663  
FXUS64 KMEG 181100  
AFDMEG  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN  
600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2026  
   
..NEW AVIATION
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
ISSUED AT 600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2026  
 
- A COLD FRONT WILL BRING INCREASED RAIN CHANCES SATURDAY WITH  
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ANTICIPATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY.  
 
- NEAR-NORMAL TEMPERATURES RETURN BEHIND THIS FRONT SUNDAY AND  
MONDAY. A WARMING TREND WILL INCREASE TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID  
80S BY MIDWEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
(TONIGHT THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 1027 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2026  
 
AFTER A NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE DAY, AN ANOMALOUSLY WARM  
APRIL NIGHT IS ON DISPLAY WITH CURRENT TEMPERATURES, AS OF 10 PM  
CDT, IN THE 70S WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS AT THE SURFACE. WHILE  
WE'RE PRETTY CALM HERE IN THE MID-SOUTH, TO OUR NORTHWEST, A LINE  
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM CHICAGO, IL THROUGH OKLAHOMA  
CITY, OK AHEAD OF A CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER SOUTHERN MANITOBA,  
CANADA. A COLD FRONT IS EXTENDING FROM THIS CLOSED LOW WITH THE  
AFOREMENTIONED SEVERE STORMS OUT IN FRONT OF IT. AS WE HEAD INTO  
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, SHOWERS WILL BEGIN CREEPING INTO OUR AREA AS  
THIS LINE CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTHEAST. INSTABILITY WILL LARGELY  
REMAIN DISPLACED TO OUR NORTHWEST RESULTING IN THIS LINE GREATLY  
DECAYING AS IT MOVES INTO OUR AREA. THOUGH A FEW EMBEDDED RUMBLES  
OF THUNDER IN THE MAIN LINE OF SHOWERS CAN'T BE RULED OUT THROUGH  
MID-MORNING.  
 
AS WE HEAD INTO THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS, WHEN PEAK  
HEATING OCCURS, EXACT DETAILS ON HOW THIS LINE PERFORMS BECOMES A  
LITTLE MORE FUZZY AS FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE A VERY SKINNY  
CAPE PROFILE WITH AROUND 40 KTS OF EFFECTIVE SHEAR AND FORECAST  
MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 6.5 C/KM. IF CAPE AND PARAMETERS ARE  
ABLE TO BE REALIZED, A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD  
MATERIALIZE MAINLY OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI WITH PREDOMINATELY  
GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. THOUGH THIS WINDOW WILL BE SHORT AS  
ONCE THE COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE AREA, BY THE MID TO LATE  
AFTERNOON, INSTABILITY AND OUR DEWPOINTS TAKE A DIVE. SHOWERS  
WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH THROUGH THE  
EVENING HOURS. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE ON THE LOWER  
END WITH THIS SYSTEM EQUATING UP TO ONE INCH, HIGHEST AMOUNTS  
OVER NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. UNFORTUNATELY TOMORROW'S RAINFALL  
WILL HAVE LITTLE TO NO POSITIVE IMPACT ON ONGOING DROUGHT  
CONDITIONS.  
 
A COOL AND DRY AIRMASS WILL FILTER IN BEHIND THIS COLD FRONT  
BRINGING SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 60S TO  
LOWER 70S FOR SUNDAY AND CHILLY MORNINGS BOTH INTO MONDAY WITH  
LOWS IN THE 40S. THOUGH WITH DRIER AIR, COMES DECREASED DEWPOINTS  
AND LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AROUND 25-30%. FIRE WEATHER DANGER  
WILL BECOME A CONCERN SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY WEEK AS FORECAST TEN  
HOUR DEAD FUEL MOISTURE MEANDERS AROUND 10%. RED FLAG WARNINGS  
ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AS WINDS BEHIND THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT WILL  
BE LIGHT. THOUGH RANGELAND FIRE DANGER STATEMENTS WILL LIKELY BE  
WARRANTED. BY TUESDAY, DEWPOINTS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE AS RETURN  
FLOW AND INCREASED SOUTHWEST WINDS FILTER IN WARMER AIR AND WEAK  
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING BEGINS TO BUILD OVER THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI  
VALLEY. A WARMING TREND WILL BEGIN, EDGING TEMPERATURES INTO THE  
MID 80S BY MID TO LATE WEEK. LOOKING AHEAD, ENSEMBLES ARE HINTING  
AT A SHIFT IN THE UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN TO MORE WET AND UNSETTLED  
BY NEXT FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND, HOWEVER, WE ARE A LITTLE TOO  
FAR OUT TO BANK ON THIS EVOLUTION.  
 
AEH  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(12Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2026  
 
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS CROSSING JBR AT THE  
BEGINNING OF THE 12Z CYCLE. N/NE STORM MOTION WILL MOVE ACROSS  
THE AIRSPACE IN THE COMING HOURS THREATENING GUSTY WINDS,  
LOWERING OF CIGS, AND REDUCTION OF VISIBILITIES. THIS LINE SHOULD  
PASS THROUGH TUP BY 00Z WITH A NORTHERLY WIND COMPONENT. HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL QUICKLY BUILD IN AND SKIES COULD CLEAR QUICKLY.  
GUIDANCE IS OFTEN TOO QUICK TO BRING A RETURN TO VFR, BUT IF  
SKIES DO CLEAR, ANY RAIN COOLED SURFACES COULD RESULT IN FOG  
DEVELOPMENT.  
 
DNM  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
ISSUED AT 1027 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2026  
 
FIRE WEATHER DANGER RETURNS ON SUNDAY AND INTO EARLY WEEK AS  
MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES DROP TO 25-30%. 20FT WINDS AT  
THIS TIME WILL BE LIGHT, BUT DEAD FUEL MOISTURE NEAR 10 PERCENT  
MAY NECESSITATE A RANGELAND FIRE DANGER STATEMENTS. FIRE WEATHER  
POTENTIAL WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE BY TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS  
DEWPOINTS INCREASE.  
 

 
 
   
MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
AR...NONE.  
MO...NONE.  
MS...NONE.  
TN...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
PUBLIC FORECAST...AEH  
AVIATION...DNM  
 
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