS WILL SEEMINGLY CONTAIN BOTH THE OVERALL COVERAGE AND STRENGTH OF ANY ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION DEVELOPMENT. STRETCH OF BENIGN WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH HIGH PRESSURE TAKING AN EXTENDED RESIDENCE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL PROVIDE A PERIOD OF COOLER AND LESS HUMID CONDITIONS UNDER CLEAR/SUNNY SKIES. NORTHEAST FLOW OFF THE COOLER LAKE WATERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO DAYTIME READINGS STRUGGLING TO CLIMB MUCH ABOVE OF THE LOW/MID 60S ACROSS THE THUMB ON TUESDAY. ELSEWHERE HIGHS GENERALLY LOWER 70S APPEAR ATTAINABLE GIVEN THE PROJECTED STRENGTH OF THIS AIRMASS. GRADUAL WARMING TREND THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. MARINE... LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND WILL PERSIST INTO THE MORNING FOLLOWED BY A RETURN TO SOUTHERLY WINDS DURING THE DAY TODAY. SOME DISRUPTION OF MARINE CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE DUE TO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, BUT THIS SHOULD BE MOSTLY SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH NORTHERN ONTARIO. WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS WILL OTHERWISE BE FAVORABLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL PERHAPS LATE MONDAY WHEN THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS DUE THROUGH THE REGION. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LAKE HURON...NONE. LAKE ST CLAIR...NONE. MI WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE.......CB AVIATION.....JVC SHORT TERM...JVC LONG TERM....MR MARINE.......JVC YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT (ALL LOWER CASE).

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