000  
FOUS30 KWBC 210803  
QPFERD  
 
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
403 AM EDT WED OCT 21 2026  
 
DAY 1  
VALID 12Z WED OCT 21 2026 - 12Z THU OCT 22 2026  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF  
THE SOUTHWEST & FOUR CORNERS WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT...  
   
..SOUTHWEST  
 
ON WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT, A DEEP LAYER CYCLONE MOVES TO POINT  
CONCEPTION AND SCOOPS UP MOISTURE FROM THE TROPICS, FLINGING IT  
INTO THE SOUTHWEST. A BROADENING ZONE OF 300-700 KG/MS OF  
INTEGRATED VAPOR TRANSPORT ENVELOPS THE SOUTHWEST. NEAR THE COLD  
LOW ITSELF, MU CAPE OF ~500 J/KG AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF  
1-1.3" WITH UP TO 30 KTS OF ONSHORE FLOW AT 850 HPA IS FORECAST,  
WHICH WOULD SUPPORT HOURLY AMOUNTS TO 2" WHERE CELLS MANAGE TO  
TRAIN OR BACKBUILD WITHIN THE TERRAIN. THE ELEVATED SLIGHT RISK WAS  
MAINTAINED FOR PORTIONS OF SOCAL, INCLUDING THE COASTAL RANGES  
NORTH OF POINT CONCEPTION AND THE TRANSVERSE RANGES.  
 
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST, MU/ML CAPE IS FORECAST TO RISE TO  
1000-3000 J/KG WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE NORTH ACROSS THE GREAT  
BASIN/ROCKIES, WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RISING INTO 0.75-1.5"  
RANGE. THE INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE ALONG WITH DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE  
QPF OUTPUT APPEAR SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING SLIGHT RISK.  
HOURLY RAIN AMOUNTS TO 2.5" WOULD BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF  
AZ, NM, AND THE FOUR CORNERS IN WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED  
SPOTS DUE TO CELL TRAINING OR WHERE CELLS BACKBUILD OR MERGE.  
URBAN AREAS, BURN SCARS, SLOT/BOX CANYONS, AND DRY WASHES/ARROYOS  
WOULD BE THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALL  
ANTICIPATED.  
   
..LOWER TX COAST  
 
A LOW-LEVEL FEATURE RETROGRADING THROUGH THE NORTHWEST GULF IS  
EXPECTED TO MOVE INLAND AND POTENTIALLY LEAD TO HEAVY RAINFALL  
VERY NEAR THE PADRE ISLAND COAST. THE GUIDANCE ISN'T SURE WHETHER  
OR NOT HEAVY RAIN WILL BE ONSHORE OR OFFSHORE, SO THIS IS A  
CONDITIONAL THREAT. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RISE TO 1.5-1.75". ML  
CAPE OF 1000+ J/KG IS EXPECTED TO SLOSH ASHORE. RAISED A MARGINAL  
RISK AS A PRECAUTION.  
 
ROTH  
 
 
DAY 2  
VALID 12Z THU OCT 22 2026 - 12Z FRI OCT 23 2026  
 
...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF  
SOUTHWEST COLORADO THURSDAY/THURSDAY NIGHT...  
 
SOUTHWEST/FOUR CORNERS...  
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA REMAINS FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTHWEST/FOUR  
CORNERS ON THURSDAY AS A DEEP MID/UPPER LEVEL LOW AND ACCOMPANYING  
AMPLIFIED UPPER TROUGH MOVES FROM CA INTO THE GREAT BASIN, WITH A  
NEW MODERATE RISK FOR SOUTHWEST CO, WHICH WAS COORDINATED IN  
CONJUNCTION WITH THE GRAND JUNCTION FORECAST OFFICE. HEAVY TO  
POTENTIALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL REMAINS A CONCERN GIVEN THE  
MAGNITUDE OF THE TROPICAL MOISTURE BEING ADVECTED INTO THE REGION,  
WITH INTEGRATED VAPOR TRANSPORT OF UP TO 600 KG/MS. DEEP SOUTHERLY  
FLOW AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROUGH WILL ADVECT AN AIRMASS WITH  
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1-1.5" INTO THE REGION, VERY HIGH BY  
OCTOBER STANDARDS. FREEZING LEVELS WILL BE QUITE HIGH IN SOUTHWEST  
CO, CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS. MU CAPE IS FORECAST TO BE  
1000-2000 J/KG NEAR THE AZ/NM BORDER DURING DAYTIME HEATING, WITH  
500 J/KG VALUES NOT FAR UPSTREAM OF SOUTHWEST CO. THE INGREDIENTS  
IN PLACE STILL SUGGEST THAT AT LEAST LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS  
ARE POSSIBLE. HOURLY RAIN AMOUNTS UP TO 2.5" ARE POSSIBLE GIVEN  
THE INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE. THIS IS A HIGHER END SLIGHT RISK FOR  
PORTIONS OF AZ, NM, AND UT. URBAN AREAS, BURN SCARS, SLOT/BOX  
CANYONS, AND DRY WASHES/ARROYOS WOULD BE THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN  
WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALL ANTICIPATED.  
 
