Area Forecast Discussion
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246 FXUS62 KTAE 091911 AFDTAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tallahassee FL 311 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 ...MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING WITH DAMAGING WINDS (SOME GUSTS 74 MPH + ALONG AND NORTH OF I-10) AND A FEW TORNADOES THE PRIMARY THREATS... ...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER, HYDROLOGY... .NEAR TERM...
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(Through Friday night) Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 Currently as of 18z (2pm EDT), a broken deck of widespread cumulus clouds have puffed up across the entire region. We have temperatures in the upper 80s to nearly 90 degrees with dew points in the 70s. A broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms (along an Irwin Co GA to Quitman Co GA line) will be moving south/southeast as the outflow boundary pushes south this afternoon into the evening hours. Current Mesoanalysis data (18z) indicates deep layer shear of around 40-50 kts, surface based CAPE around 3500 J/kg (18z balloon launch shows 2700 J/kg at Tallahassee), and low to mid-level lapse rates are around 7C/km. All the ingredients are here for a potential severe weather outbreak that includes all hazards. We are expecting multiple rounds of severe weather today through tomorrow. The first round is ongoing as of the issuance of this AFD. As mentioned before, all hazards will be possible with the main concerns being destructive winds up to 75 mph and large hail. Our Alabama and Georgia counties are currently in an Enhanced (3 of 5) risk for Severe weather this afternoon through early tomorrow morning. From the Florida state line south to the Gulf coast is included in a Slight (2 of 5) risk for severe weather. Along with the storms comes the probability of heavy rainfall, which the WPC has included areas along and north of I-10 in a Slight (2 of 4) risk for excessive rainfall. Flash flooding will be a concern with any training storms. Round 1: Storms will be moving along an outflow boundary south/southeast into our Georgia and Alabama counties this afternoon and continue south/southeast into the evening hours. All hazards will be possible with these lines of storms. The storms will likely move into the Florida Big Bend region later this evening. Rain chances are highest for our AL and GA counties with PoPs ranging from 60-80 percent. For areas along and south of I-10, PoPs decrease from 50% to about 30% for the extreme SE Big Bend this evening. Between rounds, we expect a lull in convective activity. Round 2: A line of storms will be coming in from the west that develops along a shortwave perturbation, leading to a QLCS around the Mississippi River and quickly moving across the Gulf States during the early morning hours on Friday. This round of storms are the more concerning ones for this event. This line of storms will move quickly across the CWA during the morning hours. We are still prior to 12z Friday at this time, so the Enhanced SPC risk is still in place. The main concern for this round will be the destructive winds. Hi-res guidance is indicating a possible widespread swath of damaging winds, with possible gusts greater than 74 mph, and a few tornadoes with this QLCS. A reminder, this round will be beginning during the overnight hours and continuing through daybreak. PoPs for Friday morning range from 50-80%, mainly along the state line and areas north. This line of storms should complete its passage through the CWA by mid-late morning, exiting to the SE Big Bend. However, there may be some showers and thunderstorms following this QLCS that may develop, but confidence is medium at the moment. That will depend on how all previous storms behaved and whether the atmosphere is stable or not. After all that, the cold front will finally make its passage during the evening hours Friday through the overnight hours. Coming back to the present, temperatures today will be warm in the upper 80s to low 90s, with overnight temps cooling to the low 70s. Friday`s highs will be a little cooler in the mid-80s due to the rain and cloud cover.
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&& .SHORT TERM...
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(Saturday through Sunday Night) Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 No weather concerns during this time frame for any severe weather recovery efforts. No precipitation is expected on Saturday and Sunday with a cooler and drier air mass compared to earlier in the week. It will be mostly sunny on Saturday with an increase in mid and high level cloudiness on Sunday. Highs both days in the low to mid-80s and lows in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Much lower dew points will make for a comfortable air mass this weekend. Winds will generally be around 10 mph.
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&& .LONG TERM...
