860  
FXUS02 KWBC 051857  
PMDEPD  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
157 PM EST TUE NOV 5 2024  
 
VALID 12Z FRI NOV 08 2024 - 12Z TUE NOV 12 2024  
 
...WATCHING T.S. RAFAEL AS IT TRACKS INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO  
TOWARD THE CENTRAL GULF COAST...  
 
...FOUR CORNERS UPPER LOW TO BRING LINGERING ROCKIES SNOW AND  
AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN AND RUNOFF ISSUES TO THE SOUTH-CENTRAL  
PLAINS LATE THIS WEEK...  
 
19Z UPDATE: THE 12Z MODEL GUIDANCE SUITE FEATURES DECENT OVERALL  
AGREEMENT AMONG THE UKMET/GFS/ECMWF GUIDANCE ON FRIDAY ACROSS THE  
CONTINENTAL U.S., HOWEVER THE CMC ALREADY DIFFERS WITH THE GENERAL  
PATTERN NEAR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND ALSO ON THE OHIO VALLEY WITH  
A LEAD SHORTWAVE CROSSING THROUGH THE REGION. BY SATURDAY, THE 12Z CMC  
BECOMES MUCH LESS AMPLIFIED WITH THE TROUGH CROSSING THE PACIFIC  
NORTHWEST, AND IS NOT A FAVORED WPC SOLUTION, WHEREAS THE 00Z CMC  
SEEMED TO FIT THE PATTERN BETTER, SO SOME OF THE 00Z RUN WAS USED  
IN THE MODEL BLEND. IN TERMS OF THE TRACK FOR T.C. RAFAEL, THE GFS  
REMAINS TO THE RIGHT OF THE MODEL GUIDANCE SPREAD, WHEREAS THE  
ECMWF/UKMET SOLUTIONS ARE TO THE LEFT, AND THE CMC FASTER AND  
WEAKER. THE ICON AND JMA ARE ALSO CLOSER TO THE ECMWF SOLUTION THAT  
SUGGESTS THE STORM WILL DRIFT LEFT ACROSS THE GULF BEFORE TURNING  
AGAIN TO THE NORTH. THE LATEST NHC TRACK FEATURES A POSITION  
BETWEEN THE GFS AND UKMET SOLUTIONS. GIVEN INCREASING UNCERTAINTIES  
BY THE LATTER HALF OF THE FORECAST PERIOD EARLY NEXT WEEK, THE  
ENSEMBLE MEANS ACCOUNTED FOR UP TO HALF OF THE MODEL PREFERENCES,  
AND DROPPED THE 6Z GFS GIVEN ITS STRONGER SOLUTION WITH THE TROUGH  
ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S., WHICH DID NOT HAVE MUCH ENSEMBLE MEAN  
SUPPORT. THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION IS APPENDED BELOW FOR REFERENCE.  
/HAMRICK  
----------------  
   
..OVERVIEW
 
 
GUIDANCE HAS MAINTAINED GOOD CONTINUITY WITH MOST ASPECTS OF THE  
LARGE SCALE PATTERN EVOLUTION ALOFT. AN UPPER LOW WILL EJECT  
NORTHEASTWARD FROM NEW MEXICO WHILE PERSISTENT UPPER RIDGING OVER  
THE WESTERN ATLANTIC EXTENDS A RIDGE INTO PARTS OF THE EASTERN U.S.  
INTO THE WEEKEND, WITH RIDGING ALSO POTENTIALLY FILLING IN OVER  
THE GULF OF MEXICO AS THE MID-LEVEL REFLECTION OF RAFAEL WEAKENS.  
EJECTION OF THE UPPER LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED SURFACE SYSTEM/FRONTS  
WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL OVER PARTS OF THE PLAINS AND POSSIBLY  
OVER SOME LOCATIONS FARTHER EASTWARD, WITH RAFAEL ALSO POTENTIALLY  
CONTRIBUTING SOME MOISTURE AS IT REACHES THE NORTHERN GULF. AN  
AMPLIFYING UPPER TROUGH PUSHING INTO THE WEST WILL BECOME THE  
DOMINANT FEATURE EARLY NEXT WEEK, SPREADING RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION  
SNOW ACROSS MORE OF THE WEST BY THEN. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES  
WILL PREVAIL OVER MUCH OF THE EAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS, WHILE  
THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES WILL BE QUITE CHILLY LATE THIS WEEK UNDER THE  
UPPER LOW.  
   
