436  
FXUS63 KDTX 160928  
AFDDTX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI  
428 AM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
 
- DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 AM. AREAS OF DENSE FOG  
WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE, BEFORE GRADUALLY  
LIFTING.  
 
- WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE TODAY WITH VERY MILD CONDITIONS.  
 
- TEMPERATURES TREND DOWNWARD THROUGH THE WEEK WITH A CHANCE OF  
SNOW EARLY WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
DENSE FOG SOLIDLY IN PLACE FROM PTK SOUTH EARLY THIS MORNING. NO  
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTH CIGS/VSBYS EXPECTED THROUGH THE  
MORNING. STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY WINDS TODAY IN ADDITION TO SHOWER  
DEVELOPMENT LATE MORNING SHOULD AID IN VSBY IMPROVEMENT FOR THE  
AFTERNOON WITH FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS THIS EVENING FOLLOWING THE  
PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. CIGS LAG BEHIND VSBYS WITH MVFR HEIGHTS NOT  
LIKELY UNTIL LATE EVENING. FOR FNT/MBS, A REGION OF MVFR CLOUD/FOG  
HAS STRETCHED IN FROM WEST MI THOUGH REGIONAL OBS SHOW SCATTERED  
POCKETS OF IFR/LIFR CLOUD STILL LINGERING AROUND. GIVEN THE  
INCREASING WINDS AND RAIN CHANCES LATER THIS MORNING, RUNNING  
FORECAST WILL ERR OPTIMISTIC WITH LITTLE TO NO DEGRADATION IN VSBYS  
FROM CURRENT OBS (THOUGH DO THINK LIFR CLOUD WILL SETTLE BACK IN).  
 
FOR DTW...LIFR FOG/CLOUD EXPECTED TO HOLD IN PLACE THROUGH THE  
MORNING. SHOWERS ARRIVE LATE MORNING/MIDDAY WHICH IN COMBINATION  
WITH STRENGTHENING SOUTH WIND, SHOULD LEAD TO A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT  
IN FLIGHT CATEGORIES THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF THE DAY- VSBY  
IMPROVEMENTS PRECEDING CIG IMPROVEMENTS.  
 
DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES...  
 
* HIGH FOR CEILINGS AT OR BELOW 5000 FEET THROUGH THIS EVENING,  
MEDIUM TO HIGH FOR TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING.  
 
* HIGH FOR CIGS/VSBY HOLD AT 200 FT AND/OR 1/2 SM THIS MORNING,  
LOW BY THIS AFTERNOON.  
 

 
   
PREV DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 330 AM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
 
DISCUSSION...  
 
A VERY MILD, MOIST AND INCREASINGLY DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW NOW  
ENTRENCHED LOCALLY, WITHIN THE BACKDROP OF LARGE SCALE SUBSIDENCE  
HELD WITHIN THE WAKE OF EXITING UPPER RIDGING. PRIME CONDITIONS FOR  
NEAR SURFACE SATURATION TO MAINTAIN WIDESPREAD VERY LOW STRATUS AND  
AREAS OF DENSE FOG THROUGH THE PRE-DAWN HOURS. LATEST OBSERVATIONAL  
TRENDS OFFER A MYRIAD OF VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS OVERALL, BUT ENOUGH  
AREAS REMAIN RESTRICTED AT/BELOW HALF A MILE TO SUPPORT CARRYING THE  
ADVISORY OUT THROUGH DAYBREAK AND GRAB THE MORNING COMMUTE.  
EXPANSIVE LOW STRATUS TO REMAIN A FIXTURE THROUGHOUT THE DAYLIGHT  
PERIOD GIVE THE MOISTURE PROFILE, BUT WITH ENOUGH MIXING AS DIURNAL  
PROCESSES GAIN TRACTION TO EASE VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS WITH TIME  
THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY.  
 
ONGOING WARM AIR ADVECTION PEAKS THIS AFTERNOON WITH H8 TEMPERATURES  
CRESTING NEAR 7C. THIS PROCESS LENDS TO ANOTHER ROUND OF MEANINGFUL  
MOIST ISENTROPIC ASCENT, PROVIDING A HIGH PROBABILITY FOR LIGHT  
RAIN/DRIZZLE TO LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION - MAINLY BETWEEN  
15Z AND 22Z. SUFFICIENT BOUNDARY LAYER WARMING WILL OFFER A MODEST  
COUNTER TO THE LACK OF INSOLATION AND INCREASING SHOWER COVERAGE,  
BRINGING HIGHS INTO THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S RANGE. TRAILING COLD  
FRONT ARRIVES EARLY TONIGHT. FRONTAL TIMING MAY LEAVE A BRIEF WINDOW  
FOR RENEWED FOG DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE FIRST FEW HOURS OF SUNSET,  
BEFORE ENSURING COLD AIR ADVECTION AND ASSOCIATED MIXING EFFECTIVELY  
DRY THE LOWEST LAYERS. NOTED UPTICK IN THE OVERALL WIND PROFILE  
OVERNIGHT, ALLOWING FOR SOME GUSTINESS OF POST-FRONTAL WESTERLY FLOW  
/25-30 MPH/ BUT GENERALLY CONTAINED GIVEN LACK OF GREATER MIXING  
DEPTH OR A STRONGER PUSH OF COLDER AIR.  
 
