259  
FXUS21 KWNC 241814  
PMDTHR  
US HAZARDS OUTLOOK  
NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
300 PM EDT SEPTEMBER 24 2024  
 
SYNOPSIS: HEAVY RAINFALL IS FORECAST ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST, EXTENDING  
THROUGH THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC DURING  
WEEK-1 RELATED TO TROPICAL STORM HELENE AND ITS REMNANTS. WHILE THE SYSTEM IS  
FORECAST TO DISSIPATE BY THE START OF WEEK-2, FLOODING IMPACTS ARE LIKELY TO  
CONTINUE OVER THESE AREAS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OVER PARTS OF FLORIDA AND THE  
SOUTHEAST DURING WEEK-2 COULD FURTHER EXACERBATE FLOODING CONCERNS.  
ABOVE-AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND A MORE TRANQUIL PATTERN ARE FORECAST ELSEWHERE  
ACROSS THE CONTIGUOUS U.S. (CONUS). SURFACE LOW PRESSURE MAY BRING WIND AND  
RAIN IMPACTS TO PARTS OF SOUTHERN ALASKA AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE PERIOD.  
 
HAZARDS  
 
SLIGHT RISK OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST, WED-SAT,  
OCT 2-5.  
 
FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST, APPALACHIANS, SOUTHERN  
MID-ATLANTIC, AND THE TENNESSEE AND MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS.  
 
RISK OF RAPID ONSET DROUGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND  
NORTHEASTERN TEXAS.  
 
DETAILED SUMMARY  
 
FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27 - TUESDAY OCTOBER 01:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/THREATS/THREATS.PHP  
 
FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 02 - TUESDAY OCTOBER 08: AS OF 2PM EDT TODAY, THE  
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER (NHC) FORECASTS TROPICAL STORM HELENE TO INTENSIFY  
INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE STRIKING THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST LATER THIS  
WEEK. THE REMNANTS OF THIS SYSTEM ARE FORECAST TO TRACK INLAND AND CURVE  
NORTHWESTWARD RESULTING IN HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDING NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN  
MID-ATLANTIC AND APPALACHIANS, AND WESTWARD INTO THE TENNESSEE AND MIDDLE  
MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS FORECAST TO OCCUR PRIOR TO THE  
START OF WEEK-2, ALTHOUGH CONTINUED FLOODING REMAINS POSSIBLE OVER THESE AREAS.  
LINGERING CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT MAY RESULT IN SOME AREAS OF PRECIPITATION OVER  
THE EASTERN U.S., BUT COVERAGE IS FAVORED TO BE MORE SPORADIC AND LOWER TOTALS  
ARE FORECAST COMPARED TO WEEK-1. THERE ARE SOME ENHANCED PRECIPITATION SIGNALS  
IN THE ECENS PROBABILISTIC EXTREMES TOOL (PET) ACROSS THE NORTHEAST EARLY IN  
WEEK-2, BUT GIVEN THE LACK OF ANTECEDENT HEAVY PRECIPITATION IN WEEK-1, AND THE  
UNCERTAINTY REGARDING A MORE ORGANIZED SYSTEM VERSUS LINGERING MOISTURE FROM  
THE REMNANT CIRCULATION PRECLUDES A RELATED PRECIPITATION HAZARD. GREATER  
CONCERN EXISTS ACROSS FLORIDA WHERE ENHANCED SOUTHERLY FLOW MAY BRING  
ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAIN DURING WEEK-2, WHICH COULD WORSEN ONGOING  
FLOODING IMPACTS IN THE WAKE OF HELENE. THE ECENS PET DEPICTS A 20-40 PERCENT  
CHANCE 3-DAY RAINFALL TOTALS EXCEED THE 85TH CLIMATOLOGICAL PERCENTILE AND  
1-INCH OVER PORTIONS OF FLORIDA AND THE COASTAL SOUTHEAST DURING THE EARLY AND  
MIDDLE PARTS OF WEEK-2. WHILE THE GEFS PET DOES NOT SHOW A STRONG SIGNAL, THE  
UNCALIBRATED 0Z ECENS AND 0Z GEFS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT DEPICTING ENHANCED  
RAINFALL ACROSS THE LOWER SOUTHEAST DURING WEEK-2. THEREFORE, A SLIGHT RISK OF  
HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS HIGHLIGHTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF FLORIDA AND THE  
SOUTHEAST, OCT 2-5.  
 
ANTECEDENT HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA FAVOR  
DECREASED CHANCES OF DROUGHT DEVELOPMENT, WITH PORTIONS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND  
NORTHEASTERN TEXAS REMAINING AT ELEVATED RISK FOR RAPID ONSET DROUGHT  
DEVELOPMENT WHERE PRECIPITATION DEFICITS OF AROUND 3-INCHES REMAIN AND  
BELOW-NORMAL PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST DURING WEEK-2. THERE IS NOTABLY A TIGHT  
PRECIPITATION GRADIENT RELATED TO TROPICAL STORM HELENE AND IT IS UNCERTAIN HOW  
MUCH MOISTURE MAKES IT INTO OKLAHOMA. THE EASTERNMOST AREAS ARE FAVORED TO HAVE  
HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS, BUT ANY WESTWARD EXPANSION COULD HELP MITIGATE DROUGHT  
CONCERNS OVER THE HIGHLIGHTED AREA.  
 
ANOMALOUSLY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST ACROSS MUCH OF THE CONUS DURING  
WEEK-2, WITH THE HIGHEST PROBABILITIES FOR ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES OVER THE  
WEST TIED TO THE ENHANCED MID-LEVEL RIDGE FORECAST OVER THE REGION. HIGH  
TEMPERATURES OVER PARTS OF THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY ARE FORECAST TO BE IN  
THE MID- TO UPPER-90S DEG F, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT (LOCALLY  
GREATER THAN 105 DEG F) OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. HOWEVER, THESE TEMPERATURES  
ARE LOWER THAN THOSE BEING FORECAST DURING WEEK-1, AND WHILE SOME LOCALIZED  
AREAS COULD REACH EXCESSIVE HEAT CRITERIA, A WIDESPREAD EVENT IS UNLIKELY GIVEN  
THE DIMINISHING HEAT CLIMATOLOGY IN EARLY OCTOBER. THEREFORE, NO RELATED  
TEMPERATURE HAZARDS ARE POSTED.  
 
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST ACROSS THE ALEUTIANS AND GULF OF ALASKA DURING  
WEEK-1 BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN  
COAST OF THE STATE. THIS SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN BY THE OUTSET OF WEEK-2,  
WITH ANOTHER AREA OF SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TAKING A SIMILAR TRACK ACROSS THE  
REGION TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE PERIOD. GIVEN THAT ALASKA IS LIKELY TO BE  
IN-BETWEEN THESE TWO WEATHER SYSTEMS AT THE START OF WEEK-2, NO RELATED HAZARDS  
ARE INDICATED, BUT MAY BE NEEDED IN FUTURE UPDATES SHOULD MODELS CONTINUE TO  
DEPICT A MORE ROBUST SECOND SYSTEM.  
 
FORECASTER: THOMAS COLLOW  
 

 
 
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