282  
FXUS63 KFGF 180351  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
1051 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- A WET PERIOD IS SETTING UP FROM TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT,  
WITH THE FOCUS FOR THE HIGHEST RAINFALL POTENTIAL ACROSS  
SOUTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA AND WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA. OUTDOOR  
ACTIVITIES AND ONGOING HARVEST WILL BE IMPACTED TO VARYING  
DEGREES.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 1051 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2025  
 
RADAR IS STARTING TO FILL IN ACROSS THE SOUTH, WITH A HUNDREDTH  
OF RAIN NOW REPORTED AT ELBOW LAKE. A HUNDREDTH IS NOT MUCH,  
BUT THIS IS THE VERY BEGINNING OF WHAT WILL BECOME A SOGGY FEW  
DAYS FOR THIS FA. THE EXPECTATION IS FOR RAIN TO REALLY RAMP UP  
IN AREAL COVERAGE IN OUR SOUTHERN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES OVER THE  
NEXT 3 HOURS OR SO.  
 
UPDATE  
ISSUED AT 637 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2025  
 
DRY AIR AT THE SURFACE IS KEEPING THE HANDFUL OF RADAR RETURNS  
IN OUR FAR SOUTH FROM REACHING THE GROUND. HOWEVER, THE  
ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN WILL CONTINUE TO SATURATE OVER THE NEXT  
SEVERAL HOURS, WITH RAIN EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE FAR SOUTH  
AROUND MIDNIGHT. FROM THERE, IT WILL SLOWLY INCH NORTHWARD  
OVERNIGHT, REACHING ABOUT I94 BY SUNRISE. OUTSIDE OF SHORT TERM  
ADJUSTMENTS TO MATCH THIS IDEA IN THE GRIDS, THE REST OF THE  
FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 246 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2025  
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
A PAIR OF UPPER LOWS TO OUR WEST WILL WOBBLE EAST AND ROTATE  
AROUND EACH OTHER AS WE HEAD INTO THE LATER PART OF THE WORK  
WEAK. THE SOUTHERNMOST UPPER CIRCULATION WILL LIFT  
NORTHEASTWARDS TOWARDS THE ND/SD BORDER TOMORROW, REMAINING OVER  
THE DAKOTAS THROUGH FRIDAY BEFORE MOVING OFF INTO THE UPPER  
MIDWEST OVER THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER UPPER LOW STARTS TO MOVE INTO  
THE DAKOTAS FOR MONDAY, AND THEN DOWN INTO THE CENTRAL MS  
VALLEY BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
   
..RAIN TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY NIGHT
 
 
ECMWF EFI HAS A FAIRLY ROBUST WET SIGNAL FOR THE DAKOTAS FROM  
TONIGHT THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY, THEN AGAIN FOR MONDAY. INSTABILITY  
LOOKS FAIRLY WEAK, ALTHOUGH SOME ENSEMBLE MEMBERS BRING SOME  
CAPE INTO OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES FOR TOMORROW, WITH PROBABILITY  
OF OVER 1000 J/KG AROUND 25 PERCENT. WITH NOT A LOT OF CAPE AND  
DEEP LAYER SHEAR AROUND 30 KTS, THE MAIN ISSUE CONTINUES TO BE  
HEAVY RAINFALL. PROBABILITIES FOR OVER AN INCH OF RAIN THROUGH  
FRIDAY NIGHT ARE STILL HIGHEST IN SOUTHEASTERN ND, RANGING FROM  
50 TO 80 PERCENT. CHANCES FOR HEAVY RAINFALL TRAIL OFF  
SIGNIFICANTLY FURTHER NORTHEAST, WITH LESS THAN HALF AN INCH  
EXPECTED NEAR LAKE OF THE WOODS. THE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED OVER  
SEVERAL DAYS AND SHOULD NOT ALL COME AT ONCE, WITH THE 75TH  
PERCENTILE FOR 6 HOURLY QPF NOT GETTING ABOVE HALF AN INCH. AT  
THIS POINT, THINK RAIN SHOULD SOAK IN PRETTY WELL AND WILL NOT  
MESSAGE MUCH MORE THAN WE ALREADY HAVE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1051 PM CDT WED SEP 17 2025  
 
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO GO DOWN HILL DRAMATICALLY OVERNIGHT  
INTO THURSDAY MORNING, WITH VFR GIVING WAY TO MVFR, EVENTUALLY  
TURNING TO IFR AT MULTIPLE SITES. EVEN IF IFR IS NOT PREVAILED  
AT A SPECIFIC SITES TAF, POCKETS OF IFR WILL LIKELY BE ROAMING  
AROUND THROUGHOUT THURSDAY, LEADING TO BRIEF INSTANCES OF LOWER  
CEILINGS. AT THIS TIME, IT REMAINS TOO EARLY TO ADD A TEMPO OR  
PROB30 TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS OUTSIDE OF WHERE IFR IS EXPECTED TO  
PREVAIL. SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE PASSING THROUGH. VISIBILITIES  
WILL CHANGE VERY LITTLE IN AREAS WHERE IT IS RAINING VS AREAS  
WHERE IT IS NOT, AS A MIX OF DRIZZLE/MIST WILL LIKELY PERSIST IN  
BETWEEN THE PERIODS OF RAIN. CEILINGS WILL LOWER AGAIN THURSDAY  
NIGHT. HOW LOW THEY GO IS UNCERTAIN, BUT PLACES WHERE WE SEE  
PERSISTENT IFR THURSDAY AFTERNOON (SUCH AS KDVL) COULD SEE LIFR  
BY THURSDAY NIGHT.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...RAFFERTY  
DISCUSSION...JR  
AVIATION...RAFFERTY  
 
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