768  
FXUS21 KWNC 191736  
PMDTHR  
US HAZARDS OUTLOOK  
NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
300 PM EDT APRIL 19 2024  
 
SYNOPSIS: ON APRIL 27 AND 28, A SURFACE LOW AND TRAILING COLD FRONT ARE  
FORECAST TO TRACK EASTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY  
RAINFALL ARE MOST LIKELY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TO CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS AND LOWER  
TO MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THERE IS ALSO AN ELEVATED RISK OF HIGH WINDS AND  
ENHANCED WILDFIRE DANGER ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS ON APRIL 27. DUE TO A  
SERIES OF MID-LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS FORECAST OVER THE WEST THROUGH THE END  
OF APRIL, AN INCREASED CHANCE OF LATE-SEASON SNOWFALL EXISTS OVER THE HIGHEST  
ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN TO CENTRAL ROCKIES.  
 
HAZARDS  
 
MODERATE RISK OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION FOR PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN  
PLAINS AND MIDDLE TO LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, SAT-SUN, APR 27-28.  
 
SLIGHT RISK OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION FOR PARTS OF THE GREAT PLAINS, MIDDLE TO  
LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, AND LOWER OHIO VALLEY, SAT-FRI, APR 27-MAY 3.  
 
MODERATE RISK OF HIGH WINDS FOR PARTS OF THE SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN  
PLAINS, SAT, APR 27.  
 
SLIGHT RISK OF HIGH WINDS FOR PARTS OF THE SOUTHWEST, ROCKIES, AND GREAT  
PLAINS, SAT-FRI, APR 27-MAY 3.  
 
FLOODING POSSIBLE FOR PARTS OF EASTERN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.  
 
DETAILED SUMMARY  
 
FOR MONDAY APRIL 22 - FRIDAY APRIL 26:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/THREATS/THREATS.PHP  
 
FOR SATURDAY APRIL 27 - FRIDAY MAY 03: THE GEFS AND ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEANS ARE IN  
GOOD AGREEMENT INDICATING AN AMPLIFIED 500-HPA TROUGH EJECTING FROM THE WEST TO  
THE GREAT PLAINS BY APRIL 27. DESPITE THIS GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT ON THE EVOLVING  
500-HPA PATTERN, DETERMINISTIC GFS AND ECMWF MODEL RUNS HAVE DIVERGED AT THE  
SURFACE HEADING INTO WEEK-2. THE 0Z ECMWF MODEL FAVORS A FASTER SHIFTING COLD  
FRONT TO THE SOUTH ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS PRIOR TO WEEK-2, WHILE THE LATEST  
GFS MODEL RUNS DEPICT A SURFACE LOW AND SHARP DRY LINE OVER KANSAS, OKLAHOMA,  
AND NORTHERN TEXAS THROUGH APRIL 27. THE DETERMINISTIC GFS MODEL AND ITS  
ENSEMBLE MEAN IMPLY A GREATER RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN AND  
CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS EARLY IN WEEK-2, COMPARED TO THE ECMWF MODEL. REGARDLESS  
OF EXACTLY HOW THE SURFACE PATTERN EVOLVES, THE UNCALIBRATED 24-HOUR  
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS FROM THE GEFS AND ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN SUPPORT A  
CONTINUATION OF THE MODERATE RISK (AT LEAST A 40% CHANCE) OF HEAVY  
PRECIPITATION FROM THE CENTRAL TO SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS EAST TO THE LOWER AND  
MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON APRIL 27 AND 28. GIVEN THE DIVERGING MODEL  
SOLUTIONS, THE MODERATE RISK OF HIGH WINDS WAS REDUCED IN SPATIAL COVERAGE AND  
IS ONLY VALID ON APRIL 27. ANY GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE  
WILDFIRE RISK AND MAY CAUSE BLOWING DUST, ESPECIALLY OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE  
AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA.  
 
A PAIR OF AMPLIFIED 500-HPA TROUGHS ARE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN PERIODS OF  
SNOWFALL ACROSS THE NORTHERN TO CENTRAL ROCKIES THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF  
APRIL. SINCE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIMITED TO THE HIGHEST  
ELEVATIONS, A SNOW HAZARD IS NOT DEPICTED.  
 
THE GEFS AND ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEANS FEATURE ANOTHER AMPLIFIED 500-HPA TROUGH  
ENTERING THE WEST BY THE END OF APRIL, SUPPORTING SLIGHT RISKS OF HIGH WINDS  
AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION VALID THROUGH MAY 3. MINOR TO MODERATE RIVER FLOODING  
IS ONGOING FOR PARTS OF EASTERN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. BASED ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF  
ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION DURING THE NEXT WEEK TO TEN DAYS, A POSSIBLE FLOODING  
HAZARD CONTINUES FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH WEEK-2.  
 
THE GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN DEPICTS A PERSISTENT 500-HPA TROUGH OVER THE ALEUTIANS  
AND WESTERN ALASKA DURING MUCH OF WEEK-2. ALTHOUGH THIS WOULD FAVOR ENHANCED  
ONSHORE FLOW INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA, PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS  
ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW HAZARDS THRESHOLDS.  
 
FORECASTER: BRAD PUGH  
 

 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab HPC Page Main Text Page