Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Knoxville/Tri Cities, TN

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776 FXUS64 KMRX 221909 AFDMRX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Morristown TN 309 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM...
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(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 308 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024 Key Messages: 1. A few strong to maringally severe storms possible in the northern Plateau this evening. 2. Another round of potentially strong to severe storms is expected Thursday from late morning through early afternoon, mainly north of I-40. Potential for training storms will pose a flooding threat. Discussion: A line of strong to severe storms streches along a pre-frontal trough from central KY to West TN. Mesoanalysis of the region shows a much les favorable environment for severe over our area, with CIN keeping convection capped and weak deep layer shear. The HRRR and ARW are in good agreement with the progression of storms across Middle TN through the afternoon, and show them reaching our Plateau counties around 00-01Z. By the time they reach I-75, the storms weaken quickly and have virtually dissipated before reaching Tri- Cities. The forecast for the evening will have likely PoPs only in Morgan/Scott counties, dropping to a chance in SW VA and NE TN by midnight. This activity should end around 06-08Z once the shortwave trough exits, but another stronger trough will be approaching from the west. Convection is expected to develop tomorrow morning to our west in association with this trough and upper jet streak. The CAMS are not in good agreement on the details of the evolution of this convection, but the general trend appears to be showers and thunderstorms moving into the Plateau area during the mid to late morning hours, about 12-16Z, and crossing the TN Valley through the early afternoon. Some additional development may occur behind this initial activity during the mid to late afternoon. Given the model disagreements, PoPs have been cut back from categorical, except in SW VA where confidence is highest. CAPE values of will support some strong to severe storms, but deep shear is rather weak. A marginal wind threat is possible, and given the unidirectional winds and expected storms in the same area this evening, training of storms may pose a threat of flooding in some isolated locations.
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&& .LONG TERM...
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(Thursday night through next Wednesday) Issued at 308 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024 Key Messages: 1. An unsettled period with multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms for the period. 2. Some of the storms may be strong to severe at times, with the higher chances for severe storms looking like the weekend and possibly into Monday. Localized flooding will also be possible. Discussion: The period begins with flat ridging over the Gulf and a series of upper lows over the northern plains. These conflicting sets of features will meet overhead, contributing to disturbances that will move in the zonal flow over us to bring convection-triggering convective rounds for the rest of this week. By Sunday, that northern parade of troughs will orient somewhat further south, and begin the process of what will become a deepening Great Lakes upper low which will usher a cold-frontal line of convection through the area around Monday morning. This frontal convection might be the primary risk for organized severe convection for the period...otherwise a little something here or there is possible on other days. No day in particular has impressive QPF, but the repeated rainfall will tilt the risk of excessive rainfall and localized flooding upward by week`s end, and that will probably carry over through the frontal passage event Monday morning. Afterward, that 500MB low over the Great Lakes will deepen as it slowly rolls eastward, and we look to end up on the northwest-flow side of an omega-pattern central U.S. ridge. This will create potential for additional disturbance-driven rounds of scattered precip Tuesday and Wednesday, moreso around VA, before the blocking pattern potentially dries us out for days 8-10 (Thurs-Sat).
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&& .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 118 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024 Scattered clouds around 4-5 kft are expected at the TAF sites through the afternoon and evening, with winds from the SW at 8-12 kt. Overnight, some showers may pass just north of TRI, so will mention VCSH there for now. A greater chance of showers and thunderstorm arrives late in the TAF period at TYS and TRI, and a PROB30 for MVFR vis/cigs with thunderstorms will be mentioned. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
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Chattanooga Airport, TN 88 68 86 67 / 0 10 30 40 Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 87 67 80 64 / 10 30 60 50 Oak Ridge, TN 86 66 80 63 / 10 40 60 50 Tri Cities Airport, TN 87 63 78 61 / 10 20 80 50
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&& .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DGS LONG TERM....GC AVIATION...DGS