425  
FXUS63 KUNR 231059  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
459 AM MDT TUE APR 23 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- WARM, DRY, AND OCCASIONALLY BREEZY WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY  
 
- UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS LATE THIS WEEK. CHANCES FOR SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURNING BY THURSDAY AND CONTINUING INTO THE  
WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY)  
ISSUED AT 333 AM MDT TUE APR 23 2024  
 
500MB ANALYSIS DEPICTS POSITIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE SKIRTING PAST  
THE REGION TO THE NORTHEAST WITH A 100KT JET STREAK DIRECTLY  
OVERHEAD AT 300 MB. AT THE SFC, A SFC LOW SITS OVER THE GREAT  
LAKES REGION WITH HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE CANADIAN  
ROCKIES. THIS HAS ALLOWED A PRESSURE GRADIENT TO SET UP ACROSS THE  
REGION WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SOME BREEZY WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS,  
ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHWESTERN SD. HOWEVER, THESE WINDS AREN'T MUCH  
TO WRITE HOME ABOUT, GENERALLY 10 TO 15 MPH GUSTING TO 20 TO 25  
MPH AT TIMES. SKIES OVER THE REGION ARE MOSTLY CLEAR WITH  
TEMPERATURES LARGELY IN THE 30S TO LOW 40S.  
 
OUR MARGINALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE MORNING  
HOURS, ESPECIALLY TOWARDS CENTRAL SD WHERE 850 MB WINDS OF 30KTS  
MAY MIX DOWN TO THE SFC AFTER SUNRISE. SOUTH CENTRAL SD COULD SEE  
SOME GUSTS 30 TO 40 MPH IN THE MORNING HOURS WITH WINDS  
DIMINISHING IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE SHORTWAVE MOVES OUT OF THE  
REGION.  
 
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE REGION BY WEDNESDAY WITH  
VIGOROUS RETURN FLOW ADVECTING WARMER TEMPERATURES INTO THE  
REGION. LLJ WILL FORM OVER WESTERN SD TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY  
WEDNESDAY, LEADING TO A BREEZY WEDNESDAY OVER MUCH OF THE WESTERN  
SD PLAINS. SOUTH CENTRAL SD COULD SEE SOME LOW END ADVSY LEVEL  
GUSTS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION, RHS OVER NORTHEASTERN WY  
WILL PLUMMET INTO THE MID-TEENS. HOWEVER, WINDS OVER NORTHEASTERN  
WY WILL BE FAIRLY LIGHT WHICH WILL PRECLUDE ANY FIRE WX CONCERNS  
AT THIS TIME.  
 
UPPER LOW WILL SWING THROUGH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION LATE  
WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY WITH LEE CYCLONE DEVELOPING OVER THE  
CENTRAL PLAINS LATE THURSDAY EVENING. THIS WILL BRING US OUR NEXT  
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS. NAM DEPICTS 1000 J/KG CAPE OVER  
THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THOUGH SHEAR IS RATHER MEAGER AND  
MAY PRECLUDE ANY WIDESPREAD SEVERE THREAT AT THIS TIME. RAIN  
CHANCES CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE SFC LOW CROSSES THE REGION.  
AS OF NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE SOUTH CENTRAL INTO CENTRAL SD WILL GET  
THE BULK OF THE QPF WITH GEPS/ENS HAVING THE HIGHEST PROBS  
(40-60%) OF TOTAL PRECIP ACCUMULATION OF 1+" OVER SOUTH CENTRAL SD  
BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
ANOTHER SHORTWAVE AND LEE CYCLONE WILL FOLLOW RIGHT ON THE HEELS  
OF THE FIRST SYSTEM, IMPACTING THE REGION LATE SATURDAY AND  
CONTINUING OUR RAIN CHANCES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THERE'S A LITTLE  
MORE UNCERTAINTY WITH THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM (AND THUS  
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HOW MUCH PRECIP WE MAY GET OUT OF IT) THOUGH  
RECENT DETERMINISTIC GFS RUNS HAVE KEPT THE BULK OF THE QPF OVER  
SOUTH CENTRAL SD AND THE MOST RECENT ECMWF RUN HAS THE SYSTEM  
TRACKING FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST AND MISSING THE CWA ALL TOGETHER.  
EITHER WAY, WE'RE ON TRACK FOR AN UNSETTLED AND DREARY WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING)  
ISSUED AT 459 AM MDT TUE APR 23 2024  
 
VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD.  
 

 
   
UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...NONE.  
WY...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...WONG  
AVIATION...7  
 
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