..GUIDANCE/PREDICTABILITY ASSESSMENT
 
 
12Z/18Z GUIDANCE PROVIDED NUMEROUS DIFFERENCES FOR SIGNIFICANT  
FEATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD. SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO SHOW REMARKABLE  
DIVERGENCE FOR T.S. RAFAEL (FORECAST TO REACH HURRICANE STRENGTH  
FOR A TIME PER 0300 UTC NHC ADVISORY) AFTER LATE THIS WEEK, WITH  
MACHINE LEARNING (ML) GUIDANCE ALSO VARYING CONSIDERABLY BUT AS A  
WHOLE NOT LEANING AS FAR WEST AS LATEST ECMWF/UKMET RUNS OR AS FAST  
TO LIFT THE SYSTEM NORTHWARD AS GFS/CMC RUNS. MEANWHILE THE  
18Z/00Z GFS STRAYS SOMEWHAT FAST FOR THE UPPER LOW EJECTING FROM  
NEW MEXICO WHILE IT ALSO DAMPENS THE SOUTHEAST RIDGE MORE THAN  
OTHER GUIDANCE (PUSHING THE COLD FRONT FARTHER EAST/SOUTHEAST  
VERSUS CONSENSUS). SOME GFS RUNS ALSO SHOW CURIOUS INTERACTIONS  
BETWEEN INCOMING PACIFIC ENERGY AND THE UPPER LOW AROUND THE GREAT  
LAKES/SOUTHEASTERN CANADA. FINALLY, MOST ML MODELS FAVOR A FAIRLY  
AMPLIFIED UPPER TROUGH (MORE THAN ECMWF RUNS) REACHING THE WEST  
EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH FASTER TIMING THAN THE LATEST GFS RUNS.  
CONSENSUS IS SLOWER THAN UKMET RUNS IN PARTICULAR FOR THE PRECEDING  
WEAKER SHORTWAVE.  
 
GUIDANCE COMPARISONS LED TO EMPHASIZING THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF EARLY IN  
THE PERIOD WITH MINOR INPUT FROM THE 12Z UKMET, FOLLOWED BY  
REMOVING THE UKMET AND TEMPERING ECMWF INPUT BY MID-PERIOD WHILE  
INTRODUCING THE 18Z GEFS/12Z ECENS MEANS. THEN THE BLEND QUICKLY  
SHIFTED TO MOSTLY ENSEMBLE MEANS BY NEXT MONDAY-TUESDAY AS THEY  
PROVIDED THE BEST COMBINATION OF WESTERN U.S. TROUGH AMPLITUDE AND  
TIMING COMPARED TO ML GUIDANCE.  
 
   
..WEATHER/HAZARDS HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
 
THE UPPER LOW EXPECTED TO EMERGE FROM NEW MEXICO AND TRACK  
NORTHEASTWARD MAY BRING LINGERING POTENTIAL FOR MEANINGFUL SNOW TO  
PARTS OF THE COLORADO/NEW MEXICO ROCKIES INTO FRIDAY BUT WITH LOWER  
TOTALS THAN WHAT MAY OCCUR IN THE SHORTER TERM. A LITTLE SNOW COULD  
EXTEND INTO THE HIGH PLAINS. IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST, SOME HEAVY  
RAINFALL SHOULD ALREADY BE IN PROGRESS OVER PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN  
PLAINS AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD PERSIST AND  
EXPAND SOMEWHAT THROUGH FRIDAY-FRIDAY NIGHT, FAVORING MAINTENANCE  
OF THE EXISTING SLIGHT RISK AREA IN THE DAY 4 EXCESSIVE RAINFALL  
OUTLOOK WITH A MODEST BROADENING ON THE NORTH SIDE (YIELDING AN  
AREA FROM NORTHWESTERN TEXAS INTO SOUTH- CENTRAL KANSAS) TO GIVE  
SOME ACCOUNT FOR SPREAD AMONG THE SLOWER NON-GFS GUIDANCE CLUSTER.  
AS THE SURFACE SYSTEM CONTINUES EASTWARD INTO SATURDAY, THERE IS  
INCREASING SPREAD FOR WHERE HEAVY RAINFALL COULD FOCUS DEPENDING ON  
FRONTAL PROGRESSION AND DETAILS OF A POTENTIAL AXIS OF MOISTURE  
ANOMALIES EXTENDING NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO (SUGGESTING  
A CONNECTION WITH SOME OF RAFAEL'S MOISTURE). THE DAY 5 ERO  
INTRODUCES A MARGINAL RISK AREA FROM FAR EASTERN TEXAS INTO  
SOUTHERN KENTUCKY WHERE THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR MOISTURE/FRONTAL  
INTERACTION EXISTS AMONG THE NON-GFS ENVELOPE, BETWEEN THE SLOWER  
ECMWF/UKMET AND FASTER CMC. THE 0300 UTC NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER  
TRACK FOR RAFAEL WOULD LIKELY KEEP MOST OF THE ENHANCED RAINFALL  
DIRECTLY AROUND THE SYSTEM NEAR OR JUST SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL GULF  
COAST DURING THE DAYS 4-5 ERO PERIOD. EXPECT RAINFALL OF VARYING  
INTENSITY TO CONTINUE SPREADING EASTWARD/NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE  
EASTERN U.S. THROUGH SUNDAY.  
 
