Special Weather Statement, NWS La Crosse, WI

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
645 PM CDT Wed Sep 21 2016

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday)
Issued at 358 PM CDT Wed Sep 21 2016

Rain...rain...go away! Unfortunately that doesn't seem very likely
as we wrap up the work week, with the main forecast concern being
timing, placement, and amounts of additional heavy rainfall...not to
mention the potential for severe storms into this evening. Midday
analysis places a warm front just touching our far southwestern CWA,
slowly bowing northward courtesy of diurnal mixing, with dew points
making a sizable jump toward the lower 70s west of the Mississippi
River. In the presence of quite steep low/mid level lapse rates,
that added moisture has led to CAPE values surging into the 3000+
J/kg range, with all focus for the next couple of hours on the
potential for severe storms. Overall deep shear isn't terribly
impressive, but 0-1/0-2km shear is rather impressive in the 30-40
knot range, with good turning right along the warm front. Given
lower LCL heights and said shear, can't at all rule out a few
tornadoes developing the next few hours, in addition to the
potential for some pretty large hail given normalized CAPE values of
around 0.4...indicative of some impressive instability. Could see
individual storms merge into more of a cluster with time with
perhaps an increasing wind threat.

Not to be forgotten, the even larger issue in the longer term
remains heavy rain potential into tonight and perhaps much of
Thursday as well. Approach of our next ripple in the flow and
associated even deeper surge of tropical moisture from the remnants
of Paine should work in tandem with another nocturnal increase in
low level jet forcing/moisture transport to deliver another
expanding axis of convection somewhere across the area. That
"somewhere" may ultimately be just a touch farther north than seen
last night as the better mass convergence focuses initially
along/north of I-94, but with hints among recent runs of CAM
guidance that we will see another southward drift with time - in
line with Corfidi vector propagation. Given PWAT values near the top
of the chart for late September and the tropical tap/strong elevated
instability/3-4km warm cloud depths, don't have any reason why
storms won't produce another 2-3 inches where they persist, with
localized amounts again up to 5 inches as noted with last night's
convection. Of course, exact placement is all but impossible to nail
down even at this hour, but suffice it to say flash flooding
concerns remain high, especially with many areas primed last night
with heavy rains.

Beyond tomorrow morning, don't have the best feeling how things will
play out, but with the warm frontal boundary still draped nearby and
persistent lift/instability near that feature, can't at all rule out
periods of showers and storms hanging tight through Thursday night
and even into Friday. Should see southern areas increasingly become
capped with time into Friday as upper troughing digging through the
Rockies builds sharp ridging aloft across the Mississippi valley.

.LONG TERM...(Friday Night through Wednesday)
Issued at 358 PM CDT Wed Sep 21 2016

Looking like the active weather pattern will continue into early
next week, with quite the upper trough (very fall-like) progged by
the majority of medium range guidance to work east through the
Plains into Saturday. Modest height falls, upper divergence, and
enhanced jet help should ignite yet another axis of showers and
likely some thunder across much of the region into Saturday night,
with some potential for severe storms pending timing given increased
shear aloft. There remains some question about how fast this system
will progress, with the ECMWF steadfast in its idea of a much slower
progression as more energy rounds the trough base and works a
frontal wave through the area toward Tuesday or Wednesday. The GFS
meanwhile also remains steadfast with its faster solution and a much
farther north closing off of an upper level low into early next
week. At this point, don't have any reason to go one way or the
other but the overall idea is still for continued rain chances at
various times, with perhaps a trend toward much cooler conditions
toward midweek. Will have to watch this pattern closely as the last
thing we need here is additional heavy rainfall (or any rain for
that matter), and the potential is there for another bout of
widespread heavier precipitation into the weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Thursday evening)
Issued at 645 PM CDT Wed Sep 21 2016

Convection continues to expand north of the warm front over
northern Iowa. The latest run of the HRRR lifts this northeast and
into KRST early this evening with MVFR conditions possible. More
activity expected to develop along the nearly stationary cold
front that extends from southwest Minnesota into northern
Wisconsin as the low level jet impinges on it. This should bring
a line of storms south into both airports overnight with IFR/MVFR
conditions expected. Once this line moves by, some suggestion by
the hi-res meso scale models that the rest of Thursday could then
be dry. For now will go with VFR conditions behind the line of
storms with VCSH in the event it does not end up being all that
clean.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 358 PM CDT Wed Sep 21 2016

