Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Gaylord, MI

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000
FXUS63 KAPX 232300
AFDAPX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
600 PM EST MON NOV 23 2009

.SYNOPSIS.../ISSUED AT 357 PM/

RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE HEADING INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY AS A PAIR OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES ROTATE TOWARD THE
UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY. DOES APPEAR
THAT THE PRE-HOLIDAY TRAVEL PERIOD WILL ONLY BE WET...WITH WINTRY
PRECIPITATION NOT EXPECTED TO INTERFERE WITH TRAVEL PLANS THROUGH
THANKSGIVING DAY.

JPB

&&

.SHORT TERM.../ISSUED AT 357 PM/...TONIGHT

WEAKISH WARM ADVECTION FLOW UNDERWAY ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES
WITH SOME SEMBLANCE OF A LOW-MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE AXIS LIFTING UP
THROUGH THE REGION. MORE DEFINABLE SHORT WAVE CIRCULATION NOTED
MOVING ACROSS OHIO INTO PENNSYLVANIA AND PRODUCING SPOTTY SHOWERS
LIFTING NORTHWARD INTO SE LOWER MICHIGAN/ONTARIO. ACROSS NRN
MICHIGAN...LOW STRATUS REMAINS BLANKETED ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION.
HOWEVER...SHARP CLEARING LINE HAS BEEN MAKING NORTHWARD PROGRESS
INTO CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS...AND SOME
ADDITIONAL HOLES HAVE OPENED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.

A COUPLE PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS FOR TONIGHT. FIRST OFF...PER SATELLITE
TRENDS AND SUGGESTED BY MODEL RH FORECASTS...STILL SOME POTENTIAL
FOR THINNING/CLEARING OF THE LOW CLOUDS FOR AT LEAST PORTIONS OF THE
FORECAST AREA HEADING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. TOUGH FORECAST AS IT
CERTAINLY WON/T BE A LINEAR PROCESS AND ANY CLEARING WILL PROBABLY
BE FLEETING...ONLY AIDING FOG REDEVELOPMENT. NONETHELESS...HAVE
TAKEN A STAB AT THINNING OUT THE CLOUDS FOR A SOME AREAS (MAINLY THE
SRN COUNTIES AND DOWNSLOPE AREAS OF EASTERN UPPER AND NRN LOWER) ONLY
TO BEEF UP CLOUDS AGAIN LATER ON AS FOG REDEVELOPS. CERTAINLY EXPECT
ONGOING SKY GRID UPDATES AS THE NIGHT PROCEEDS.

SECOND PROBLEM...SHORT WAVE TROUGH AXIS LIFTING NORTHWARD AND SPOTTY
SHOWER ACTIVITY THAT HAS BEEN ADVANCING INTO SE LOWER MICHIGAN. AS
THIS MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS CONTINUES TO WORK NORTHWARD...NOT OUT OF
THE QUESTION FOR AT LEAST SOME SPOTTY SHOWER ACTIVITY TO SKIRT THE
FORECAST AREA...PARTICULARLY NE LOWER MICHIGAN. DON/T THINK THE
CHANCES AREA VERY HIGH...AND WON/T INCLUDE EXPLICIT SHOWER WORDING
IN THE FORECAST. BUT WILL INDICATE A SUBTLE INCREASE IN POPS
OVERNIGHT ALONG WITH PATCHY DRIZZLE WORDING NOSING INTO NE LOWER
MICHIGAN WHERE THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL SKIRT THROUGH.

ADAM

&&

.LONG TERM.../ISSUED AT 357 PM/...TUESDAY AND BEYOND

LARGE SCALE PATTERN FEATURES A NUMBER OF SHORT WAVE TROUGH ACROSS
NORTH AMERICA EXTENDING BACK OUT INTO THE PACIFIC...A PROGRESSIVE 5
WAVE PATTERN WITH MEAN TROUGHING ROUGHLY ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH
AMERICA.  INITIAL FOCUS WILL BE ON A TROUGH DIGGING SOUTHEAST
THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES THIS AFTERNOON...AND A FOLLOW UP TROUGH
CURRENTLY CROSSING THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST.  LEAD WAVE FORECAST
TO BOTTOM OUT OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS TUESDAY...THEN GET KICKED
NORTHEAST AS TRAILING FEATURE DIGS INTO THE MIDWEST BEHIND IT BY
THANKSGIVING.  SO POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON HOLIDAY TRAVEL WITH THESE
SYSTEMS WILL BE THE PRIMARY FORECAST ISSUE IN THE NEAR TERM.  BEYOND
THAT...SOME SMALL HINTS OF THE PATTERN TRYING TO SHIFT TO SOMETHING
A LITTLE COLDER...BUT NOTHING REAL DEFINITIVE AT THIS POINT.  AND
WITH THE COLDEST AIR STILL PINNED NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE (AND
ACROSS MUCH OF ASIA...FOR THAT MATTER)...WILL NEED A STRONG BUCKLING
OF THE FLOW TO TAP INTO THAT.

