Special Weather Statement, NWS Twin Cities, MN

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
636 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday)
Issued at 330 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016

The short term forecast revolved around convection both tonight
along the MN/WI border, and also Wednesday and Wednesday night.
Flooding is the main concern. Considering the forecast analogs which
continue to show Sept 22 2010 as a top match, there is potential for
high end significant flooding, which is discussed further in the
Hydrology section of the AFD.

From a meteorology perspective, folks in north central IA are
enjoying a warm fall day with temperatures in the mid 80s and
dewpoints in the 40s, which does not exactly support heavy rain and
flooding. However just to the west low to mid 70 dewpoints are in
place along the Missouri River, and this plume of low level moisture
will be a key ingredient for heavy rain. Another key is the frontal
boundary that will stall out across the region, and allow for
repeated rounds of convection. Lastly, the tropopause height on the
Bufkit soundings exceed 150 mb by Wednesday night indicating a
tropical airmass and potential to over-achieve in terms of heavy
rain and flooding.

Those are the ingredients, and it appears that convection will
develop after sunset along the aforementioned frontal boundary. This
will gradually slide southeast along the MN/WI border, but could
produce heavy rain as it does. There is a secondary risk for severe
wind and hail highlighted by the SPC slight risk area. There should
be a break on Wednesday morning according to the HiRes models, but
with the warm front in place did not go completely dry. Increased
pops again Wednesday late afternoon as storms should begin to fire
in concert with a destabilizing atmosphere south of the front.

.LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday)
Issued at 330 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016

The heavy rainfall and flooding remain the primary weather threats
into Thursday. Depending on overall convective trends during the day
Wednesday...Wednesday night into Thursday still looks to be the
greatest risk periods for excessive rainfall.

We issued the flash flood watch earlier with confidence high enough
to include portions of the cwa through Thursday.

The nearly stationary frontal boundary is forecast to remain across
southern MN and will remain the focus for convection and heavy rain.
PW's continue to increase into Wednesday night pushing the 2 inch
value across the southeast cwa as a weak surface low lifts northeast
along the frontal boundary. This should focus the heavy rain
potential along and south of this boundary. Forcing from the strong
300hpa polar jet across southern Canada and increased moisture
convergence into system will generate 1 to 3 inch QPF amounts across
the watch area during this period. Totals are pushing 2 to 4 inches
for an average coverage for the region. We certainly have the
potential of locally high amounts...with the 12z CIPS analog once
again pointing to the Sept 2010 event.

As the northern stream trough finally exits to the east into
Thursday...the frontal boundary is expected to sag south over Iowa
...and should decrease the coverage area of any significant
accumulation. The models suggest the western CONUS trough will
advance east into Friday and this will lift the front back north as
a warm front. Later Friday into Saturday. This will increase the
convective chances once again. As the trough travels east into the
weekend...the models diverge on handling the possibility of
developing a cut off circulation. The GFS has been fairly consistent
with a more progressive trough/polar jet across the northern
CONUS...so will continue to move pops east through Sunday night.
Will hold onto some small chance pops to the east for the remainder
of the long term...in case the trough slows more toward the ECMWF
solution...and collaboration purposes.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening)
Issued at 636 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016

SHRA/TSRA will develop this evening across southern MN and
progress slowly ESE during the night. Current thinking is that
much of the activity will be to the east of KRWF and south of KMSP
and KEAU. As the night progresses, low level moisture will be on
the increase with MVFR ceilings/visibilities likely by daybreak
for all sites but KSTC and KAXN. The low ceilings will prevail
through the day as a nearly stationary front meanders across
southern MN and WI. Another round of TSRA is likely Wednesday
afternoon and evening. This time the storms will likely be farther
north and more across the Twin Cities and point east.

KMSP...Elevated instability is evident this evening across the
local area with rather extensive ACCAS. A very tight and strong
gradient in instability exists currently along the MN/IA border.
Storms will develop along this gradient this evening and reach up
to near the Twin Cities by 06z and persist through the overnight
hours. Used VCTS with tempo SHRA with confidence higher on
thunderstorms over southern MN. Kept the forecast of low ceilings
and visibilities for late in the night and through the day on
Wednesday due to a frontal boundary to our south. ENE winds 10
knots or less through the period.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
Thu...MVFR. IFR likely with SHRA/TS. Wind SE 10-20 kts.
Fri...MVFR possible. Wind E 5-15kts.
Sat...VFR with MVFR/SHRA possible. Wind SE at 10g15kt.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 330 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016

In addition to the flash flood potential, river flooding is a threat
heading into the weekend. Soils remain very saturated, crops are
done taking in water, and river levels are at substantially higher
levels than normal for September (in fact, well above what we were
seeing in June and July). Running the models with current 48 hour
QPF (1.5 to 3 inches) shows a number of rivers in south
central/eastern MN and western WI rise quickly to near flood stage;
however, only an additional inch or two of mean areal precipitation
in any one basin would cause major rises to well above flood stages.
We'll be closely watching the Cannon, Zumbro, Blue Earth, Straight,
and lower Chippewa (WI) Rivers along with all tributaries to see how
the precipitation develops.

&&

.MPX Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
WI...Flash Flood Watch from 10 PM CDT this evening through Thursday
     evening for WIZ024-026-028.

     Flash Flood Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday
     morning for WIZ014>016-023-025-027.

MN...Flash Flood Watch from 10 PM CDT this evening through Thursday
     evening for MNZ067-069-070-074>078-082>085-091>093.

     Flash Flood Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday
     morning for MNZ051>053-059>063-066-068.

&&

SHORT TERM...JRB
LONG TERM...DWE
AVIATION...RAH
HYDROLOGY...CCS

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
128 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016

MNZ051>053-059>063-066>070-074>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-
023>028-211200-
SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-
GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-CHIPPEWA-
EAU CLAIRE-
128 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT.
FLASH FLOODING IS THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WIND IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF THE AREA FOR
TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SEVERAL INCHES ADDITIONAL INCHES OF RAIN
ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WHICH COULD CAUSE FLOODING.
THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE FLOODING TO BE WIDESPREAD AND
SIGNIFICANT...ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.

THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

MNZ041>045-047>050-054>058-064-065-073-211200-
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-
YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-REDWOOD-
128 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. THE THREAT
FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SEVERAL INCHES ADDITIONAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE
WEEKEND WHICH COULD CAUSE FLOODING. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS
LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
749 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016

WIZ028-210115-
EAU CLAIRE-
749 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN EAU CLAIRE COUNTY...

AT 748 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER FALL
CREEK...OR 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF EAU CLAIRE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

HALF INCH HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
AUGUSTA...FALL CREEK...FAIRCHILD...LUDINGTON...LAKE EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
PARK...ALLEN AND BRACKETT.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 94 IN WISCONSIN BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 75 AND
80.

LAT...LON 4466 9137 4484 9135 4483 9092 4461 9092
      4460 9093
TIME...MOT...LOC 0048Z 270DEG 37KT 4475 9128

RAH