THE FORECAST CONTINUES TO SHOW THE NORTHWEST TRENDING WETTER WITH  
HIGH ELEVATION SNOW FROM FRIDAY ONWARD DUE TO A SUCCESSION OF  
SYSTEMS. THE LEADING ONE WILL BRING MODERATE AMOUNTS OF  
PRECIPITATION TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND FAR NORTHERN ROCKIES  
DURING FRIDAY-SATURDAY. THE NEXT SYSTEM SHOULD BE STRONGER AND MORE  
AMPLIFIED, BRINGING HIGHER TOTALS ALONG WITH EXPANDING  
SOUTHEASTWARD COVERAGE INTO CALIFORNIA AND THE INTERMOUNTAIN  
WEST/ROCKIES BY THE START OF NEXT WEEK. THERE IS STILL A FAIR  
AMOUNT OF GUIDANCE SPREAD FOR THE EXACT TIMING AND AMPLITUDE OF THE  
UPPER TROUGH, TEMPERING CONFIDENCE FOR SOME ASPECTS OF  
PRECIPITATION MAGNITUDE AND COVERAGE AT THIS TIME.  
 
THE FOUR CORNERS STATES AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS WILL SEE  
ANOMALOUSLY CHILLY TEMPERATURES CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY WITH SOME  
HIGHS 15-25F BELOW NORMAL AS THE UPPER LOW DRIFTS ACROSS THE  
REGION. THE WEEKEND WILL BRING A NOTICEABLE MODERATING TREND AS  
THE UPPER LOW DEPARTS, THOUGH PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES MAY  
NOT QUITE RECOVER BACK TO NORMAL BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE REMAINDER  
OF THE WEST SHOULD TREND TO NEAR NORMAL READINGS DURING THE  
WEEKEND AND GENERALLY INTO MONDAY. THE AMPLIFYING UPPER TROUGH  
FORECAST TO REACH THE WEST BY NEXT TUESDAY SHOULD BRING FAIRLY  
BROAD COVERAGE OF BELOW NORMAL READINGS, WITH ANOMALIES DETERMINED  
BY THE TROUGH'S TIMING AND DEPTH. MEANWHILE, ASIDE FROM NORTHERN  
NEW ENGLAND STAYING CLOSE TO NORMAL FRIDAY-SUNDAY, THE EASTERN  
U.S. PLUS THE UPPER MIDWEST/FAR NORTHERN PLAINS SHOULD SEE ABOVE  
NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE WARMEST ANOMALIES OF  
PLUS 15-20F OR GREATER SHOULD BE FOR MORNING LOWS OVER THE  
SOUTHEAST FRIDAY-SATURDAY (WHEN SOME DAILY RECORDS FOR WARM MOWS  
ARE POSSIBLE) AND THEN SPREADING NORTH-NORTHEAST AHEAD OF A FRONT  
BY SUNDAY-MONDAY. HIGHS WILL TEND TO BE 5-15F ABOVE NORMAL. THE  
SOUTHERN PLAINS MAY SEE SOME OF THIS WARMTH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS  
WELL.  
 
RAUSCH  
 
ADDITIONAL 3-7 DAY HAZARD INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE WPC MEDIUM  
RANGE HAZARDS OUTLOOK CHART AT:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/THREATS/THREATS.PHPSCHICHTEL/HAMRICK  
 
WPC MEDIUM RANGE 500MB HEIGHTS, SURFACE SYSTEMS, WEATHER GRIDS,  
QUANTITATIVE PRECIPITATION FORECAST (QPF), EXCESSIVE RAINFALL  
OUTLOOK (ERO), WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK (WWO) PROBABILITIES, HEAT  
INDICES, AND KEY MESSAGES CAN BE ACCESSED FROM:  
 
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/MEDR/5DAYFCST500_WBG.GIF  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/MEDR/5DAYFCST_WBG_CONUS.GIF  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/5KM_GRIDS/5KM_GRIDSBODY.HTML  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/QPF/DAY4-7.SHTML  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/#PAGE=ERO  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/WWD/PWPF_D47/PWPF_MEDR.PHP?DAY=4  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/HEAT_INDEX.SHTML  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/#PAGE=OVW  
 

 
 
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