934  
FOUS30 KWBC 300047  
QPFERD  
 
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
847 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2025  
 
DAY 1  
VALID 01Z WED JUL 30 2025 - 12Z WED JUL 30 2025  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF  
THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS AND FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST...  
 
OVERALL, THE RISK AREAS STRONGLY RESEMBLE CONTINUITY. SOME CARVING  
OUT OF THE RISK AREAS HAS BEEN MADE TO ACCOUNT FOR PLACES WHERE THE  
THREAT APPEARS TO BE DIMINISHED WHERE CONVECTION HAS MOVED ALONG.  
 
   
..ROCKIES EASTWARD INTO THE MIDWEST  
 
AN INSTABILITY GRADIENT EXISTS FROM THE SD/NE BORDER INTO CENTRAL  
IA WHICH IS SUPPORTING FORWARD PROPAGATING CONVECTION ACROSS SD,  
WHICH PER THE 18Z HREF IS A FEW HOURS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AS OF 00Z.  
POST-FRONTAL UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY LED TO  
AFTERNOON STORM DEVELOPMENT IN A COUPLE SECTIONS OF THE ROCKIES.  
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST UPSCALE DEVELOPMENT INTO A COUPLE  
MCS'S. ML CAPE VALUES OF 6000+ J/KG EXISTS FROM NE INTO IA. PWATS  
ARE 1.5-2" IN THE MIDWEST AND 0.75" IN THE HIGH PLAINS, OR 1.5 TO  
2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE THE LATE JULY MEAN. THIS COMBINATION  
SUPPORTS INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAINFALL WITH  
HOURLY RAIN AMOUNTS UP TO 2.5-3" PER HOUR IS POSSIBLE.  
INSTANTANEOUS RAIN RATES OF 5-7" AN HOUR WOULDN'T BE SURPRISE NEAR  
THE AREA OF STRONGEST INSTABILITY. LOCAL TOTALS IN THE 3-6" RANGE  
ARE POSSIBLE OVERALL THROUGH WEDNESDAY 12Z. THIS CONTINUES TO  
SUPPORT HIGHER- END SLIGHT RISK PROBABILITIES FOR AREAS IN AND NEAR  
IA.  
 
   
..SOUTHWEST  
 
THUNDERSTORMS ARE INBOUND INTO SOUTHERN NM FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER.  
THIS ACTIVITY SUPPORTS THE ADVERTISED FLASH FLOOD RISK FOR THE AREA  
THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. HOURLY RAIN AMOUNTS OF 1-2" ARE  
POSSIBLE. THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS NEAR AREA BURN SCARS.  
 
   
..SOUTHEAST  
 
ACTIVITY PERSISTS ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS AND SOUTHEAST, WHICH  
SHOULD PERSIST FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. OTHER ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE IN  
THE MORNING HOURS NEAR SOUTHERNMOST NC.  
 
ROTH/PUTNAM/CHENARD  
 
DAY 2  
VALID 12Z WED JUL 30 2025 - 12Z THU JUL 31 2025  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF  
THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND FOR PORTIONS OF THE FRONT RANGE  
AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS...  
   
..2030Z UPDATE  
 
CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW IN THE EXACT CONVECTIVE EVOLUTION ACROSS  
THE MISSOURI TO THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND ADJACENT GREAT  
LAKES REGION ON WEDNESDAY. NOW AVAILABLE HI-RES GUIDANCE FOLLOWS  
PRIOR THINKING THAT AN ONGOING MCS FROM THE DAY 1 PERIOD WILL  
CONTINUE EASTWARD ACROSS THE SLIGHT RISK AREA, MOST LIKELY FROM  
CENTRAL/EASTERN IOWA INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL  
CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ARE APPARENT SOUTH AND  
WEST OF THE INITIAL MCS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WESTWARD  
THROUGH THE MISSOURI VALLEY ALONG ANY OUTFLOW BOUNDARY(S), THE SLOW  
MOVING COLD FRONT, AND SUPPORTED BY THE PASSAGE OF AN UPPER- LEVEL  
SHORT-WAVE. DEPENDING ON HOW/WHERE AVAILABLE HIGHER INSTABILITY  
AND PWATS ARE PRESENT IN VICINITY OF THESE FEATURES AWAY FROM  
CONVECTIVE OVERTURNING, THESE FEATURES WOULD SUPPORT A CONTINUED  
THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS (1-2"+/HR RATES)  
AND HEAVIER RAINFALL TOTALS (2-3"+). THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHERE  
ANY STORMS REPEAT OVER ANY PRIOR RAINFALL AND/OR TRAIN PARALLEL TO  
ANY OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES OR THE SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. A CORRIDOR OF  
HIGHER PROBABILITIES MAY BE REQUIRED GIVEN THE SIGNAL FOR HEAVY  
DOWNPOURS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING AND/OR MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF  
CONVECTION. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE NOTED UNCERTAINTIES WITH THE  
LOCATION OF ONGOING AND RENEWED CONVECTION THAT WOULD DETERMINE A  
MORE SIGNIFICANT THREAT, A BROAD SLIGHT RISK REMAINS SUFFICIENT.  
 
