SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook
Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1039 AM CST Fri Nov 25 2022 Valid 251700Z - 261200Z ...NO CRITICAL AREAS... Latest surface observations across southern CA indicate ongoing dry/gusty conditions across the mountains and valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties this morning. However, surface winds will continue subsiding into the late morning hours as the pressure gradient and upper-level support weaken. While low RH will linger away from the coast into the overnight hours, the weakening surface winds should generally limit the fire-weather threat compared to previous days. ..Weinman.. 11/25/2022 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1145 PM CST Thu Nov 24 2022/ ...Synopsis... While an upper trough assists in the development of a surface low across the south-central U.S. today, surface high pressure will promote either cool or calm surface conditions across the rest of the CONUS, limiting widespread significant wildfire-spread concerns. ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... Read more

SPC Nov 25, 2022 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC 1630Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1005 AM CST Fri Nov 25 2022 Valid 251630Z - 261200Z ...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT ALONG THE TEXAS GULF COAST... ...SUMMARY... Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms may occur tonight near parts of the Texas Coast. ...Texas Coast... A large upper low is currently centered near El Paso, with strong westerly flow aloft extending across northern Mexico. At the surface, a weak low is analyzed just off the coast of south TX, with a warm front extending eastward into the Gulf. Continued low-level warm advection and lift will result in scattered showers and thunderstorms today near and north of the warm front - spreading inland through the day. Thunderstorms that form in this regime will be elevated with minimal risk of severe weather. Later tonight, the surface low is forecast to be very near the coastline with the warm front lifting northward to the immediate coast as well. Meanwhile, a shortwave trough will rotate around the base of the low and approach south TX. This should result in increasing coverage and intensity of thunderstorms after midnight. Those storms near the low/warm front will potentially be surface-based and in a region of strong low-level shear. A few transient supercells may occur with a marginal risk of a tornado or severe wind gusts. ..Hart/Wendt.. 11/25/2022 Read more

SPC Nov 24, 2022 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC 1730Z Day 2 Outlook
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1130 AM CST Thu Nov 24 2022 Valid 251200Z - 261200Z ...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF THE TEXAS COAST... ...SUMMARY... Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms appear possible mainly Friday night through early Saturday morning along/near parts of the Texas Coast. ...Texas Coast... A large, closed upper low centered over far west TX and adjacent northern Mexico Friday morning should develop slowly eastward across TX through the period. Rich low-level moisture will likely remain confined off the TX Coast during the day, with mainly elevated thunderstorms occurring over much of central/east TX in a low-level warm advection regime. Large-scale ascent preceding the upper low should eventually encourage a weak surface low to develop along the middle TX Coast around Friday evening, and subsequently move northward into parts of east TX Friday night into early Saturday morning. There is still a fair amount of uncertainty regarding the track and strength of this surface low, and the quality of low-level moisture return ahead of it along/near the middle/upper TX Coast. In particular, the latest extended run (15Z) of the RAP seems most aggressive in advancing upper 60s to low 70s surface dewpoints inland across this region, mainly after 03Z Friday evening. If sufficient low-level moisture can advance inland to support surface-based convection, then increasing low-level shear associated with a southerly low-level jet may support a non-zero risk for a tornado or two, along with isolated damaging winds. Strong deep-layer shear also appears more than sufficient for supercells. Have opted to add low severe probabilities for a narrow portion of the TX Coast region in the event adequate low-level moisture does advance slightly inland. ..Gleason.. 11/24/2022 Read more

SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook
Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1041 AM CST Thu Nov 24 2022 Valid 241700Z - 251200Z No Changes, the previous outlook of elevated to locally critical fire weather condition remains valid. See the prior discussion for details. ..Lyons.. 11/24/2022 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1154 PM CST Wed Nov 23 2022/ ...Synopsis... A mid-level trough will continue to move south along the Rockies as surface high pressure and cooler air spreads southward across the CONUS today, limiting wildfire-spread potential across most locales. One exception though would be southern California, where a surface pressure gradient should maximize in intensity as high pressure builds across the Interior West. 20+ mph sustained offshore flow coinciding with 15-20 percent RH necessitates the maintenance of Elevated highlights this outlook. At least locally Critical conditions are also possible, with modest receptiveness of fuels to fire spread the primary mitigating factor for Critical highlights this outlook. ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... Read more

