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

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596 FXUS64 KFWD 171043 AFDFWD Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 543 AM CDT Tue Sep 17 2024 ...New Short Term, Aviation... .SHORT TERM...
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/NEW/ /Today and Tonight/ No major changes to the previous short-term forecast. An expansive deck of low cloudiness covers the areas northeast through east of the Metroplex, and continues to edge slowly westward. This cloudiness is borne on a modest fetch of easterly winds emanating from northwest Louisiana. These clouds may have enough momentum to blanket the eastern portion of the Metroplex for a few hours this morning, but daytime insolation should erode them by early afternoon. Otherwise, mostly sunny and warm conditions will prevail areawide. Our trend of above normal daytime temperatures for mid September continues. Bradshaw
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&& .LONG TERM...
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/Issued 255 AM CDT Tue Sep 17 2024/ /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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/NEW/ /12z TAFs/ An expansive deck of MVFR and IFR stratus continues to spread slowly westward across portions of North Texas this morning. Believe at least KDAL may see a brief period of BKN IFR conditions, and possibly even KDFW as well. Am doubtful that any other TAF sites will be impacted, as the momentum of this cloudiness should decrease by sunrise. Ample sunshine should lead to an erosion of this cloudcover from mid morning onward, leading to VFR conditions by 17-18z. Light east southeast winds areawide will back to a small degree after 18z, leading to east or east- northeast conditions at the Metroplex TAF sites during the afternoon. 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 85 69 91 71 95 / 0 0 0 0 0 Denton 92 71 96 75 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 McKinney 91 70 96 74 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 Dallas 93 73 96 76 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 Terrell 90 69 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. && $$