Heavy Snow in Minnesota, April 16 to 17, 2014

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
413 AM CDT WED APR 16 2014

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 412 AM CDT WED APR 16 2014

THE MAJOR WINTER STORM IS THE MAIN FOCUS FOR THE SHORT TERM. THE
MODELS ARE COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT CONCERNING HEAVY SNOW THAT
WILL QUICKLY DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTHLAND TODAY. SNOW WAS ALREADY
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THIS EARLY MORNING. WHEN WE STARTED OUR SHIFT
AT MIDNIGHT...ALL THE PRECIPITATION WAS BASICALLY GOING INTO
SATURATING THE LOW LEVELS WITH NO SURFACE REFLECTION ON AREA
OBSERVATIONS. AS OF 4 AM...SNOW HAD BROKEN OUT ACROSS AN
INCREASINGLY LARGER AREA OF CENTRAL MN...WITH VSBYS NOW DOWN TO AS
LOW AS 3/4 MILE JUST SOUTH OF THE CWA. AREA RADARS SHOW PCPN
EXTENDING WESTWARD INTO THE DAKOTAS. TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM THE
SINGLE DIGITS IN THE TIP OF THE ARROWHEAD...TO THE LOWER 30S
AROUND THE KBRD AREA.

HIGH RESOLUTION SHORT TERM MODELS WERE GENERALLY DOING A DECENT
JOB AT PICKING UP THE GENERAL AREA AND TIMING OF THE CURRENT SNOW
AREA. WE SHOULD SEE SNOW CONTINUE TO BLOSSOM ON THE RADAR AS THE
MORNING WEARS ON WITH HEAVY SNOW BECOMING LIKELY ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA.

THE MAIN MODEL SOLUTIONS FROM 00Z HAD SLOWED THINGS DOWN A BIT
FROM PREVIOUS RUNS...A RESULT OF BEING DEEPER AND A BIT FURTHER TO
THE NORTH. THE MODEL RUN SNOW ACCUMULATION IS SHOWING SOME VERY
IMPRESSIVE AMOUNTS...AND THE SREF PLUMES CONTINUE TO TREND HIGHER
AS WELL. AS A RESULT...HAVE MADE SOME MINOR CHANGES TO HEADLINES
AND ALSO INCREASED SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN MUCH OF THE SOUTH. HAVE
ADDED A FEW COUNTIES TO THE ADVISORIES...AND ALSO ISSUED A WARNING
FOR THE ARROWHEAD. THINK THEY COULD SEE SOME IMPRESSIVE AMOUNTS
MORESO TONIGHT AND ON THURSDAY...AS THE LOW WRAPS UP AND TAKES ON
MORE OF A NEGATIVE TILT. EASTERLY WINDS WILL NO DOUBT CONTRIBUTE
TO HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG THE NORTH SHORE.

THE SREF PLUME MEAN VALUES NOW SHOW ABOUT 15 INCHES AT
DULUTH...WITH THE LOWEST MEMBER BEING AT ABOUT 8 INCHES. THE RUN
SNOW ACCUMULATION VALUES RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 INCHES ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. WHILE THAT MAY BE A BIT
HIGH...THE TREND HAS DEFINITELY BEEN A BIT HIGHER. WITH INTENSE
FRONTOGENESIS...WE SHOULD SEE SNOWFALL RATES AT SOME POINT OF 1 TO
2 INCHES AN HOUR POSSIBLE. H3 DIVERGENCE IS ALSO IMPRESSIVE DUE TO
A COUPLED JET. OVERALL...WILL GO LITTLE TO NO SNOW AT
INTERNATIONAL FALLS...AND ROUGHLY 8 TO 14 INCHES OR A BIT MORE IN
SPOTS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN 1/3 TO HALF OF THE CWA. COULD SEE A BIT
OF A MIX IN FAR SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF NW WI...BUT WILL GO WITH
MAINLY SNOW AT THIS POINT.

THE SNOW WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST TONIGHT AND IN THE
ARROWHEAD ON THURSDAY.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 412 AM CDT WED APR 16 2014

THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE
NORTHLAND IN THE WAKE OF THE EXITING STORM SYSTEM AFFECTING US
TODAY. THIS SHOULD PROVIDE A CLEARING TREND EARLY FRIDAY AND SUNNY
SKIES FOR MOST OF DAYTIME FRIDAY. THE SUNSHINE WILL WARM UP THE PINE
TREES WELL...SO I INCREASED HIGHS FOR AREAS WELL INLAND FROM LAKE
SUPERIOR. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.

THE WEEKEND...THE MODELS ARE IN POOR AGREEMENT CONCERNING
TIMING/PLACEMENT/AMOUNTS OF PCPN ASSOCIATED WITH A MID/UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH AND THAT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA AND THE
AMERICAN NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE NORTHLAND. THE GFS/NAM/SREF ARE
MUCH SLOWER THAN GEM AND ECMWF. I USED A WIDE BLEND FOR PCPN
CHANCES...BUT I LEANED ON THE SLOWER MODELS WITH THE THINKING THAT
IT WILL TAKE TIME TO SATURATE AIR IN THE RELATIVELY DRY CONDITIONS
IN THE REGION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE. DEPENDING ON THE TIMING AND
MOVEMENT OF THE TROUGH...SATURDAY OR SUNDAY COULD BE DRY AND SUNNIER
THAN FORECAST. FOR NOW...I HAD TO USE A BLEND THAT INCORPORATES BOTH
THE FASTER AND SLOWER MODELS. FOR THE MOST PART...THE PCPN APPEARS
TO BE RAIN. HOWEVER...I HAD TO ADD A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW AT TIMES
IN CASE THE PCPN MOVES DURING THE COLDER TIMES EARLY IN THE MORNING.

