Scientific Forecaster Discussion

NWS Discussion
			
				

Area forecast discussion...updated 
National Weather Service Memphis Tennessee 
1225 PM CDT sun may 19 2013 


Update... 


Updated to include 18z aviation discussion below. 


Jcl 


&& 


Discussion... /issued 1005 am CDT sun may 19 2013/ 


Skies are partly to mostly sunny across the forecast area this 
morning with temperatures ranging from the middle 70s to lower 80s. A 
few showers moved across portions of northwest Tennessee earlier 
this morning but this activity has moved into middle Tennessee. 
The remainder of the day should be dry with temperatures 
approaching 90 degrees in some areas. Will update forecast to 
remove mention of probability of precipitation for today. 


Ars 


Previous discussion... /issued 432 am CDT sun may 19 2013/ 


An upper level ridge of high pressure will continue to build into 
the middle south today. Residual troughing over eastern sections of 
the middle south this morning may continue to support isolated 
showers and thunderstorms this morning across west Tennessee and 
far northeast Mississippi in the vicinity of the Tennessee River. 
This activity should diminish later this morning as the upper 
ridging builds east and suppresses convection. Morning cloud cover 
will likely give way to mostly sunny skies this afternoon. 
Temperatures should rise into the upper 80s to around 90 degrees 
along with continued seasonably high dewpoints in the upper 60s to 
around 70 degrees. This will result in afternoon heat index values 
rising well into the 90s. 


The upper ridge will continue to move east over the next few days 
but should keep mainly dry weather in place over the middle south along 
with very warm and humid conditions through Monday. 


A potent upper level low pressure system currently over the 
central rockies will lift slowly northeast into the northern 
plains through early next week. A series of shortwave disturbances 
will swing around the southern periphery of the upper low. The 
first in a series of shortwaves will lift northeast across the 
Southern Plains into the middle Mississippi Valley later today 
into tonight. This will result in showers and thunderstorms 
developing over the central and Southern Plains which will lift 
into the middle Mississippi Valley tonight. This activity is 
expected to remain north and west of the forecast area through 
Monday. A second shortwave will likely follow a similar trajectory 
late Monday and Monday night. Thunderstorms will again develop 
over the Southern Plains Monday afternoon and evening...lifting 
northeast towards the middle Mississippi Valley Monday night. Far 
northwest portions of the middle south may be grazed by the activity 
late Monday night before lifting to the north. Plan to carry 
chance probability of precipitation over portions of northeast Arkansas and the Missouri 
bootheel after midnight Monday into early Tuesday morning. 


A third and stronger shortwave is expected to eject from the 
Southern Plains and across the middle south Tuesday night into 
Wednesday. Latest model guidance suggests that this shortwave will 
take on an increasingly negative tilt as it moves into the 
forecast area. Instability and shear should strengthen in advance 
of this feature as the shortwave overspreads a warm and humid 
airmass in place over the region. This should result in the 
development of numerous showers and thunderstorms over western 
areas by Tuesday evening that should spread northeastward across 
the remainder of the forecast area through Wednesday. The degree 
of shear and instability expected appears favorable to support the 
potential for severe thunderstorms. It still remains too early to 
provide specific details on eventual threats and magnitude of the 
severe event. Stay tuned to the latest forecast over the next 
couple of days as this potential severe weather event unfolds. 


The shortwave should lift northeast of the forecast area Wednesday 
night leaving broad troughing in place over the region into 
Thursday as the upper low to the north moves east into the Great 
Lakes region and attemps to phase with shortwave energy dropping 
south through eastern Canada. Warm and humid conditions should 
persist into Thursday with scattered showers and thunderstorms 
continuing across the area. The phasing systems over the northeast 
U.S. Should help to carve out a deeper upper trough over the 
eastern Seaboard Friday into next weekend. This should help to 
force a cold front across the middle south on Friday with high 
pressure building south. This should allow for a return to dry 
weather by next weekend along with slightly cooler and less humid 
conditions. 


Jlh 


&& 


Aviation... 


18z taf cycle (19/18z-20/18z) 


MVFR ceilings will occur at ktup until 19z...otherwise VFR 
conditions will occur at the taf sites this afternoon and 
tonight. MVFR ceilings spreading into the area from the south and 
southwest after 20/12z. Winds this afternoon at kmem...kjbr...and 
kmkl south 10-15 kts with gusts 18-22 kts...winds at ktup S 10 kts. 
Winds tonight south 6-12 kts tonight with the the strongest winds 
at kmem and kjbr. After 20/12z S-SW winds 10-15 kts...with gusts 
to 22 kts at kjbr. 


Jcl 


&& 


Preliminary point temps/pops... 
mem 73 90 72 89 / 10 10 10 30 
mkl 69 89 70 89 / 10 10 10 20 
jbr 71 88 70 86 / 10 10 20 50 
tup 69 89 68 90 / 10 0 10 10 


&& 


Meg watches/warnings/advisories... 
Arkansas...none. 
MO...none. 
MS...none. 
Tennessee...none. 
&& 


$$