Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Lake Charles, LA
Issued by NWS Lake Charles, LA
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552 FXUS64 KLCH 032311 AFDLCH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 611 PM CDT Mon Jun 3 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Wednesday night) Issued at 330 PM CDT Mon Jun 3 2024 Mid-afternoon sfc analysis shows high pressure centered off the Carolina coast ridging wwd over the sern CONUS, maintaining a moist srly low-level flow over the region. Water vapor imagery shows weak ridging extending from nern Mexico and up through the Sabine Valley trying to hold on while multiple disturbances riding over try to break it down...the first of which has helped fire up an MCS dropping ssewd from ern OK/wrn AR at the moment. Closer to home, local 88Ds indicate diurnal convection has been slow to get going today as a decent cap noted in the 12z KLCH sounding has evidently been holding firm despite good warming. Recent guidance is in agreement that the approaching MCS will continue to do so into this evening...however the agreement generally ends there as all sorts of solutions exist as far as what shape the system will be in and where it will have the most impact once in our area. Thereafter, there are hints in the guidance that a 2nd complex could develop later tonight and move into the forecast area prior to sunrise...blended guidance is really having issues with latching on to this one, which is evident in the first period POP/wx grids this afternoon. Perhaps this is the feature that is being picked up dropping through the area Tuesday morning into early afternoon, with minimal convection expected the remainder of the day courtesy of a worked over airmass. Stay tuned. Regardless of timing, SPC has included much of the forecast area in at least a marginal risk for severe weather through tomorrow with damaging wind gusts being the primary threat. Likewise, WPC has included the same areas in a marginal risk for excessive rainfall through tomorrow given the very wet grounds from multiple rounds of sometimes heavy precip the last several days. The mid-level ridge building over the area which has been advertised since late last week and which was supposed to suppress convection through much of this week has pretty much disappeared from the medium range global models as of this afternoon... replaced by a continued nwrly flow aloft containing periodic passing disturbances. The first of which is now progged to cross the area Wednesday and combining with reasonable moisture (mean RH values again to near 60 percent and PWATs to around 1.7 inches), yet another round of showers/storms are expected, peaking during the afternoon hours with max heating. 25 && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through next Sunday) Issued at 330 PM CDT Mon Jun 3 2024 The long term forecast is marked by uncertainty as models continue to struggle over the synoptic pattern. On Thursday, a large stacked low pressure system will be situated over the Great Lakes, while mid- level ridging builds across the Rockies/Four Corners region. At the surface, a cold front associated with the low pressure system will be diving towards the Ark-La-Tex, while weak high pressure will be to our east providing a light onshore flow across the CWA. Models are at least in good agreement with moving the low pressure system towards New England from late Thurs into early Sat however, it still remains uncertain how this will impact the local area. Current guidance wants to push the associated cold front all the way to the coast by Sat morning, while previous runs hang the front up to our north and/or wash it out completely. Regardless if the front does make it through the CWA or not, its passage will be hardly noticeable, with little more than a weak wind shift expected. In addition, models continue to struggle with the evolution of the western CONUS ridge towards the end of the week. Guidance is in agreement with building the ridge eastward however, how far east it actually builds will largely affect our weather pattern for the later part of the forecast period. If ridging stays more to our west and keeps us in a NWrly flow aloft we will continue to see daily rain chances and potentially more rounds of severe weather. On the other hand, if the ridge is able to build more directly overhead we will trend towards a drier pattern. With the lack of good agreement among guidance I opted to stick closely with NBM, which paints small POPs each day with a trend towards a drier pattern over the weekend. Temperature wise, highs will be just slightly above normal for Thurs and Fri (in the low to mid 90) before trending back towards seasonal norms (low 90s) Sat and beyond. Overnight lows will generally rang from the low to mid 70s each night, with a few spots inland potentially reaching the upper 60s. 17 && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 607 PM CDT Mon Jun 3 2024 A line of storms currently entering North LA may move into the vicinity of KAEX late tonight to around midnight while weakening. An additional round of storms may occur again Tuesday afternoon, but move farther south. Outside of convection, MVFR ceilings may occur late tonight into early Tue as well. Outside of convection winds will be generally south. && .MARINE... Issued at 330 PM CDT Mon Jun 3 2024 Caution headlines have been introduced on the wrn/cntl coastal waters as srly winds are progged to increase to criteria this evening thanks to a tightening gradient courtesy of low pressure moving into the srn Plains. 25 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AEX 72 89 73 91 / 50 30 0 40 LCH 77 88 77 89 / 20 20 0 20 LFT 76 88 77 91 / 30 20 0 20 BPT 78 88 77 91 / 20 20 0 10 && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...None. TX...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...25 LONG TERM....17 AVIATION...05