053 FXUS63 KTOP 301719 AFDTOP AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1219 PM CDT MON JUL 30 2012 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .DISCUSSION... IN THE SHORT TERM...CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO PROGRESS ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS AND SOUTHERN NEBRASKA. MOTION OF CONVECTION ALONG THE LEADING EDGE NEAR AND AHEAD OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY IS EAST-SOUTHEAST. THIS TRAJECTORY SHOULD PLACE MUCH OF NORTHEAST KANSAS IN A CHANCE OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION NOW THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS. ACTIVITY BEHIND THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO MOVE MORE EASTERLY...THEREFORE SOUTHERN PUSH OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALONG THE INITIAL LEADING EDGE OF CONVECTION. COVERAGE SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE AS THE MORNING CONTINUES...WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER PERSISTING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. HAVE LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY ACROSS THE NORTH...WITH MORNING PRECIPITATION AND ANTICIPATED CLOUD COVER THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY SHOULD HELP KEEP READINGS IN THE LOWER 90S. ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHWEST...EDGE OF CLOUD SHIELD SHOULD RESIDE NEARBY WITH READINGS REACHING THE LOWER 100S. WITH THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY IN THIS AREA...THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA WILL SEE THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF AFTERNOON CONVECTION DEVELOPING...WITH SLIGHT CHANCES ELSEWHERE. THE FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY FEATURES SIMILAR PLACEMENT OF SURFACE AND UPPER AIR FEATURES. ALOFT...NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE CWA WILL CONTINUE WITH THE EDGE OF A MODEST JET ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE NORTHERN CWA...WITH SUBTLE UPPER DISTURBANCES GLANCING THE AREA. AT THE SURFACE...A NEAR STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY ORIENTED NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST WILL LINGER ACROSS OR JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE CWA. UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST EXISTS WITH SPECIFIC TIMING AND COVERAGE OF CONVECTION DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS SUFFICIENT FOCI AND ASCENT WILL PERIODICALLY EXIST OVER THE AREA. FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE ZONAL THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING IN THE UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S AND SLIGHT CHANCES OF CONVECTION. OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE IS COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT IN BRINGING A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON SATURDAY. THIS SHOULD PUSH A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE CWA SATURDAY WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND AND A BETTER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. BLAIR && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT WINDS...GENERALLY FROM THE EAST ALTHOUGH WITH SOME VARIABILITY POSSIBLE...ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. SCT TO BKN MID CLOUDS SHOULD REMAIN IN THE 12K TO 15K RANGE...AND WHILE RADAR RETURNS SUGGEST SHOWERS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...IT APPEARS THAT ANY PRECIP NEAR TAF SITES IS EVAPORATING BEFORE IT REACHES THE SURFACE...SO THE TAF IS FREE OF PRECIP. BARJENBRUCH && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$