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Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS La Crosse, WI
Issued by NWS La Crosse, WI
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826 FXUS63 KARX 132354 AFDARX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 654 PM CDT Sat Jul 13 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Rounds of storms this afternoon through Monday night. Some storms will be strong to severe this afternoon through tonight with damaging wind gusts being the primary threat. Large hail and heavy rain are also possible. Isolated strong storms are possible Sunday with increasing probabilities for strong to severe storms on Monday. - Hot and humid conditions continue this weekend with highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s. Widespread heat indices in the middle to upper 90s with some areas reaching 100 on Sunday. - Cooler and drier conditions beginning Tuesday and into much of the upcoming week with high temperatures as low as the middle to upper 70s by the middle of the week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 253 PM CDT Sat Jul 13 2024 Storms, Some Severe This Afternoon Through Tonight: As we continue through the afternoon and evening, a messy interplay of subtle mesoscale thermodynamic features and lifting mechanisms will need to be monitored closely. While the overall conceptual model for today remains vaguely similar with the thermal ridge trying to build in leading to a developing cap. The wrinkle being thrown into this is the convective system throughout the morning and afternoon that pushed through northern portions of the region earlier this morning which leaves some questions for how much instability has been worked over and if any outflow propagation could mitigate the capping we could see later this afternoon and evening leading to some different potential scenarios. With the convection spreading through portions of north-central WI and initiating across portions of MN, observing a fairly worked over atmosphere in these areas leading to relatively limited instability. This in combination with the increasing 700mb temperatures further southwest will setup a fairly sharp MUCAPE gradient later this evening shown in the 13.15z RAP. With this in place, some of the CAMs would suggest a cluster of storms to be able to develop with a very weak nose of 850mb moisture transport (the 13.12z HRRR and ARW are good examples of this). With roughly 25-40 kts of bulk shear and fairly robust MLCAPE (2000-4000 J/kg) present in the 13.15z RAP, would think in this scenario that storm mode would take on a multi-cell, perhaps supercellular configuration as it progresses through with mainly a damaging wind and large hail threat. Would not be able to completely rule out an isolated tornado with some low-level curvature in the KRST 13.17z RAP sounding if this scenario unfolds. The 13.12z ARW family really likes to portray this scenario as well with little development of an MCS later tonight with the shortwave passage, likely due to convective contamination upstream. Not ruling out that the previously forecasted MCS would still manifest in this scenario. However, with downstream convection messing with overall thermodynamics, would have serious implications for this overnight MCS potential as it would have minimal instability to work with. Either way, will need watch this convection over MN closely over the next few hours as the CAMs all disagree with how to handle it. Another possibility, is more development of the thermal ridge leading to the previously mentioned capping inversion further through the local area, similar to previous forecast iterations. Looking at 700mb temps in the 07.12z HREF would suggest keeping the 10-12 C temps southwest of the I-94 corridor. This can be shown with the current probabilities for 10 C temps or greater along the I-90 corridor of 40 to 70%. Additionally, will need to watch how much instability manages to entrain itself across this region with fairly substantial contamination has occurred from ongoing convection across northern WI. Assuming that enough instability is present, damaging wind gusts would be the primary threat with an organized MCS pushing through roughly the I-94 corridor tonight with lower confidence in it organizing further southwest. The degree to which the cap builds in would determine the southwestern extent of this MCS overnight. Widespread rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1" would be expected with this MCS with locally as high as 2-3" possible per the 13.12z HREF ensemble max for QPF through Sunday morning. However, with the progressive nature of these storms would expect any flooding concerns to be very isolated. The key takeaways from all of this would be that much of how the cap and convection early in day affected it will determine how convection will manifest later this evening and into the overnight. Two scenarios are present with an MCS overnight within the vicinity of the I-94 corridor being one possibility. However, uncertainty remains in exactly how far northeast the cap develops through the evening and overnight and if instability has been mitigated due to earlier convection. Additionally, will need to be vigilant for a secondary scenario with severe storms this evening if any outflow boundaries from ongoing convection in central MN can manifest anything. Damaging wind gusts will be a threat with both scenarios but large hail cannot be ruled out with any quasi-discrete convection when also considering mid-level lapse rates of around 7C/km. Additional Storms, A Few Strong to Severe into Monday: Sunday continues to trend more on the conditional side for any severe weather with the aforementioned cap firmly in place during the morning. With the lack of any shortwave energy, the main forcing mechanism for any convection during the day on Sunday would be residual outflow boundaries from prior convection overnight Saturday. While the cap does try to erode towards peak heating, would say that you are less likely to have any residual outflow boundary later into the day with the MCV associated with tonight`s convection well south and east. Overall would anticipate with the stronger cap earlier in the day and lack of forcing later into the day would enable a drier trend but will hold onto some precipitation chances (15-30% chance) when considering how much instability will be present (4000-5000 J/kg of MLCAPE in the 13.15z RAP), not much would be needed to initiate convection. Further potential for strong to severe storms are possible Monday and Monday night as additional pieces of weak shortwave energy push through the region during the afternoon/evening hours dragging a surface cold front along with it. Instability ahead of the boundary looks fairly solid with MLCAPE values of 3000-4000 J/kg and more robust shear profiles relative to this weekend in the 13.12z NAM which would be fairly favorable for more organized severe storms along this boundary. With the cap still a question as shown earlier in the day in the 13.12z NAM but does try to erode by mid-day. Consequently, the SPC has a Slight Risk (Threat level 2 of 5) for their day 3 outlook to address this potential. Heat Continues Through Monday: With the aforementioned warmer air aloft building overnight and into Sunday, zonal to northwesterly flow aloft coupled with south/southwesterly surface flow will allow temperatures to trend above normal for the weekend and Monday. Sunday likely will trend warmer than today with 13.13z NBM having a 25th to 75th percentile spread for highs at La Crosse of 90 to 94 degrees. With southerly flow helping aid dewpoints in the lower to middle 70s on Sunday, pretty good consensus that heat indices will near 100 degrees for some locations for Sunday. Could still see some storms on Sunday with any residual outflow boundaries that may be present so still some potential for temperatures to remain cooler if storms develop, but overall would expect temperatures to trend warmer in either case. Saturday and Monday will likely trend warmer as well however, with convection around probably will trend slightly cooler but still above normal with heat indices in the 90s for most. Drier, Cooler by Tuesday Through The End of the Week: As we head into Tuesday, northerly flow will help aid in cooler air to be advected into our region behind a cold front that progresses through our region aided by a shortwave late Monday. Consequently, t he 13.00z grand ensemble (GEFS/EC ensemble/Canadian ensemble) generally trend temperatures below normal, having an inter-quartile range of 72 to 77 degrees for highs on Wednesday at La Crosse with similar degree of confidence throughout the rest of the week. Additionally, as a surface high pressure pushes into the region mid- week shown in the 13.12z GFS/EC/NAM, would expect minimal precipitation chances from Wednesday through Friday. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/... Issued at 628 PM CDT Sat Jul 13 2024 Ongoing strong to severe storms extend through much of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Both TAF sites (KLSE/KRST) have and will be impacted over the next few hours. Isolated severe storm situated near KRST has had a slow storm motion so have kept TS till 05Z. Subsequent storms expected overnight. Limited confidence for storms. If they do form, expect a northwest to southeast motion late tonight into early tomorrow morning. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Naylor AVIATION...JAR