FOR THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND ADJACENT PLAINS, THE  
PRIOR FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK BASED ON NOW AVAILABLE HI-RES  
GUIDANCE. THE ONE ADJUSTMENT MADE FOR THIS ISSUANCE WAS TO EXTEND  
THE SLIGHT RISK FURTHER SOUTH/SOUTHWEST ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO  
TO THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAIN VICINITY GIVEN A NOTABLE SIGNAL FOR  
LOCALLY HEAVIER RAINFALL (1-3") AND ONGOING BURN SCAR  
SENSITIVITIES.  
 
PUTNAM  
   
..PREVIOUS DISCUSSION  
 
   
..MID MS VALLEY  
 
AT 12Z WEDNESDAY IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME DEGREE OF  
ORGANIZED CONVECTION ONGOING IN THE VICINITY OF IA. IT APPEARS  
PROBABLE THAT A BETTER DEFINED SHORTWAVE/MCV WILL BE ASSOCIATED  
WITH THIS CONVECTION AND SLOWLY MOVE EAST ACROSS IA/MO/IL AND  
VICINITY WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MEANWHILE WE WILL HAVE A  
SLOWLY SOUTHWARD SHIFTING COLD FRONT HELPING FOCUS CONVERGENCE, AND  
THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE UPPER JET ADDING SOME DIVERGENCE  
ALOFT. WITH PLENTIFUL CAPE NEAR THE FRONT AND PWS LOCALLY OVER 2",  
THE INGREDIENTS FOR AREAS OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ARE IN PLACE.  
 
THERE IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THE CONVECTIVE  
DETAILS WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THERE HAS BEEN A SUBTLE  
NORTHWARD SHIFT IN THE FORECAST MCV LOCATION, SEEMINGLY NOW  
TRACKING ACROSS IA INTO NORTHERN IL. HOWEVER THE NORTHERN EXTENT  
OF THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL RISK WILL LIKELY BE CAPPED BY A LACK OF  
INSTABILITY WELL NORTH OF THE COLD FRONT. THE 00Z ECENS AND AIFS  
ENSEMBLES ARE FOCUSING THE BEST RAINFALL POTENTIAL FROM EASTERN IA  
INTO NORTHERN IL. THIS SEEMS REASONABLE, ALTHOUGH THE MAGNITUDES  
REMAIN IN QUESTION AND ARE DEPENDENT ON THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY  
IN PLACE. THE BETTER INSTABILITY MAY ACTUALLY RESIDE OVER PORTIONS  
OF CENTRAL MO INTO CENTRAL IL, AND SO IF CONVECTION IS ABLE TO  
ORGANIZE THIS FAR SOUTH THEN A GREATER FLASH FLOOD RISK COULD  
EVOLVE. ALL THIS TO SAY THAT CONFIDENCE IS LOW, AND THUS A BROAD  
SLIGHT RISK REMAINS TO ENCOMPASS THE VARIOUS POSSIBLE SCENARIOS.  
HIGHER END IMPACTS ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS SETUP, BUT FAR FROM  
GUARANTEED GIVEN THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN REGARDING THE MCV  
TRACK/INTENSITY AND INSTABILITY IN PLACE.  
   
..SOUTHWEST AND HIGH PLAINS  
 
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL LIKELY DEVELOP NEAR AREAS OF  
TERRAIN FROM NM INTO THE ROCKIES. DAY SHIFT INTRODUCED A SLIGHT  
RISK FOR THIS ACTIVITY, AND THAT STILL SEEMS REASONABLE. EASTERLY  
LOW LEVEL FLOW INTO THE FRONT RANGE OF CO WILL LIKELY RESULT IN  
SLOW CELL MOTIONS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AT LEAST ISOLATED FLASH  
FLOODING. GUIDANCE IS COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT THAT SOME  
UPSCALE GROWTH AND EASTWARD PROPAGATION INTO NORTHEAST NM,  
SOUTHEAST CO AND THE OK PANHANDLE IS PROBABLE AS WELL, FOCUSING  
NEAR THE COLD FRONT.  
   