EARLY NEXT WEEK...MUCH WARMER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO START OFF THE
WORK WEEK MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD KEEP THE REGION DRY
MONDAY...BUT THERE COULD BE A STALLED FRONT THAT BEGINS TO LIFT AS A
WARM FRONT TUESDAY. THIS COULD BRING PCPN TO THE FORECAST AREA
TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AS SUGGESTED BY THE GFS. THE FRONT IS FARTHER
SOUTH IN THE ECMWF...AND KEEPS THE NORTHLAND MAINLY DRY FOR TUESDAY.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE NEAR NORMAL...HIGHS IN THE 50S AND LOW 60S.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1225 AM CDT WED APR 16 2014

VFR CONDITIONS THIS EVENING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH APPROXIMATELY
09Z...AS MID AND HIGH CLOUDS INCREASE OVER THE AREA. SNOW TO
SPREAD INTO KBRD 09Z-12Z...KDLH AND KHYR 12-15Z...AND THEN KHIB
15-18Z. CONDITIONS IN SNOW TO GRADUALLY FALL THROUGH MVFR TO IFR
AND REMAIN THERE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY...WITH KBRD...KDLH AND KHYR
EVEN GOING TO LIFR. NORTHEAST WINDS TO INCREASE AFTER 15Z...AND
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 FOR ALL THREE
SITES AS WELL. IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR TO BEGIN FOR KBRD AFTER
01Z...BUT IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS CONTINUING AT KDLH AND KHYR THROUGH
REMAINDER OF TAF PERIOD. KHIB TO REMAIN ON THE NORTHERN FRINGE OF
THE STORM AND EXPECT NO WORSE THAN IFR VIS AND MVFR CIGS 21Z-02Z
IN LIGHT SNOW. KINL TO REMAIN VFR UNTIL LOW CLOUDS SPREAD IN AFTER
02Z WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DLH  28  19  35  21 / 100 100  20  10
INL  34  14  37  17 /  10  10  10  10
BRD  32  21  38  23 / 100  50  10  10
HYR  32  24  38  17 / 100 100  20  10
ASX  31  23  36  19 / 100 100  50  10

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR MNZ033>036-038.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR MNZ025-026.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON CDT
     THURSDAY FOR MNZ012-021.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 AM CDT
     THURSDAY FOR MNZ020-037.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 AM CDT
     THURSDAY FOR MNZ019.

WI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR WIZ006.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 AM CDT
     THURSDAY FOR WIZ001>004-007>009.

LS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 AM CDT
     THURSDAY FOR LSZ121-140>142-148.

     GALE WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR
     LSZ143>147.

&&

SHORT TERM...DAP
LONG TERM...GROCHOCINSKI
AVIATION...LE

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
120 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014

MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-161030-
KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-
NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE-
SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-SOUTHERN ITASCA-
SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN AITKIN-
CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-ASHLAND-IRON-
BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE-
120 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SNOW WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA.
A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST ON
WEDNESDAY WITH HEAVY WET SNOWFALL OVER PARTS OF NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. WINTER STORM HEADLINES ARE
IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. PLEASE READ THE
LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS...AND PLEASE
STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THIS WINTER STORM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE NORTHLAND DURING THE DAY
WEDNESDAY. DURING THE PEAK OF THE STORM LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING AND
INTO THE AFTERNOON...SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR
WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE I-35 CORRIDOR NORTHEAST TO AROUND
ASHLAND AND INTO MUCH OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN...INCLUDING U.S.
HIGHWAYS 2 AND 53. IN ADDITION...GUSTY EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS
WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY
IN OPEN AREAS AND ADJACENT TO LAKE SUPERIOR. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
RAPIDLY DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

LATER THIS WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND...TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN A
WARMING TREND...AND SNOWMELT WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST ONCE AGAIN
LEADING IN INCREASED RUNOFF INTO AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS.
THUS...RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN A SECOND RISE THIS WEEKEND
AND NEXT WEEK.  AT THIS TIME...NO MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED ON ANY
OF THE MAJOR RIVERS ACROSS NORTHEAST MINNESOTA OR NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN. HOWEVER...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THE SMALLER
TRIBUTARY STREAMS AND RIVERS...ESPECIALLY THOSE ALONG THE NORTH
SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR...AND ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE IN NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN COULD SEE AN INCREASED FLOODING THREAT DUE TO THE
INCREASED RUNOFF OR FROM ICE JAMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY
NIGHT.

LSZ121-140>148-161030-
BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN-
GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN-
TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN-
SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-
DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI-
SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI-
120 PM CDT TUE APR 15 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

WINDS WILL BECOME EAST-NORTHEAST TONIGHT...AND RAPIDLY INCREASE ON
WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THE 20 TO 35 KNOT RANGE...WITH
SOME GUSTS ABOVE 40 KNOTS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...RESULTING IN WAVE HEIGHTS BUILDING TO 6 TO 10 FEET IN NON
ICE COVERED AREAS. THIS WILL RESULT IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT ACROSS ALL OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

IN ADDITION...THE WIND AND WAVE ACTION WILL LIKELY RESULT IN
SIGNIFICANT PILING UP OF LAKE ICE ON ANY SHORELINES...HARBORS...SHIP
CANALS OR HARBOR APPROACHES THAT ARE EXPOSED TO AN EAST OR NORTHEAST
WIND DIRECTION.  THIS COULD ALSO RESULT IN HAZARDOUS OR DANGEROUS
CONDITIONS FOR LARGER LAKE-GOING VESSELS.

TENTINGER/MILLER

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DULUTH (ALL LOWER CASE)