Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Twin Cities, MN

Current Version |  Previous Version |  Graphics & Text |  Print | Product List |  Glossary On
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
-- Highlight Changed Discussion --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
114 FXUS63 KMPX 140506 AFDMPX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1206 AM CDT Fri Jun 14 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Drying out this evening with a beautiful Friday forecast. - More widespread showers and thunderstorms likely Saturday with locally heavy rainfall possible. - An intense heat wave will build across the eastern third of the country next week with the Upper Midwest on its western periphery. This will mean periods of hot and humid conditions and multiple rounds of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 345 PM CDT Thu Jun 13 2024 Within the most recent radar scans, the shower activity as well as the more abundant cloud cover has finally reached Iowa and will continue to make its way southeast. Dry and quiet conditions will prevail for the next 36 hours or so as upper-level ridging and surface high pressure fill in from our west. This evening will be a good one to go out and enjoy with lows tonight reaching low to mid 50s under mostly clear skies. Friday will be a beautiful day despite a few afternoon clouds and highs nearing the low 80s. By Friday night, a shortwave over the CO Rockies will eject towards the northern plains. Showers and thunderstorms will begin to develop over southwestern MN around sunrise and then extend north and eastward in coverage by Saturday afternoon/evening. PWATs exceeding 1.75" as well as a +40kt LLJ will allow for some potentially heavy rainfall across central and southern Minnesota and parts of western WI. The forecasted QPF validates the slight risk for excessive rainfall in those areas issued by the WPC. Saturday`s disturbance will quickly vacate to the east by Sunday. Ridging will intensify over the eastern CONUS and an h85 thermal ridge over the west-central CONUS will shift east. This will make conditions feel rather soupy with high temperatures in the upper 80/low 90s, dew points in the 70s, and heat indices in the mid to upper 90s. Another shortwave enters western MN Sunday afternoon and tries to create some modest elevated instability of 2000 J/kg of MUCAPE as well as steep lapse rates of 8 deg C/km. However the caveat here is forecast soundings showing at least 5kt deep capping inversion. So in the off chance that the shortwave does find a miracle to break the cap, maintained the inclusion of chc PoPs through Sunday night. Monday into next week features an elongating troughing pattern upstream over the western CONUS. This will cause multiple shortwaves to eject over the northern plains with several additional chances of precip. At the same time, ridging will continue its grasp over the eastern CONUS and place MN/WI on the western periphery of the thermal ridge with a strong LLJ continuing to advect warm moist air from the south. Therefore warm and humid conditions will last at least through Wednesday before some relief returns Thursday with cold front reduces temps to the low 80s. As for rainfall amounts, there are still some inconsistencies in QPF totals due to frontal placement within the guidance. But with noticeable high PWATs and a mainted moisture rich LLJ, any rainfall that does occurs will have an increased likelihood of being heavy which increases the concern with flooding through the period. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
Issued at 1158 PM CDT Thu Jun 13 2024 VFR conditions continue this morning with no weather-related concerns other than perhaps some patchy fog. Northwest winds have decreased since yesterday evening and will remain light throughout the rest of the period, eventually becoming east/southeast this evening. High level clouds will begin to invade from the west heading into tonight, ahead of our next approaching system tomorrow. KMSP...No additional concerns. /OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ SAT...RA/TSRA/MVFR likely, IFR possible. Wind SE 10-15G25kts. SUN...Mainly VFR. Slight chc TSRA/MVFR. Wind S 10-15 kts. MON...MVFR with MVFR/TSRA possible. Wind S at 05-10 kts.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...None. WI...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Borghoff/Dunleavy AVIATION...BED