144  
FXUS63 KAPX 180928 AAA  
AFDAPX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI  
349 AM EST WED DEC 18 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. LOCALIZED  
2-3" AMOUNTS EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF ANTRIM/KALKASKA/CHIPPEWA  
COUNTIES.  
 
- ACCUMULATING SNOW CHANCES RETURN THURSDAY NIGHT AND LAST THROUGH  
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
- COLD TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
ISSUED AT 348 AM EST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
PATTERN SYNOPSIS/FORECAST: AT THIS EARLY HOUR, AMPLIFIED MID-UPPER  
LEVEL TROUGHING IS SITUATED UPSTREAM EXTENDING FROM NEAR HUDSON BAY  
SOUTH ACROSS ONTARIO INTO THE UPPER MS VALLEY AND CENTRAL/SOUTHERN  
PLAINS. THIS WAVE CROSSES NORTHERN MICHIGAN TODAY, AIDING TO PROVIDE  
INCREASED SUPPORT FOR RENEWED LAKE EFFECT/LAKE ENHANCED SNOW  
SHOWERS. HIGHER SURFACE PRESSURES AND MUCH DRIER MID-LEVEL AIR WORK  
INTO THE AREA THIS EVENING THROUGH THE NIGHT AHEAD.  
 
FORECAST DETAILS: GENERALLY LIGHT LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL  
CONTINUE TO WORK THEIR WAY ACROSS PARTS OF CHIPPEWA COUNTY AND  
NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AT TIMES THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. BY LATE  
MORNING/MIDDAY, AN INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE OVER-WATER THERMAL  
GRADIENT IS ANTICIPATED, ALONG WITH SOME SYNOPTIC HELP FROM THE  
AFOREMENTIONED INCOMING MID-LEVEL WAVE. MORE NUMEROUS AND LOCALLY  
ROBUST SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME  
AND PERSIST ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN UPPER AND NORTHWEST LOWER  
THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. WHILE AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW  
IS EXPECTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF LOCATIONS NEAR AND WEST OF  
INTERSTATE 75, NORTHWEST FLOW FAVORED AREAS OF ANTRIM/KALKASKA  
COUNTIES REMAIN PROGGED FOR LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS OF 2-3"+. SOME  
LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN  
CHIPPEWA COUNTY AS WELL OFF OF LAKE SUPERIOR. NORTHWEST WINDS RAMP  
UP THROUGH TODAY, GUSTING AS HIGH AS 15-25 MPH DURING THE AFTERNOON.  
DESPITE THE EXPECTATION OF AT LEAST POCKETS OF HAZARDOUS TRAVEL,  
WILL FORGO A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AT THIS POINT SIMPLY GIVEN A  
LACK OF ADVISORY-LEVEL SNOWFALL. TRENDS WILL CERTAINLY BE MONITORED  
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, HOWEVER, FOR POTENTIAL ISSUANCE AT A LATER TIME  
IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.  
 
MID-LATE EVENING ONWARD, WE PRETTY QUICKLY LOSE ANY LINGERING  
SYNOPTIC HELP WITH INVERSION HEIGHTS CRASHING. STILL SOME LIGHTER  
SNOW SHOWERS/FLURRIES ANTICIPATED DOWNWIND OF THE LAKES, BUT WITH  
NEGLIGIBLE ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION. WINDS RELAX AS WELL, ESPECIALLY  
AFTER MIDNIGHT.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 348 AM EST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
FORECAST PATTERN:  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE AROUND SEASONAL THURSDAY AS A  
1032MB SURFACE HIGH CONTINUES EASTWARD JUST TO OUR NORTH. AN SHORT  
WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO THE NORTHERN  
PLAINS EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL CARRY A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW OVER  
THE DAKOTAS, TAKING A DIVE SOUTH TOWARDS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY  
DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. THIS PATH OF THE LOW WILL MOVE THE IDEAL  
SPOT FOR WIDESPREAD SYNOPTIC SNOW OVER MI THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY  
MORNING. AT THIS TIME, MOST OF NORTHERN LOWER HAS MODERATE CHANCES  
OF SEEING 2 TO 6 INCHES IN THAT TIME PERIOD. SURFACE WINDS WILL  
LIKELY BE EASTERLY TO NORTHEASTERLY WHILE SNOW IS FALLING, WHICH  
COULD LEAD TO SOME LES ENHANCEMENT OVER NE LOWER (SOME ENSEMBLE  
MEMBERS SUGGEST 24 HOUR TOTALS OF UP TO 8 INCHES CLOSE TO THE COAST  
OF NE LOWER). AT THIS TIME, ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ARE IN STRONG AGREEMENT  
ON THE PATH OF THE LOW'S TRACK, BUT DISAGREE ON THE STRENGTH OF THE  
LOW. A WEAKER SURFACE LOW COULD RESULT IN WEAKER WINDS - AND IN TURN  
LESS LES ENHANCEMENT. CAMS ARE JUST STARTING TO SHOW THIS TIMEFRAME,  
AND REFLECT SLIGHTLY MORE DISAGREEMENT. STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS.  
 
COLDER AIR NEAR THE SURFACE BUILD IN BEHIND THE SYSTEM FOR THIS  
WEEKEND, DROPPING DAY TIME HIGHS INTO THE TEENS AND OVERNIGHT LOWS  
INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS OR EVEN BELOW 0F FOR A FEW SPOT. SOME LES  
CHANCES WILL LINGER DURING NORTH WINDS ON SATURDAY, HOWEVER  
ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS LOOK LIGHT AT THIS TIME. A GRADUAL WARMING  
TREND WILL START EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1225 AM EST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
MVFR CIGS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT MOST SITES THROUGH THE TAF  
PERIOD...THOUGH KCIU COULD SEE LOWER CIGS EARLY THIS MORNING.  
JUST A FEW LIGHT LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS TONIGHT WITH MORE  
WIDESPREAD LAKE EFFECT ACTIVITY EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON WHEN IFR  
VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE. MAINLY LIGHT WESTERLY WINDS TONIGHT TURN  
NORTHWESTERLY THIS AFTERNOON WHEN THEY BECOME GUSTY.  
 

 
   
APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MI...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM EST  
THURSDAY FOR LHZ345>348.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM EST  
THIS EVENING FOR LMZ323-342-344>346.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM EST  
THIS EVENING FOR LSZ322.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM EST  
THURSDAY FOR LSZ321.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...MJG  
LONG TERM...ELD  
AVIATION...AJS  
 
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