TUESDAY...SHORT WAVE DIGGING ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES FORECAST TO
BOTTOM OUT OVER KANSAS TONIGHT AND HEAD INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY DURING THE DAY TUESDAY.  MAIN PROBLEM FOR TUESDAY WILL DEAL
WITH CLOUD COVER...AFTERNOON VISIBLE IMAGERY SHOWS ANOTHER PUSH OF
LOW CLOUDS LIFTING NORTHWARD ACROSS OHIO WITHIN A ZONE OF ISENTROPIC
ASCENT AND SOME FRONTOGENETIC FORCING.  LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THIS
MOISTURE WILL GRAZE PARTS OF NORTHEAST LOWER AND EASTERN UPPER...
POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTING ENOUGH MOISTURE/LIFT TO SQUEEZE OUT SOME
DRIZZLE.  OTHERWISE EXPECTING TO START THE DAY WITH MORE WIDESPREAD
LOW CLOUDS/FOG...THOUGH MAY SEE CLOUDS THIN OUT AND ALLOW FOR SOME
SUN LATER IN THE AFTERNOON ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHERN LOWER.
MEASURABLE RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE TUESDAY NIGHT AS LEAD SHORT
WAVE CROSSES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY
WEDNESDAY MORNING.  NARROW AXIS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INFLOW
INTERACTS WITH INCREASING DIVERGENCE IN LEFT EXIT REGION OF A 100KT
JET STREAK OVER THE OHIO VALLEY.  RAIN EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE
REGION FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST...NOT REACHING THE ST. MARY`S
RIVER UNTIL NEAR DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY...SHORT WAVE OVER ILLINOIS EXPECTED TO LIFT NORTHEAST
ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN DURING THE DAY...AS NEXT PIECE OF ENERGY DIGS
IN BEHIND IT OVER IOWA.  SOME HINTS OF MID LEVEL DRYING WITH ARRIVAL
OF UPPER WAVE...THOUGH AT WORST WILL INCREASE CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY
AND ALLOW PRECIPITATION TO BECOME MORE SHOWERY WITH FORECAST CROSS
SECTIONS SHOWING A FAIRLY DEEP LAYER BELOW 600MB WITH WEAKER
STABILITY.  HIGH END POPS STILL JUSTIFIED FOR WEDNESDAY...PERHAPS
EVEN AN EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORM WITHIN MID LEVEL COLD POOL.  AS UPPER
LOW OVER IOWA PIVOTS TOWARD THE UPPER GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...EXPECT PRECIPITATION FOCUS TO MOVE AWAY FROM NORTHERN
MICHIGAN AND TOWARD WISCONSIN/WESTERN UPPER BENEATH DEVELOPING
DEFORMATION AXIS...WITH ANOTHER PUSH OF MID LEVEL DRYING POSSIBLE
LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  WILL KEEP HIGHER POPS ACROSS EASTERN
UPPER/FAR NORTHWEST LOWER CLOSER TO DEFORMATION AXIS.  ASSOCIATED
SURFACE LOW SHOULD TRACK ACROSS CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN UP TOWARD THE
STRAITS/ EASTERN UPPER BY THURSDAY MORNING.  UPSTREAM WAVE NOT
EXPECTED TO HAVE MUCH OF A SURFACE RESPONSE WITH IT...BUT ASSOCIATED
COLDER AIR WILL FILTER DOWN ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S./OHIO VALLEY AND
REINFORCE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN
MICHIGAN WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  WITH MAIN COLD AIR PUSH SOUTH OF THE
STATE...LOOKS LIKE NORTHERN MICHIGAN WILL REMAIN ON THE WARMER SIDE
OF THIS SYSTEM THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND THUS PRECIP TYPE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN ALL RAIN AT THIS POINT.  SO A WET PRE-
THANKSGIVING TRAVEL DAY EXPECTED...BUT WINTRY PRECIPITATION NOT
EXPECTED TO HAMPER THINGS.

