Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

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439 FXUS64 KFWD 170755 AFDFWD Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 255 AM CDT Tue Sep 17 2024 ...New Long Term... .SHORT TERM...
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/Issued 111 AM CDT Tue Sep 17 2024/ /Today and Tonight/ Warm, tranquil weather will persist across North Central Texas once again today, thanks to the presence of a stout shortwave ridge draped across the region. An easterly low level flow regime will advect slightly milder air westward into the area from Arkansas and Louisiana through the day, mitigating this afternoon`s temperature climb versus what would otherwise be expected from the current degree of subsidence. Nevertheless, readings across the western and southern counties should rise into the mid 90s by late afternoon, which is several degrees above seasonal norms. The current low level flow is also bringing an expanse of low clouds westward into the northeastern counties of the forecast area. By daybreak, scattered to broken cloudiness should exist generally east of a Gainesville to Rockwall to Canton line. Most of these clouds will erode by later morning, yielding mostly sunny conditions in all areas. Some of the CAM guidance is suggesting the potential for isolated showers and thunderstorms across our far west and southwest counties. However, the source of forcing for this convection is hard to discern, and given the low confidence, have opted to leave PoPs out of the current forecast for this afternoon/evening. Bradshaw
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&& .LONG TERM...
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/NEW/ /Wednesday and beyond/ As a persistent ridge of high pressure maintains unseasonably warm temperatures across the Southern Plains on Wednesday, a strong mid-level low/shortwave trough will lift across the northern Rockies and northern Plains. Though the southern Plains mid-level ridge will remain tethered to the state through the forecast period, the expanding western U.S. trough will tilt the ridge axis across North and Central Texas. The eastward shift of the associated low level thermal ridge will inflate 850 mb temperatures locally by an average of 4 to 7C according to model projections. This is good for about the 90th percentile of the historical temperature distribution in both the NAEFS and ECMWF ensembles. Mixing to the surface during peak daytime heating, this will translate to widespread highs in the mid to upper 90s each afternoon. For this time of year, the average high at DFW and Waco is 87F and 90F, respectively. Adjustments have been made to account for the deep vertical mixing expected which should allow dewpoints to mix out on these hot and dry afternoons, up to several degrees below the current NBM guidance. The resulting heat indices should peak below Heat Advisory criteria, however heat safety precautions should still be considered if spending time outdoors this week. As the first shortwave ejects into the Canadian Prairies, another upper level low pressure system will dive down the West Coast reaching central California by Thursday morning. This feature is progged to track across the Rockies and move into the Plains this weekend. Unfortunately, any previously held hopes of returning (low) rain chances and seasonally appropriate temperatures late this weekend and into the following week have vanished as the shortwave and associated frontal boundary look to remain on a track north of the forecast area. This will keep the subtropical ridge in control of our sensible weather through the end of the period. Favoring a status quo forecast for day 6 (Sunday) and beyond, temperatures have been raised above the MOS and NBM guidance to near the NBM 50th percentile. As always, forecast details for this time period will continue to change/update as we go through the rest of the week. 12
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&& .AVIATION...
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/Issued 111 AM CDT Tue Sep 17 2024/ /06z TAFS/ VFR conditions should prevail at all TAF sites through 12z Wednesday, as upper level high pressure continues to dominate. An area of MVFR ceilings is slowly advancing westward out of Arkansas and Northwest Louisiana early this morning. A few leading shreds of stratus associated with this cloud mass may reach the eastern portion of D10, particularly KDAL, by 12z. However, am skeptical that enough cloudiness will arrive in order to justify a mention of BKN/OVC conditions at any Metroplex TAF site, so have omitted any mention of ceilings. The cloud mass northeast through east of the D10 area should largely erode by midday, yielding VFR conditions. A light east-southeast flow regime should persist at all TAF sites through midday, likely backing to a modest east-northeast direction after 17z. Bradshaw
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&& .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
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Dallas-Ft. Worth 91 74 95 76 96 / 0 0 0 0 0 Waco 94 72 96 74 96 / 0 0 0 0 0 Paris 86 68 91 71 95 / 0 0 0 0 0 Denton 92 71 96 75 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 McKinney 91 71 96 74 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 Dallas 92 73 96 76 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 Terrell 90 71 95 73 96 / 0 0 0 0 0 Corsicana 93 73 96 74 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 Temple 95 72 97 73 97 / 0 0 0 0 0 Mineral Wells 93 70 96 73 98 / 0 0 0 0 0
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&& .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$