FXUS64 KMAF 312008
AFDMAF

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
208 PM CST FRI JAN 31 2003

DESPITE THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE THIS MORNING...ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS
WILL CONTINUE TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY.  AN UPPER TROUGH RESIDES OVER THE
EASTERN THIRD OF THE COUNTRY...WHILE A BROAD RIDGE RESIDES OVER THE
WESTERN U.S.  AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD INTO
THE AREA TODAY AND WILL SETTLE OVER THE CWA TONIGHT.

A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC WILL TRANSLATE
EAST OVER THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST SATURDAY MORNING...THEN INTO
THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  THE BROAD UPPER RIDGE WILL
FLATTEN AND TRANSLATE EAST AHEAD OF THIS WAVE...CULMINATING IN TEMPS
WARMING AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL SATURDAY AND NEAR RECORD
LEVELS ON SUNDAY.  A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL FOLLOW IN THE WAKE OF
THIS FAST MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH.

ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE WESTERN U.S. AS
A STRONG RIDGE BUILDS NORTH IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC.  A BROAD UPPER
TROUGH WILL RESULT OVER MOST OF THE U.S.  LOWER HEIGHTS DURING THE
WEEK SHOULD KEEP TEMPS CLOSER TO NORMAL VALUES.  THERE IS SOME
DISAGREEMENT AMONGST MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ON HOW MUCH cP AIR WILL MAKE
IT THIS FAR SOUTH...BUT WILL NOT CHANGE LATTER PERIODS MUCH DUE TO
THIS UNCERTAINTY.  MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ALSO BREAKING OUT SLIGHT POPS
OVER THE EASTERN CWA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  NOT SURE ENOUGH MOISTURE
WILL RETURN BY THEN SO WILL LEAVE THE EXTENDED DRY FOR NOW.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS:

MAF UU 37/74 45/79 43 0000
CNM UU 35/77 43/80 41 0000
MRF UU 27/69 34/75 36 0000
FST UU 42/77 49/81 44 0000

.MAF...
TX...NONE.
NM...NONE.

AKL