EXTENDED FORECAST (THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...THANKSGIVING DAY LOOKS
TO START WITH LOW PRESSURE IN THE VICINITY OF THE STRAITS/EASTERN
UPPER MICHIGAN...WITH A DEFORMATION DRIVEN PRECIPITATION BAND ACROSS
WISCONSIN/UPPER MICHIGAN (MAYBE SOME SNOW ON THE BACK EDGE).
NORTHERN MICHIGAN WILL STILL BE ON THE WARM SIDE OF THE SYSTEM...
WITH DRY SLOTTING POTENTIALLY COMPLICATING THE PRECIP/SKY FORECAST
FOR THANKSGIVING DAY.  IN GENERAL THE AFTERNOON MAY NOT TURN OUT
THAT TERRIBLE (AT LEAST ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN)...BUT WON`T WORRY
ABOUT THE SMALLER SCALE DETAILS AT THIS POINT.  RAIN CHANCES WILL
CONTINUE FOR THURSDAY...THEN WITH WHAT REMAINS OF DEFORMATION ZONE
PRECIP THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS UPPER LOW OPENS UP AND SWINGS
ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES.  WILL MENTION MIXED RAIN/SNOW FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT AS OPPOSED TO ALL SNOW.  WILL EVENTUALLY NEED TO
EVALUATE POTENTIAL FOR SOME LAKE INDUCED CONVECTION FRIDAY NIGHT
GOING INTO SATURDAY... A LITTLE IFFY WHETHER ENOUGH COLD AIR WILL
COME DOWN AND/OR WHETHER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE/CYCLONIC FLOW WILL HANG
ON.  FOR NOW WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT FORECAST CONTINUITY AND KEEP
FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY DRY.  BIGGER ISSUES CREEP INTO THE FORECAST
FOR THE START OF NEXT WEEK...WITH A MYRIAD OF POSSIBILITIES WITH
NEXT ROUND OF PACIFIC ENERGY MOVING INTO THE WESTERN U.S. REGARDING
TIMING/NORTHERN VERSUS SOUTHERN BRANCH EMPHASIS/DOWNSTREAM
WAVELENGTH ISSUES.  THOUGH SOME CONSENSUS LEANING TOWARD THE
FASTER/MORE SOUTHERN BRANCH GGEM SOLUTION...NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN
BITING OFF ANYTHING AT THIS POINT.  WILL INTRODUCE PRECIP CHANCES
INTO THE SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY TIME FRAME...AND HOLD ONTO A DRY SUNDAY
FOR NOW.

TEMPERATURES LOOK TO CONTINUE TO AVERAGE NEAR TO A LITTLE ABOVE
NORMAL THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT PUSH OF
COLD AIR IN THE OFFING.

JPB

&&

.MARINE.../ISSUED AT 357 PM/

GENERALLY LIGHT SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST FLOW EXPECTED TUESDAY WITH THE
UPPER LAKES BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST AND APPROACHING LOW
PRESSURE FROM THE SOUTHWEST.  WINDS WILL BACK AROUND TOWARD MORE OF
AN EASTERLY DIRECTION TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS
NORTHEAST INTO LAKE MICHIGAN WEDNESDAY MORNING.  LOW THEN EXPECTED
TO CROSS THE AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE STRAITS/EASTERN UPPER
MICHIGAN WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY.  SO WIND DIRECTIONS WILL
VARY ACROSS THE NEARSHORE ZONES RELATIVE TO LOCATION VERSUS SURFACE
LOW POSITION.  BUT HEADLINE CRITERIA CONDITIONS NOT ANTICIPATED
THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY MORNING.

JPB

&&

.AVIATION.../ISSUED AT 600 AM/...VALID FOR 00Z TAFS

MVFR CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TO IFR OVERNIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY
MORNING AS LOW STRATUS AND FOG CONTINUE TO HANG OVER THE AREA.
CONDITIONS WILL AGAIN IMPROVE TO MVFR BY MIDDAY TUESDAY. WINDS WILL
REMAIN AOB 10 KTS.

&&

.APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...NONE.
LM...NONE.
LH...NONE.
LS...NONE.

&&

$$





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  • Page last modified: Nov 10th, 2009 17:45 UTC
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