223  
FXUS65 KCYS 201527  
AFDCYS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY  
927 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2013  
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 918 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2013  
 
FORECAST LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE THIS MORNING. NOT EXPECTING ANY  
UPDATES AT THIS TIME. WIND ADVISORY IS WORKING OUT WITH MANY  
SITES IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE SUSTAINED AROUND 30 MPH AND  
GUSTING OVER 40 MPH. THIS WILL BE THE CASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON  
WITH WINDS BACKING DOWN THIS EVENING. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE  
FOUND ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING.  
 
SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE SNOWY AND SIERRA MADRE RANGES MARGINAL BUT  
BEING A LATE SEASON EVENT WILL LET IT RIDE AT LEAST A FEW MORE  
HOURS. SNOW SHOULD REALLY SHUT DOWN THIS AFTERNOON AS DRIER AIR  
WORKS INTO THE WESTERN CWA.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(TODAY THU AND TONIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 411 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2013  
 
THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST PACKAGE IS THE  
TIMING OF WHEN THE PRECIPITATION BANDS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA  
TODAY AND TONIGHT.  
 
TODAY:  
LATEST WATER VAPOR LOOP WAS SHOWING A PIECE OF ENERGY ROTATING  
AROUND THE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND STARTING TO MOVE TOWARDS THE NORTHERN  
HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. LATEST OBSERVATIONS WERE SHOWING GOOD  
PRESSURE FALLS TAKING PLACE ACROSS WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA WITH THE  
RADAR RETURNS INCREASING ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST WYOMING AND  
WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT IN  
SHOWING THIS BAND OF PRECIPITATION SHIFTING SOUTH THROUGH THE  
FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE MORNING AND REACHING AREAS NEAR THE CO/WY  
AND CO/NE BORDER AROUND MIDDAY. BEHIND THIS BAND OF PRECIPITATION...WE  
MAY SEE A BREAK FOR A FEW HOURS. HOWEVER...THE MOUNTAINS/RIDGE TOPS  
MAY ALSO INDUCE SOME AFTERNOON CONVECTION WHICH MAY AFFECT PORTIONS  
OF THE AREA. IN ADDITION...WE ARE EXPECTING GOOD MIXING TO TAKE  
PLACE TODAY ESPECIALLY IN THE PRECIPITATION FREE AREAS. AT THIS  
POINT...IT APPEARS LIKE AREAS EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE WILL MOST  
LIKELY EXPERIENCE THE STRONGER WIND SPEEDS WITH SUSTAINED VALUES OF  
25 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE. THEREFORE...THE  
WIND ADVISORY LOOKS TO BE A GOOD CALL FOR THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE.  
 
TONIGHT:  
NOT COMPLETELY CONFIDENT ON HOW THINGS WILL PAN OUT. THE MODELS ARE  
REALLY NOT SHOWING ANY DISTINCT DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH EASTERN  
WYOMING. HOWEVER...THERE IS SOME INDICATION THAT A PIECE OF ENERGY  
MAY TRY TO PIVOT THROUGH THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THIS WILL BE A  
TOUGH CALL ON WHO WILL RECEIVE THE MAJORITY OF THE PRECIPITATION. AT  
THIS JUNCTURE...WE WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THE NORTHERN NEBRASKA  
PANHANDLE WILL SEE THE MAJORITY OF THE RAINFALL. HOWEVER...IF THERE  
IS ENOUGH UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE SOUTHEAST WYOMING MAY SEE A DECENT  
CHANCE OF MORE RAINFALL. WE WILL PLAY THE CONSERVATIVE ROUTE FOR NOW  
WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES BEYOND 00Z. SNOW CHANCES WILL ALSO  
PERSIST OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLY  
REACHING THE 4-7 INCH RANGE BEFORE DIMINISHING LATE.  
 
TUESDAY:  
THE MODELS ARE STILL SHOWING GOOD EVIDENCE OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE  
BUILDING INTO THE AREA WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR GRADUAL CLEARING FROM  
WEST TO EAST. THE MODELS ARE ALSO PICKING UP ON A WEAK UPPER LEVEL  
WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE RIDGE TUESDAY MORNING. NOT COMPLETELY SURE  
THAT THIS FEATURE WILL PAN OUT SINCE THE LATEST WATER VAPOR LOOP IS  
CURRENTLY SHOWING THIS WAVE LIFTING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST WHICH SHOULD  
CAUSE IT TO SHEAR OUT FAIRLY RAPIDLY. WE DID KEEP A SMALL CHANCE OF  
SHOWERS IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE MORNING  
HOURS...BUT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN TO DISSIPATE BY  
MIDDAY. THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE SOME SUNSHINE EXCEPT FOR  
THE EXTREME NORTHEAST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE THE TAIL END  
OF THE CYCLONIC FLOW FROM THE CLOSED LOW WILL STILL AFFECT THAT  
REGION.  
   
