105  
FXUS63 KSGF 152131  
AFDSGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO  
331 PM CST SUN DEC 15 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- MARGINAL (1 OF 5) RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. THE  
GREATEST RISK WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-44 WITHIN A 60-90%  
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL  
BE ISOLATED AT BEST, BUT MAXIMUM POTENTIAL HAZARDS INCLUDE  
HAIL UP TO HALF DOLLARS, 50-60 MPH WIND GUSTS, AND AN ISOLATED  
TORNADO OR TWO NOT BEING RULED OUT.  
 
- NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN OCCURS TUESDAY NIGHT (30-60%). HIGHEST  
CHANCES ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL MISSOURI.  
 
- ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH TUESDAY, THEN TRENDING TO  
NEAR NORMAL THROUGH END OF THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 330 PM CST SUN DEC 15 2024  
 
CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY PAIRED WITH RAP ANALYSIS DEPICTS TWO  
SHORTWAVES TRAVERSING THE CONUS. ONE COMPACT SHORTWAVE IS MOVING  
ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES, WHILE ANOTHER IS PROGRESSING WEST  
THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MISSOURI IS PLACED UNDERNEATH THE  
RISING HEIGHTS IN BETWEEN THE TWO WAVES. THE RISING HEIGHTS ARE  
A RESULT OF STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH  
700 MB. THIS IS ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO REACH THE UPPER 50S TO  
THE UPPER 60S.  
 
TWO SURFACE WARM FRONTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM AIR  
ADVECTION. ONE IS STRETCHED ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL NE/KS AND INTO  
WEST-CENTRAL MO. ANOTHER IS LIFTING NORTH OUT OF CENTRAL AR/OK.  
ALONG THE WARM FRONT IN MUCH OF ARKANSAS, DRIZZLE IS CURRENTLY  
ONGOING, MARKING THE FRONT OF LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN. PWATS  
ALONG THE SOUTHERN MO BORDER QUICKLY INCREASES FROM 0.5" TO THE  
1.25.1.5" RANGE IN CENTRAL AR WHERE THE DRIZZLE IS OCCURRING.  
 
MARGINAL (1 OF 5) RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT:  
 
THE AR WARM FRONT IS FORECAST TO QUICKLY LIFT THROUGH OUR REGION  
THIS EVENING AND INTO TONIGHT. NEAR-SATURATED LOW-LEVELS, UPWARD  
OMEGA AIDED BY SOUTHERLY UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG THE OZARK PLATEAU,  
NO CHANCE OF CLOUD ICE, AND A SURFACE INVERSION WILL ALLOW  
DRIZZLE TO CONTINUE AS IT LIFTS INTO THE AREA AFTER 5-6 PM.  
DRIZZLE WILL BE THE PREDOMINANT PRECIPITATION TYPE BEFORE  
LARGE-SCALE ASCENT AHEAD OF THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH OVERSPREADS THE  
WARM SECTOR, FORCING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS ALONG AND  
SOUTH OF I-44 AFTER 9 PM (30-60% CHANCE). A FEW RUMBLES OF  
THUNDER ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY.  
 
ONCE THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES, COVERAGE IN SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AFTER 11PM-1AM,  
ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-44 WHERE MOISTURE AND  
INSTABILITY WILL BE MARGINALLY HIGHER (60-90% CHANCE). WITH THIS  
ACTIVITY, THERE IS A MARGINAL (1 OF 5) RISK FOR SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND SE OF A SPRINGFIELD TO JOPLIN LINE  
(WHICH INCLUDES BRANSON). COVERAGE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS  
EXPECTED TO BE EVEN MORE ISOLATED (~5-10% CHANCE).  
 
THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AND ITS ASSOCIATED HAZARDS ARE VERY  
CONDITIONAL AND DEPENDENT ON THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY, AND HOW  
SURFACE-BASED STORMS GET. MUCAPE IS EXPECTED TO REACH 500-1000  
J/KG TONIGHT, WHICH IS ENOUGH THUNDERSTORMS. A 40-50 KT DYNAMIC  
AND NOCTURNAL LOW-LEVEL JET WILL ALSO MOVE IN TONIGHT. ABOVE  
THIS JET, HOWEVER, WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED BARELY CHANGES. THIS  
MEANS 0-6 KM SHEAR WILL REACH 40-50 KTS (SUFFICIENT FOR  
SUPERCELLS), BUT 1-6 KM SHEAR WILL BE A MEASLY 5-15 KTS.  
THEREFORE, IF STORMS ARE PRETTY ELEVATED (ROOTED AROUND OR JUST  
BELOW 1 KM), STORMS WILL BE WEAK. BUT IF STORMS ARE ABLE TO ROOT  
AT THE SURFACE, ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS, INCLUDING SUPERCELLS,  
ARE POSSIBLE. THIS MEANS THAT THE MINIMUM HAZARDS FOR TONIGHT  
COULD BE HEAVY RAIN TO SMALL HAIL (POTENTIALLY COPIOUS AMOUNTS  
OF SMALL HAIL GIVEN MUCH OF THE MUCAPE IN AN ELONGATED HAIL  
GROWTH ZONE). THE MAXIMUM HAZARDS FOR TONIGHT WOULD BE HAIL UP  
TO HALF DOLLARS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50-60 MPH. AN ISOLATED  
TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT EITHER IF STORMS ARE SURFACE  
BASED, THANKS TO 30-40 KTS OF 0-1 KM SHEAR WITH 50-100 J/KG RAP  
MLCAPE. HOWEVER, SATURATED LOW-LEVELS WILL LIMIT SURFACE LAPSE  
RATES, GREATLY INHIBITING THE THREAT FOR WIND GUSTS AND  
TORNADOES, EVEN IF SURFACE-BASED. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS  
WILL GENERALLY BE AFTER 6 AM OR SO.  
 
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES MONDAY:  
 
ALL RAIN SHOULD CLEAR THE AREA BY MID-MORNING. DESPITE THE COLD  
FRONT CLEARING THROUGH, IT WILL NOT MAKE IT VERY FAR SOUTH  
DURING THE DAY MONDAY, ALLOWING HIGHS TO STAY IN THE MIDDLE 50S  
TO LOWER 60S. LOWS MONDAY NIGHT WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE 30S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 330 PM CST SUN DEC 15 2024  
 
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH TUESDAY:  
 
WITH THE WAVE AND JET STREAM LIFTING NORTH AND STAYING OUT OF  
OUR AREA, THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL NOT MAKE IT VERY FAR  
SOUTH. RECENT DETERMINISTIC MODELS LIFT THE BOUNDARY BACK  
THROUGH OUR AREA TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM TUESDAY NIGHT.  
ALL THIS WILL KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL TUESDAY WITH  
HIGHS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 50S AND LOWS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER  
30S.  
 
NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN COMES TUESDAY NIGHT (30-60% CHANCE):  
 
THE NEXT WAVE WILL BE A BIT MORE DYNAMIC WITH A MORE ELONGATED  
TROUGH AXIS AND PV FINGER. THIS WILL BRING ANOTHER SURFACE COLD  
FRONT THROUGH THE AREA, FORCING ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN. MOISTURE  
RETURN AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM WILL BE MORE MODEST WITH ONLY A  
SMALL WINDOW BETWEEN THE EXIT OF MONDAY'S SYSTEM AND THE  
ENTERING OF THIS ONE. THEREFORE, CHANCES ARE A BIT LOWER AT  
30-60% WITH LOWER PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS (GENERALLY LESS THAN  
0.5"). THE HIGHEST CHANCES WILL BE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL MO.  
 
