541  
FXUS63 KFGF 190453  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
1153 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 1153 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
 
THOUGHTS REMAIN BASICALLY THE SAME AS BEFORE...BUT DID UPDATE POPS  
BASED ON LATEST HRRR. HEAVY RAIN THREAT SEEMS TO BE THE MAIN  
CONCERN...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SE ND. SPC HAS ISSUED A SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THIS AREA AS WELL...WITH INSTABILITY AROUND  
MUCAPE 1000 J/KG AND FORCING TO INCREASE HERE.  
 
UPDATE ISSUED AT 1006 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
 
THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX APPROACHING FROM THE WEST IS SLOWING DOWN  
(WAS MOVING AROUND 20 KNOTS AN HOUR AGO...NOW MOVING AROUND 10  
KNOTS). THIS IS CAUSING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...BUT ALSO MEANS THAT  
THIS COMPLEX MAY NOT QUITE MAKE IT INTO THE FA. SOUTHERLY LOW  
LEVEL FLOW IS INCREASING AS THE MEAN UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS  
EAST...AND THIS IS LIKELY HALTING THE EASTWARD PROGRESS OF THIS  
COMPLEX. 01Z HRRR STALLS THIS COMPLEX AND ACTUALLY DISSIPATES THE  
ACTIVITY. THE MAIN FOCUS OVERNIGHT APPEARS THAT IT WILL COME FROM  
THE SOUTH ALONG WITH INTENSE MOISTURE ADVECTION. SLIGHTLY ADJUSTED  
POPS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ABOVE THINKING. THE SEVERE THREAT STILL  
APPEARS LIMITED FOR THIS FA. THE STORMS JUST WEST OF THE FA ARE  
SEVERE...BUT THE SLOWING MOVEMENT WILL LIKELY WEAKEN THESE STORMS.  
THE LOW LEVEL JET FOR LATER TONIGHT IS ONLY AROUND 25-30  
KNOTS...AND ANY SEVERE THREAT GIVEN THE WEAKER INSTABILITY SHOULD  
BE LIMITED.  
 
THE MAIN CONCERN IS LIKELY FLASH FLOOD/HEAVY RAIN GIVEN THE SLOW  
STORM MOVEMENT ALONG WITH PWATS APPROACHING 1.5 INCHES. WILL  
MENTION LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN IN THE GRIDS...BUT A FLASH FLOOD  
WATCH IS NOT NEEDED IF THE ACTIVITY FROM THE WEST FALLS APART  
BEFORE THE SOUTHERN ACTIVITY MOVES INTO THE REGION.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM  
(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
 
ALL EYES ON ANY CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTN-EVE IN SE  
ND-WCNTRL MN. SFC MAP SHOWS A BROAD SFC LOW IN THE MOBRIDGE SD  
AREA WITH A BOUNDARY (COULD BE CALLED A WARM FRONT) FROM MOBRIDGE  
TO OAKES THEN TO VALLEY CITY THEN TO HILLSBORO THEN EAST TO NORTH  
OF DTL-PKD-BRD THEN INTO FAR NW WISCONSIN. IN FAR SE ND AND  
ADJACENT PARTS OF WCNTRL CLOUDS CLEARED OUT ENOUGH TODAY FOR SFC  
HEATING AND TEMPS IN THE 77 TO 81 DEGREE RANGE. SATELLITE SHOWS  
WHAT APPEARS TO BE A CUMULUS CLOUD BOUNDARY FROM HILLSBORO TO  
ALONG CLAY-NORMAN CO LINE TO NORTH OF PARK RAPIDS. SOUTH WINDS  
SOUTH OF THIS FEATURE NR 10-13 KTS WHILE NORTH WINDS 5-8 KTS  
NORTH OF THIS FEATURE. SPC SHOWS LITTLE CIN AND 1500 J/KG CAPE AND  
SUFFICIENT BULK SHEAR. BUT UPPER LEVELS DONT SHOW ANY BIG THING TO  
SET STUFF OFF. 17-18Z HRRR REFLECTIVITY DOES SHOW ONE CELL TRYING  
TO GET GOING IN NORMAN CO. MN 22-23Z PD BUT THEN IT DISSIPATES  
THIS EVE.  
 
MUCH OF NORTHEAST SD HAS SEEN HIGH CLOUDS TODAY AND DEW PTS IN THE  
50S AND SPC DOES HAVE SOME SFC BASED CIN IN THIS REGION. THUS MAY  
BE HARD TO GET ANYTHING GOING THERE. BUT HRRR WANTS TO GENERATE  
SOME ACTIVITY AXN-STC AREA BY 03Z.  
 
