908 FXUS63 KTOP 032001 AFDTOP AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 237 PM CDT MON JUN 3 2002 PRECIP TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AND TEMPS THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES. PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH HAS MOVED OUT INTO CENTRAL KS THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE FRONT ACROSS NORTHWEST KS AND CENTRAL NEB. WITH SHORT WAVES MOVING OVERHEAD IN SOUTHWEST FLOW...EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT WITH MORE ISOLATED AND ELEVATED STUFF OUT AHEAD OF IT. THINK THAT PRECIP FOR THIS EVENING WILL BE PRIMARILY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ZONES. THEN AS THE FRONT SLIDES SOUTH OVER NIGHT...SO SHOULD THE PRECIP. THERE IS A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING. THE VARIOUS SOUNDING TODAY SHOW THE MID LEVELS COOLING NICELY...BUT THERE IS STILL A DECENT CAP AROUND 850 MB. THINK THAT THE CAP WILL HOLD MOST OF THE WARM SECTOR IN CHECK SO THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER (LARGE HAIL AND DOWNBURST WINDS) SHOULD BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT AND BEHIND IT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOK LIKELY FOR TUESDAY AS THE FRONT SLOWLY MOVES TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. SHORT WAVE ENERGY CONTINUES TO MOVE OVERHEAD AND IN ADDITION SOME FAVORABLE JET DYNAMICS AS THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION WILL INCREASE UPPER DIVERGENCE. PRECIP COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. THE MODELS HAVE COME IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH ENDING PRECIP DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY AS DRIER AIR ADVECTS IN. WILL END PRECIP ACROSS THE NORTH WEDNESDAY MORNING AND KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL SECTIONS INTO THE AFTERNOON. HAVE REMOVED PRECIP FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY CONTINUE TO BE DRY AS SURFACE RIDGING TAKES HOLD. MODELS ARE STILL HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY IN RESOLVING THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN LATER IN THE WEEK. IN ANY CASE EXPECT THE CWA TO BE BETWEEN THE TROUGH SWINGING THROUGH THE EAST AND ANY UPPER LEVEL FEATURE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND TX. THE NEXT SYSTEM APPEARS TO COME INTO THE PLAINS LATE IN THE WEEKEND. RETURN FLOW WILL BEGIN FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE SURFACE RIDGE SLIDES EAST FRIDAY. THINK TEMPS WILL REBOUND BACK INTO THE MID AND UPPER 80S BY SATURDAY AS SOUTHERLY FLOW AND WAA INCREASE. THERE ARE SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM SLATED FOR THE WEEKEND. COMPROMISED BETWEEN THE REALLY FAST MRF AND THE REALLY SLOW ECMWF AND PUT THE BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP IN ON SUNDAY. THERE COULD BE SOME CONVECTION SATURDAY NIGHT...ESPECIALLY OUT WEST WITH THE LEE TROUGH. KEPT THE CHANCE FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL ZONES SATURDAY NIGHT. .TOP...NONE WOLTERS