Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
249 PM EDT Sun Jul 26 2020
Valid 12Z Wed Jul 29 2020 - 12Z Sun Aug 02 2020
...Excessive rainfall/runoff threat for the Mid-South and vicinity
mid-late week...
...Tropical system threat for the Caribbean then possibly the
Bahamas/Southeast U.S. in a week...
...Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
The 06 UTC GFS/GEFS mean and 00 UTC ECMWF/ECMWF ensemble mean
offer a better clustered solution for days 3-7, bolstering
forecast confidence. A composite blend was mainly used to derive
the WPC medium range product suite along with guidance from the 13
UTC National Blend of Models, NHC guidance, and WPC continuity.
Smaller scale differences of the 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF still show
inherent difficulties with convective focus in summer patterns.
...Weather/Hazard Highlights...
A northern stream upper low over eastern Canada will maintain
troughing across the Northeast as a very wavy trailing frontal
boundary settles from the Mid-Atlantic to the Mid-South and
Plains. This slow moving front will become the focus for strong to
severe thunderstorms and a threat for locally heavy rainfall
through much of the period. There is a mid-late week threat for
more organized moderate to heavy rainfall/runoff issues from the
mid-MS Valley to the TN/lower OH Valleys under digging southern
stream troughing. The region may be in the favorable right
entrance region of the upper jet, have pooled precipitable water
values upwards of 2.25" and enhanced convergence/instability with
frontal wave approaches. Activity tending to work downstream into
the Appalachians and southern Mid-Atlantic may gradually reform
northward through the OH Valley with gradual flow amplification,
but 12 UTC guidance still shows uncertain wave developments. NHC
is also monitoring a risk for tropical system development over the
Caribbean later this week that may threaten the Southeast
U.S./Bahamas in a week, but there is guidance uncertainty at these
longer time frames to monitor.
Meanwhile, the subtropical high will settle over the Southwest,
with building upper ridging also supporting moderately anomalous
summer heat across the Intermountain West/Rockies/High Plains.
This occurs as amplifying upstream troughing establishes just off
the West Coast. Trough energy/height falls gradually work inland
over the Northwest to drive an unseasonable series of showery
fronts, with moderate rainfall amounts most likely later week over
favored terrain of the Pacific Northwest.
Schichtel
Additional 3-7 Day Hazards information can be found on the WPC
medium range hazards chart at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php
WPC medium range 500mb heights, surface systems, weather grids,
quantitative precipitation, winter weather outlook probabilities
and heat indices are at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/medr/5dayfcst500_wbg.gif
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/medr/5dayfcst_wbg_conus.gif
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/5km_grids/5km_gridsbody.html
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/day4-7.shtml
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/pwpf_d47/pwpf_medr.php?day=4
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heat_index.shtml