Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Paducah, KY
Issued by NWS Paducah, KY
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809 FXUS63 KPAH 270928 AFDPAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 428 AM CDT Fri Sep 27 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Widespread showers with heavy rain will continue through this evening as the remnants of Hurricane Helene interact with an upper-level storm system near the Quad State. Forecast rainfall in this period currently ranges from around 2 to 4 inches across the area with locally higher amounts possible. - A Flood Watch and Wind Advisory have been issued due to conditions from the remnants of Hurricane Helene with the Flood Watch now expanded to include all but the western four counties of Southeast Missouri. - The rains will become lighter and more isolated through the weekend, while winds remain breezy Saturday then become light on Sunday. - The Quad State will begin to dry out on Tuesday as a cold front passes. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 428 AM CDT Fri Sep 27 2024 Hurricane Helene barreled into the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 4. A fast forward motion (30 mph at the 4AM CDT update) has taken the center of the storm to east-central Georgia, heading northward. The storm center is east of the prior forecast track, likely a complication due to the messy interaction with a cutoff low near the Quad State. While Helene appears to be taking a wider turn than originally anticipated, it is expected to shift northwestward to the Tennessee River Valley and approach Central KY/TN border this evening. From there, the storm stalls out and gets wrapped up into the upper- low through the weekend. Two primary hazards are expected with Hermine. The first is heavy rainfall and potential for flooding. Rainbands ahead of Hermine are already being steered into the Quad State due to the influence of the upper low. With the storm center moving closer through the day today, moderate to heavy showers will continue to be widespread. WPC QPF is generally around 2-5 inches of additional rainfall to go with the inch or so that has already fallen in eastern and northern portions of the Quad State. Much of the Quad State have been very dry of late, though some spots received decent rainfall yesterday, and portions of Southern Illinois faced torrential rainfall Monday evening, so a few spots are a bit more primed for flooding issues. Precipitable water rises to 2 to 2.25 inches today, especially high for this time of year. Instability is poor and the Appalachians may hinder some moisture transport, but the storm should be able to overcome that for now. The key to flooding development will be whether 1 to 3 hr rainfall rates can get high enough, likely leaving flooding issues localized. The Flood Watch has been expanded northward to include the entire CWA except for the western four counties of SEMO. The expansion territory may not receive as much rain on average, but includes some of the more primed areas. The upper low continues absorbing much of the remnants of Helene through the weekend, but rainfall rates will diminish, ending the flood threat. A few showers may remain in the east Monday as the system finally departs. The second primary hazard is gusty winds that could be damaging. The fast forward motion and rapid intensification before landfall brought stronger tropical storm force wind gusts further inland than is typical, and models suggest a slow increase in pressure. HREF winds are overestimating winds at this time with gusts closer to 20 mph instead of a modeled 30 mph. This isn`t surprising due to the tendency towards decoupling overnight in the Quad State. Late afternoon to early evening wind gusts in the HREF are concerning with mean gusts of 50-55 mph in the north and 40-50 mph elsewhere. The 75th percentile flirts with High Wind Warning criteria. The focus for the stronger gusts is positioned northeast of the Quad State, prompting a High Wind Warning issuance by the Indianapolis and Louisville offices. Global models have lower gusts, and negligible thunderstorm potential will prevent full mixing of winds aloft. However, those winds aloft are howling with HREF mean 850mb wind gusts around 70 mph in the north during the afternoon. With the strongest gust potential northeast of the Quad State (and perhaps becoming more likely to stay there if the storm takes a wider turn before heading northwest), we will stick with a Wind Advisory for now. Winds noted in the product have been increased to 20-30 mph sustained with gusts of 45-50 mph broadly and gusts to 55 mph in the Evansville Tri-State and I-64 corridor. Wind gusts will need monitoring today to determine whether an upgrade to a High Wind Warning is needed. Either way, soggy soils as rainfall continues to occur will make trees susceptible to wind damage. The system lingers through the weekend, with breezy winds Saturday gusting to 30 mph. Rainfall amounts will be much lighter, ending flood potential. Winds finally become light Sunday as the system weakens. Shower activity ends Monday with the departure of the upper low. A cold frontal passage Tuesday brings in cooler and drier air as high pressure moves eastward into the Quad State. Highs near 70 today and tomorrow trend warmer as skies become more clear, topping out in the upper 70s to lower 80s Tuesday before the cold front drops highs to the 70s again. Lows in the mid-60s this morning remain elevated as long as Gulf moisture streams in, then fall to the lower 50s following the Tuesday cold front. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1123 PM CDT Thu Sep 26 2024 Rain is steadily increasing across the area and will become even more widespread overnight through Friday. This will lead to IFR conditions and possibly lower will through much of the rest of the TAF issuance. The very heavy tropical downpours will also lead to reduced visibilities as low as 2 miles or less at times. Winds are expected to become gusty from the northeast Friday with gusts reaching into the 25 to 35 kt range. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for ILZ075>078-080>094. Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 1 AM CDT Saturday for ILZ075>078-080>094. MO...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for MOZ076-086-087- 110>112-114. Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 1 AM CDT Saturday for MOZ076-086-087-100-107>112-114. IN...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for INZ081-082-085>088. Wind Advisory from 7 AM CDT /8 AM EDT/ this morning to 1 AM CDT /2 AM EDT/ Saturday for INZ081-082-085>088. KY...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for KYZ001>022. Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 1 AM CDT Saturday for KYZ001>022. && $$ DISCUSSION...ATL AVIATION...KC