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(Monday through Wednesday) Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 On Monday another shortwave looks to move across the northern Gulf states with our region possibly being impacted on Tuesday as winds turn to being southeasterly. With this shortwave possibly moving overhead, a stationary boundary to our south, left behind from the previous system, and a low-level wind field again around 30-45 kts, the potential for severe is once again present. We`ll have to see how this progresses over the next few days to have better confidence, be sure to come back for updates. Expect relatively cooler temps to what we`ve been experiencing as of late. Daytime highs will generally be in the low to mid 80s with overnight lows generally in the upper 50s to mid 60s until Tuesday morning. Beyond Tuesday morning, overnight lows look to rebound into the mid and upper 60s.
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&& .AVIATION...
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(18Z TAFS) Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 A mix of VFR and MVFR conditions are expected to continue for the afternoon hours for all TAF sites. Showers and thunderstorms will increase in coverage this afternoon through the rest of the TAF period. Some storms may be severe with destructive wind gusts and large hail, and a few tornadoes will be possible. The timing of storms is expected in two rounds, with the first starting this afternoon at the beginning of this TAF period, and the second round arriving late overnight into the morning hours on Friday. During storms, expect poor flight conditions. Outside of storms, we do expect gusty winds for the afternoon. Winds may gust up to 25-30kts with southwesterly winds sustained around 15-20kts. Storms are expected to clear out of the region by the end of this term but, there may be some lingering thunderstorms in the late morning into early afternoon Friday. Confidence in this possible third round is low at this time. This will be determined by how today`s storms behave.
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&& .MARINE...
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Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 An Atlantic ridge axis across the southern Florida Peninsula will retreat southward tonight. A cold front will slowly approach from the north on Friday, preceded by strong to severe thunderstorms over the waters. Cautionary conditions could be possible Friday. The front will limp across the waters on Friday night. It will be followed by moderate to occasionally fresh northerly breezes on Saturday morning. Surface high pressure over the southern Plains on Saturday will move across the Southeast States on Sunday, causing winds to clock around. High pressure will move east into the Atlantic on Monday, brining a return to south-southeasterly flow.
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&& .FIRE WEATHER...
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Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 Multiple rounds of wetting rains and severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon through Friday morning. The first round is this afternoon through the evening hours where all modes of severe weather are possible. Outside of storms, high dispersions are still likely for the rest of this afternoon for areas along the I-10/I-75 Corridor in the FL Big Bend. The second round of storms is expected during the morning hours on Friday. By the afternoon, showers and thunderstorms are expected to have cleared the CWA with fair dispersions behind the storms. Elevated dispersions will be just behind the front, possibly clipping our northwestern-most counties in SE Alabama Friday afternoon. Fair to moderate dispersions are expected for the rest of the period. Following Friday`s cold front, winds will shift to be northerly, with transwinds at about 10-15 mph. Temperatures will be briefly cooler with MinRH in the mid-30s% to around 40%.
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&& .HYDROLOGY...
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Issued at 225 PM EDT Thu May 9 2024 A slight risk of excessive rainfall exists along and north of I-10 today and tonight (SE AL, SW GA, and portions of the FL counties), with a marginal risk for most of the area on Friday as a frontal system looks to push through the region. The primary risk here being torrential downpours or training within any thunderstorm(s) leading to a localized flash flooding risk. Otherwise, area rivers are expected to remain below flood stage. In the extended period the WPC is forecasting 3-5 inches by midweek next week. This could introduce some riverine concerns, however, it`s too far out to say with any degree of confidence.
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&& .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is requested. Spotters should safely report significant weather conditions and/or damage by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
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Tallahassee 92 72 86 62 / 50 40 70 10 Panama City 86 74 84 64 / 30 50 50 0 Dothan 89 69 83 59 / 70 80 80 0 Albany 89 69 83 58 / 70 60 80 0 Valdosta 91 70 83 62 / 60 40 80 10 Cross City 88 72 86 64 / 30 50 40 30 Apalachicola 84 76 83 66 / 20 50 40 10
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&& .TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...High Rip Current Risk through Saturday morning for FLZ108-112- 114-115. GA...None. AL...None. GM...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...Montgomery SHORT TERM...LF LONG TERM....Oliver AVIATION...Montgomery MARINE...Oliver/LF FIRE WEATHER...Montgomery HYDROLOGY...Oliver/LF