Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS La Crosse, WI
Issued by NWS La Crosse, WI
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564 FXUS63 KARX 242304 AFDARX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 500 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Unseasonably warm through Tuesday and then turning much colder. - Periodic rain into Tuesday. Rain changing over to snow on Tuesday night, and periodic light snow or flurries into Thanksgiving. At this time, the best chance of snow accumulations will be north of Interstate 90. - More snow accumulations possible on Friday night and Saturday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 103 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 Tonight through Tuesday The 24.12z operational models and the 24.00z Grand Ensemble remain in good agreement that a southern stream shortwave trough will move northeast through the Mid and Upper Mississippi River Valley. Like the past couple of days, BUFKIT soundings continue to show that the air mass will be sufficiently warm enough for this precipitation to fall as rain. Unlike yesterday, the 700 mb trough looks to be a bit stronger than yesterday. As a result, the rain totals have increased in the 24.12Z HREF. It now looks like much of the area will receive anywhere from a tenth to a half inch. Tuesday Night into Wednesday The models still are in good agreement that a much stronger northern stream shortwave trough will move east through the region from Tuesday night into Wednesday. Unlike its predecessor, the upper level shortwave is much stronger. This results in a stronger surface low and deformation band. Looking at the clusters, there is still quite a bit of uncertainty on how south the measurable snow will get. 49% of the members either have more ridging upstream (24% of the members) or a deeper trough (25% of the members). In these scenarios, the measurable snow is further south. They have a 60 to 80% chance of 1 inch of snow occurring as far south as the Interstate 90 corridor. Meanwhile, the other 51% members of the ensemble are more aggressive with the eastward movement of this system and they show that these 60-80% probabilities for these 1 inch or higher totals more toward the Interstate 94 corridor and north. While there are differences on the southern extent of the measurable snow, the 10th and 90th percentiles on snow totals remains the same throughout the Grand Ensemble ranging from 1 to 4 inches (highest north of Wisconsin 29) in north-central Wisconsin. As the surface pressure gradient tightens on the back and strong cold air advection steepens the low-level lapse rates, strong sustained winds and gusts will develop Tuesday night and continue into Wednesday morning. 75% of the Grand Ensemble has 40-60% probability of seeing wind gusts of 40 mph or greater. There is one cluster (25% of the members) which has a 60-80% of its members with winds at 40 mph or greater. It makes sense because that ensemble had the strongest solutions. Thanksgiving During the Thanksgiving Day, some cyclonic flow will remain aloft during the morning and then the ridge will build across the area during the afternoon. If there are flurries on this day, they would be mainly in central and north-central Wisconsin. High temperatures have cooled even more from yesterday. They now range from mid-20s to around 30. This is 5 to 15 degrees colder than normal. These temperatures will be similar to last Thanksgiving (November 28) when we had high temperatures in the mid- and upper 20s. Low temperatures will range from the mid-teens to lower 20s. This is 5 to 10 degrees colder than normal. These low temperatures are very similar to last Thanksgiving when we had low temperatures in the mid-teens. With northwest winds at 10 to 20 mph, wind chills will start the day in the single digits and range from 10 to 20 degrees during the day. Black Friday into Saturday The models are in fairly good agreement that a shortwave trough of the western side of the ridge axis will produce a band of warm air advection snow across the area. 65% of these members show a weaker system and as result their snow totals are generally in the 1 to 3 inch range (10th to 90th percentiles). 35% of the Grand Ensemble show a much stronger shortwave trough this results in more advisory snows in the 3 to 6 inch range (10th to 90th percentiles). High temperatures on Black Friday will range from the mid-20s to around 30. This is 10 to 15 degrees colder than normal. During last year`s Black Friday (November 29), high temperatures ranged from mid- teens to mid-20s. During 5 out of the last 7 Black Fridays, high temperatures have been in the 20s and 30s. Low temperatures will range from 10 to 20 degrees. This will be 10 to 15 degrees colder than normal. During last year`s Black Friday, we had low temperatures ranging from 5 to 15 degrees. During the past 4 out 5 Black Fridays, low temperatures have ranged from 5 to 15 degrees. With west and northwest winds at 5 to 10 mph, the wind chills will be very close to the actual air temperatures. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 500 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 CIGS: LIFR/IFR expected to hold through Tue morning. Some improvement ahead of a cold front later Tue afternoon but expect cigs to hold IFR/MVFR through Tue night, likely through Wed. WX/vsby: rain through the evening, gradually exiting northeast overnight. Spotty showers after that until a cold front brings another brief (1-2 hour) period of -shra between 20-00z Tue afternoon. Likely another break from pcpn chances into mid evening with snow showers then pressing in on the backside of a departing storm system by late evening. Minor snow accumulations possible. -SHSN become more spotty moving through Wed morning but could continue through the afternoon in parts of WI. Vsby impacts through the night from fog and/or rain. KRST could be stuck at 1/2SM or less for much of the night - with the SREF and HREF suggesting as much. Trends favor some improvement moving into Tue afternoon. WINDS: light southerly tonight through Tue morning. Winds will start to increase ahead of the front, then swing northwest post it and increase significantly. Sustained of 20+ kts with gusts upwards of 35 kts through Tue night. Winds will start to ease up later Wed night. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Boyne AVIATION.....Rieck