LONG TERM
 
(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)  
ISSUED AT 411 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2013  
 
THE MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE STRENGTHENING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW  
ALOFT AND INCREASING LLVL MOISTURE ADVECTION ON WEDNESDAY AND  
THURSDAY. SOUTHEASTERLY SFC WINDS ACROSS THE PLAINS WILL BEGIN TO  
TRANSPORT THE HIGHER DEWPOINTS TO AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE  
LARAMIE RANGE BY WEDNESDAY AFTN. THIS TRANSLATES INTO WEAK  
INSTABILITY WITH THE GFS AND NAM SHOWING LI VALUES OF -1C TO -2C  
OVER THE PLAINS OF SOUTHEAST WY. PRECIP CHANCES LOOK BETTER ON  
THURSDAY AFTN AS A SHORTWAVE EJECTS NORTHWARD ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF  
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST UPPER LOW. THIS SHORTWAVE WILL INTERACT WITH  
BETTER SFC INSTABILITY AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 40 KTS SUGGESTS SOME  
POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS. STRATUS  
DEVELOPMENT OVER THE PLAINS LOOKS POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY NIGHT WITH  
THE MOIST SE UPSLOPE.  
 
APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND  
TSTMS EACH AFTN ALONG AND EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE FROM FRIDAY INTO  
THE WEEKEND AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS LOCATED ALONG THE WEST  
COAST. HARD TO PINPOINT AN AFTERNOON THAT WILL HAVE GREATER  
COVERAGE OF STORMS AT THIS POINT. THE GFS HAS THE SFC TROUGH ALONG  
THE WY-NE BORDER ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...WHICH WOULD KEEP THE BEST  
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY OVER THE PANHANDLE. THE ECMWF PULLS THE  
HIGH DEWPOINTS FURTHER WEST ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. NEEDLESS TO  
SAY...THE SHORTWAVES EJECTING ACROSS THE CWA WILL PLAY A BIG FACTOR  
IN THE SFC PRESSURE FIELD AND RESULTANT MOISTURE ADVECTION. WITH  
MODERATE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AND GOOD INSTABILITY...THE POTENTIAL  
WILL LIKELY EXIST FOR SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING)  
ISSUED AT 551 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2013  
 
THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS TAF ISSUANCE IS THE CEILING HEIGHTS AND  
HOW GUSTY WIND SPEEDS WILL BE.  
 
LATEST RADAR LOOP WAS SHOWING SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS STILL  
LINGERING ACROSS RWL WITH ANOTHER BATCH OF SHOWERS MOVING INTO THE  
NORTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THE SHOWERS ACROSS THE NORTHERN  
PANHANDLE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A PIECE OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING  
THROUGH WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. THIS BAND OF SHOWERS SHOULD CONTINUE  
TO PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE COURSE OF DAY AND BRING RAIN TO ALL OF  
THE PANHANDLE SITES BY MIDDAY. CYS AND LAR SHOULD ALSO SEE THIS  
BAND OF SHOWERS BY AROUND 18Z. CEILINGS SHOULD DROP INTO THE MVFR  
CATEGORY ONCE THIS BAND OF SHOWERS MOVES THROUGH...BUT THE  
CEILINGS SHOULD GENERALLY STAY IN THE VFR CATEGORY UNTIL THEN. THE  
EXCEPTION WILL BE IN RWL WHERE THEY ARE STARTING OUT IN THE IFR  
CATEGORY...BUT SHOULD IMPROVE TO MVFR BY 15Z.  
 
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA THIS  
MORNING DUE TO STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO CENTRAL WYOMING  
WHILE LOW PRESSURE KEEPS ITS GRIP OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS  
WILL PUT MOST OF THE AREA IN A SQUEEZE PLAY SITUATION WHICH WILL  
CAUSE WIND SPEEDS TO INCREASE TO 25 TO 30KTS WITH SOME GUSTS TO  
40KTS BY MID MORNING.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
ISSUED AT 411 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2013  
 
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE IN PLACE TODAY WHICH MAY AFFECT THE  
MORGAN CREEK PRESCRIBED BURN AREA. HOWEVER...BENEFICIAL RAINFALL  
SHOULD TEND TO SUPPRESS ANY FIRE CONCERNS TODAY. THE BENEFICIAL  
RAINFALL TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT SHOULD ALSO KEEP THE MAJORITY OF THE  
AREA IN GREENUP AND POSSIBLY INCREASE THE GREEN UP POTENTIAL IN THE  
PANHANDLE. AFTER A BRIEF DRYING OUT PERIOD ON WEDNESDAY...HIGHER  
DEWPOINTS (50+) WILL RETURN TO AREAS EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE ON  
THURSDAY AND KEEP CONDITIONS MOIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR WYZ112-  
114.  
 
NE...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ002-003-019>021-  
054-055-095-096.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...LIEBL  
SHORT TERM...REC  
LONG TERM...FINCH  
AVIATION...REC  
FIRE WEATHER...REC  
 
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