236  
FXUS63 KMQT 160959  
AFDMQT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI  
459 AM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- WARM AND MOIST AIR MOVING UPSLOPE AND OVER A MELTING SNOWPACK  
IS LEADING TO DENSE FOG DEVELOPING ACROSS MAINLY THE CENTRAL  
U.P. TODAY INTO MONDAY MORNING. A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS NOW IN  
EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY.  
 
- LIGHT LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER THE WEST TO NORTHWEST  
WIND SNOW BELTS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. LAKE  
EFFECT SNOW BECOMES MODERATE AT TIMES ON WEDNESDAY WITH A  
PASSING DISTURBANCE.  
 
- WESTERLY GALES TO 35-40 KNOTS OVER LAKE SUPERIOR ARE EXPECTED  
MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY; SOME GUSTS UP TO 45 KNOTS ARE  
POSSIBLE (25-50% CHANCE). WEST WIND GUSTS UP TO 30-40 MPH ARE  
EXPECTED IN THE KEWEENAW.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
ISSUED AT 121 PM EST SUN DEC 15 2024  
 
AS A WARM FRONT STALLS OUT OVER US TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT, EXPECT THE  
TEMPERATURES OF THE MID TO UPPER 30S TO REMAIN ACROSS THE U.P. UNTIL  
MONDAY MORNING AS WE REMAIN UNDER THE WARM-SECTOR OF AN APPROACHING  
LOW FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WITH THE LOWER-LEVELS REMAINING SOCKED-  
IN WITH MOISTURE, WE COULD SEE SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED DRIZZLE  
SHOWERS FROM TIME-TO-TIME THE REST OF TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS  
THE U.P., MAINLY OVER THE CENTRAL AND EAST. IN ADDITION, WITH  
UPSLOPE FLOW FROM LAKE MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AND  
ABOVE-FREEZING DEWPOINTS MOVING OVER MELTING SNOWPACK, EXPECT FOG  
OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.P. THROUGH TO MONDAY MORNING; THE FOG  
WILL BE GENERALLY DENSE ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.P., BUT MAY LIGHTEN UP  
FROM TIME-TO-TIME IN THE DRIZZLE SHOWERS. THEREFORE, KEEP YOUR LOW-  
BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON TODAY AND TONIGHT, AND DRIVE A LITTLE SLOWER WITH  
SOME EXTRA CAUTION AS WELL.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 459 AM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
 
AS A MID-LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW CONTINUE THEIR  
EASTWARD PROGRESSION INTO QUEBEC TUESDAY, 850 MB TEMPS WILL RAPIDLY  
DECREASE BEHIND THEM. WITH -10C TO -8C 850 MB TEMPS BY TUESDAY  
MORNING, PURE LES WILL ONCE AGAIN BE SUPPORTED OVER THE W TO WNW  
WIND SNOW BELTS. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS, THOUGH, ARE EXPECTED TO BE  
MINIMAL DUE TO A LACK OF FORCING. NONETHELESS, STRONG WNW WINDS WILL  
BE A THREAT INTO TUESDAY ACROSS THE KEWEENAW AND LAKE SUPERIOR  
SHORELINES WITH GUSTS IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE. FARTHER INLAND, MAX  
WIND GUSTS WILL BE CLOSER TO THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE.  
 
BY TUESDAY NIGHT, FOCUS TURNS TO THE NEXT SHORTWAVE QUICKLY FOLLOWED  
BY A TROUGH ON WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WITH 850 MB TEMPS DIPPING  
EVEN FURTHER INTO THE -20C TO -15C RANGE, THIS PATTERN WILL REMAIN  
FAVORABLE FOR LES ACROSS THE NW WIND SNOW BELTS. MEANWHILE UPSTREAM,  
THE NEXT SYSTEM OF CONCERN WILL BE ENTERING THE PACIFIC NW AND WILL  
BE THE ONE TO WATCH THROUGH LATE WEEK AS IT QUICKLY TRACKS ACROSS  
THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THEN THE UPPER MIDWEST THURSDAY/FRIDAY.  
LATEST GFS/EPS IS TRENDING THE SYSTEM FARTHER SOUTH THAN ECMWF/EPS,  
WHICH WOULD PUT THE TRACK ACROSS WI/SOUTHERN LOWER MI. THIS SCENARIO  
WOULD LIMIT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE UP WITH BEST CHANCES  
COMING FROM LES IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM. A MORE NORTHERLY ROUTE,  
HOWEVER, COULD MEAN SOME SYSTEM SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION FOR THE UP.  
DESPITE THE TRACK, LES CHANCES REMAIN FAVORABLE IN THE WAKE OF THE  
SYSTEM AS COLD 850 MB TEMPS REMAIN OVER LAKE SUPERIOR.  
 