SOUTH FLORIDA...  
THE 00Z HREF/REFS ARE EITHER VERY CLOSE, OR JUST ASHORE, WITH A  
HEAVY RAIN SIGNAL ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE GOLD COAST AS MOISTURE  
RETURNS FROM THE ATLANTIC/BAHAMAS WITH INSTABILITY FROM THE GULF  
STREAM. THE CONCERN WOULD BE ANY CONVECTIVE BANDING THAT TRIES TO  
DEVELOP IN THE ANTIPARALLEL FLOW WITH HEIGHT SEEN IN THAT AREA. THE  
THREAT IS CONDITIONAL, BUT HOURLY AMOUNTS TO 2" ARE POSSIBLE SHOULD  
ANY BANDS SET UP IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, WHICH WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC IN  
URBAN AREAS.  
 
ROTH  
 
 
DAY 3  
VALID 12Z FRI OCT 23 2026 - 12Z SAT OCT 24 2026  
 
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IN AND NEAR THE  
SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS...  
 
SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS...  
THE GUIDANCE SHOWS A MODEST HEAVY RAIN SIGNAL IN AND AROUND THE  
SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND FAR WEST TX AS GULF INFLOW MOVES UPSLOPE  
INTO THE AREA AND PACIFIC MOISTURE FLOWS IN ALOFT AHEAD OF AN  
INCOMING UPPER LEVEL LOW/TROUGH AND INTEGRATED VAPOR TRANSPORT HAS  
VALUES UP TO 600 KG/MS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1-1.25" ARE  
FORECAST THERE, WHICH ARE HIGH FOR THE REGION AND FOR OCTOBER. MU  
CAPE RISES TO ~1000 J/KG. THE FLOW SHOULD BE FAIRLY UNIDIRECTIONAL  
FROM THE SOUTH, SO CELL TRAINING IS POSSIBLE SHOULD ENOUGH  
CONVECTIVE COVERAGE DEVELOP. THE GUIDANCE QPF REMAINS MODEST, SO  
LEFT THE MARGINAL RISK AS IS.  
 
SOUTH FLORIDA...  
THE GLOBAL GUIDANCE IS EITHER VERY CLOSE, OR JUST ASHORE, WITH A  
HEAVY RAIN SIGNAL ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE GOLD COAST AS MOISTURE  
RETURNS FROM THE ATLANTIC/BAHAMAS WITH INSTABILITY FROM THE GULF  
STREAM. THE CONCERN WOULD BE ANY CONVECTIVE BANDING THAT TRIES TO  
DEVELOP IN THE ANTIPARALLEL FLOW WITH HEIGHT SEEN IN THAT AREA. THE  
THREAT IS CONDITIONAL, BUT HOURLY AMOUNTS TO 2" ARE POSSIBLE  
SHOULD ANY BANDS SET UP IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, WHICH WOULD BE  
PROBLEMATIC IN URBAN AREAS.  
 
ROTH  
 
 
DAY 4 AND DAY 5  
 
VALID 12Z SAT OCT 24 2026 - 12Z MON OCT 26 2026  
 
...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF  
THE WESTERN/SOUTHWEST U.S. AND SOUTH FLORIDA...  
 
THE CURRENT SYNOPTIC PATTERN FOR BOTH THE WESTERN CONUS AND FOR  
SOUTHEAST FL COAST MAINTAIN SIGNALS FOR HEAVY TO POTENTIALLY  
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL THIS WEEKEND. IN EACH OUTLOOK AREA...ONLY SMALL  
ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE BASED ON LATEST DETERMINISTIC AND ENSEMBLE  
GUIDANCE ON SATURDAY.  
 
GUIDANCE FOR FLORIDA REMAINED FOCUSED ON IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREAS  
AS THE PRIMARY POINT OF EMPHASIS, CORRELATING WITH THE URBAN  
CORRIDOR THAT TENDS TO BE MORE PRONE TO FLASH FLOODING GIVEN THE  
AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.  
 
THE POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FARTHER WEST TAKES SHAPE IN  
THE SOUTHWEST U.S. GENERALLY TO THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES ON  
SATURDAY THAT PROPAGATES NORTH AND EAST-WARD ON SUNDAY. THE THREAT  
WILL BE TIED TO THE ANOMALOUS MOISTURE ADVECTION INTO THE AREA  
WITH THE BEST ASCENT LOCATED WITHIN THE DOWNSTREAM DIFFLUENT FLOW  
ALOFT. SPAGHETTI PLOTS OF QPF FROM THE EC ENSEMBLES AND THE GEFS  
ON SATURDAY STILL PRIMARILY DEPICT AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE  
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AS THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN WITH SOME SIGNALS  
FOR LOCALLY 2+ INCHES. CONDITIONS SUPPORTING HEAVY TO EXCESSIVE  
RAINFALL PERSIST OVER PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS BUT THE  
NORTHERN EXTENT OF THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD WILL BE FIGHTING A FEED  
OF COOLER AND MORE STABLE AIRMASS BEING FED INTO THE REGION BY  
BUILDING SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE.  
 
BANN  
 
 
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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