096  
FXUS63 KDMX 170846  
AFDDMX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA  
246 AM CST FRI JAN 17 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TODAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S.  
 
- TURNING SHARPLY COLDER AS AN ARCTIC AIRMASS BLANKETS THE  
REGION TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE COLD SNAP PEAKS  
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH A HIGH PROBABILITY OF DANGEROUS WIND  
CHILLS AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN IOWA.  
 
- FEW LIGHT RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS AND/OR FLURRIES POSSIBLE (20%  
CHANCE) LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. NO  
ACCUMULATION OR TRAVEL IMPACTS EXPECTED. FORECAST IS DRY THIS  
WEEKEND INTO AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 238 AM CST FRI JAN 17 2025  
 
LOOKING AT ANOTHER MILD DAY ON THE HEELS OF YESTERDAY WHICH OUTRAN  
TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE. SOUTH WINDS AND WARM AIR ADVECTION GIVE  
TEMPS ANOTHER BOOST AND OPTED TO PUSH HIGHS TOWARD THE 90TH  
PERCENTILE OF NBM GUIDANCE. THIS HAS EVERYONE SQUARELY IN THE  
40S, POSSIBLY EVEN NEAR 50 SOUTH. ENJOY THE MILD CONDITIONS AS  
THE WELL ADVERTISED COLD SNAP IS QUICKLY APPROACHING. WATER  
VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS AN ELONGATED PV ANOMALY ALONG THE CANADIAN  
BORDER AND AN ATTENDANT DEEP SURFACE REFLECTION IN SOUTHERN  
MANITOBA. INITIAL COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON, BUT  
THE PRIMARY BAROCLINIC PUSH LAGS BEHIND AND DOES NOT SURGE  
THROUGH UNTIL THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT. THIS IS  
ACCOMPANIED BY BLUSTERY NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 30 TO 35 MPH OR  
HIGHER. NOT EXPECTING WINDS TO REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA AS MODEL  
SOUNDINGS HAVE FLOW AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED LAYER AROUND 35 TO  
NEAR 40 KTS AND ISALLOBARIC TENDENCIES ARE MODEST. HIRES MODELS  
FEATURE A WEAK SIGNAL FOR ISOLATED SHOWERY ACTIVITY AS NEAR  
SURFACE LAPSE RATES STEEPEN BENEATH A NARROW CLOUD-BEARING  
LAYER. MOISTURE DEPTH IS SHALLOW AND BACKGROUND SYNOPTIC SUPPORT  
MARGINAL WHICH MAY LIMIT ANY ACTIVITY FROM MATERIALIZING IN OUR  
AREA. MAINTAINED LOW CHANCES (<= 20%) FOR LIGHT RAIN AND/OR  
SNOW SHOWERS AND SOME FLURRIES. MEASURABLE PRECIP IS UNLIKELY.  
 
LITTLE CHANGE TO THE FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY  
NEXT WEEK AS SUCCESSIVE REINFORCING SHOTS OF COLD AIR FURTHER  
DEPRESS TEMPERATURES. STILL LOOKING AT THE COLD SNAP PEAKING  
SAT NIGHT THROUGH MON NIGHT AS HIGHS ONLY STRUGGLE INTO THE  
SINGLE DIGITS, POTENTIALLY NOT EVEN CLIMBING ABOVE ZERO NORTH.  
DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS OF -15 TO -30 AT TIMES WITH THE  
COLDEST VALUES ALSO ACROSS THE NORTH. COLD WEATHER HEADLINES  
LOOK NEAR CERTAIN AT THIS POINT AND WILL BE EVALUATED IN THE  
NEAR FUTURE.  
 
TEMPERATURES MODERATE BACK CLOSER TO SEASONAL NORMS AS SHORTWAVE  
RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE REGION TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
A PRECIP WINDOW MAY MATERIALIZE THROUGH THIS PERIOD AS A SERIES  
OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION AND SOUTHERLY LOW  
LEVEL FLOW ADVECTS APPRECIABLE MOISTURE NORTHWARD. DETERMINISTIC  
OUTPUT AT THAT TIME RANGE IS NOT IN THE BEST AGREEMENT ON  
PATTERN EVOLUTION AND MOISTURE AVAILABILITY. GEFS/ECENS MEANS  
SUGGEST A 20- 30% OF MEASURABLE PRECIP, BUT NBM OUTPUT REMAINS  
MUTED. FORECAST REMAINS DRY FOR NOW BUT PRECIP CHANCES MAY NEED  
TO BE INTRODUCED BASED ON WHAT DIRECTION MODEL TRENDS FAVOR IN  
THE DAYS AHEAD.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1040 PM CST THU JAN 16 2025  
 
PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES OVERNIGHT WITH STRENGTHENING SURFACE  
WINDS FROM THE SOUTH. NON-CONVECTIVE LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IS  
EXPECTED OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING AS THE LOW LEVEL JET  
INTENSIFIES AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. VFR CONDITIONS  
ARE FORECAST FOR THE OVERNIGHT AS WELL INTO MIDDAY FRIDAY. THE  
FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE STATE THROUGH THE DAY WITH WINDS  
VEERING GRADUALLY THROUGH THE DAY FROM SOUTH TO NORTHWEST AS THE  
BOUNDARY SLIDES ACROSS IOWA. VFR CONDITIONS PERSIST FOR MUCH OF  
THE DAY AS WELL WITH MVFR CEILINGS BECOMING MORE LIKELY ACROSS  
NORTHERN IOWA BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST  
ARE ALSO LIKELY TO BECOME QUITE STRONG BY THE END OF THE PERIOD  
AS COLD ADVECTION INTENSIFIES.  
 
 
   
DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...MARTIN  
AVIATION...COGIL  
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