Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Detroit/Pontiac, MI

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000 FXUS63 KDTX 210230 AFDDTX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 1030 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 .UPDATE...
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SE MI WILL BE IN A LULL IN CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS SUBSIDENCE HAS OVERSPREAD THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE EARLIER CONVECTION WHICH IMPACTED THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. ATTENTION NOW TURNS TO THE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX OVER NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE N-NE IN ADVANCE OF MID LEVEL IMPULSE. THIS MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL LIFT INTO WISCONSIN/LAKE MI OVERNIGHT. INCREASED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION UNDER STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL INFLOW AND FAVORABLE UPPER JET DYNAMICS WILL SUPPORT ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT INTO SW LOWER MI OVERNIGHT...EVENTUALLY INTO SE MI TOWARD DAYBREAK TUES. THE ZONES/GRIDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS. STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND SLIGHTLY STRONGER DEEP LAYER SHEAR /IN COMPARISON TO TODAY/ WILL SUPPORT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS LATE TONIGHT INTO THE DAY TUESDAY.
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&& .AVIATION...
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ISSUED 643 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 //DISCUSSION... ONGOING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AT THE START OF THE TAF PERIOD WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT OFF TO THE NORTHEAST THIS EVENING. SUBSIDENCE IN THE WAKE OF THIS INITIAL CONVECTIVE LINE SHOULD INHIBIT ADDITIONAL CONVECTION THROUGH AT LEAST 06 TO 08Z. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN LATE TONIGHT AND BUILDING INSTABILITY THROUGH THE DAY ON TUESDAY WILL LEAD TO ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. TIMING AT THIS STAGE IS VERY UNCERTAIN. WHILE THERE MAY BE SOME EARLY MORNING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CONFINED TO THE PEAK IN THE DIURNAL HEATING CYCLE IN THE TAFS AT THIS TIME. FOR DTW...THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS IMPACTING METRO THIS EVENING IS GROWING MORE UNCERTAIN AS THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS HAS BEEN LIFTING OFF TO THE NE. GIVEN THE POOL OF INSTABILITY OVER METRO DETROIT...SOME ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFF THE SOUTHERN END OF THE CONVECTIVE LINE MAY YET OCCUR. ANY DEVELOPMENT WOULD MOST LIKELY IMPACT METRO BETWEEN 00Z AND 03Z. //DTW THRESHOLD THREATS... * LOW CONFIDENCE IN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING AND MEDIUM CONFIDENCE ON TUESDAY.
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&& .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 401 PM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT WARM SECTOR AIRMASS FIRMLY ENTRENCHED ACROSS SE MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON. LATEST OBSERVATIONS SHOWING TEMPERATURES MAKING A RUN TO NEAR 90 DEGREES IN SOME LOCATIONS. DEEPER PLUME OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BANKED ALONG THE INTERFACE OF THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS HOLDING JUST TO THE EAST AND THE EXTENSIVE CLOSED LOW CIRCULATING OVER THE DAKOTAS NOW EXTENDING THROUGHOUT LOWER MICHIGAN. THIS COMBINATION TRANSLATING INTO A SOLID INSTABILITY AXIS...RECENT SPC MESOANALYSIS INDICATING MLCAPE VALUES IN EXCESS 2000 J/KG. DESPITE THIS... SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN STILL FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE NEARBY HIGHER HEIGHT FIELD...AS NOTED BY THE 18Z DTX SOUNDING WHICH SHOWS A FAIRLY STOUT 900-800 MB CAPPING INVERSION. THIS EFFECTIVELY CONTAINS