997  
FXUS64 KMEG 210344  
AFDMEG  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN  
944 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2024  
   
..NEW UPDATE  
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 940 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
GOES-16 SATELLITE TRENDS HAVE SHOWN THE IMPROVEMENT OF CEILINGS  
ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE AS DRIER AIR HAS ERODED SOME OF THE CLOUD  
COVER. LATEST 00Z HREF SUGGESTS MOISTURE IN THE 925-900 MB LAYER  
MAY INCREASE AGAIN OVERNIGHT TOWARDS SATURDAY MORNING AND HAVE  
READJUSTED CLOUD COVER TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE TRENDS. LOW  
TEMPERATURES WERE ALSO ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY UP OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI  
TO ACCOUNT FOR SOME LINGERING CLOUD COVER. NO OTHER CHANGES NEEDED  
AT THIS TIME.  
 
CJC  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 613 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
GOES-16 NIGHT-FOG PRODUCT SHOWS POST-FRONTAL STRATOCUMULUS  
LINGERING MUCH LONGER THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST OVER AREAS MOSTLY  
ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THEN EXTENDING NORTH UP  
INTO PORTIONS OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEYS. SHORT-  
TERM CAMS ALONG WITH THE 18Z NAM SUGGEST THIS CLOUD COVER MAY  
PERSIST OVERNIGHT BEFORE DECREASING SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS THE  
AFOREMENTIONED AREA. SKY COVER WAS ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY WITH NO  
OTHER CHANGES AT THIS TIME.  
 
CJC  
 
 
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
ISSUED AT 202 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
CHILLY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE A WARMING  
TREND BEGINS MONDAY. THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY WILL BE WARM AND WET AS  
SHOWERS IMPACT THE REGION. BEYOND MIDWEEK, THE FORECAST BECOMES  
MURKY BUT RAIN CHANCES REMAIN.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY)  
ISSUED AT 202 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
COLD AND DRY AIR CONTINUES TO FILTER INTO THE MID-SOUTH AT THIS  
HOUR WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 20S AREAWIDE. EXPECT EFFICIENT RADIATIONAL  
COOLING TONIGHT AS LOWS DIP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 20S AREAWIDE.  
COLD AIR WILL ONCE AGAIN BE REINFORCED ON SATURDAY AS A WEAK  
SHORTWAVE, EMBEDDED ON THE BACKSIDE OF A LARGER TROUGH, MOVES OVER  
THE MID-SOUTH. AS A RESULT, HIGH TEMPERATURES THROUGH SUNDAY WILL  
BE IN THE 40S.  
 
UNFORTUNATELY, COOL AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL NOT LAST THROUGH THE  
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AS SOUTHERLY WINDS RETURN ON MONDAY. RAIN  
CHANCES BEGIN TO INCREASE ON TUESDAY, BUT EXACT TIMING OF ONSET IS  
DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT DUE TO DISAGREEMENT IN HOW QUICKLY MOISTURE  
RETURNS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GFS REMAINS BULLISH AND FAVORS ISOLATED  
SHOWER DEVELOPMENT TUESDAY EVENING. HOWEVER, THE ECMWF KEEPS  
MOISTURE AT BAY UNTIL LATE TUESDAY, RESULTING IN SHOWER FORMATION  
LATER INTO CHRISTMAS DAY. REGARDLESS, BOTH MODELS FAVOR  
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AT OR EXCEEDING THE 99TH PERCENTILE ON  
CHRISTMAS. IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT THE HOLIDAY WILL BE WET AND  
DREARY.  
 
A TRICKY FORECAST MATERIALIZES BY THURSDAY AS GUIDANCE DEPICTS A  
SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS DEVELOPING ON THE LEEWARD SIDE OF THE  
ROCKIES THROUGH SATURDAY. ONE THING THE GFS AND ECMWF DO AGREE ON:  
FRIDAY'S TROUGH TAKING ON A NEGATIVE TILT AS IT MOVES EAST. THE  
EXACT LOCATION OF THIS FEATURE IS UP FOR DEBATE, BUT GIVEN ABOVE  
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND PLENTIFUL MOISTURE IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT  
SEVERE WEATHER MAY MATERIALIZE AT SOME POINT NEXT WEEK. WHETHER  
THAT WILL OCCUR HERE IS TOO EARLY TO TELL, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO  
MONITOR TRENDS.  
 
ANS  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
(00Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 552 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
QUITE A BIT OF POST FRONTAL STRATOCU REMAINS UPSTREAM AND OVER THE  
MID-SOUTH. MKL AND TUP LOOK TO REMAIN CLOUDY WHILE ON THE VFR/MVFR  
INTERFACE INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHILE CIGS WILL BE IN AND OUT OF  
MEM, EVENTUALLY CLEARING OUT LATE TONIGHT. THERE SOME IS MORE  
PESSIMISTIC GUIDANCE THAT SUGGESTS CLOUDS COULD HANG ON LONGER  
INTO SATURDAY BUT WILL START WITH THIS FOR NOW. N WINDS ARE  
DIMINISHING AND EXPECT N/NE WINDS AT 10 KTS OR LESS TO PREVAIL  
THROUGH THE PERIOD.  
 
SJM  
 
 
   
MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
AR...NONE.  
MO...NONE.  
MS...NONE.  
TN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
PUBLIC FORECAST...ANS  
AVIATION...SJM  
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