448  
FXUS63 KABR 120719  
AFDABR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD  
219 AM CDT THU MAR 12 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- A CLIPPER SYSTEM BRINGS STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON  
AND EVENING. WIND GUSTS WILL MAINLY BE UP IN THE 50 TO 60 MPH RANGE  
WITH STRONGER GUSTS RIGHT WHEN THE FRONT COMES THROUGH. SOME OF OUR  
MORE WIND PRONE AREAS COULD TOP 75 MPH. A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN  
ISSUED FOR ALL OF CENTRAL/NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST SD AS WELL AS  
WESTERN MN.  
 
- MILD TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS IN COMBINATION WITH THE VERY  
STRONG WINDS WILL RAISE THE GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER INTO THE VERY HIGH  
TO EXTREME CATEGORY FOR THIS AFTERNOON. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN  
EFFECT.  
 
- A COLORADO LOW WILL BRING SNOW FOR THE WEEKEND. THE PROBABILITY OF  
EXCEEDING 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL HAS INCREASED TO 30 TO 60% ACROSS THE  
FORECAST AREA. WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL LEAD TO BLOWING/DRIFTING  
SNOW.  
 
- VERY COLD AIR FOLLOWS WITH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY INTO MONDAY SOME 15  
TO 25 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 219 AM CDT THU MAR 12 2026  
 
ALL DETERMINISTIC MODELS HAVE ALIGNED CLOSER TO THE GFS WHICH HAS HAD  
THE MOST CONTINUITY IN REGARDS TO THE CLIPPER SYSTEM THAT TRACKS  
FROM THE NORTHWEST TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF NORTH DAKOTA. GFS  
1/2KM WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 20 TO 30KTS AT 15Z TO A POCKET OF  
40KTS+ ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA BY 18Z AND 45KTS+ INTO THE  
EASTERN CWA BY 21Z WITH ULTIMATELY A CORE OF 50 TO 60KTS CROSSING  
THE CWA BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z. THE WINDS ALOFT DROP RAPIDLY THEREAFTER  
BY 12Z. GFS ALSO HAS PRESSURE RISES OF 14MB/6 HOURS, AND A BULLSEYE  
OF 20MB/6 HOURS IN NORTH DAKOTA WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT.  
 
WE WILL BE WARM ADVECTING THROUGH AT LEAST 18Z HOWEVER, WHICH WILL  
TEMPER MIXING THOSE STRONGER WINDS OUT WEST. THE CORE OF THE WARMEST  
AIR IS THEN SHUNTED SOUTHWARDS WITH THE COLD FRONT, BUT AGAIN THE  
DUAL NATURE OF THE COLD FRONT SHOWS UP, AND COLD ADVECTION ISN'T  
THAT STRONG INITIALLY (THROUGH THE 00Z TIMEFRAME) AFTER WHICH A  
SECOND SURGE OF ARCTIC TYPE AIR COMES IN WHICH WILL HELP ENHANCE THE  
WINDS. THAT SAID, THE GFS (WHICH IS MORE MIXY) BUFKIT PROFILES DO  
SHOW THE MIXED DOWN TOOL JUMPING INTO THE 60-70KT RANGE, WHICH IS  
BACKED UP BY THE RRFS AND THE ARW. WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL FLOW ALOFT  
OUT OF THE NORTHWEST ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM, THAT WILL AID IN  
ENHANCING WINDS AT TIMES, SO SOME 75 MPH GUSTS NOT OUT OF THE  
QUESTION.  
 
CAMS ARE ALSO GENERATING THESE STRONG ENHANCEMENTS. THE HRRR OUTPUT  
IS WELL PAST 70MPH IN LOCATIONS BACKING UP THE ABOVE STATEMENT. THE  
HREF LIKEWISE HAS SOME AREAS IN NORTH CENTRAL COUNTIES WITH A  
GREATER THAN 50 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF EXCEEDING 70 MPH.  
 
NOW... ON TO THE WEEKEND STORM SYSTEM!  
 
FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT EXISTS BETWEEN DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE IN THE  
PROGRESSION OF A COLORADO LOW THAT MOVES MOSTLY THROUGH KANSAS AND  
OFF TOWARDS CHICAGO. THIS A MUCH LESS AMPLIFIED SYSTEM IN COMPARISON  
THE COLORADO LOWS THAT WOULD TYPICALLY GIVE US A MUCH LONGER  
RESIDENCE TIME WITHIN THE TROWAL, BUT THATS NOT TO SAY IT WON'T BE  
IMPACTFUL AS WE'RE ALREADY SEEING NBM TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES  
OF SNOW. IN FACT, THE 13Z AND 19Z RUNS OF THE NBM HAVE SEEN A  
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER LAST NIGHTS FORECAST. PROBABILITIES TO  
EXCEED 6 INCHES IS NOW UP AROUND 50 TO 80 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF  
THE CWA. DURING THE DAY SATURDAY, PROBABILITIES FOR RAIN ARE A BIT  
HIGHER BUT OVERALL A PROGRESSION TO ALL SNOW IS EXPECTED. GFS BUFKIT  
PROFILES DEPICT A FAIRLY DEEP (APPROX 6KFT) DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE THAT  
MAKES A SLOW PROGRESSION FROM AROUND 500-600MB DOWN TO AROUND 700-  
800MB AS PROFILES COOL, AND WHILE ASCENT IS NEVER CONSISTENTLY WITHIN  
THAT ZONE, THE LONG RESIDENCE TIME MEANS AMPLE TIME FOR SNOWFALL.  
NBM 25TH-75TH RANGE IN SNOWFALL OUTCOMES STILL SHOWS QUITE A BIT OF  
SPREAD, ON THE ORDER OF 6 INCHES BETWEEN HIGHER AND LOWER POTENTIAL  
FOR SNOWFALL. WINDS WILL ALSO BE QUITE STRONG, WITH GFS BUFKIT MIXED  
TOOL INDICATING ABOUT 40KTS OF WIND OUT OF THE NORTHEAST.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1224 AM CDT THU MAR 12 2026  
 
TERMINALS KABR,KATY,KPIR,KMBG  
 
VFR CONDITIONS FOR ALL TERMINALS. SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH VFR CIGS  
POSSIBLE FOR ALL TERMINALS. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO FOLLOW A  
COLD FRONT FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE TAF PERIOD.  
 

 
   
ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CDT FRIDAY FOR  
SDZ007-008-011-019>023.  
 
RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON CDT /11 AM MDT/ TODAY TO 9 PM CDT /8  
PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR SDZ003>005-009-010-015>017-033>037-  
045-048-051.  
 
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 3 PM CDT /2 PM MDT/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 1  
AM CDT /MIDNIGHT MDT/ FRIDAY FOR SDZ003>005-009-010-015>017-  
033>037-045-048-051.  
 
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM CDT FRIDAY FOR  
SDZ006-018.  
 
MN...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CDT FRIDAY FOR  
MNZ039-046.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...07  
AVIATION...07  
 
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