383  
FXUS63 KMPX 212330  
AFDMPX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN  
530 PM CST THU NOV 21 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- PATCHY FREEZING FOG POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
- ONE LAST CHANCE TO GET SOME OUTDOOR WORK DONE ON SUNDAY WITH  
HIGHS IN THE 40S.  
 
- TURNING MUCH COLDER NEXT WEEK, WITH OUR FIRST TASTE OF ARCTIC  
AIR LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.  
 
- NO SIGNIFICANT WINTER SYSTEMS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE REGION  
OVER THE NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 401 PM CST THU NOV 21 2024  
 
A SURFACE LOW AS BEEN TRACKING SOUTH ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN THROUGH  
THE DAY, WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE DAKOTAS KEEPING THE CEASELESS  
NORTHWEST WINDS GOING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT  
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING, THE DAKOTAS HIGH WILL BE SLOWLY WORKING  
ACROSS THE MPX AREA. THIS MEANS WE FINALLY LOSE THE WINDS ON FRIDAY,  
BUT THE BIG UNCERTAINTY IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE CLOUD COVER.  
LOOKING AT RAP SOUNDINGS, WE LOOK TO HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE WE HAVE A  
THIN MOISTURE LAYER THAT GETS TRAPPED BENEATH AN INVERSION. THIS  
TIME OF YEAR, THAT TRANSLATES INTO VERY STUBBORN STRATUS LAYERS THAT  
ARE POORLY RESOLVED BY THE MODELS. AS THE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN ON  
FRIDAY, THE LOSS OF CYCLONIC FLOW SHOULD START TO CLEAR OUT THE LOW  
CLOUDS, BUT THOSE LOW CLOUDS LOOK TO BE REPLACED BY MID AND UPPER  
LEVEL CLOUDS. THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH CLOUD COVER WILL COME DURING  
THE OVERNIGHT PERIODS THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT  
AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT IN WESTERN MN AND THEN ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA  
FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS MOVES THROUGH. WITH THIS  
SETUP, ANYWHERE THAT SEES CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT IN WESTERN MN WILL  
LIKELY HAVE THAT CLEARING FILLED IN WITH FREEZING FOG, WITH THAT  
FREEZING FOG THREAT SPREADING ACROSS PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE AREA  
FRIDAY NIGHT. AGAIN, THE BIG UNCERTAINTY IS WHAT CLOUD COVERAGE WILL  
LOOK LIKE THE NEXT TWO NIGHTS. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY WITH CLOUD  
COVER, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FOG MENTION, BUT ANYONE THAT MANAGES TO  
GET LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES OVER THE NEXT TWO NIGHT WILL HAVE  
THE THREAT OF FREEZING FOG.  
 
FOR THE WEEKEND, MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A SHORTWAVE WORKING ACROSS  
THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY. THIS SHORTWAVE WILL  
DRAG AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY  
MORNING. THE BEST FORCING AND SIGNAL FOR PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO  
BE ACROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER AND LAKE SUPERIOR, THOUGH WE  
COULD SEE SOME LIGHT RAIN/SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL MN AND NORTHWEST WI  
LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THE MAIN IMPACT LOCALLY OF THIS INVERTED  
TROUGH WILL BE THE WAA OUT AHEAD OF IT. THIS WAA WILL SEND HIGHS  
INTO THE 40S FOR MUCH OF THE MPX AREA ON SUNDAY, GIVING US ONE LAST  
CHANCE TO GET SOME OUTDOOR WORK DONE BEFORE SOME REAL WINTER COLD  
COMES SLAMMING IN FOR THE END OF NOVEMBER.  
 
AS FOR NEXT WEEK, THE MEAN 200MB FLOW FROM THE EPS SHOWS THE PRIMARY  
JET BEING A SOUTHERN STREAM FEATURE THAT WILL BE WELL TO OUR SOUTH.  
THIS MEANS THE PRIMARY STORM TRACK WILL BE TO OUR SOUTH. HOWEVER,  
THERE WILL BE A NORTHERN STREAM JET OF THE NORTHWEST VARIETY COMING  
DOWN FROM NORTHWEST CANADA INTO THE DAKOTAS. THIS NORTHWEST JET IS  
WHAT WILL OPEN US UP TO GETTING OUR FIRST REAL SHOT OF ARCTIC AIR OF  
THE SEASON OVER THE EXTENDED THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY WEEKEND. THIS IS A  
COLD A DRY PATTERN, SO IT LOOKS UNLIKELY WE'LL SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT  
WEATHER SYSTEMS UP THIS FAR NORTH, BUT GIVEN THE MULTIPLE STREAMS OF  
FLOW NEAR US, WE WILL HAVE TO POTENTIAL FOR SEEING SOME QUICK  
HITTING WAVES CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME LIGHT PRECIP. GIVEN THE  
TEMPERATURES WE WILL HAVE NEXT WEEK, ANY PRECIPITATION WE SEE WILL  
COME IN THE FORM OF SNOW. AT THIS POINT THOUGH, DETERMINISTIC AND  
ENSEMBLE SYSTEMS WOULD FAVOR ANY SNOW WE SEE NEXT WEEK BEING MORE OF  
THE COSMETIC/NUISANCE VARIETY AS OPPOSED TO A BIG DUMP OF SNOW.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 521 PM CST THU NOV 21 2024  
 
HIGH END MVFR IS EXPECTED TO DROP INTO LOW MVFR/IFR TERRITORY OVER  
THE NEXT FEW HOURS. ONCE AGAIN, MODELS HAVE NOT BEEN HANDLING  
CIGS WELL TODAY. GENERALLY KEPT THINGS A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISTIC  
THAN GUIDANCE, WHICH HAD MORE IFR THAN MVFR. CEILINGS WILL RISE  
BY EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON, WITH VFR EXPECTED FOR ALL EXCEPT KEAU  
BY THE END OF THE PERIOD.  
 
WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED FOR A FEW MORE HOURS BEFORE TRENDING  
DOWN. A SURFACE HIGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVERHEAD TOMORROW,  
LEADING TO WINDS 5KTS OR LESS.  
 
KMSP...NO ADDITIONAL CONCERNS  
 
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/  
SAT...CHC MVFR CIGS. WIND NW 5-10 KTS.  
SUN...VFR. WIND SE 5-10 KTS.  
MON...VFR/MVFR W/ CHC -SHSN. WIND NW 10-15G20KTS.  
 
 
   
MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MN...NONE.  
WI...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...MPG  
AVIATION...DYE  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab MN Page
The Nexlab WI Page
Main Text Page