Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Twin Cities, MN

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802 FXUS63 KMPX 191947 AFDMPX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 247 PM CDT Wed Jun 19 2024 .KEY MESSAGES...
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- More rain is likely late tonight in southwestern Minnesota with PoPs increasing to the east early tomorrow morning. Severe weather is not expected with this round of rain. - There is a Marginal Risk for severe weather on Friday afternoon and night in western Minnesota. Main threats will be damaging winds and heavy rainfall. Rainfall totals from Thursday through Friday night may exceed 2-4" in some places across south central Minnesota. - Lingering showers are possible Saturday morning with drier conditions expected through Monday. Chances for showers and thunderstorms are expected through the end of the period.
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&& .DISCUSSION...
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Issued at 245 PM CDT Wed Jun 19 2024 Tonight through Friday...We`re drying out and enjoying some cooler temperatures and lower dew points today thanks to northwest flow behind yesterday`s cold front. This evening and overnight look to reamin mostly dry except for a few scattered showers to our east until the LLJ increases in the early morning. The chance for precip increases right before sunrise for southwestern Minnesota before moving east throughout the morning before ending by early afternoon. There is not any risk of severe weather. QPF totals do not look too high for this round of rain. We are looking at around 0.1-0.3" in southwestern Minnesota while eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin sees much less with amounts tending to stay under one tenth. Tomorrow afternoon is looking to be similar to today with lingering clouds and highs in the high 60s and low 70s. PoPs and QPF incrase quickly Thursday night through Friday morning as a LLJ works in across southwestern Minnesota. While severe weather is not expected, heavy rainfall will certainly pose a threat for flooding concerns. PWs are forecast to increase to near climatolgical max (around 1.8") as warm moist air is advected northward overnight. WPC has placed far southwestern Minnesota under a Moderate Risk (level 3 of 4) for excessive rainfall through 12z Friday with that risk area being expanded across all of south central Minnesota and into western Wisconsin through 12z Saturday. There`s still some shifting around of the heaviest axis of precip expected, so the potential for a Flash Flood Watch will be evaluated in future forecasts. However, upwards of 3" of rain seem plausible through Saturday morning. The other concern for Friday is the potential for some strong to severe thunderstorms. A warm front is forecast to lift northward through the day with instability building in the warm sector during the afternoon. The main threat appears to be damaging winds, though some elevated storms may pose a large hail risk over far western Minnesota. The LLJ will kick in again overnight, reinforcing the threat for heavy rain and thunderstorms as a cold front moves across the region. Rain will end from west to east through Saturday afternoon and we look to finally dry out for Sunday into Monday as high pressure builds in. We`ll see a bit of a pattern shift early next week, but our continued low chances for precip will stick around. The ridge across the eastern CONUS will finally break down, but then we will find oursevles on the eastern perifphery of a building ridge across the Four Corners region. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s through the middle of next week.
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&& .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1220 PM CDT Wed Jun 19 2024 The patchy MVFR cigs have mostly eroded, but some SCT040 CU may linger into mid-afternoon. Mid-high level clouds stick around for much of the day aoa150. Wind speeds will continue to decrease throughout the period, gradually shifting from NW this afternoon towards N by the evening, and ultimately NE overnight. Some locations may see winds go light and vrbl overnight with the primary direction out of the NE. Rain chances will start to increase heading into Thursday morning in tandem with lowering cigs. KMSP... Any precipitation will struggle initially but sprinkles are possible after 12Z Thursday. The heavier, steady rain looks to hold off until the early afternoon. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ FRI...VFR/MVFR, chc -TSRA/-SHRA. Wind S 10-15kts. SAT...VFR/MVFR, chc -TSRA/-SHRA. Wind SW 10-15kts. SUN...VFR. Wind NW 10-15kts. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Dye/ALW AVIATION...BPH