THE CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURE AT 90 DEGREE OR WARMER...LEAVING THE PROSPECTS FOR SEEING CONVECTION CONDITIONALLY DEPENDENT ON REALIZING SOME DEGREE OF FORCED ASCENT AND/OR CONSOLIDATING CONVECTIVELY GENERATED COLD POOL DYNAMICS. LINEAR EXPANSION OF CONVECTION UNDERWAY TO THE WEST/NORTHWEST SUSTAINED BY A COMBINATION OF A PASSING MID LEVEL IMPULSE AND SOME TYPE OF LAKE MICHIGAN MARINE INFLUENCE/BOUNDARY. THE POTENTIAL REMAINS FOR SOME FORM OF EAST/NORTHEASTWARD EXPANSION OF THIS ACTIVITY ALONG A FAVORABLY ALIGNED CORFIDI VECTOR AND INTO THE INSTABILITY BUBBLE RESIDING OVER SE MICHIGAN. 12Z HI RES MODEL SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO POINT IN THIS DIRECTION. HOWEVER RELATIVELY MODEST DEEP LAYER SHEAR EAST OF THIS LINE DOES LEAVE SOME QUESTION AS TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND POTENTIAL COVERAGE OF ANY INBOUND CONVECTION. NONETHELESS...GIVEN THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY IN PLACE...CONDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK CERTAINLY EXISTS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN PLACE THROUGH 8 PM FROM WASHTENAW/ WAYNE COUNTIES NORTHWARD. DECAYING CONVECTIVE COMPLEX LOCKED ONTO THE NEXT IN A SERIES OF WEAK IMPULSES EJECTING AROUND THE UPPER MIDWEST LOW CONTINUES TO SHIFT THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS. A CONSIDERABLY LESS SUPPORTIVE THERMODYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT ACROSS THAT CORRIDOR /DEWPOINTS IN THE 50S/ LEADING TO THIS WEAKENING TREND...BUT SOME POTENTIAL DOES EXIST FOR RENEWED DEVELOPMENT AND UPSCALE GROWTH THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF THE EVENING AS THIS WAVE ENCOUNTERS THE BETTER INSTABILITY/ MOISTURE AXIS. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A CHANCE POP MENTION. THE OVERNIGHT/EARLY MORNING PERIOD BECOMES MORE MUDDLED...DEPENDENCE ON PROPERLY DEFINING THE TRAJECTORY OF ADDITIONAL ILL-DEFINED SHORTWAVE ENERGY AND/OR CONVECTIVE DEBRIS. EMERGING NOCTURNAL LOW LEVEL JET FORCING AND SUSTAINABLE HIGHER LAPSE RATES LEND MORE CONFIDENCE THAT SOME FORM OF ADDITIONAL CONVECTION WILL TAKE AIM ON THE REGION LATE TONIGHT...BUT DEFINING THE DETAILS OF LOCATION/TIMING AND COVERAGE REMAINS A CHALLENGE. A MILD NIGHT AHEAD GIVEN THE ELEVATED DEWPOINTS...LOWS MID TO UPPER 60S. LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE MAIN DRIVER OF THE WEATHER TUESDAY WILL BE THE MOMENTUM TRANSFER THAT WILL OCCUR OF UPPER LEVEL JET ENERGY OVER THE RIDGE AXIS. ORIENTATION OF UPPER LEVEL RIDGING OVER NORTHERN GREAT LAKES AND ONTARIO WILL THEN CHANGE FROM CYCLONIC TO ANTICYCLONIC CURVATURE. FUNDAMENTALLY...THIS WILL PUT SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN IN A DIFFERENT REGIME AS THE AREA WILL BECOME IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER LEVEL JET AXIS. PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER LEVEL JET AXIS IS NEVER A TRIVIAL QUESTION...BECAUSE A CLOSER PROXIMITY MEANS ONE IS CLOSER TO THE FIREHOSE OR PATH OF EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE ENERGY. HOWEVER...WHAT IS A MORE DIFFICULT DETERMINATION IS THE OVERALL CRISPNESS OR EDGE QUALITY TO THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. IN OTHER WORDS...A GREATER POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR PERIODIC SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR TUESDAY WILL BE PARTIALLY INFLUENCED BY AREAL COVERAGE AND DURATION OF ONGOING THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE PRE-NOON TIMEFRAME. HOWEVER...GIVEN LATE MAY NUMBER OF DAYLIGHT HOURS AND SOLAR INTENSITY...ANY BREAK IN CLOUD COVER WILL ALLOW SURFACE TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB AND CAPES TO BUILD. THERE IS SURELY CONTAMINATION OF THE THERMODYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT IN THE MODELS BUT CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT 700-500 MB LAPSE RATES WILL NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR AS