814  
FOUS11 KWBC 161951  
QPFHSD  
 
PROBABILISTIC HEAVY SNOW AND ICING DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
351 PM EDT THU APR 16 2026  
 
VALID 00Z FRI APR 17 2026 - 00Z MON APR 20 2026  
 
   
..NORTH AND CENTRAL ROCKIES THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS  
 
DAY 1...  
 
MID-LEVEL TROUGH AXIS OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN WILL DIG  
SOUTHEAST TO CO THROUGH FRIDAY WHILE A SEPARATE LOW OVER THE  
NORTHERN MT BORDER WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK EAST TO WINNIPEG. BROAD  
ASCENT WILL PERSIST AHEAD OF THESE TROUGHS WHICH WILL ENHANCE AN  
ALREADY TIGHT BAROCLINIC ZONE OVER THE DAKOTAS TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL  
MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM UP THE PLAINS TONIGHT WHILE  
ELEVATED PACIFIC MOISTURE STREAMS OVER THE ROCKIES AHEAD OF THE  
PROGRESSIVE COLD FRONT.  
 
SOME SNOW SQUALLS/CONVECTIVE BANDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE  
OVER UT/WY INTO THIS EVENING WITH THE OVERALL FOCUS FOR SNOW ON  
TERRAIN, SHIFTING OVER CO THROUGH FRIDAY.  
 
DAY 1 SNOW PROBS FOR >6" AFTER 00Z ARE 40-60% IN WEST-CENTRAL MT  
RANGES, THE HIGHEST AREAS AROUND YELLOWSTONE, AROUND 70% ON THE  
LENGTH OF THE BIGHORNS AND 40-60% OVER SOUTHERN WY/NORTH AND  
CENTRAL CO RANGES.  
 
JET ENERGY EAST OF THE BORDER LOW LIFTS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS  
TONIGHT WHICH WILL OVERLAP WITH THE LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE FROM  
THE FRONT. STRONG MID- LEVEL FGEN ACTING UPON A MODESTLY  
MOISTENING COLUMN WILL PRODUCE A STRIPE OF HEAVY BANDING FROM  
WESTERN SD THROUGH CENTRAL/EASTERN ND OVERNIGHT. SNOW BECOMES MORE  
LIKELY THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH NOCTURNAL TRENDS AND INCREASING  
PRECIP RATES. A WARM NOSE WILL ALSO LEAD TO SOME MIXED PRECIP NEAR  
THE ND/MN BORDER LATE TONIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY. DAY 1 SNOW PROBS FOR  
>4" ARE NOW 10-20% OVER CENTRAL ND (A BIT OF A WEST SHIFT FROM  
OVERNIGHT). DAY 1 ICE PROBS FOR >0.1" ARE 10-30% OVER NORTHEAST ND  
THROUGH NORTHWEST MN.  
 
 
JACKSON  
 
 
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