Area Forecast Discussion
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Issued by NWS
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724 FXUS64 KLUB 062335 AFDLUB Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 635 PM CDT Thu Jun 6 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday) Issued at 209 PM CDT Thu Jun 6 2024 Not much of a change to the short term forecast this afternoon as the upper level ridge continues to shift slightly eastward into the Texas Panhandle this afternoon. This will continue to influence relatively quiet and warm conditions as thickness values rise across the South Plains region. As of 1:30 PM CDT the weak surface front is currently positioned over the northern Texas Panhandle. South of the front, southeast surface winds will continue to pump moisture into the region from the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon. This increased moisture in addition to the above normal temperatures in the upper 90s and triple digits will allow for a very buoyant environment and increased chances for thunderstorm development this afternoon and evening. Latest CAMs suggest initial convective development along and south of the front this afternoon just north of the far southern Texas Panhandle. Storms will then begin to track southward into the far southern Texas Panhandle and portions of the northern South Plains and Rolling Plains through the evening. Widespread severe is not expected; however, isolated strong to severe thunderstorms may be possible given MLCAPE values around 1500 J/kg to 3000 J/kg, steep low-level lapse rates, and deep effective bulk shear around 35 to 40 knots. Main threats with thunderstorms will be damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph as depicted by inverted-v profile soundings and hail up to quarter size. Into the late evening hours, convective outflow boundaries in addition to the LLJ may allow for thunderstorms to grow upscale into a Mesoscale Convective System while tracking further south into the southern South Plains and Rolling Plains. Therefore, NBM PoPs were increased through the late evening into portions of the early morning hours to account for this. Thunderstorms should clear the FA just after midnight with overnight lows slightly warmer than previous in the mid 60s to lower 70s. As we head into the end of the work week, expect the above seasonal normal temperatures to continue once again as the upper level ridge sets up over the region. This in addition to lee surface troughing influencing breezy southwest winds and clear skies will lead to another day of temperatures in the upper 90s and triple digits. && .LONG TERM... (Friday night through next Wednesday) Issued at 209 PM CDT Thu Jun 6 2024 We are transitioning into a typical summer like pattern for the long term forecast. An upper level ridge will continue to shift east into central Texas on Friday leading to a plume of monsoon moisture advecting northward around the ridge in eastern New Mexico into the Texas Panhandle. Isolated convection is mostly expected to remain in New Mexico into the Texas Panhandle in close proximity to a surface pressure trough. Very hot temperatures and minimal flow through the atmosphere will lead to pulse type convection. The upper ridge will move farther east on Saturday and break down allowing the mid level monsoon moisture to move more overhead. Otherwise, conditions will be fairly similar to Friday with pulse type convection. Better chances for convection will manifest late in the weekend into the early part of next week. An upper level ridge will amplify from the Intermountain West through the southern Rockies setting up northwest flow convection on Sunday and Monday evenings. The first round will occur on Sunday as a short wave moves around the upper ridge out onto the Plains. On Sunday morning, a cold front will move through the area shifting low level winds to easterly upslope flow which is more favorable for northwest flow convection. Convection will likely start on the higher terrain of eastern New Mexico through the Raton Mesa and move southeast ward towards West Texas. The frontal boundary itself may stall out and provide an additional focus for convection late on Sunday. An upper level low moving onshore from Baja California this weekend will make its way around the ridge by Monday evening again enhancing the chances for northwest flow convection. The upper level ridge will further build on Tuesday and begin to shift east placing West Texas closer to the ridge axis and thus less chances for northwest flow convection. Additionally, the cold front on Sunday will lower temperatures back closer to seasonal averages on Sunday and well into the 80s on Monday. However, with the ridge moving back overhead by mid-week, temperatures will again increase above averages. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 630 PM CDT Thu Jun 6 2024 Thunderstorms have developed around AMA this evening and have been slowly drifting southward. Confidence on these thunderstorms reaching CDS and PVW this evening have decreased due to current storm motion however later TAF updates may be required if storms start moving south. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected to prevail through this TAF period. Southerly winds will become breezy at all TAF sites by mid morning tomorrow and remain breezy through the early evening. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...12 LONG TERM....01 AVIATION...58