104  
FXUS63 KMQT 220719  
AFDMQT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI  
219 AM EST FRI NOV 22 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH TONIGHT  
THROUGH FRIDAY.  
 
- LIGHT LAKE EFFECT RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FOR MAINLY THE  
EAST HALF OF THE U.P. TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. LITTLE TO NO  
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED.  
 
- ACTIVE WEATHER WITH CHANCES FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW RETURN NEXT  
WEEK. TEMPERATURES TREND TO AROUND TO BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS  
TIME OF YEAR.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 935 PM EST THU NOV 21 2024  
 
THE BAND OF RAIN SHOWERS THAT CAMPED OUT OVER THE CENTRAL UP FOR  
MUCH OF TODAY IS TAPERING OFF TO LINGERING UPSLOPE RAIN SHOWERS  
ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL UP WITH THE SURFACE LOW SOUTH OF LAKE  
MICHIGAN OPENING UP TO A SURFACE TROUGH AND THE MIDLEVEL LOW MOVING  
TOWARDS THE MID ATLANTIC. WINDS CONTINUE TO FALL BACK, BUT SHOULD  
STILL BE ABLE TO GUST TO AROUND 20MPH ACROSS MUCH OF THE UP  
TONIGHT...PARTICULARLY ACROSS OUR EASTERN ZONES WHERE OUR PRESSURE  
GRADIENT REMAINS FAIRLY TIGHT. WINDS TO THE WEST HAVE BEEN KNOCKED  
BACK SLIGHTLY TO ALIGN WITH LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND MODEL GUIDANCE,  
OTHERWISE THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
ISSUED AT 322 PM EST THU NOV 21 2024  
 
AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY AND RAP ANALYSIS SHOW THE SFC LOW HAS  
MADE IT JUST SOUTH OF CENTRAL LAKE MI. ALOFT, THE MID LEVEL LOW IS  
ANALYZED OVER LAKE ERIE AND OH WITH A RIDGE BUILDING IN OVER THE  
PLAINS. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED SOME WELL DEFINED  
GRAVITY WAVES EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON IN THE LOW CLOUD DECK NEAR THE  
MN ARROWHEAD SHORES OF LAKE SUPERIOR. THIS IS WHERE SOME WEAK SFC TO  
850 MB CAA, LOW LEVEL FGEN, AND PRESSURE RISES RESULTED IN NORTHWEST  
KATABATIC WINDS. A FEW SHIP OBSERVATIONS CAME IN WITH STORM FORCE  
WINDS GUSTING INTO THE LOW TO MID 50 KT RANGE! SAR WIND DATA ALSO  
SHOWS THAT THESE WINDS EXTENDED INTO THE NORTHERN OPEN WATERS OF  
LSZ162. OUTSIDE THE MARINE IMPACTS, PRESSURE FALLS THIS MORNING AND  
THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT RESULTED IN NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS UP TO  
35 TO 45 MPH IN THE NORTH HALF OF THE UP WITH 58 MPH RECORDED AT  
HOUGHTON COUNTY MEMORIAL AIRPORT. THIS ENDED UP CAUSING SOME POWER  
OUTAGES THIS MORNING, BUT WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO WEAKEN THIS  
AFTERNOON. NORTH WINDS HAVE FALLEN BELOW 15 MPH OVER THE EASTERN  
HALF OF THE UP WITH GUSTS STILL IN THE 15 TO 25 MPH RANGE OVER THE  
WEST. NORTH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH ARE EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT.  
 
