Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS La Crosse, WI

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754 FXUS63 KARX 110407 AFDARX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 1107 PM CDT Mon Jun 10 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Following more widespread showers earlier in the day, a few storms are possible (20-40% chance) Tuesday afternoon with a hail/gusty winds risk (level 1 of 5 for severe), mainly west of the Mississippi River. - Severe storm risk (level 2 of 5) increases late Wednesday/Wednesday evening with a damaging wind/hail threat. Details/magnitude of this risk will be refined as confidence increases. - Some lingering storm risk possible into Thursday depending on frontal timing with drier, seasonable conditions into late week and warmer, potentially more unsettled conditions by the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 240 PM CDT Mon Jun 10 2024 Tuesday: Shower/Storm Potential Dry, Canadian high pressure will be shunted east overnight ahead of a progressive shortwave trough. A band of showers likely will work east through the day in conjunction with warm advection/modest moisture transport, but instability looks minimal, supporting a limited thunder risk at best. Rain amounts also should be fairly light with this precip, around 0.1 to 0.2" or less for most areas. In the wake of these showers, a narrow instability axis may develop ahead of a weak front progressing east across Minnesota and Iowa. HREF mean surface-based CAPE values remain mostly under 1000 J/kg within the instability axis across southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. However, some enhancement (40-50 kts) of mid-level flow could support storm organization for isolated to widely scattered storms during the mid/late afternoon hours into early evening, potentially producing small to perhaps marginally severe hail in the strongest storms, given elongated straight hodographs. Gusty winds are also possible, especially if stronger warming/mixing occurs. Overall, weak forcing and seasonably weak instability look to be mitigating factors for stronger storms. Wednesday-Thursday: Severe Storm Potential Warm advection and breezy southerly flow will develop on Wednesday ahead of a shortwave passing along the Canadian border. A pool of instability will build across MN/IA into western WI, especially by later afternoon/evening as a low-level jet/moisture transport increases, with the CAPE dependent on low-level moisture advection strength and degree of mixing. However, deep layer shear of 40-50 kts across MN into northern WI will provide a favorable kinematic environment for potentially strong to severe storms. Details on evolution remain somewhat unclear, but storms may develop later in the afternoon ahead of a surface boundary working southeast, being fed by a low-level jet/warm advection. In this scenario, initial storms may develop into a cluster or clusters of storms into the evening with more of a hail threat initially storms perhaps transitioning into an increase in wind if a larger cold pool develops. In addition, warm cloud depths exceeding 3.5 km and higher precipitable water values focused on the nose of the moisture transport could support a heavy rain threat, although the system is progressive, and the low level jet will pivot east through the night. Mesoscale details will impact storm development/evolution, including placement, so continue to monitor for updates over the next day. As the front continues to sag south into Thursday, the higher threat for storms looks to shift farther south into Iowa. However, will have to continue watch frontal timing, especially across northeast Iowa into southwest Wisconsin. Friday-Monday: High pressure will build back into the region for Friday as the upper flow briefly transitions northwesterly. However, medium range guidance supports mid-level ridging expanding into the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes through the weekend into early next week. This would lead to temps warming above average by early next week and increasing moisture/instability. High temps may approach 90 by Sunday with more summer-like lows in the 60s. There is some signal for a shortwave trough to eject northeastward over the weekend from the southern Rockies, with global ensembles (GEFS/EPS/CMC) showing the footprint for higher 24-hour rainfall amounts (at least 0.5") from eastern SD through central MN Saturday/Saturday night. At this range, though, forecast confidence remains on the lower side, and it is too early to highlight any potential targets for heavy rain/severe storms. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/...
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Issued at 1105 PM CDT Mon Jun 10 2024 VFR conditions are expected at this time. A weather system will be moving through Tuesday morning with some showers at the airfields. With some instability growing in the afternoon Tuesday, some TSRA are possible over southeastern MN late (21-22Z+). At this time, decided to include a PROB30 with a strong convergent signal seen on the front in the area of KRST and some instability present and wind shear for storm organization. Coverage is still a question - how many storms will be around to directly hit the airfield. These storms would have the potential to produce hail the size of nickels, larger if instability grows larger after the morning showers. These storms are expected to become more isolated or dissipate as they move toward KLSE and thus the PROB30 was not included in the TAF.
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&& .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...JM AVIATION...Baumgardt