520  
FXUS63 KARX 141845  
AFDARX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI  
145 PM CDT WED MAY 14 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON (20-40%)  
 
- SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON-EVENING.  
GREATEST RISK ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. LARGE  
HAIL (2"+) AND TORNADOES ARE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS, BUT DAMAGING  
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE.  
 
- A BUSIER WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT  
WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 142 PM CDT WED MAY 14 2025  
 
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS THIS AFTERNOON  
 
SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY, VARIOUS SHORTWAVES MOVE NORTHWESTWARD  
INTO THE AREA TODAY. THESE SHORTWAVES COMBINED WITH INCREASING  
MOISTURE VIA SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AND INCREASING INSTABILITY VIA  
DIURNAL HEATING WILL (AND HAVE BEGUN TO) ALLOW FOR ISOLATED TO  
SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON.  
SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE  
WANING AFTER SUNSET. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN WEAK.  
 
SEVERE WEATHER THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
 
MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING AND  
LOCATION OF THE SURFACE EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE EXPECTED TO DEEPEN  
OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY IN RESPONSE TO A  
500HPA TROUGH EJECTING EASTWARD OFF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.  
 
LOOKING INTO THE KINEMATICS OF THURSDAY, A 60-70KT JET STREAK  
OVERSPREADS THE UPPER MIDWEST DURING THE DAY, INCREASING 0-6KM BULK  
SHEAR TO 40-50KTS WITH THE ORIENTATION OF THESE SHEAR VECTORS  
NEARLY ORTHOGONAL TO THE SURFACE COLD FRONT. 0-3KM SHEAR SHOWS  
DECENT CURVATURE, WITH THE ASSOCIATED SRH VALUES AT 200-300  
M2/S2. OVERALL, KINEMATICS ARE SUPPORTIVE ROTATING UPDRAFTS AND  
A DISCRETE STORM MODE. STORM MOTION WILL BE QUICK GIVEN THE  
STRONG CLOUD LAYER WINDS.  
 
FROM A THERMODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE, "FAT" CAPE PROFILES IN EXCESS OF  
2000 J/KG CONTINUE TO BE DEPICTED ACROSS THE REGION ALONG AND AHEAD  
OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT (ABOVE 3000 J/KG LOOKING AT THE  
RAP/HRRR) AS SURFACE DEWPOINTS CLIMB INTO THE MID 60S.  
700-500HPA LAPSE RATES ALSO REMAIN IMPRESSIVE, FORECAST TO BE  
7.5-8C/KM. MODEL SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST SOME DRIER MID-  
LEVEL AIR, LESS SO THAN PREVIOUS RUNS, BUT DCAPE VALUES AROUND  
1000 J/KG AND WBZ HEIGHTS AROUND 10KFT REMAIN.  
 
OVERALL, STORMS THAT DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO  
QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE. CURRENTLY THINKING STORMS WILL INITIATE  
NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AROUND 2-4PM, MOVING QUICKLY  
EASTWARD INTO EASTERN WISCONSIN BY 6-7PM. GIVEN THE SHEAR  
ORIENTATION ORTHOGONAL TO THE SURFACE COLD FRONT, SUPERCELLS ARE  
EXPECTED, FORMING A BROKEN LINE ALONG THE COLD FRONT. THE  
PRIMARY HAZARDS ARE LARGE HAIL OF 2 INCHES OR GREATER AND  
TORNADOES. DAMAGING WINDS ARE A SECONDARY, BUT VERY POSSIBLE,  
THREAT. GIVEN THE FAST MOTION OF THE STORMS, FLASH FLOODING IS  
NOT EXPECTED.  
 
BUSIER WEATHER PATTERN AHEAD  
 
THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH THURSDAY'S SEVERE  
WEATHER WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND.  
WINDS INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE 925-850HPA LAYER THURSDAY  
NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AROUND THE LOW, UPWARDS OF 50KTS. MODEL  
SOUNDINGS SUGGEST AN INVERSION SHOULD BE IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF  
THE AREA OVERNIGHT, BUT STRONGER GUSTS OVER 30KTS ARE POSSIBLE,  
ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAY FRIDAY.  
 
AS THE LOW SLOWLY MOVES EASTWARD FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY MORNING,  
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. UPPER RIDGING  
BUILDS INTO THE AREA SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY BRINGING A BRIEF DRIER  
PERIOD. RIDGING THEN BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS  
ANOTHER TROUGH DEVELOPING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, BRINING  
ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1248 PM CDT WED MAY 14 2025  
 
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE ON THE TABLE AGAIN  
TODAY, SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY. IT IS CHALLENGING TO PIN DOWN  
EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE A STORM WILL DEVELOP, BUT ALONG AND EAST  
OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS FAVORED FOR THE MOST DEVELOPMENT,  
BUT EVERYWHERE MAY SEE SOME SHOWERS/STORMS. HAVE INCLUDED  
PROB30 GROUPS AT BOTH RST/LSE GIVEN THIS POSSIBILITY. ANY  
IMPACTS FROM SHOWERS/STORMS WILL BE BRIEF, AND DEVELOPMENT  
SHOULD BEGIN TO WANE AFTER SUNSET.  
 
AN AREA OF LOWER CLOUDS MOVES NORTHWARD INTO THURSDAY MORNING.  
MODELS SUGGEST MVFR CEILINGS ARE POSSIBLE, AROUND 30-40%, BUT  
SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN ABOUT HOW LOW THE CLOUDS MAY BE. SOUTHEAST  
WINDS THEN INCREASE IN SPEED THURSDAY.  
 

 
   
ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WI...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
IA...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...FALKINHAM  
AVIATION...FALKINHAM  
 
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