PRISTINE. LIKELY NOT MOIST ADIABATIC BUT CERTAINLY NOT 7.5-8 DEG C/KM EITHER. SBCAPES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 1000 J/KG WITH MLCAPES LIKELY STRUGGLING TO REACH THAT SAME THRESHOLD. CLOSER PROXIMITY TO JET WILL BRING SOLID 30-40 KNOTS OF 0-6KM BULK SHEAR....GOOD FOR A POTENTIAL OF STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. A CONVECTIVELY MODULATED BOUNDARY LAYER AND HIGHER SPEED FLOW OVERHEAD MAKES THE TIMING OF INDIVIDUAL FORCING ELEMENTS DIFFICULT. WILL OFFER A THOUGHT OR TWO TO THINK ABOUT DESPITE THE NOISE. SOME MODEL DATA SUGGESTS THAT DIFFERENTIAL AIRMASS RECOVERY MAY OCCUR PRIMARILY FROM THE IRISH HILLS TO THE SOUTHEAST. A PERTURBATION TO THE FLOW OR RIBBON OF ENHANCED CONVERGENCE IS HIGHLIGHTED ON SOME REMNANT CONVECTIVE SHORTWAVE ENERGY IS HIGHLIGHTED TO TRACK THROUGH TOMORROW IN SOUTHWEST FLOW. BEST IDEA ON TIMING FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS IS 19-23Z. ALL OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN IS IN THE SLIGHT RISK ON SWODY2. CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY EVENING. A LULL IN THE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD AS ONE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES OFF INTO CANADA AND ANOTHER SECONDARY LOW DEEPENS OVER IOWA AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS. HOWEVER...CURRENT MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE INDICATING MORE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN BETWEEN THESE TWO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS THAN PREVIOUS RUNS SO HAVE INCREASED THE FORECAST TO HIGH CHANCE POPS TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY SHOWERS THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. CURRENT MODEL RUNS ARE FAIRLY WELL IN AGREEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER BRINGING THE CENTER OF THE SURFACE LOW WILL ACROSS CENTRAL MICHIGAN ON WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LOW MERGES INTO THE FLOW OVER CANADA. THIS WILL BRING A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE DAY. AS THE COLD FRONT FINALLY MOVES OVER SOUTHERN MICHIGAN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT...RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE BACK END OF THIS LOW WILL LACK ANY SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION ON THURSDAY WITH ONLY RAIN CONTINUING FOR MOST OF THE DAY ON THURSDAY. COLDER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER IN BEHIND THE PASSING LOW ON THURSDAY RESULTING IN HIGH TEMPERATURES TO ONLY BE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S ACROSS THE CWA. A FEW LINGERING RAIN SHOWERS WILL PERSIST INTO THE THURSDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME BEFORE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS WILL KEEP SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND RESULTING IN DRY CONDITIONS. THIS HIGH WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO USHER IN MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS ON FRIDAY ONLY IN THE LOW TO MID 60S AND SLOWLY INCREASING TO THE UPPER 60S BY SUNDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL DIP DOWN INTO THE UPPER 30S AND LOW 40S OVER THE WEEKEND. MARINE... MODEST SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH MIDWEEK AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SLOWLY LIFTS EAST OUT OF THE UPPER MIDWEST. A WARM AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS TIME. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH ACROSS ALL WATERS BY THURSDAY MORNING...AS THE LOW AND TRAILING COLD FRONT PUSH OFF TO THE EAST. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LAKE HURON...NONE. LAKE ST CLAIR...NONE. MI WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...NONE. && $$ UPDATE.......SC AVIATION.....SC SHORT TERM...MR LONG TERM....RK/CB MARINE.......MR YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT (ALL LOWER CASE).

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