Plenty of water yet to come per our current forecast, with flash
flooding concerns first and foremost the main concern overnight.
Many spots along and either side of the Mississippi picked up a
solid 2-4 inches overnight with some flash flooding/mud slides
noted. Additional forecast rainfall of 2-3 inches with localized
much higher amounts under any training storms should have little
trouble producing additional flash flood concerns tonight, though
the exact location of heaviest rain does remain somewhat in
question.

Looking longer term, river flooding on most if not all river
systems will become a bigger issue the next few days, with hints
that we may well see another bout of heavy rain later Saturday
into Sunday. We definitely don't need that, but given the setup,
don't be shocked to see upward trends on river forecasts over the
next couple of days.

&&

.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...Flash Flood Watch through Thursday evening for WIZ017-029-
     032>034-041>044-053>055-061.

MN...Flash Flood Watch through Thursday evening for MNZ079-086>088-
     094>096.

IA...Flash Flood Watch through Thursday evening for IAZ008>011-018-
     019-029-030.

&&

SHORT TERM...Lawrence
LONG TERM...Lawrence
AVIATION...04
HYDROLOGY...Lawrence

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
305 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-
032>034-041>044-053>055-061-221100-
MITCHELL-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE-
CLAYTON-WABASHA-DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-
TAYLOR-CLARK-BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-JUNEAU-
ADAMS-VERNON-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-GRANT-
305 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST
IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND FROM SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT. PERIODIC THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS HEAVY
RAIN WHICH WILL RESULT IN RIVER AND FLASH FLOODING. IN
ADDITION...THERE IS A THREAT FOR LARGE HAIL...ISOLATED
TORNADOES...AND DAMAGING WINDS...ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. DUE TO THIS...A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS TIME PERIOD.

PERIODIC STORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. AT
THIS TIME...THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING
AND HEAVY RAINS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

RAINFALL REPORTS AND OBSERVATIONS OF FLOODING SHOULD BE PASSED
ALONG TO US. WIDESPREAD SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT
A FEW GROUPS MAY BE NEEDED IF DAMAGING WIND OR TORNADOES DEVELOP.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED.

SHEA

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PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
807 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0744 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 ENE MARBLE ROCK       42.97N 92.85W
09/21/2016  M70 MPH          FLOYD              IA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            .

&&

TMS

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
812 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0812 PM     HAIL             TOMAH                   43.99N 90.50W
09/21/2016  M0.25 INCH       MONROE             WI   PUBLIC

            .

&&

TMS

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
818 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0815 PM     FLASH FLOOD      GREENWOOD               44.77N 90.60W
09/21/2016                   CLARK              WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WIDESPREAD FLOODING OCCURRING ACROSS MUCH OF
            CLARK COUNTY, WITH NUMEROUS ROADS
            IMPASSABLE. .

&&

LAWRENCE

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
844 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

IAZ010-011-029-220230-
FAYETTE-ALLAMAKEE-WINNESHIEK-
844 PM CDT WED SEP 21 2016

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN FAYETTE...
WESTERN ALLAMAKEE AND WINNESHIEK COUNTIES...

AT 842 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MABEL TO NEAR
FREDERICKSBURG. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
ADDITIONALLY TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS AND
MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH
FLOODED ROADWAYS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
DECORAH...WAUKON...POSTVILLE...CALMAR...OSSIAN...NEW ALBIN...
HAWKEYE...SPILLVILLE...FORT ATKINSON...WAUCOMA...CASTALIA...ST.
LUCAS...JACKSON JUNCTION...RICHFIELD...ALPHA AND FESTINA.

LAT...LON 4317 9208 4347 9176 4350 9142 4350 9122
      4345 9123 4343 9122 4311 9154 4287 9208
TIME...MOT...LOC 0142Z 244DEG 44KT 4341 9166 4296 9215

AJ