BENIGN WX CONDITIONS TUESDAY WITH LINGERING GUSTINESS /25-30 MPH/ TO  
WEST FLOW AND TEMPERATURES STILL EDGED ABOVE AVERAGE WITH RESIDENT  
THERMAL PROFILE OF PACIFIC ORIGIN. ELONGATED UPPER TROUGH THEN  
ARRIVES LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. BETTER HEIGHT FALLS STILL  
PROJECTED TO HOLD SOUTH WITH THIS LEAD FEATURE, BUT THERE REMAINS A  
WEAKER SIGNAL FOR ASCENT TIED TO AN INITIAL COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND  
PERIOD OF DCVA. THIS WILL BRING AT LEAST A MODERATE PROBABILITY FOR  
A LIGHT QPF EVENT TO EMERGE CENTERED ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. MODEL  
SOLUTION SPACE STILL DISPLAYING GREATER VARIABILITY IN PLACEMENT AND  
SCALE OF THE OVERALL RESPONSE, BUT GENERALLY CONTINUE TO TREND  
TOWARD A PRECIPITATION TYPE OF SNOW/MELTING SNOW AS FREEZING LEVELS  
DIP ADEQUATELY WITH TEMPERATURES PARKED IN THE 31-33 DEGREE RANGE.  
ANALYSIS OF ENSEMBLE DATA POINTS TO A HIGHER PROBABILITY FOR AN  
ACCUMULATION POTENTIAL OF LESS THAN AN INCH, BUT WITH A SMALLER  
SUBSET PROVIDING A MORE FOCUSED FGEN RESPONSE LENDING TO SOME  
LOCALLY HIGHER QPF. TEMPERATURES DRIFT INTO THE MIDDLE 30S BRIEFLY  
LATE DAY, BEFORE A TRAILING PV FEATURE OF POLAR ORIGIN ARRIVES  
WEDNESDAY EVENING. PLAUSIBLE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE FRONTAL  
CONVERGENCE AND HEIGHT FALLS GENERATE A BRIEF PERIOD OF SNOW SHOWERS  
AS TEMPERATURES DROP THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE NIGHT, BUT A  
PROGRESSIVE TRANSITION TOWARD DRIER NORTHWEST FLOW APPEARS TO LIMIT  
THE RESPONSE AND CONFINE ANY LES CONTRIBUTION TO THE WEST/NORTHWEST.  
 
ATTENTION TURNS TO BEHAVIOR OF THE NEXT NORTHERN STREAM PV ANOMALY  
PROJECTED TO AMPLIFY UPON ARRIVAL FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. THIS  
FEATURE STILL MORE THAN 48 HOURS OUT FROM APPROPRIATE SAMPLING, SO  
HIGH LIKELIHOOD FOR FLUCTUATION ACROSS THE SOLUTION SPACE REGARDING  
TRAJECTORY, MAGNITUDE AND PACE OF THE GOVERNING LARGE SCALE  
FEATURES. IN GENERAL, FAVORABLE UNDERLYING ENVIRONMENT FOR A SWATH  
OF ACCUMULATING SNOW TO EMERGE ALONG THE EAST/NORTH FLANK OF A  
SOUTHEASTWARD PROJECTING WAVE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE GREAT LAKES  
WITHIN THE THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY WINDOW. PASSAGE OF THIS SYSTEM WILL  
DRAW NOTABLY COLDER CONDITIONS BACK INTO THE REGION FOR THE UPCOMING  
WEEKEND.  
 
MARINE...  
 
MODERATE SOUTHERLY FLOW (20-30 KNOTS) TODAY AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD  
FRONT, ATTACHED TO LOW PRESSURE TRACKING THROUGH ONTARIO AND NEAR  
JAMES BAY. THIS COLD FRONT WILL BRING RAIN SHOWERS, AS IT SWINGS  
THROUGH THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES EARLY THIS EVENING. TIGHT PRESSURE  
GRADIENT WITH 850 MB TEMPS LOWERING TO AROUND -8 C LOOKS SUPPORTIVE  
OF WIND GUSTS IN THE 30 TO 35 KNOT RANGE OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHERN  
LAKE HURON, LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. HOWEVER,  
GUSTS TO GALES APPEAR TO BE BRIEF, AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT QUICKLY  
RELAXES DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THUS, CONTINUES TO LOOK LIKE A  
GALE WATCH OR WARNING WILL NOT BE NEEDED.  
 
AN EVEN STRONGER COLD FRONT LOOKS TO BE MOVING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY,  
AND NORTHERLY WINDS LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING WILL  
LIKELY REACH INTO THE 20 TO 30 KNOT RANGE, BUT ULTIMATELY INFLUENCED  
BY THE STRENGTH AND POSITION OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING ALONG THE OHIO  
RIVER. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE QUICKLY FOLLOWS, ALLOWING FOR A  
PERIOD OF LIGHT WINDS TO END THE WORK WEEK.  
 

 
   
DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MI...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR MIZ047>049-  
053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083.  
 
LAKE HURON...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR LHZ441>443-  
462>464.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM EST TUESDAY FOR  
LHZ421-422.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST TUESDAY FOR LHZ441>443.  
 
LAKE ST CLAIR...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR LCZ460.  
 
MICHIGAN WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR LEZ444.  
 

 
 

 
 
AVIATION.....KDK  
DISCUSSION...MR  
MARINE.......SF  
 
YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE  
AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT.  
 
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