567  
FXUS63 KARX 142350  
AFDARX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI  
650 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 /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 650 PM CDT WED MAY 14 2025  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH 09Z. THE POTENTIAL FOR MVFR  
CEILINGS INCREASES FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FROM 09-15Z, WITH THE  
CLOUD SHIELD STARTING TO SCATTER OUT AFTER 15Z. TWO WAVES OF  
SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY IMPACT THE REGION OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS,  
THE FIRST COMING LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING, MAINLY  
WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. CONFIDENCE IN STORM FORMATION IS  
LOW (20%) AND STORMS COULD BE MORE ISOLATED IN NATURE. THERE IS  
HIGHER CONFIDENCE (60-80%) IN THE SECOND NW-TO-SE-ORIENTED LINE  
OF STORMS, SOME SEVERE, DEVELOPING AROUND MIDDAY BETWEEN RST  
AND LSE AND MOVING QUICKLY NORTHEAST, EXITING THE AREA BY THE  
END OF THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS OVERNIGHT INCREASE FOR THE MORNING ON  
THURSDAY TO 10-20G20-30KTS BY MIDDAY, STRONGEST WEST OF THE  
MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THESE WINDS BACK TO THE SW IN THE WAKE OF THE  
FRONT THAT SPAWNS THE AFTERNOON LINE OF STORMS.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...FALKINHAM  
AVIATION...SKOW  
 
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