SPC Nov 24, 2022 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC 1630Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1020 AM CST Thu Nov 24 2022 Valid 241630Z - 251200Z ...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE MID AND UPPER TEXAS INTO SOUTHERN LOUISIANA COASTAL PLAIN...AND PERHAPS PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS... ...SUMMARY... Strong thunderstorms may impact parts of central and southeastern Texas into southern Louisiana today into tonight. It is possible that a few of these could pose some risk for severe weather. ...Synopsis... The westerlies appear to be trending more progressive across the northern mid-latitudes of the Pacific through North America, while remaining more amplified in the southern mid- and subtropical latitudes. The latter regime still includes prominent ridging along an axis from the subtropical eastern Pacific into the Pacific Coast states, with a significant downstream low digging along the higher terrain of New Mexico. Models suggest that the mid-level low will continue southward into northern Chihuahua through late tonight, while mid-level ridging develops eastward across and east of the northern Rockies, and downstream short wave troughing digs across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. In lower levels, expansive cold surface ridging is in the process of shifting off the Atlantic Seaboard, but potentially cold air associated with it still lingers across much of the Southeast, and as far southwest as Louisiana/adjacent southeast Texas coastal areas. Only a gradual further modification is forecast, with a reinforcing intrusion of cold air already surging southeast of the Rockies, as far south as the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle vicinity. As this air spreads across the southern Great Plains toward northwestern Gulf coastal areas, potential for surface cyclogenesis likely will remain suppressed to the lee of the southern Rockies. ...Texas/Louisiana... Sufficient low-level warming and moistening has occurred, in association with southerly return flow around the southwestern periphery of the retreating surface ridge, to contribute to sufficient destabilization for increasing thunderstorm development. Initially, this has been mostly rooted within a lower/mid tropospheric warm advection regime across central through northeastern Texas, above a residual near-surface stable layer. However, this stable layer has become increasingly shallow in a corridor across parts of the Edwards Plateau and Hill Country into the mid/upper Texas coastal plain. In advance of the digging mid-level low, a belt of westerlies emanating from the subtropical eastern Pacific has become increasingly cyclonic across and east of the lower Rio Grande Valley, with some building of downstream ridging across the lower Mississippi Valley into the Southeast. This will generally be maintained through this period, but a smaller-scale short wave perturbation is in the process of progressing through this regime, and may be contributing to recent thunderstorm initiation across parts of Deep South Texas into the upper Texas coastal plain. It appears that this activity will increase in coverage through the day, before spreading into/through the lower Mississippi Valley overnight. This convection will at least inhibit further near-surface destabilization inland of mid/upper Texas coastal areas, if not tend to stabilize the environment, but modest boundary-layer destabilization (CAPE on the order of 500-1000 J/kg) still appears possible near immediate coastal areas. In the presence of strong deep-layer shear (beneath 50+ southwesterly 500 mb flow), any convection supported by inflow of this unstable boundary-layer air may tend to gradually organize. While this could eventually include a couple of supercell structures, the tendency for low-level flow to remain modest or weaken and veer through the day will maintain smallish low-level hodographs and limit the overall severe weather potential. ..Kerr/Thornton.. 11/24/2022 Read more

Rhode Islands' Christmas tree farms bear witness to summer drought

2 years 7 months ago
The summer drought in the Northeast was hard on Christmas tree growers, leading some to limit the number of trees available or stay closed this holiday season. One Tiverton tree farmer was not opening, due to drought damage and being unable to source trees from elsewhere. His trees were green six weeks ago, but have since become discolored and were suffering from a mite called cryptomeria scale. Tree farms in Scituate and South Kingstown were also not opening this year. Other tree farms were opening, but were offering fewer trees. WPRI.com (Providence, R.I.), Nov 23, 2022

Dust pneumonia continued to afflict Nebraska cattle

2 years 7 months ago
Dust pneumonia continued to be a problem for Nebraska livestock, due to dry, dusty, windy conditions. Young calves are often most affected, and the lung scarring from the illness is permanent. AgUpdate (Tekamah, Neb.), Nov 23, 2022

