Models' Kuchera graphics are showing awful ratios, about 7 to 1 throughout the heavy band. DVN, on the other hand, is predicting ratios above 10 to 1.
DVN has upped my area even more to 11-16". I was thinking the earlier 6-11" seemed a bit high at the top end. If Kuchera is correct, we will only get 6-9". We will need the higher ratios for DVN's forecast to verify.
The models are focusing the heaviest band through southeast Iowa and the Quad Cities. They are all showing high rates through Cyclone Tuesday morning.
3-hr qpf between 12z and 15z
The GFS is sliding the entire trough farther east, so the big storm can't cut until farther east. This morning's ICON and GDPS hold the trough farther west, so the storm cuts to Chicago.
I would strongly lean toward the 7" for most. I'm surprised they put 12" as a possible high end of the range. They currently have 6-11 for Cedar Rapids. I think 5-8 is more realistic.
The nw trend on the Euro continues. Higher totals are pulling away from the lake. I'm feeling pretty good over here. Hopefully, the iffy temp won't hurt the accumulation too much.
That's what I immediately noticed. The Thursday wave is much stronger this run, which totally blows up the late-week potential. Last night's run was much flatter with this wave.
12z Euro... the only gripe I have with this run is the defo zone across eastern Iowa is rather weak-looking considering there is a 978 mb low over central IL.
There has been a significant shift/expansion nw on the GEFS mean... Cedar Rapids has gone from 3" a day ago to now 8". The op run only has 5" here, so this suggests there may be room for even more nw shift. Concurrently, the Chicagoland lakeshore has been cut back quite a bit.
On this morning's GFS, ridging builds into the west coast region, which shoves the trough farther east. Meanwhile, the Canadian went the opposite way, anchoring the trough in the pacnw, which allows the storm to cut farther nw.
The model trend is quite favorable for my area. The initial wave of snow to the west is inching more northeast and the main wave to the southeast is inching more northwest. The 06z Euro has Cedar Rapids up to several inches.
Wow, the GFS is spitting out a monster storm today... yowza! It's too bad all the pieces need to align perfectly to get something like this... it's like having to flip a coin ten times and get all heads.
The potential of the late-week storm is big. The 18z GFS 500 mb setup is phenomenal and shows what would be the greatest storm on record for Iowa. Cedar Rapids has had its worst flood ever and worst thunderstorm ever in the last fifteen years. It is way past time for a powerful blizzard.
Yesterday the Euro had this strong system hitting Minneapolis. This morning it's Oklahoma to St. Louis. Models appear to have very little grasp of this system for now.