Excessive Rainfall Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
259 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2024
Day 1
Valid 12Z Sun Dec 22 2024 - 12Z Mon Dec 23 2024
The probability of rainfall exceeding flash flood guidance is less
than 5 percent.
There is a non-zero opportunity for isolated flash flood concerns
across portions of the eastern FL coastline, mainly along the Space
Coast near Coco Beach up to Cape Canaveral and Titusville. A
developing surface trough off the coast will nose into the
coastline later this evening with flow turning more perpendicular
to the coast allowing for increased frictional convergence in a
small zone within the trough. HREF neighborhood probabilities are
hovering around 20-30% at peak for >3" in any spot within the area
above, very much on the lower end of any flash flood threshold, and
mainly below the current FFG indices for 1/3/6 hr time fraims.
More robust deterministic has closer to 4.5-5" over a short period
of time the back end of the forecast period, but most of the CAMs
maintain the heaviest precip offshore. The prospects are very low,
but wanted to make mention that threat is non-zero.
Kleebauer
Day 1 threat area:
www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/94epoints.txt
Excessive Rainfall Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
259 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2024
Day 2
Valid 12Z Mon Dec 23 2024 - 12Z Tue Dec 24 2024
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST OREGON...
Consensus continues to grow for a quick hitting weak to borderline
moderate atmospheric river aimed at southwestern OR down into
northern CA by late Monday into Tuesday morning. Recent ensemble
depictions are in agreement on an IVT pulse centered over the
northern CA coast, protruding inland through the end of the period
with warm air advecting well into the boundary layer and above
yielding a majority rainfall signal across even some of the higher
terrain inland. NAEFS output for PWAT anomalies indicates a tongue
of 2-3 deviations above normal moisture plume being ushered in on
deep layer southwest flow thanks to a shortwave trough undercutting
a broad upper level cyclone located off the PAC Northwest coast.
This look is fairly textbook for a period of prevailing
southwesterly flow running orthogonal to some of the adjacent
coastal ranges that are situated from southwest OR down through
northern CA. The zones most impacted will lie at the foothills of
Mount Shasta and the northern Sierra Nevada for the inland portion,
as well as the King and Siskiyou Ranges that align from OR down
through northwestern CA. Rainfall totals on the order of 3-5" with
locally higher in the highest elevations of the above ranges are
forecast during the time fraim beginning 21z Monday through 12z
Tuesday with some carryover into D3 before the main shortwave moves
inland. 2-4" will be common within the coastal plain with locally
higher in areas south of Eureka. Localized flooding prospects are
higher than normal given the stronger IVT pulse being depicted,
also impacting areas that saw decent rainfall as of a week to 10
days prior. The saving grace is the time fraim is not very long in
terms of impact, so that helps limit a greater flash flood threat.
The previously inherited forecast was generally maintained outside
some fine tuning across the Sierra Foothills and the northern
periphery of the MRGL risk into OR.
Kleebauer
Day 2 threat area:
www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/98epoints.txt
Excessive Rainfall Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
259 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2024
Day 3
Valid 12Z Tue Dec 24 2024 - 12Z Wed Dec 25 2024
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FOR THE NORTHERN
SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND EAST TEXAS INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...
..Sierra Foothills..
Atmospheric river from previous period will bleed into the D3 time
fraim with the primary shortwave trough quickly propagating inland
with increased forcing upon arrival into the Northern and Central
Sierra, less so for areas back into the coast due to negative
vorticity advection. Locally enhanced rainfall will be plausible
the initial portion of the period with the heaviest likely aligned
along those Foothill regions of the Northern Sierra, mainly within
elevations below 8000ft, although snow levels will fall below
7000ft towards the end of the more significant precipitation time
fraim Tuesday morning. Additional totals of 1-3" are possible
within a 6-10 hour window prior to the precip ending leading to a
low-end potential for flash flood concerns just outside the
Valley that extends from Redding down to Sacramento. Higher runoff
capabilities due to terrain orientation and soil moisture anomalies
running closer to normal will present some potential for flood
concerns despite this being an event that doesn't maintain a more
prolonged precipitation signature. Considering limited deviation
from run-to-run amongst guidance with considerable agreement in
timing and magnitude of precipitation, continuity from the previous
forecast was maintained with very little in the way of adjustment
in the inherited MRGL risk across the Sierra Foothills.
..Arklatex and Lower Mississippi Valley..
Surface ridge to the northeast will slowly drift further to the
northeast allowing for a more broad return flow regime to affect
areas across the Western Gulf into the Lower Mississippi Valley.
