498  
FXUS63 KARX 221738  
AFDARX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI  
1138 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- CLOUDY & SIMILAR TEMPERATURES AS THURSDAY  
 
- SUBSEQUENT PRECIPITATION CHANCES SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
 
- LITTLE TO NO CONFIDENCE IN THANKSGIVING DAY (DAY 6) FORECAST  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 155 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2024  
 
TODAY:  
 
AS THE LOW THAT DROVE RECENT DAYS SENSIBLE WEATHER CHURNS OVER  
THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY EARLY THIS MORNING ON GOES WATER VAPOR, AN  
UPSTREAM RIDGE IS RETURNING FLOW INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS  
RESULTANT AIRMASS IS QUITE DRY AND WARM AS FAR NORTH AS  
BISMARCK, SD WITH 25TH PERCENTILE SURFACE/850MB DEWPOINTS AND  
75TH PERCENTILE SURFACE/850MB/700MB TEMPERATURES ACCORDING TO  
SPC CLIMATOLOGY. HOWEVER, THIS RETURN FLOW ISN'T EXPECTED TO  
MAKE IT AS FAR EAST AS THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY UNTIL  
POTENTIALLY TONIGHT. INSTEAD WE REMAIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF  
CAA FROM THE DEPARTING CYCLONE TIED TO AN UPSTREAM POLAR LOW  
OVER CENTRAL CANADA. THEREFORE WE ARE UNLIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM  
DIURNAL HEATING AS CLOUDS STICK AROUND. HIGH RESOLUTION MODEL  
SOUNDINGS SUGGEST CLOUD BASES NEAR 1500 DUE TO CAA AND 75TH  
PERCENTILE LOW LEVEL DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING AT  
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN AND GREEN BAY, WI 22.00Z RAOBS.  
THEREFORE, A PERSISTENCE FORECAST MIGHT SCORE WELL FOR  
TEMPERATURES TODAY. HOWEVER, COULD SEE SOME CLEARING FROM WEST  
TO EAST TONIGHT AS THE AFOREMENTIONED ANOMALOUSLY DRY AIR  
COMBATS THE MOIST LOW LEVEL AIR LINGERING LOCALLY.  
 
TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEKEND:  
 
RETURN FLOW DOES ABATE COLDEST TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEKEND  
AIDED BY THE WARM SECTOR OF A WEAK LOW. GRADUAL WARMING THROUGH  
SUNDAY IS EXPECTED WITH LONG TERM ENSEMBLES (EPS/GEFS/GEPS)  
SPLITTING THE FORECAST AREA WITH 100% CONFIDENCE FOR THE 40  
DEGREE ISOTHERM. AS THESE GLOBAL MODES TEND TO HAVE A COLD BIAS  
AND CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR MESOSCALE PHENOMENA, HAVE STAYED WITH THE  
NATIONAL BLEND FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S TO  
50 IN SELECT SPOTS FOR SUNDAY.  
 
NEXT PRECIPITATION CHANCES:  
 
SUBSEQUENT PRECIPITATION CHANCES REACH THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER  
VALLEY SUNDAY NIGHT FROM A NORTHERN PERTURBATION DROPPING INTO  
A LONGWAVE TROUGH (GEFS/EPS) THAT EXTENDS FROM THE PACIFIC COAST  
TO THE GREAT LAKES. INITIAL PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BE TIED  
TO A FILLING SURFACE LOW ZONALLY ADVECTING A BAROCLINIC  
BOUNDARY THAT BIFURCATES THE FORECAST AREA. A SECONDARY AREA OF  
DECREASED MID LEVEL HEIGHTS SKIRTS SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE MAIN  
TROUGH (LREF 60-90%) LATER SUNDAY, DRIVING PRECIPITATION CHANCES  
PRIMARILY ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN THROUGH MONDAY. CLUSTERING  
ANALYSES DISAGREE STRONGLY ON EXACT LOCATION OF THE DIVING AREA  
OF DEPRESSED ISOHEIGHTS AND THEREFORE EXACT PRECIPITATION  
CHANCES. REGARDLESS, MINIMAL PRECIPITATION AND IMPACTS ARE  
EXPECTED AS HIGHEST POTENTIAL REMAINS TO THE NORTH AS WELL AS TO  
OUR SOUTH. WHILE MOSTLY LIQUID PRECIPITATION TYPE IS EXPECTED  
AT THIS TIME, FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY DEPEND ON  
DIURNAL HEATING CONCURRENCE.  
 
THANKSGIVING DAY & TRAVEL FORECAST:  
 
ANOTHER TROUGH SAGS SOUTHEAST WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY,  
UPSTREAM OF A POLAR JET STREAK, PLACING AN AREA OF AGEOSTROPHIC  
ASCENT OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY FROM THE JET  
STREAK'S POLAR ENTRANCE REGION. ALL LONG TERM GLOBAL ENSEMBLES  
(EPS/GEFS/CMC) SHOW THE MAIN LOW ADVECTING EAST-NORTHEAST  
THROUGH THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY DURING THIS TIME. EVEN SO, ONE  
CLUSTER (30% OF MEMBERS) HAS WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE  
UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY DURING THANKSGIVING FROM MORE  
THAN 0.5" PWATS, RESULTING IN 5" OF SNOWFALL OVER A LONGER  
DURATION. TOO FAR OUT TO NAIL ANY DETAILS AS THIS IS ONLY 30% OF  
SOLUTIONS AND OVERALL GUIDANCE IS FAVORING A MORE SOUTHERN  
TRAJECTORY THROUGH THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY RATHER THAN A NORTHERN  
ROUTE THROUGH THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. AS ONE WOULD  
EXPECT BASED ON TRAJECTORY DIFFERENCES, THERE IS A WIDESPREAD  
DIFFERENCE IN SURFACE TEMPERATURES DURING THIS TIME OF 10-15,  
ABOVE AND BELOW FREEZING.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1135 AM CST FRI NOV 22 2024  
 
WIDESPREAD STRATUS LINGERS FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND  
THE OVERNIGHT, WITH MVFR CEILINGS FAVORED FOR LOWER ELEVATION  
AIRPORTS AND THOSE LOCATED EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, WHILE  
IFR TO LIFR CEILINGS (AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES) CAN BE EXPECTED  
AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.  
CONFIDENCE IN THE TIMING THAT THE STRATUS CLEARS ON SATURDAY IS  
NOT HIGH, BUT INDICATIONS ARE WE SHOULD START TO SEE CLEARING  
FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE DAY. WINDS WILL BE UNDER 10 KTS AND  
SLOWLY BACK FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON TO THE WEST FOR  
SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WI...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
IA...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...JAR  
AVIATION...SKOW  
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