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TIMS model verification, December 31, 2021 - January 3, 2022


Holston_River_Rambler
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I'm sure some of you already ready MRX's disco, but I thought I'd post it here for posterity due to the topic points:

1) Severe.

Very warm day is expected with a strong low level jet out of the
southwest to the south of the frontal boundary. This will help to
pump in warm, unstable air, along with good speed shear. Directional
shear component is not as impressive, but with these strong winds
helping to increase low level shear of 30+ knots in the eastern TN
Valley, the chance for a possible tornado is present. Biggest
question looks like it will be how much instability is available for
storms to tap into. As usual the NAM is the most bullish with MLCAPE
while most other forecast soundings showing a more moderate 300-500
J/kg, but all of these are pretty high for New Years Day. Think the
biggest threat with possible severe weather will be strong straight
line winds as this fast moving system makes it`s way through, but a
quick isolated spin up of a tornado can`t be ruled out along the
QLCS line. Think the main line will move onto the Cumberland Plateau
around 00z, and quickly push east of the mountains by around 06/07z.

2) Flooding.

This system will also have a good amount of moisture to work with as
the jet helps to pull in Gulf moisture, and PWAT values rise above 1
inch in the Valley. This will help produce heavy showers and
thunderstorms that could quickly dump a moderate amount of rain
ahead of the line with isolated storms, and as the main line moves
thorugh. High resolution models and Plumes indicate that 0.5-1.5
inches of rain are expected on Saturday which could lead to flooding
of low lying and poor drainage areas by Saturday evening into early
Sunday. But hopefully with this system quickly moving through the
QPF amounts and flooding will be somewhat mitigated.


3) Snow.

By Sunday we should get a brief break in precipitation chances as
the line is to the east of the mountains, and the surface low begins
to move through the Tennessee Valley. This will bring with it a
strong shot of cold air Sunday night into Monday morning quickly
dropping temperatures below freezing. With the 12z model runs some
of the operational models are now indicating that the system will be
stronger and slower than previous model runs. If this verifies it
would mean that colder air and higher QPF amounts would be likely
leading to more snow in the southern Appalachians and eastern TN
Valley. Operational GFS has gone MUCH higher on snowfall amounts
overnight, and in general most models have increased snowfall
amounts overnight. Have bumped up official snow amounts in the
Valley, but have been much more tame with amounts ranging from a
dusting to quarter inch around Chattanooga, up to around an inch or
more in the Tri-Cities... Higher amounts closer to 2+ inches can be
expected in the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians and
northern Cumberland Plateau. Have stayed closer to GEFS plumes which
show a much lower amount compared to the operational models. Think
that snowfall totals may need to be bumped up if models continue the
trend of slower and stronger with the low, but would like to see
multiple runs of the stronger/slower solution, and would also like
to see ensemble members in better agreement with the slightly higher
snow amounts. Have also undercut some guidance because ground
temperatures are still going to be very warm (highs in the 70s/60s
the days before) so snow will hit the ground quickly melt... Snow
totals on the snow board will be much higher than what people
actually see on the ground and on the roads (which is what most
people actually care about).

Weather quiets down by Monday afternoon and we get into a more mild
and seasonable pattern thorugh the middle of the work week. Another
trough will begin to swing through the eastern half of the US by the
end of the work week... Temperatures are expected to be warm enough
that most of the precipitation that falls Thursday into Friday will
be all liquid, but in the overnight hours we could switch over to
light snow in the Valley... But this is still a ways off and
confidence will likely increase after we past this weekend system.
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