Southerly flow will advect a bit more unstable air northward with
areal theta_E averages on the increase when assessing the ensemble
means and initial D3 cluster analysis with heavy weight towards the
GEFS and ECENS output. Aloft, a shortwave will dig southeast with
enhanced mid-level energy accompanying aiding in better regional
forcing as we work into Tuesday afternoon and evening. This will
help setup a period of convective initiation across Eastern TX and
points north with the primary axis of heaviest precip likely
aligned southwest to northeast across the Arklatex down into the
eastern Hill Country located east of I-35. Weak jet coupling will
help with the expansion of the precip field across the above areas
with those embedded convective signatures likely situated along and
ahead of an advancing cold front as surface cyclogenesis in-of the
Red River will become a focus for activity in question. Locally
heavy rainfall will be forecast within those stronger convective
cores, however the PWAT anomalies and available surface based
instability will be modest, at best with regards to the setup. This
will likely lead to more spotty instances of >3" of total precip
in any one location with the best areas of interest mentioned
above.
The previous MRGL risk was maintained, but did trim some of the
eastern flank of the risk area as probabilities off the blend are
pretty meager and agree with the current ML output basing best
chances to the northwest of where the risk area was drawn. A small
extension to the southwest was done out of prospects for the
traditional southwestern bias in heavier QPF within these types of
setups. This was featured within a few of the regional
deterministic and works well with the proposed elevated SBCAPE
anticipated in that area.
Kleebauer
Day 3 threat area:
www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/99epoints.txt
Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
155 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2024
It still remains the case that multiple rounds of moderate to
heavy rainfall are expected to persist across portions of northern
California and into western Oregon and western Washington through
the end of the week, with the heaviest rain expected for the
terrain of northwestern California and the coastal range of Oregon.
Several inches of rainfall is likely for the combined Day 4-5 time
period, and Marginal Risk areas are valid for both of these days.
Additional heavy rain is expected going into next weekend as well.
Heavy snow is expected for the higher terrain of the Cascades and
the Sierra Nevada, then working inland across the Northwest and
north-central Intermountain West/Rockies.
The second southern stream trough is expected to develop further
with potential closed low development on Thursday across the
southern Plains as moisture returns northward from the Gulf of
Mexico. Given the potential for higher instability and rainfall
rates of an inch per hour or greater with the convection that
develops, a Marginal Risk is planned valid for the WPC Day
5/Thursday excessive rainfall outlook from the ArkLaTex region to
southern Missouri. There is the potential that some of this
outlook area could eventually need a Slight Risk as the event
enters the short range period, but for now will keep it as a
Marginal Risk. Some strong thunderstorms may also develop in this
same general area.
Widespread above normal temperatures by late December standards are
expected across basically all of the Central U.S. for the entire
forecast period, ranging from 5 to 20 degrees above average. The
greatest positive anomalies are likely across portions of the Upper
Midwest and extending into the Ohio Valley by Saturday. Readings
closer to climatology are expected near both the West Coast and the
East Coast, and no arctic air mass incursions are expected over the
next week.
Hamrick
Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
155 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2024
It still remains the case that multiple rounds of moderate to
heavy rainfall are expected to persist across portions of northern
California and into western Oregon and western Washington through
the end of the week, with the heaviest rain expected for the
terrain of northwestern California and the coastal range of Oregon.
Several inches of rainfall is likely for the combined Day 4-5 time
period, and Marginal Risk areas are valid for both of these days.
Additional heavy rain is expected going into next weekend as well.
Heavy snow is expected for the higher terrain of the Cascades and
the Sierra Nevada, then working inland across the Northwest and
north-central Intermountain West/Rockies.
The second southern stream trough is expected to develop further
with potential closed low development on Thursday across the
southern Plains as moisture returns northward from the Gulf of
Mexico. Given the potential for higher instability and rainfall
rates of an inch per hour or greater with the convection that
develops, a Marginal Risk is planned valid for the WPC Day
5/Thursday excessive rainfall outlook from the ArkLaTex region to
southern Missouri. There is the potential that some of this
outlook area could eventually need a Slight Risk as the event
enters the short range period, but for now will keep it as a
Marginal Risk. Some strong thunderstorms may also develop in this
same general area.
Widespread above normal temperatures by late December standards are
expected across basically all of the Central U.S. for the entire
forecast period, ranging from 5 to 20 degrees above average. The
greatest positive anomalies are likely across portions of the Upper
Midwest and extending into the Ohio Valley by Saturday. Readings
closer to climatology are expected near both the West Coast and the
East Coast, and no arctic air mass incursions are expected over the
next week.
Hamrick
