Hail in Nebraska, July 9, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
200 PM CDT TUE JUL 9 2002

...THE BIGGEST FORECAST CHALLENGE WITH TODAYS CYCLE IS THE CHANCE
OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT...

...18Z SYNOPSIS...
     ON THE MSL ANALYSIS, LOW PRESSURE WAS CENTERED IN SOUTHEAST
COLORADO AND NORTHEAST MONTANA. A FRONT COULD BE FOUND FROM
NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA TO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA, THERE WAS A HINT OF A
BOUNDARY OR FRONTOGENESIS FROM NORTHWEST TO CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE
LATEST REFLECTIVITY PICTURE FROM THE KLNX WSR-88D SHOWED BOUNDARIES
TO THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST OF A VERTEX JUST SOUTH OF VALENTINE
LINES OF CUMULUS IN THE VISIBLE SATELLITE ALSO INDICATED THOSE
BOUNDARIES AS WELL. IN THE 6.7U IMAGERY, A BAROCLINIC REGION WAS
INDICATED ABOUT ON A VTN-BFF-CYS-GJT LINE.
...MODELS...
     THE PREFERRED FORECAST SOLUTION IS A BLEND OF THIS MORNINGS
GLOBAL AND ETA THROUGH DAY4 AIR-BRUSHED WITH LAST NIGHTS GLOBAL FOR
DAYS5-7.
     DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GLOBAL AND THE ETA ARE SMALL WITH THIS
MORNINGS RUN AND, THIS MORNINGS GLOBAL SUPPORTS LAST NIGHTS
CYCLE THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY.
     YESTERDAYS ECMWF AND LAST NIGHTS GLOBAL ARE SIMILAR
THROUGH DAY4 WITH THEIR TREATMENT OF THE UPPER HIGH DEVELOPING OVER
THE SOUTHWEST STATES AND WITH THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FEATURES. SO, I
WILL USE THE GRIDS FROM LAST NIGHTS GLOBAL MODEL RUN FOR DAYS 5-7.

...FORECAST THROUGH DAY4...
     TONIGHT...THE FRONT MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS NORTHWEST INTO
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA WILL PRODUCE GOOD LIFT OVER THE
FORECAST AREA AND THE 850-700 MEAN LAYER RH ALONG THE FRONT WILL
BE 60-80 PERCENT. EXCEPT FOR NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA, THOUGH, THE
SATURATION PRESSURE DEFICITS OF LESS THAN 100MB ARE ABOVE THE 800MB
LEVEL. STILL SOME MENTION IS WARRANTED OVER THE ENTIRE FORECAST
AREA. I WILL PUT 20 PERCENT IN THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST AND INCREASE
THE PROBABILITY TO 50 PERCENT NORTH AND EAST OF A VTN-BBW LINE
WHERE 800MB DEFICITS ARE 50-100MB AND 700MB DEFICITS OF LESS THAN
20MB. WITH STEERING WIND AND STORM MOTION VECTORS OF 10-15KT, THERE
WILL PROBABLY BE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR LOW LEVEL RH TO INCREASE
SIGNIFICANTLY. SO, FOR THE NORTHEAST ZONES, I WILL USE THE COVERAGE
TERM SCATTERED FOR THUNDERSTORMS THERE WITH A 50 PERCENT POP AND
TAPER OFF TO 20 PERCENT IN CHASE, HAYES, AND FRONTIER COUNTIES.
AFTER THAT, THERE IS REALLY LITTLE CHANCE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
     THE 24HOUR 900MB TEMPERATURE TRENDS FROM TODAY TO WEDNESDAY
RANGE FROM -12F IN ONEILL TO +5F IN LISCO, AND BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AND
THURSDAY RANGING FROM -15F IN BROKEN BOW TO -6F IN GORDON. IN THE
NORTHEAST, THAT SHARP A DROP FOR EACH DAY WOULD INDICATE THAT THE ETA
GRIDDED TEMPERATURES ARE PRETTY CLOSE, BUT THE AVN HIGH TEMPERATURE
GRIDS SEEM TOO COOL FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE
NORTHEAST.

...FORECAST DAYS 5-7...
     WITH THE UPPER HIGH SLOWLY WORKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL
U.S., SUBSIDENCE WILL KEEP THE MID-TROPOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE CAP
STRONG. IN FACT, THE FORECAST 500MB TEMPERATURES FOR SUNDAY, MONDAY
AND TUESDAY ARE -4C TO -6C WITH HEIGHTS OF 5900M OR HIGHER. THE 850MB
BASED LIS DONT BECOME NEGATIVE UNTIL LATE TUESDAY AND, WITH 700-
500MB DELTA-T LESS THAN 20C, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT INSTABILITY. SO,
DESPITE THE ABUNDANCE OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE (850MB SPEC. HUM. AT OR
ABOVE 8G/KG), PRECIPITATION IS UNLIKELY. THE 850MB TEMPERATURE
FORECAST BEGINS WITH 23C IN THE EAST TO 28C IN THE WEST ON SUNDAY,
WARMING TO 24C-30C E-W MONDAY AND TUESDAY. HIGHS IN THE 90S FOR ALL
THREE DAYS SEEM REASONABLE.

.LBF...NONE.

SPRINGER