Category Archives: Forecast Discussion

More Active Pattern Early Week…

The Corn Belt and parts of the Ohio Valley will be in a favorable position for periods of storminess as we progress through the early portions of the new week.

It’s an admittedly tricky pattern when it comes down to the all-important details (timing, track, etc.), but just know from this distance, it’s a pattern conducive for thunderstorm development and localized flash flooding.

The region will be located on the NE flank of a hot dome centered to our SW.
The region will be located on the NE flank of a hot dome centered to our SW.

Disturbances love to ride northwest to southeast around the periphery of the ridge.  Accordingly, the subtle northwest flow aloft will likely send a couple disturbances into the region over the early week stretch.

NWFlowThe atmosphere will be loaded with moisture and precipitable water values (2″+) will promote localized flash flooding within the storm complexes.

MoistureWe think the initial wave of storms will ride southeast late tonight and early Monday and could encompass SW portions of the forecast area.  The pattern is favorable for additional storm complexes to travel southeast Tuesday and Wednesday, however.

With the moisture content in the atmosphere, localized flash flooding will result where training takes place.  We caution that this won’t be a uniform event (some neighborhoods will see a half inch of rain this week while others may see as much as 3″-4″).  We’ll have to treat each complex as they come and fine tune the specifics within the forecast.

No Comments Flooding, Forecast Discussion, Heavy Rain, T-storms

Storms Fire Later This Afternoon And Evening For Some…

It’s a nice start to the day, though patchy dense fog is impacting some communities this morning.  Sunshine will burn through the fog over the next hour, or two.

Screen Shot 2016-07-29 at 7.43.54 AMThat said, things will change as we progress into the prime heating hours of the afternoon and evening.  Upper level energy will rotate east out of the Plains (this morning) and across Indiana this afternoon and evening.

UntitledThis will help ignite thunderstorm development during the afternoon and evening.  While a storm could impact any given neighborhood this evening, best concentration of storms should lie north of the I-70 corridor.  Locally heavy rain will be a good bet with the stronger storms.  Localized rainfall amounts in excess of 2″ will be possible.

hrrr_ref_indy_13Additional scattered thunderstorm activity will continue Saturday, but there will be many more dry hours than wet/ stormy.

Looking ahead, a shot of heat will come out next week (lower 90 potential), but this will be transient.  By the 8-10 day period, we’re back into an active NW flow type look.  You know the drill by now.  That means potential storm complexes and the worst of the heat to our west, relative to averages.

ecmwf-ens_z500a_us_11

No Comments Forecast Discussion, Forecast Models, Heavy Rain, Summer, T-storms

Thursday Evening Rambles…

1.) A big ole ridge will supply oppressive heat and humidity across the Mid West this weekend.  Unseasonably hot temperatures will combine with downright “soupy” air to create heat indices between 105-110 degrees across central IN this weekend.  Take it easy and implement frequent breaks if your plans take you outdoors.

HeatIndex

2.) Similar to what we’re seeing on radar this evening, thunderstorms will also make an appearance from time to time for some.  With an atmosphere loaded with moisture, any storm that develops will be plenty capable of producing “frog straggler” type rainfall rates.  Perhaps there will be a couple periods of more concentrated storm activity, focused on late tomorrow night and early Saturday, and again late Saturday night-Sunday morning.  We’ll keep an eye on things.

LateFriNight

3.)  The pattern is one (as has been the case all summer) that’s transient and the situation that develops to wrap up July and open August is an all-too-familiar look around these parts: NW flow aloft that offers storm potential, along with seasonal to slightly warmer than average.  It’s a wet look, overall.

WetPattern

10-Day GFS rainfall numbers are impressive across the Mid West. Soaking rains for many. Courtesy Weatherbell.com
10-Day GFS rainfall numbers are impressive across the Mid West. Soaking rains for many. Courtesy Weatherbell.com

This is what the upper air pattern should look like as we close July- 10 days from now (hard to believe)!

July31st

4.)  Looking further ahead, the latest JMA Weeklies continue to suggest the most sustained hot pattern should remain across the west as we rumble deeper into August.  That’s not to say we won’t deal with periods of hot weather here at times, but sustained heat will be hard to come by with such a pattern…

Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 7.48.29 AM

Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 7.48.39 AM

No Comments 10-day, AG Report, Forecast Discussion, Forecast Models, Heavy Rain, Summer, T-storms, Unseasonably Warm, Weather Rambles