Hail and Damaging Wind in Minnesota, August 2, 2009

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
626 PM CDT SUN AUG 2 2009

.UPDATE...FOR 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW

&&

.DISCUSSION.../ISSUED 128 PM CDT SUN AUG 2 2009/

MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM DEAL WITH THE POTENTIAL
OF SEVERE WEATHER AS A FAIRLY POTENT SHORT WAVE THAT WAS EVIDENT
IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY IN FAR WESTERN MT...MOVES EASTWARD
ACROSS THE DAKOTAS THIS LATE AFTN/EVENING. INITIALLY...VERY DRY
ATMOSPHERE RESIDES ACROSS THE AREA...BUT LATEST RUC ANALYSIS
INDICATED THAT MLCAPES HAVE INCREASED ACROSS EASTERN SD/FAR SW MN
SINCE 15Z. SURFACE OBS ALSO INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT MOISTENING NEAR
THE BOUNDARY LAYER AS SFC DEW POINTS HAVE SURGE INTO THE UPPER
50S/LOWER 60S IN EASTERN SD...AND FAR WESTERN MN. REGIONAL RADAR
DEPICTED A FAIRLY WELL ORGANIZED CLUSTER OF MAINLY SHRA ACROSS
NORTHERN/CENTRAL MN...AND SE ND. RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN MINOR
WITH ONLY A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH AT BEST DURING THE MORNING.
HOWEVER...THIS AREA OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD TAP AT LEAST SOME
ELEVATED INSTABILITY THIS AFTN ACROSS CENTRAL MN. IN ADDITION...AS
PER LATEST SPC RUC ANALYSIS...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE/ADVECTION SHOULD
TRANSLATE INTO AN INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTN/EVENING. DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DRY BOUNDARY LAYER
INITIALLY...AND A FAIRLY STRONG CAP ACROSS EASTERN
SD...THUNDERSTORM INITIATION WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY AFTER
21Z. NO CAP IS EVIDENT IN EASTERN MN...BUT THIS AREA ALSO REMAINS
VERY DRY. LATEST HWO HAS MORE INFORMATION RELATED TO SEVERE
WEATHER POTENTIAL.

LATER TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY MORNING...FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY
BE SOUTH OF CWA...WITH MOST OF THE LIFT AND MOISTURE SOUTH AND
EAST OF THE AREA. NEXT SHORT WAVE/ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL BE
TAPPING COOLER AIR FROM NORTHWEST CANADIAN. THEREFORE...AS THIS
FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH THE REGION LATE MONDAY
NIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING...LIMITED AMOUNT OF MOISTURE WILL INHIBIT
ANY TYPE OF WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION. A FEW SPRINKLES LOOK
BEST...AND MAINLY FOR CENTRAL MN.

ALTHOUGH THERE REMAINS SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE
AND SHORT WAVE ENERGY THROUGH THURSDAY...LARGE SCALE FORCING
REMAINS LIMITED SO PRECIPITATION CHANCE SHOULD BE MINIMAL AT BEST.
AFTER THURSDAY...THE MAIN WEATHER PATTERN WHICH HAS BEEN
ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST WITH COOL CANADIAN AIR FOR THE
PAST SEVERAL WEEKS...LOOKS TO BE CHANGING AS THE UPPER LOW THAT
HAS BEEN SPINNING OFF THE WEST COAST BEGINS TO MOVE
NORTHEAST...RIDGING WILL BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE CENTRAL
U.S. THERE REMAINS SOME CONTINUITY WITH THIS SCENARIO FOR THE PAST
SEVERAL LONG TERM MODEL RUNS. THEREFORE...SUMMER TEMPERATURES ARE
BECOMING MORE LIKELY BY THE END OF THE WEEK...AND INTO THE
WEEKEND. ONE ITEM TO NOTE...THE MAIN POLAR JET STREAM WILL MOVE
NORTHWARD ALLOWING FOR AT LEAST SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES BY THE END
OF THE WEEK. IN ADDITION TO THE RIDGE BUILDING ACROSS THE CENTRAL
PLAINS...RIDGE RIDERS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY A CONCERN WITH
CHANCES OF RAINFALL FOR FRI/SAT/SUN. ..JLT..

&&

.AVIATION.../00Z TAF ISSUANCE/
TRICKY SHORT TERM FORECAST THIS EVENING...WITH MUCH OF THE AREA
DEFINITELY PRIMED FOR STRONG STORMS INSTABILITY-WISE. THE MAIN
QUANDARIES AT THIS POINT ARE WHEN/IF THE CAP WILL ERODE...AND IF THE
CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING FRONT WILL CONNECT
WITH THE AREA OF INSTABILITY. CURRENTLY EXPECT THE AREA OF STORMS
OVER SERN ND TO DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS WEST CENTRAL MN /RIDING THE
INSTABILITY GRADIENT/. THIS COULD CLIP KAXN...AND POSSIBLY KRWF
THIS EVENING IF IT HOLDS TOGETHER. THE OTHER AREA OF INTEREST IS
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL SD...WHERE A CLUSTER OF STORMS HAS DEVELOPED ON
THE NOSE OF THE UPPER JET. PREFER THE LAPSWRF COMP REFLECTIVITY
SOLUTION...WHICH DRIVES THIS CONVECTION ACROSS SOUTHERN MN DURING
THE MID TO LATE EVENING HOURS...AND CONGEALS IT WITH THE
AFOREMENTIONED AREA OF STORMS. COULD ENVISION STORMS EVENTUALLY
AFFECTING THE WEST CENTRAL WI SITES AS WELL...BUT WOULD LIKELY NOT BE
UNTIL AROUND 05Z OR SO. OTHERWISE...THE KMSP VICINITY WILL
PROBABLY EXPERIENCE SCT LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE WAA PLUME THIS
EVE...BUT MAY ESCAPE THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. VFR CIGS ARE
EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT SITES...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WHERE TS OCCUR.
ANY CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO HAVE CLEARED EASTERN SITES /KRNH AND
KEAU/ BY 09Z. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GRADUALLY BECOME NORTHWESTERLY
TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
&&

LS/JLT

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
727 PM CDT SUN AUG 2 2009

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
031230-
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-
KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-
ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE-
727 PM CDT SUN AUG 2 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT
WILL SWEEP SOUTHEAST OVER THE AREA OVERNIGHT...GENERATING THE
THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS LOW PRESSURE ONCE
AGAIN AFFECTS THE AREA WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA OVERNIGHT.