AFTER ONE MORE DAY OF NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS IN THE MID 20S TO  
MID 30S (WEST TO EAST) ON TUESDAY, BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL  
RETURN ON WEDNESDAY. DAYTIME HIGHS WILL ONLY TOP OFF IN THE UPPER  
TEENS TO MID 20S ACROSS THE WEST HALF OF THE UP ON WEDNESDAY WITH  
LOW 30S ACROSS THE EAST. THIS TEMPERATURE PROFILE WILL PERSIST  
THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD UNTIL GUIDANCE HINTS AT ANOTHER  
WARMUP AROUND DAY 7. THIS WILL ALSO MEAN AN ACCOMPANYING PERIOD OF  
FRIGID OVERNIGHT LOWS BEGINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS WIDESPREAD SINGLE  
DIGITS TO LOW TEENS PREVAIL THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1128 PM EST SUN DEC 15 2024  
 
WITH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AROUND, A PROLONGED PERIOD OF LOW  
VISIBILITIES OR LOW CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE AT THE SITES. IWD WILL SEE  
LIFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD WITH SOME  
DRIZZLE. CMX WILL STAY MOSTLY IFR TO LIFR THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH  
SOME DRIZZLE AT TIMES. SAW WILL BE VLIFR THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD  
WITH OFF AND ON DRIZZLE WITH SOME SLOW IMPROVEMENT LATE TO IFR AND  
THEN MVFR.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 442 PM EST SUN DEC 15 2024  
 
SOUTHERLY WINDS GRADUALLY INCREASE TO 20-30 KTS ACROSS THE LAKE  
TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING AS THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BEGINS  
TO PASS NORTH OF THE LAKE. WEST WINDS BEHIND A COLD FRONT STRENGTHEN  
TO GALES TO 35-40 KTS FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. CHANCES  
FOR HIGH END GALES TO 40 KTS OR HIGHER ARE CURRENTLY AROUND 25-50%,  
HIGHEST OVER THE EAST. THE GALE WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A GALE  
WARNING FOR LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.  
GALES BEGIN FALLING OFF FROM WEST TO EAST TUESDAY MORNING, WITH THE  
WEST RETURNING TO 20-30 KTS BY AROUND 11 AM EST AND AROUND 1-2 PM  
EST IN THE EAST. WEST WINDS DIMINISH TO 20 KTS OR LESS BY TUESDAY  
NIGHT, VEERING NORTHWEST FOR WEDNESDAY. NORTHWEST WINDS THEN  
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT, INCREASING TO 20-25 KTS  
DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. A BRIEF PERIOD OF SOUTHERLY WINDS NEAR  
20 KT ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY BEFORE ANOTHER PASSING SYSTEM RE-  
INVIGORATES NORTHERLY WINDS TO 20-25 KTS FOR FRIDAY INTO THE  
WEEKEND. WAVES WILL BE HIGHEST LATE IN THE GALE TUESDAY MORNING AT  
AROUND 8-12 FT LAKE WIDE WITH HIGHER WAVES UP TO 15 FT IN THE  
EASTERN THIRD OF THE LAKE.  
 

 
   
MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
UPPER MICHIGAN...  
NONE.  
LAKE SUPERIOR...  
GALE WARNING FROM 4 PM EST /3 PM CST/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM  
EST /9 AM CST/ TUESDAY FOR LSZ162-240>242-263.  
 
GALE WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST TUESDAY FOR  
LSZ243-244-264.  
 
GALE WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR  
LSZ245>250-265-266.  
 
GALE WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 2 PM EST TUESDAY FOR LSZ251-267.  
 
LAKE MICHIGAN...  
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...TAP  
LONG TERM...TDUD  
AVIATION...07  
MARINE...JABLONSKI  
 
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