NUMEROUS SHOWERS HAVE CONTINUED TO DOMINATE THE CENTRAL UP WITH  
SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE WEST AND ISOLATED SHOWER TO DRY  
CONDITIONS OVER THE EAST. SOME CLEARING IS EVEN OBSERVED ON  
SATELLITE OVER THE LAKE MI SHORES OF UPPER MI AND NORTHERN LOWER MI.  
THE SFC LOW IS PROGGED TO DESCEND OVER THE REST OF LAKE MI INTO THIS  
EVENING, DISSIPATING TONIGHT AS THE MID LEVEL LOW SPINS TOWARD THE  
ATLANTIC COAST. THIS YIELDS A EASTWARD SHIFT IN THE DOMINATING BAND  
OF SHOWERS BEFORE SOME DRY AIR MOVES IN FROM THE NORTH. MODEL  
SOUNDINGS SHOW THE DRIER AIRMASS INTRUDING ABOVE THE THE 5-7 KFT  
LEVEL, DIMINISHING SHOWER COVERAGE AND OVERALL QPF. THAT SAID,  
SCATTERED UPSLOPE AND LAKE ENHANCED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT  
OVER THE NORTH. AN ADDITIONAL FEW HUNDRETHS TO 0.15 INCHES ARE  
EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN 2/3 OF UPPER MI THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH  
TONIGHT. UP TO 0.6" OF ADDITIONAL RAIN IS FORECASTED OVER PORTIONS  
OF BARAGA AND MARQUETTE COUNTIES AIDED BY THE UPSLOPE FLOW; MOST OF  
THE QPF IS EXPECTED TO FALL DURING THE NEXT 6 HOURS. OVERALL, WET  
SNOW AND RAINFALL OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS HAS BROUGHT AROUND 0.5 TO 2  
INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIP WHICH SHOULD HELP IMPROVE DROUGHT CONDITIONS  
ACROSS THE UP.  
 
OTHERWISE, TEMPS CURRENTLY IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S ARE EXPECTED  
TO SETTLE INTO THE MID 30S TO LOW 40S TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 218 AM EST FRI NOV 22 2024  
 
THE LONG-TERM PATTERN LOOKS TO REMAIN FAIRLY ACTIVE WITH LATE FALL  
WEATHER FINALLY LOOKING TO DOMINATE THE PERIOD AS MULTIPLE  
SHORTWAVES IMPACT THE UPPER MIDWEST AND U.P. THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  
THIS PATTERN WILL BRING NEAR NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR AS WELL AS MULTIPLE SHOTS OF  
PRECIPITATION, WITH RAIN THIS WEEKEND TRANSITIONING TO SNOW BY NEXT  
WEEK; WE COULD EVEN SEE SOME LAKE-EFFECT SNOWFALL ACROSS THE AREA  
COME THANKSGIVING DAY, WHICH COULD THROW A WRENCH INTO THE TRAVEL  
PLANS FOR SOME. ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOLLOW BELOW.  
 
AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR  
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY, EXPECT A REINVIGORATION OF LAKE-EFFECT  
PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTHWEST SNOW BELTS, WITH THE LAKE-EFFECT  
RAIN SLOWLY TRANSITIONING TO LAKE-EFFECT SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST AS  
THE COLDER AIR BEHIND THE LOW SLOWLY PUSHING EASTWARD ACROSS THE  
AREA. WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING  
ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY, NOT MUCH SNOWFALL  
IS EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE, SAVE FOR OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE  
NORTH CENTRAL (SUCH AS THE MICHIGAMME HIGHLANDS); WE COULD SEE A  
LIGHT DUSTING OVER THERE, MAINLY OVER THE GRASSY AREAS AS  
TEMPERATURES GET TO AROUND TO SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING. IN ADDITION,  
WITH INVERSION HEIGHTS ONLY GETTING TO AROUND -7 C, WE MAY HAVE  
TIMES WERE WE DON'T HAVE A TRANSITION TO SNOWFALL BUT INSTEAD A  
TRANSITION TO FREEZING DRIZZLE, PARTICULARLY OVER THE INTERIOR WEST  
WHERE TEMPERATURES COULD DIP BELOW FREEZING LATE TONIGHT. SHOULD ANY  
FREEZING DRIZZLE ACCUMULATE, EXPECT FOR THERE TO ONLY BE A TRACE OF  
ICE, MAINLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES AS TEMPERATURES SHOULD STILL BE  
FAIRLY WARM GIVEN THE ABOVE FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TODAY.  
OVERALL, ANY SNOW OR FREEZING DRIZZLE IMPACTS OVER THE WESTERN U.P.  
TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING SHOULD BE NULL (NO IMPACTS ARE  
EXPECTED). AS WEAK RIDGING BUILDS IN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY,  
EXPECT THE LAST OF THE LAKE-EFFECT SNOW TO END OVER THE EASTERN U.P.  
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
OUR NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO COME SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY  
AS A SHORTWAVE EJECTING FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES/ALBERTA LOOKS TO  
PHASE WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE LOW EJECTING OFF OF THE COLORADO  
ROCKIES. WHILE THERE IS HIGH UNCERTAINTY IN REGARDS TO THE TRACK OF  
THE PHASING SHORTWAVES (AND THUS THE AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION THAT WE  
WILL SEE ACROSS OUR AREA), DETERMINISTIC AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE ALL  
AGREE THAT PRECIPITATION OF SOME KIND WILL BE POSSIBLE BEGINNING  
SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY. WHILE WE MAY SEE SOME RAIN OR EVEN FREEZING  
RAIN OVER THE WEST HALF INITIALLY, EXPECT THE CHANGEOVER TO ALL SNOW  
LATER IN THE EVENT AS COLDER AIR FROM BEHIND THE NORTHERN SHORTWAVE  
MAKES ITS WAY ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. THIS SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL  
FUEL LAKE-EFFECT SNOWFALL AS WE HEAD INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
AFTER THIS SYSTEM, ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE SHOWS TEMPERATURES REMAINING  
BELOW FREEZING THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD AND BEYOND  
AS ADDITIONAL COLD AIR AND CLIPPER SHORTWAVES IMPACT UPPER MICHIGAN.  
THE SHORTWAVES AND COLD AIR COULD BRING SOME MUCH NEEDED SNOWFALL TO  
THE SNOW BELTS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR LATE NEXT WEEK INTO EARLY  
DECEMBER. INDEED, ONE OF THESE SHORTWAVES COULD MOVE THROUGH ON  
THANKSGIVING; SHOULD IT DO SO, WE COULD SEE SOME ROAD HAZARDS SUCH  
AS ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN  
SPOTS ALONG THE SNOW BELTS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR, WHICH COULD CAUSE  
SOME PROBLEMS FOR THOSE NEEDING TO TRAVEL ON THANKSGIVING DAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1241 AM EST FRI NOV 22 2024  
 
THE COVERAGE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE TO  
DIMINISH ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. MAINLY IFR  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY; HOWEVER  
THERE IS AROUND A 30% CHANCE THAT LIFR CONDITIONS AT SAW AND  
IWD EARLY THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL SLOWLY IMPROVE TO MVFR  
AFTER 00Z SAT. NORTHERLY WINDS OF 10-20 KT WILL PERSIST THROUGH  
THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
ISSUED AT 218 AM EST FRI NOV 22 2024  
 
WINDS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE LAKE EARLY  
THIS MORNING AS NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS CONTINUE ACROSS  
THE EASTERN HALF TODAY BEFORE BACKING TO THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT. THE  
WINDS EVENTUALLY WEAKEN TO 20 KNOTS OR LESS SATURDAY EVENING AS WEAK  
RIDGING MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. THE LIGHTER WINDS LOOK TO REMAIN  
ACROSS THE AREA UNTIL MONDAY, WHEN A NORTHERN ROCKIES/CLIPPER  
SHORTWAVE LOW PHASING WITH A SHORTWAVE LOW LIFTING FROM COLORADO  
INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION BRINGS COLD AIR ADVECTION AND  
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KNOTS BACK ACROSS THE LAKE MONDAY  
INTO TUESDAY MORNING (THE NBM SHOWS UP TO A 20% CHANCE OF GALES UP  
TO 35 KNOTS OR GREATER FOR THIS TIME PERIOD). ONCE THE COLD AIR  
ADVECTION WEAKENS, EXPECT THE WINDS TO DROP TO 20 KNOTS OR LESS  
AGAIN LATE TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
UPPER MICHIGAN...  
NONE.  
LAKE SUPERIOR...  
NONE.  
LAKE MICHIGAN...  
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
UPDATE...LC  
SHORT TERM...JABLONSKI  
LONG TERM...TAP  
AVIATION...RM  
MARINE...TAP  
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