ALSO SOME STORMS NR BLACK HILLS IN WRN SD. SOME WRF MODELS  
INDICATE THIS AREA ORGANIZING MUCH LIKE LAST EVENING AND MOVING  
EAST-NORTHEAST INTO SE ND-WCNTRL MN OVERNIGHT. SO VARIOUS  
SCENERIOS TO PLAY OUT.  
 
OVERALL WOULD EXPECT ORGANIZATION OF SOME ACTIVITY THIS EVE IN  
ND/SD/MN BORDER REGIONS AND THEN SPREAD NORTH AND EAST TONIGHT SO  
WILL STICK WITH HIGH POPS TONIGHT THOUGH CONFIDENCE AT ANY ONE  
HOUR IS LOW. ALSO QPF AMOUNT IS NOT CERTAIN. PLUS ONLY AREA THAT  
MUCH MORE THAN 1 INCH OF RAIN LAST NIGHT WAS EASTERN OTTER TAIL  
COUNTY WITH 0.50 TO 1 INCH NRN WILKIN-SE CLAY INTO WADENA  
COUNTIES. THIS AREA COULD TAKE THE RAIN. OTHERWISE...RAIN AMOUNTS  
IN THE VALLEY WERE MOSTLY 0.50 OR LESS WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS. WITH  
UNCERTAINITY IN HOW THINGS WILL PLAY OUT TONIGHT DID NOT FEEL  
CONFIDENT IN ISSUING ANY FLASH FLOOD WATCHES FOR OUR FCST AREA.  
 
MODELS ACTUALLY BRING IN HIGHER PWAT (1.6) INTO AREA SUN AFTN-NIGH IN  
GENERAL RAINFALL AROUND THE UPPER LOW IN SD AND THIS IS IN WHEN  
MOST WIDESPREAD HEAVIER RAINFALL MAY OCCUR. THUS IF TRUE...GIVES  
US TIME TO SEE WHAT FALLS THIS EVE BEFORE ISSUING ANY HEADLINES.  
KEPT HIGH POPS SUNDAY INTO SUN NIGHT MOST ALL AREAS.  
   
LONG TERM  
(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
 
UPR LOW AND SFC LOW WILL BE OVER SRN SD MONDAY INTO TUESDAY WITH  
MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND INTO ND/NW MN MON-TUES PERIOD WITH  
GENERAL RAINFALL. KEPT POPS HIGH.  
 
FOR TUESDAY NIGHT-FRIDAY...MODELS HAVE BEEN MOST CONSISTENT IN  
BEGINNING TO MOVE THE STACKED NRN PLAINS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM EWD  
IN THE MID WEEK PERIOD. TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY SHOWS THE  
TAPPERING OFF OF VERY LIGHT RAIN WITH PERSISTENT NORTH-EASTERLY  
BLAYER WINDS. INTRUDING DRY AIR FROM WRN ONT SHUD LEAD TO MARKEDLY  
DIMINISHING CLOUD CLOVER WED EVENING. INCREASING HIGH PRESSURE  
OVER WRN ONT AND THE LK SUPERIOR AREA ON THURS AND FRI SHUD SWING  
WINDS FROM THE SOOUH EAST AND KEEP AN OVERALL DRYING AIRMASS OVR  
THE RRV AND MOST OF MINNESOTA. A WARMIG RIDGE ALOFT AND INCREASED  
LOW PRESSURE IN EASTERN MT DOES INCREASE THE RISK FOR SCT SHOWERS  
AND TSTMS INTO EASTERN ND BY LATE FRIDAY AND ACROSS THE FA BY  
SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 1153 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
 
LIFR AFFECTING KBJI SHOULD IMPROVE BY SUNRISE.  
OTHERWISE...INCREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH LOWERING CIGS WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN.  
 
 
   
HYDROLOGY  
 
ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT SAT MAY 18 2013  
 
WHEN NCRFC RAN THE MODEL TODAY USING 24 HOUR QPF IT BROUGHT SEVERAL  
POINTS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THESE INCLUDE FARGO/SABIN/DILWORTH/HAWLEY  
AND HENDRUM. SINCE THESE RISES ARE BASED ON FORECAST PCPN WENT AHEAD  
AND ISSUED A RIVER POINT FLOOD WATCH FOR THESE 5 POINTS. THE FORECAST  
QPF ALSO BROUGHT WAHPETON/EAST GRAND FORKS AND OSLO BACK ABOVE  
ACTION STAGE SO ISSUED RIVER STATEMENTS ON THESE. ONLY DRAYTON AND  
PEMBINA REMAIN IN A FLOOD STATEMENT.  
 
 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ND...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
UPDATE...TG  
SHORT TERM...RIDDLE  
LONG TERM...RIDDLE/GUST  
AVIATION...TG  
HYDROLOGY...GODON  
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