224
FXUS63 KIWX 270543
AFDIWX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
1243 AM EST Thu Nov 27 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Strong west winds continue to ease some overnight.

- Blustery and cold on Thanksgiving with gusts to 35 mph.

- Lake effect snow expected through early Friday, heaviest
  across southwest Michigan where highly variable snow
  accumulations of 2 to 6 inches will be possible by Thursday
  night.

- A period of accumulating wet snow expected Saturday afternoon
  into Saturday night, best chances (80%) north of US 24.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 200 PM EST Wed Nov 26 2025

Strong low pressure system over the northern Great Lakes will
occlude east into southwest Quebec by Thanksgiving day. Tight low
level height gradient on its southern and eventually southwest flank
will keep strong westerly winds and brisk wind chills as the primary
weather story into tonight and Thanksgiving day. Gusts in the 40-50
mph range today will ease a bit into tonight and Thursday (gusts to
35 mph) as the storm system begins to pull away. Wind chills drop
into the teens to near 20 degrees otherwise.

Good moisture flux within cold, cyclonic westerly flow will also
result in periods of lake effect snow through at least Thursday
night, mainly along and north of the Indiana Toll Road. Expectations
are for better flake size and snowfall rates this evening as
synoptic scale moisture continues to pivot through the lower Great
Lakes. Slight veering to cloud bearing winds is expected later
tonight through Thursday night which could bring some minor accums
and travel impacts farther south into places like South Bend,
Elkhart, Angola and Coldwater. By this time, a turbulent cloud layer
and strong flow will trend to disrupt the snow growth process
shattering larger snowflakes and keeping snow ratios in check. This
likely limits snow accums, however smaller flakes and gusty winds
probably result in times of poor visibility and patchy blowing snow.
Made no changes to headlines (retained WW.Y in southwest MI), but
following shifts will need to monitor surrounding counties for a low
end WW.Y or SPS. LES then winds down quickly on Friday as cyclonic
flow breaks down and weak ridging briefly settles in

Attention this weekend then turns to a potential period of
accumulating wet snow as strong moist/warm advection develops in
advance of the next upper trough digging into the Central Plains on
Saturday, then making the turn east-northeast into the lower Great
Lakes by early Sunday morning. Warm advection under incoming mid
level dcva and upper divergence will drive this blossoming area of
precipitation from west to east Saturday afternoon into Saturday
night with most places beginning as snow. A surface low track west
or over the area would seem to favor a mix or changeover with
drizzle/rain Saturday night into Sunday morning, best chances along
and southeast of the US 24 corridor. Latest GEFS and ECS guidance
rather impressive with 80-90% of members having 3" or more of
snow accumulation (10:1 ratio) north of US 24. This along with
some aggressive solutions (see the more dynamic and juiced 12z
Op ECMWF) brings increasing confidence in a headline level event
for at least portions of the area. However, this system is
still 3 days away and off the Pacific Northwest coast, so expect
adjustments to the finer details in the coming days.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 1242 AM EST Thu Nov 27 2025

Lake effect snow showers have taken on a more cellular, less
organized appearance early this morning with the bulk of vsby
restrictions across southern Lower Michigan. The snow production
layer has dried out some since yesterday evening which has
helped aid this more cellular mode. A reinforcing mid level
trough is expected to swing across the southern Great Lakes
around midday bringing a secondary low level thermal trough and
moistening of snow production layer. This should help to
enhance lake effect snow showers, with KSBN likely on western
extent of more organized lake effect snow showers this
afternoon. With low confidence at this range, will include a
period of MVFR vsbys in snow showers at KSBN. KFWA is expected
to remain primarily in flurries mode through the morning hours
with no snow accumulation expected. Deep sfc low pressure will
be slow to pull off to the east today across Quebec, and
presence of this low and a strong anticyclone across the Plains,
will allow for maintenance of a strong low level height
gradient and wind gusts to around 30 knots through the day
today. Wind gusts should drop off more sharply as we head after
00Z this evening. Otherwise, primarily VFR low clouds cigs will
be interrupted by some periods of MVFR cigs in the 2-3k ft
range, particularly in association with renewed lake effect snow
showers this afternoon/evening.

&&

.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...None.
OH...None.
MI...Winter Weather Advisory until 7 AM EST Friday for MIZ078-079-
     177-277.
     Wind Advisory until 1 AM EST early this morning for MIZ177-277.
MARINE...Gale Warning until 1 AM EST Friday for LMZ043-046.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Steinwedel
AVIATION...Marsili