886  
FXUS63 KFGF 162322  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
622 PM CDT SUN AUG 16 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF  
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA MONDAY  
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. HAIL TO 1 INCH AND WIND GUSTS TO  
60 MPH WOULD BE THE MAIN THREATS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 259 PM CDT SUN AUG 16 2026  
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
WESTERLY FLOW IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS,  
WITH THE NEXT MID/UPPER TROUGH UPSTREAM OVER ALBERTA AND  
SASKATCHEWAN. THIS FEATURE TRACKS EAST TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
NIGHT NORTH OF OUR REGION, AND DEEPENS INTO A LARGER UPPER LOW  
OVER THE HUDSON BAY REGION TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS PLACES  
OUR REGION IN NORTHWEST FLOW THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATER PART  
OF THE WEEK BEFORE RIDGING BEGINS TO REAMPLIFY OVER THE NEXT  
WEEKEND. OUTSIDE OF THE MONDAY PERIOD WHEN SCATTERED  
SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE, THE  
GENERAL PATTERN WILL NOT SUPPORT ORGANIZED PRECIPITATION  
CHANCES. TEMPERATURES WILL TEND TO BE BELOW AVERAGE ONCE WE  
ENTER NW FLOW, WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES RETURNING AS THE  
RIDGE AMPLIFIES AND BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION DURING THE LATER  
PERIODS.  
   
..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK MONDAY
 
 
THE SEVERE RISK MONDAY IN OUR CWA WILL BE DEPENDENT ON THE  
TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT AND POSITION OF THE THE WARM SECTOR  
AHEAD OF THIS DURING THE AFTERNOON/PEAK HEATING PERIOD.  
INITIALLY ELEVATED MORNING SHOWERS/STORMS MAY BE PROGRESSING  
THROUGH THE REGION AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND THIS COULD RESULT IN  
MORE CLOUD COVER LIMITING INITIATION IN OUR AREA AS WELL. A LOT  
OF GUIDANCE PLACES THE FRONT NEAR WEST CENTRAL MN BY TIME  
AFTERNOON DESTABILIZATION OCCURS, NARROWING THE WINDOW AND THE  
REGION WHERE STRONGER/SEVERE STORM COULD INITIATE, WHILE SOME  
12Z GUIDANCE IS JUST SLOW ENOUGH FOR THE WINDOW TO INCLUDE  
SOUTHEAST ND. SHEAR PROFILES ARE TOP HEAVY, BUT THERE IS ENOUGH  
MID/UPPER LEVEL WINDS WITH THE WAVE PASSING TO THE NORTH TO  
SUPPORT EFFECTIVE SHEAR VALUES 30KT+ AS THE FRONT PASSES. MID  
LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE MARGINALLY STEEP (GENERALLY 7-7.4 C/KM)  
AND THE RESULT IN MODEST CAPE VALUES IN THE WARM SECTOR. IF  
SEVERE STORMS WERE TO DEVELOP LOWER END SEVERE IMPACTS APPEAR TO  
BE FAVORED (QUARTER SIZE HAIL/60 MPH WINDS).  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 622 PM CDT SUN AUG 16 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS AT ALL TAF SITES WITH SOME LINGERING CUMULUS THAT  
WILL CLEAR OUT IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WINDS THAT ARE  
NORTHWESTERLY AROUND 10 KTS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE AS  
THE CENTER OF THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES IN OVERNIGHT. CAN'T RULE  
OUT SOME PATCHY GROUND FOG DEVELOPING TOWARDS MORNING WITH  
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS, BUT LOCATION UNCERTAINTY IS  
HIGH AND WILL NOT INCLUDE IN THE TAFS AT THIS POINT. WINDS WILL  
SHIFT AROUND TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FOR A PERIOD TOMORROW  
MORNING. TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD, ALL AIRPORTS EXCEPT KBJI  
SHOULD SEE THE WINDS SHIFT BACK TO THE NORTHWEST WITH SOME  
GUSTS UP TO 20 KTS AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES DOWN INTO THE REGION.  
 

 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
ND...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...DJR  
AVIATION...JR  
 
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