FXUS65 KBOU 252135
AFDBOU
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
235 PM MST WED NOV 25 2009
.SHORT TERM...MODELS HAVE THE STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT DECREASING
GRADUALLY OVERNIGHT AND BECOMING MORE NORTHWESTERLY. ON THURSDAY
...THE UPPER RIDGE GETS OVER COLORADO. THE FLOW ALOFT FOR THE
FORECAST AREA IS WEAK NORTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE DAY. VERY WEAK
DOWNWARD TO NO VERTICAL VELOCITY IS PROGGED FOR THE FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE AND WIND FIELDS POINT
TO A WEAK GRADIENT THIS EVENING WITH NORMAL DIURNAL TRENDS EXPECTED
IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW. AFTER MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUING ON
THURSDAY...TROUGHING EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS POINTS TO A BIT OF
DOWNSLOPING INFLUENCE TO THE NORMAL WIND REGIME. CONCERNING
MOISTURE...MODELS HAVE SOME OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE FORECAST
AREA THIS EVENING...THEN ITS VERY DRY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE IS
NOTHING ON THE QPF FIELDS. NO POPS. FOR TEMPERATURES...THICKNESS
GRIDS SHOW WARMING WITH THE UPPER RIDGE MOVING IN. THURSDAY HIGHS
LOOK 4-6 C WARMER THAN THIS AFTERNOON'S HIGHS.
.LONG TERM...ONE MORE WARM AND DRY DAY IN STORE ON FRIDAY WITH A
THERMAL RIDGE OVERHEAD AND WESTERLY WINDS GIVING US A DOWNSLOPE
COMPONENT. COLD ADVECTION WILL BEGIN LATER SATURDAY AS A SURFACE
HIGH BEGINS TO DROP ACROSS THE AREA. THE UPPER TROUGH SWEEPS
SOUTHEAST ON SUNDAY. BOTH GFS AND ECMWF SHOW A BRIEF PERIOD OF DEEP
MOIST UPSLOPE SATURDAY NIGHT ALONG WITH SOME WEAK UPPER LIFT...GFS
ACTUALLY SHOWS SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW OVER ZONES 36 AND 41. FOR NOW
WILL RAISE POPS FOR METRO DENVER AND PALMER DIVIDE...THIS WILL NOT
BE A LONG PERIOD OF UPSLOPE...BUT MEASURABLE SNOW IS NOW LOOKING
MORE PROBABLE. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END NORTH TO SOUTH LATE SUNDAY
AND SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH CONTINUED COOL TEMPERATURES. TUESDAY WE
WILL SEE PREFRONTAL WARMING...WITH ANOTHER TROUGH EXPECTED TO SURGE
SOUTHWARD TUESDAY NIGHT BRINGING MUCH COOLER AIR AND ANOTHER PERIOD
OF UPSLOPE SNOW. HAVE PUT IN SCT POPS FOR TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THIS
SYSTEM...AGAIN CONCENTRATING ON MOUNTAINS...SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS...AND
PALMER DIVIDE.
&&
.AVIATION...SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR THIS EVENING...THEN CLEAR
THROUGH THURSDAY. WEAK SURFACE WINDS ARE EXPECTED FOR A COUPLE
HOURS AFTER SUNSET...THEN NORMAL DRAINAGE WINDS ARE EXPECTED INTO
THURSDAY MORNING. THURSDAY'S WINDS WILL BE PRETTY WEAK ALL DAY.
&&
.BOU WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
$$
RJK/RTG