..ELSEWHERE  
 
A BROAD MARGINAL RISK EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL GULF COAST ALL THE  
WAY INTO PORTIONS OF NEW ENGLAND. HIGH PWS AND CAPE AND CONVECTIVE  
COVERAGE WILL DRIVE THE RISK FROM THE GULF COAST INTO THE TN  
VALLEY. A LACK OF ORGANIZATION MAY KEEP FFG EXCEEDANCE COVERAGE  
DOWN, BUT HIGH RAINFALL RATES WILL LIKELY LOCALLY APPROACH OR  
EXCEED FFG. A COLD FRONT WILL DRIVE THE RISK FORM PORTIONS OF THE  
OH VALLEY INTO NEW ENGLAND. GENERALLY QUICK CELL MOTIONS AND THE  
LACK OF A SIGNIFICANT QPF FOOTPRINT IN THE 00Z MODELS KEEP THIS  
RISK AT A MARGINAL LEVEL.  
 
CHENARD  
 
DAY 3  
VALID 12Z THU JUL 31 2025 - 12Z FRI AUG 01 2025  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ACROSS PORTIONS OF  
THE MID-ATLANTIC INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...  
   
..2030Z UPDATE  
 
UPDATED DETERMINISTIC AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE HAS COME INTO SOMEWHAT  
BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE NOTED FOCUSED CORRIDOR OF QPF ALIGNING  
WITH THE SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC  
NORTHEASTWARD INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, PARTICULARLY WITH THE  
NORTHWARD EXTENT OF THE THREAT. THE 12Z GFS/GEFS MEAN AS WELL AS  
THE LATEST ECMWF AIFS GUIDANCE STILL SUPPORT A BIT MORE SOUTHERLY  
CORRIDOR, ROUGHLY FROM DC TO CHESAPEAKE BAY AND VICINITY  
NORTHEASTWARD ALONG I-95 THROUGH PHL AND TO NYC, THOUGH HIGHER QPF  
VALUES EXTEND FROM THE NYC VICINITY INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THE  
00Z ECENS MEAN AND ESPECIALLY 12Z ECMWF FAVOR A CORRIDOR SHIFTED A  
BIT MORE NORTH/WEST OF I-95, WITH PARTICULAR UNCERTAINTY WITH  
SOUTHERN EXTENT INTO THE GREATER DC AREA, THOUGH STILL SUPPORT  
HIGHER QPF EXTENDING INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. OPTED TO BROADEN  
THE SLIGHT RISK A BIT FURTHER NORTHWARD ACROSS NEW YORK/NEW ENGLAND  
WITH A PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR HIGHER- END SLIGHT RISK IMPACTS  
EXTENDING FURTHER NORTH THROUGH THE NYC REGION AND INTO SOUTHERN  
NEW ENGLAND GIVEN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH NORTHWARD EXTENT ALONG THE  
I-95 CORRIDOR BETWEEN THE GFS/GEFS AND ECWMF- AIFS. THE SOUTHERN  
EXTENT OF THE SLIGHT RISK, AS WELL AS CONCERN FOR HIGHER- END  
SLIGHT IMPACTS INTO THE GREATER DC AREA, REMAINS DESPITE THE LACK  
OF SUPPORT FORM THE ECMWF/ECENS MEANS GIVEN THE NOTED UNCERTAINTY  
DISCUSSED WITH RESPECT TO SYNOPTIC SCALE DETAILS OF THE SYSTEM  
EVOLUTION.  
 
PUTNAM  
   
..PREVIOUS DISCUSSION  
 
   
..MID-ATLANTIC INTO NEW ENGLAND  
 
HEAVY RAINFALL AND AT LEAST SOME FLASH FLOODING APPEARS LIKELY  
THURSDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC AND POSSIBLY INTO  
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. CONVECTION IS LIKELY TO FOCUS ALONG A SLOW  
MOVING COLD FRONT, WITH BROAD MID LEVEL TROUGHING AND HEIGHT FALLS  
PROVIDING LARGE SCALE ASCENT. THE UPPER LEVEL JET IS DISPLACED  
PRETTY FAR NORTH, HOWEVER STILL LIKELY TO GET SOME ENHANCED UPPER  
LEVEL DIVERGENCE INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC FROM THIS FEATURE.  
 
THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF MODEL SPREAD WITH THE DETAILS OF THIS  
CONVECTIVE RISK. THE DRIVER OF MOST OF THIS SPREAD APPEARS TO BE A  
SHORTWAVE/MCV THAT INTENSIFIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NE/IA  
CONVECTION TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS FEATURE THEN TRACKS  
EASTWARD AND ENHANCES LIFT OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST.  
SOME MODELS HAVE A STRONGER MORE WELL DEFINED FEATURE, WHICH THEN  
HELPS KEEP THE FRONT A BIT FARTHER NORTH RESULTING IN A FARTHER  
NORTH QPF AXIS. AT THE MOMENT IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE 00Z NAM AND 12Z  
ECMWF ARE A BIT TOO AMPLIFIED WITH THIS FEATURE...THUS FIND IT  
UNLIKELY THAT THE HEAVIEST QPF SWATH WILL BE AS FAR NORTH AS THEY  
DEPICT. THE 00Z ECMWF CAME SOUTH A BIT, BUT PROBABLY STILL TOO FAR  
NORTH. BOTH THE 00Z ECMWF AIFS AND 18Z NOAA EAGLE MACHINE LEARNING  
ENSEMBLES SHOW HIGHEST PROBABILITIES CLOSER TO THE I95 CORRIDOR,  
GENERALLY FROM DC TO PHL TO NYC AND INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THIS  
ALSO SEEMS TO FIT THE EXPECTED PLACEMENT OF HIGHER INSTABILITY/PW  
OVERLAP. ALSO WILL NOTE THAT THE 00Z RRFS HAS A VERY SIMILAR AXIS  
AS WELL. THUS THE SLIGHT RISK WILL REMAIN POSITIONED ACROSS THIS  
CORRIDOR, ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE ON THIS EXACT PLACEMENT REMAINS  
AVERAGE AT BEST GIVEN SOME OF THE RUN TO RUN DIFFERENCES WE ARE  
SEEING.  
 
WHEREVER THE EVENT DOES FOCUS THERE IS CERTAINLY A POTENTIAL FOR  
HIGHER END IMPACTS. PWS NEAR THE SLOW MOVING FRONT WILL BE OVER 2"  
OVER A BROAD AREA, WITH EMBEDDED VALUES LIKELY GETTING TOWARDS  
2.3". WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE PLENTY OF INSTABILITY TO WORK WITH, WHICH  
COMBINED WITH THE HIGH PWS, SHOULD DRIVE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES.  
COMBINE THAT WITH SOME TRAINING POTENTIAL NEAR THE SLOW MOVING  
FRONT, AND CAN NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF EVENTUALLY NEEDING A  
MODERATE RISK...ESPECIALLY IF THE MORE SENSITIVE URBAN CORRIDOR  
REMAINS A FOCUS GOING FORWARD.  
   
..GULF COAST INTO OH VALLEY  
 
ANOTHER DAY OF SLOW MOVING PULSE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED OVER A  
LARGE SWATH OF THE REGION. SIMILAR TO WEDNESDAY, HIGH PWS AND CAPE  
AND CONVECTIVE COVERAGE WILL DRIVE A LOCALIZED FLASH FLOOD RISK. A  
LACK OF ORGANIZATION MAY KEEP FFG EXCEEDANCE COVERAGE DOWN, BUT  
HIGH RAINFALL RATES WILL LIKELY LOCALLY APPROACH OR EXCEED FFG.  
   
..ROCKIES INTO THE PLAINS  
 
SCATTERED CONVECTION IS LIKELY FROM EASTERN AZ INTO NM NORTHWARD  
ALL THE WAY INTO MT. CURRENTLY NOT SEEING A STRONG INDICATION OF  
ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD LEAD TO SLIGHT RISK LEVEL FLASH FLOOD  
COVERAGE. HOWEVER LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE  
OVER THIS BROAD REGION. THERE ARE SOME HEIGHT FALLS BEGINNING TO  
APPROACH FROM THE WEST, SO THAT COULD PERHAPS END UP DRIVING A  
MORE ORGANIZED RISK SOMEWHERE WITHIN THIS BROAD MARGINAL RISK. BUT  
AT THE MOMENT NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO GO WITH ANY SLIGHT RISK  
AREAS FOR THIS REGION.  
 
CHENARD  
 
DAY 1 THREAT AREA: HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/QPF/94EPOINTS.TXT  
DAY 2 THREAT AREA: HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/QPF/98EPOINTS.TXT  
DAY 3 THREAT AREA: HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/QPF/99EPOINTS.TXT  
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