Quantitative Precipitation Forecast
Issued by NWS

Current Version | Previous Version | Text Only | 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
000 FOUS30 KWBC 232021 QPFERD Excessive Rainfall Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 421 PM EDT Tue Apr 23 2024 Day 1 Valid 16Z Tue Apr 23 2024 - 12Z Wed Apr 24 2024 The probability of rainfall exceeding flash flood guidance is less than 5 percent. Otto Day 2 Valid 12Z Wed Apr 24 2024 - 12Z Thu Apr 25 2024 The probability of rainfall exceeding flash flood guidance is less than 5 percent. ...OK/AR... OK/AR will remain just east of a migrating mid-level ridge axis translating east from the Four Corners region. At the surface, a stationary front will initially extend from northwestern TX into southern OK/AR, but the boundary is likely to lift north as a warm front after 06Z Thursday in advance of the approaching upper level trough from the Southwest. Standardized precipitable water anomalies of +1 to +2 are forecast by the model consensus to be in place near and just north of the surface front with elevated CAPE of 1000 to 2000+ J/kg (higher to the south) may allow for stronger cells capable of high rainfall rates. W to WNW steering flow could allow for training and 1 to 2 inches per hour with stronger cores and locally 2-4 inch totals. However, the 12Z hires model suite does not show a strong signal for sufficient magnitude and coverage of 2+ inch rainfall totals for the 24 hour period ending 12Z Thursday. Given no Marginal Risk was inherited for this 21Z update, we will continue to consider the region from central/eastern OK into portions of western AR as an area with a "less than 5 percent" chance of flash flooding. Otto Day 3 Valid 12Z Thu Apr 25 2024 - 12Z Fri Apr 26 2024 ...A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL EXISTS FROM PORTIONS OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY...NORTHWARD INTO THE MIDDLE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY... A mid-level trough over the southwestern U.S. on Thursday morning is forecast by the model consensus to eject out across the central and southern High Plains by Friday morning with increasing upper level divergence and diffluence tied to a 110 kt jet max aloft at 250 mb. 850 mb winds will remain southerly across the Great Plains for much of the day on Thursday into Friday but with an increasing magnitude approaching 50-60 kt through Thursday night. Moisture transport will allow precipitable water values to exceed 1.5 inches for some locations from east-central TX into eastern OK and possibly into southeastern KS/southwestern MO. While cloud cover and subsequent surface heating is uncertain, the 12Z model consensus supports a broad area of instability east of a forming central High Plains surface low and attendant cold front/dryline, with values of 1000 to 3000 J/kg from northern TX/southern OK into KS and NE. Some degree of convection may be ongoing at the start of the period over OK/AR but additional development is anticipated to occur during Thursday afternoon ahead of the cold front/dryline in KS/OK with thunderstorm development expanding through the evening and early overnight across TX and northern locations including NE and IA. Wind profiles are supportive of repeating and training of cells with rainfall rate potential of at least 1-2 in/hr and storm totals of 3-5 inches. The QPF guidance from the recent 12Z deterministic and ensemble guidance is fairly broad with location of highest rainfall but with the best agreement from OK/KS into MO/AR. Otto Day 1 threat area: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/94epoints.txt Day 2 threat area: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/98epoints.txt Day 3 threat area: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/99epoints.txt

USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.