Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA
Issued by NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA
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213 FXUS64 KLIX 242326 AFDLIX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service New Orleans LA 626 PM CDT Wed Apr 24 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 236 PM CDT Wed Apr 24 2024 Northwesterly flow remains over our region as we reside between a shortwave ridge to our west and a modestly amplified trough east of us. With heights and thicknesses continuing to increase, temperatures have responded today with a few places exceeding the 80 degree mark. A surface front is currently over northern AL/MS and will drop southward with time toward our region. However, with the ridge upstream building in, this almost backdoor cold front will be just shy of making it into our region. Guidance has a very very modest QPF signal over our northwest CWFA this evening. Cannot rule out a sprinkle or two in that area. The main impact from the front is potential moisture pooling and fog overnight ahead of the front with the best potential along and north of the I10/12 corridor and west of I55. Went with patchy fog for now, but some patchy dense fog at times cannot be ruled out in the fog favored locations. Going into Thursday the pattern transitions just a bit. H5 flow will evolve to a more active southwesterly flow as an amplifying upper trough moves east and suppresses the upper ridge down into the Gulf of Mexico. Despite being suppressed, our heights and thicknesses will continue to gradually rise and again will continue our warming trend through the end of the short term period. (Frye) && .LONG TERM... (Friday through Tuesday night) Issued at 236 PM CDT Wed Apr 24 2024 A large scale trough will reside across the Rockies and western half of the US. A modest ridge will remain in place across the east as the long term period begins, leaving our region in an active southwesterly flow aloft. H5 impulses will ride over the ridge from the southwest to the northern plains and Cornbelt region. This will help push yet another cold front toward our region, but as the upper level support moves downstream and the front becomes parallel to the mean flow, the front will stall across the ArkLaTex region keeping most of the rain with it just to our northwest this weekend. Temperatures look to remain a few degrees above average through much of this time as well. Going into the new workweek, another H5 impulse begins to amplify over the high plains, which will send the front closer to our region. Finally by this point the front may start to get close enough for POPs Monday afternoon with the best potential across the northern and western tier. A strengthening upper ridge by the end of the forecast period will help stall this front again just to our north and the POPs/QPF associated with this feature may remain north of the area. (Frye) && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 622 PM CDT Wed Apr 24 2024 Currently VFR at all terminals, although there are mid-level clouds producing ceilings around FL070-080 at several terminals. Don`t anticipate flight restrictions until close to sunrise. Patchy radiation type fog is expected to develop shortly before sunrise with IFR or lower conditions expected where it does occur. The most favored terminal would be KMCB, but can`t be entirely ruled out at most terminals. this would generally be between 10z-1330z, with improvement to VFR beyond that point. && .MARINE... Issued at 236 PM CDT Wed Apr 24 2024 Mostly favorable marine conditions will continue through Thursday. Late Thursday and into the upcoming weekend winds will increase in response to a tightening of the pressure gradient between high pressure east and low pressure across the plains. Light to moderate winds and seas can be expected through the weekend and into early next week. This should lead to some headlines being needed possibly as early as Friday and into the start of the new workweek. (Frye) && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MCB 58 82 62 82 / 0 0 0 0 BTR 62 86 67 87 / 0 0 0 0 ASD 61 83 66 83 / 0 0 0 0 MSY 65 83 69 83 / 0 0 0 0 GPT 62 81 66 79 / 0 0 0 0 PQL 59 84 64 81 / 0 0 0 0 && .LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...None. GM...None. MS...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...RDF LONG TERM....RDF AVIATION...RW MARINE...RDF