SPC Nov 23, 2022 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC 1730Z Day 2 Outlook
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1129 AM CST Wed Nov 23 2022 Valid 241200Z - 251200Z ...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND A SMALL PART OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA... ...SUMMARY... A few strong to severe storms are possible Thursday from southeast Texas into southwest Louisiana. Locally damaging wind gusts are most likely. ...Discussion... Early day storms are likely to be ongoing over much of northeast TX into AR in a warm advection regime where the 850 mb will be over 30 kt. A few hundred J/kg of elevated CAPE may support a few stronger cores but severe hail is unlikely. Farther south, a quasi-stationary front will extend from southeast TX toward coastal LA, while the cold front remains far to the west. Upper 60s F dewpoints will exist south of the boundary, resulting in favorable SBCAPE over 1000 J/kg. As the upper low drops south across NM and into Far West TX, moderate southwest flow aloft will result in long hodographs across TX and LA. Low-level shear is expected to weaken throughout the day, with 850 winds becoming less than 15-20 kts during the afternoon. However, as early day storms interact along the east-west boundary, localized severe weather may occur as lift and shear will be maximized along it. A weak/brief tornado cannot be ruled out along the boundary. A few showers may occur overnight across southern LA as well, with any surface-based activity likely south of I-10. However, models do not suggest much storm strength at that time with relatively weak warm advection profiles. ..Jewell.. 11/23/2022 Read more

SPC Nov 23, 2022 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC 1630Z Day 1 Outlook
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1019 AM CST Wed Nov 23 2022 Valid 231630Z - 241200Z ...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST... ...SUMMARY... The risk for severe thunderstorms appears negligible across the U.S. today through tonight. ...Synopsis... Within a belt of westerlies emanating from the mid-latitude Pacific, models indicate that there will be further amplification within the flow across western North America through this period. This likely will include building mid-level ridging across and inland of the U.S./British Columbia Pacific coast, and digging mid-level troughing within split downstream branches near and east of the Rockies. It still appears that the more amplified of these perturbations will evolve in the southern branch, and include a developing mid-level low near the Colorado into New Mexico Rockies later today through tonight. Farther downstream, as a deep mid-level low continues to form while redeveloping across and southeast of the Canadian Maritimes, it appears that the persistent confluent mid-level regime across the eastern U.S. may become more focused across and just east of the Atlantic Seaboard. Beneath this regime, models indicate that cold surface ridging will be maintained and reinforced across the Atlantic Seaboard. As some erosion of this ridging commences across the northwestern Gulf of Mexico into portions of the southern Great Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, it appears that more prominent surface ridging, developing across the Intermountain West and Rockies, will begin to build into the Great Plains. And, surface cyclogenesis will remain suppressed within weak surface troughing to the lee of the southern Rockies. ...Southern Great Plains vicinity... On the southwestern periphery of the eastern surface ridging, modest low-level moisture return is already underway across and north-northeast of the lower Rio Grande Valley. A gradual moistening likely will continue within a narrow plume on the eastern periphery of a low-level jet (roughly 30+ kt around 850 mb), north-northeastward toward the Ozark Plateau through daybreak Thursday. However, this is occurring above an initially cold/stable surface-based layer. While there probably will be some modification of this air mass today through tonight, low cloud cover and precipitation will contribute to the maintenance of a substantive low-level/near-surface inversion layer across most areas north of the middle Texas coastal plain. Weak boundary-layer destabilization appears possible overnight across the coastal plain, but this seems likely to remain capped beneath warming layers aloft. North of a College Station/Temple line into areas near/northwest of the Ark-La-Tex, strengthening large-scale forcing for ascent is expected to support increasing thunderstorm development late this evening into the overnight hours. Modest to weak elevated instability and shear (within the relevant potential convective layer) likely will minimize the risk for severe weather. ..Kerr/Thornton.. 11/23/2022 Read more

SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook

2 years 7 months ago
SPC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook
Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1004 AM CST Wed Nov 23 2022 Valid 231700Z - 241200Z ...NO CRITICAL AREAS... No changes have been made to the current outlook. Brief locally elevated conditions will remain possible today ahead of a surging cold front in eastern CO. However, temporal and spatial coverage should remain below criteria for elevated highlights. Gusty downslope winds and brief elevated fire-weather conditions may develop over portions of the LA basin and southern CA late tonight into early D2/Thur. See the previous discussion. ..Lyons.. 11/23/2022 .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 0111 AM CST Wed Nov 23 2022/ ...Synopsis... A mid-level trough will deepen across the Rockies, encouraging surface cyclone development across the central/southern High Plains. Dry downslope flow along the lee of the Rockies may encourage brief bouts of Elevated surface conditions across portions of the central High Plains, with the brevity of these conditions precluding fire weather highlights. Elsewhere across the CONUS, relatively quiescent fire weather conditions are expected. ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov/fire for graphic product... Read more