WITH MORE MEAGER MOISTURE RETURN, THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL ALSO  
BE LOWER. LATEST SREF GUIDANCE ONLY GIVES A 10-30% CHANCE FOR  
MUCAPE >100 J/KG, WITH MEAN VALUES AT 50-75 J/KG. IF  
THUNDERSTORMS WERE TO DEVELOP, THE BEST CHANCE FOR THEM WOULD BE  
ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-44. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS  
TIME WITH THIS SYSTEM. EVEN IF INSTABILITY WERE TO OVERPERFORM  
THE CURRENT MODEL OUTPUT, DEEP-LAYER SHEAR IS LIKELY (80-90%)  
TO STAY BELOW 30 KTS.  
 
TRENDING TO NEAR NORMAL THROUGH END OF THE WEEK:  
 
WITH A MORE ELONGATED TROUGH AXIS, AND THE SOUTHEAST DIGGING  
PATH OF THE WAVE, THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MAKE IT WELL  
THROUGH OUR AREA, BRINGING BACK COOLER AIR. THIS WILL BRING  
TEMPERATURES BACK TO THE NORMAL RANGE THROUGH THE END OF NEXT  
WEEK. HIGHS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 40S WITH LOWS IN THE 20S.  
IT WILL BE A COOLING TREND, SO HIGHS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 40S  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, AND DOWN INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S  
NEXT WEEKEND. LOWS WILL FOLLOW THE COOLING TREND WITH UPPER 20S  
MIDWEEK, AND LOWER 20S NEXT WEEKEND.  
 
THERE IS CERTAINLY POTENTIAL FOR LOWER TEMPERATURES THAN WHAT IS  
CURRENTLY FORECAST FOR NEXT WEEKEND. NBM DETERMINISTIC IS CLOSER  
TO THE 60TH PERCENTILE, WITH THE 25TH PERCENTILE HAVING HIGHS  
IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S AND LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE  
TEENS. CLUSTER ANALYSIS SHOWS VERY STARK DIFFERENCES BETWEEN  
ENSEMBLE SYSTEMS. THE ECMWF HAS A MUCH DEEPER AND COLDER TROUGH  
MOVING THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND WHILE THE GEFS DOES NOT. WHICH  
SOLUTION PLAYS OUT WILL DETERMINE HOW COLD TEMPERATURES GET.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1200 PM CST SUN DEC 15 2024  
 
DETERIORATING AVIATION CONDITIONS WILL MOVE INTO ALL TAF SITES  
AFTER 00Z. MEDIUM-HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT LOW CEILINGS AND DRIZZLE  
WILL SURGE IN FROM THE SOUTH AFTER 00Z, LOWERING FLIGHT  
CATEGORIES TO MVFR. CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER AND  
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS LIGHT SHOWERS SHOULD DEVELOP WITHIN THE  
REGION AFTER 03Z (30-60% CHANCE), BRINGING CONDITIONS TO IFR. AS  
A COLD FRONT DROPS IN FROM THE WEST, ISOLATED TO SCATTERED  
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT (20-40%  
CHANCE FOR SGF AND JLN, AND A 60-70% CHANCE FOR BBG). THE CHANCE  
FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL CLEAR ALL TAF SITES BY 10Z, LIKELY  
EARLIER FOR JLN AND SGF.  
 
ACCORDING TO THE 12Z HREF SUITE, THERE IS A LOW (10-30%) CHANCE  
FOR PERIODS OF LIFR CEILINGS BETWEEN 00-15Z, ESPECIALLY FOR SGF  
AND BBG. DURING THE FROPA, THE CHANCE INCREASES TO 50-70% RIGHT  
ALONG THE FRONT (06-12Z FOR JLN; 9-13Z FOR SGF AND BBG). CLOUDS  
SHOULD CLEAR THE AREA BY THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
LASTLY, WINDS WILL BEGIN OUT OF THE SOUTH AT 10-15 KTS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 20-25 KTS AT TIMES. THESE WILL SLOWLY SHIFT TO  
WESTERLY OVERNIGHT DURING THE FROPA, SETTLING ON NORTHWESTERLY  
BY 14Z.  
 

 
   
SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
KS...NONE.  
MO...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...PRICE  
LONG TERM...PRICE  
AVIATION...PRICE  
 
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