104  
FXUS63 KBIS 181756  
AFDBIS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND  
1156 AM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR BOTTINEAU, ROLETTE, MCHENRY, AND  
PIERCE COUNTIES. IMPACTS INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR 5 TO 8  
INCHES OF SNOW, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN THE  
TURTLE MOUNTAINS, AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITY  
 
- CONFIDENCE IN SNOW TOTALS REMAINS LOWER FOR COUNTIES TO THE  
WEST AND SOUTH OF THE WATCH. HOWEVER, VERY STRONG WINDS WITH  
GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM TUESDAY  
AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THEREFORE, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED  
VISIBILITY IS POSSIBLE DURING ANY SNOW THAT FALLS.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 1156 AM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
 
LITTLE UPDATES NEEDED AT THIS TIME. PRECIPITATION TIMING TODAY  
THROUGH TONIGHT LOOKS TO REMAIN ON TRACK. A BAND OF RAIN  
CHANGING TO SNOW WILL PUSH ACROSS THE STATE FROM WEST TO CENTRAL  
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT, WHILE A BROAD SHIELD OF RAIN  
LIFTS ACROSS THE EAST TONIGHT. COMPARED CURRENT TIMING TO THE  
LATEST HI-RES GUIDANCE AND THE FORECAST OVERALL REMAINS ON  
TRACK. LOOKING FURTHER, PERHAPS A MIX OF WINTER AND WIND  
HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE NEEDED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. CONFIDENCE  
RIGHT NOW IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR ANY HIGHLIGHT CHANGES, THUS  
WILL MAINTAIN THE ONGOING WINTER STORM WATCH IN THE NORTH.  
 
UPDATE  
ISSUED AT 959 AM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
 
LIMITED UPDATES NEEDED THIS MORNING. BAND OF RAIN HAS FORMED IN  
EASTERN MT, ALTHOUGH IS A TOUCH DELAYED GETTING INTO WESTERN ND.  
MADE SOME MINOR POP ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. OTHERWISE  
SOME INCREASED CLOUD COVER HAS ALSO MOVED INTO THE CWA. ADJUSTED  
SKY COVER TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS AS WELL.  
 
UPDATE  
ISSUED AT 552 AM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
 
THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK. SEE DISCUSSION BELOW FOR DETAILS  
ON THE POTENTIAL WINTER STORM.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 357 AM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
 
CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE THAT BLOCKING HIGH PRESSURE  
OVER FLORIDA WILL EJECT STRONG UPPER LOW PRESSURE FROM NEW  
MEXICO, THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS, AND INTO EASTERN ND/WESTERN  
MN TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY BEFORE EJECTING OFF TOWARDS THE  
GREAT LAKES REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
 
WITH INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS,  
THE MAIN UPDATE WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE IS THE ISSUANCE OF A  
WINTER STORM WATCH FOR BOTTINEAU, ROLETTE, MCHENRY, AND PIERCE  
COUNTIES FROM 9 AM TUESDAY UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY. THESE ARE THE  
COUNTIES WHERE CONFIDENCE IN SEEING AT LEAST 6 INCHES OF SNOW  
HAS INCREASED TO 60 TO 80 PERCENT. IN ADDITION TO SNOWFALL  
TOTALS, VERY STRONG WINDS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY  
ESPECIALLY WHILE SNOW IS FALLING. AND ESPECIALLY AS SNOW RATIOS  
INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY TO GREATER THAN 15 TO 1 LATER TUESDAY  
NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.  
 
FOR COUNTIES TO THE WEST AND SOUTH OF THE WATCH, WHICH ARE ALSO  
NORTH OR EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER AND NORTH OF I94, THERE IS  
A 40 TO 70 PERCENT CHANCE OF AT LEAST 4 INCHES OF SNOW. WITH  
FORECAST WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 MPH, EVEN THESE LESSER AMOUNTS  
OF SNOW COULD CAUSE HIGH IMPACTS. HOWEVER, WITH UNCERTAINTY IN  
SNOW TOTALS REMAINING FAIRLY HIGH IN THESE AREAS, HELD OFF ON  
ANY FURTHER HEADLINES AT THIS TIME.  
 
IN REGARD TO WIND SPEEDS, THERE WILL NO DOUBT BE A VERY TIGHT  
PRESSURE GRADIENT LEADING TO GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER, NEITHER CAA  
NOR PRESSURE RISES ARE OVERLY IMPRESSIVE, WHILE THE 0Z EFI HAS  
DECREASED A BIT AND IS BACK UNDER .9. THEREFORE, STUCK WITH  
GENERALLY 40 TO 55 MPH GUSTS THAT THE NBM GENERATED, WITH THE  
STRONGEST VALUES IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL.  
 
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE DAY  
WEDNESDAY, WHILE WINDS SHOULD DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER  
SUNSET. AFTER WHICH, MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE  
REMAINDER OF THE WORKWEEK. WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY COULD BRING  
ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW CHANCES THIS WEEKEND.  
 
IN ADDITION TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW POTENTIAL, A SIGNIFICANT  
DECREASE IN TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK. AFTER  
HIGHS TODAY REACH THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S, HIGHS TUESDAY ARE  
EXPECTED TO BE MOSTLY IN THE 30S. HIGHS ARE THEN LIKELY TO BE  
IN THE 20S MOST DAYS FOR MOST LOCATIONS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF  
THE WEEK, THOUGH 30 DEGREE READINGS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE  
SOUTHWEST AS WELL. LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE ZERO TO THE  
TEENS ARE ALSO EXPECTED FOR MOST LOCATIONS, MOST NIGHTS THIS  
WEEK STARTING TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1156 AM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO START THE FORECAST, ALTHOUGH  
INCREASING CLOUDS WILL BE FOUND THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A BAND  
OF RAIN WILL ALSO PUSH INTO THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON, POSSIBLY  
BRINGING MVFR TO PERHAPS IFR CONDITIONS. THIS EVENING THROUGH  
TONIGHT, LOOK FOR A BAND OF RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW TO PUSH ACROSS  
THE WEST AND CENTRAL, WHILE EASTERN PORTIONS SEE RAIN DEVELOP.  
PRECIPITATION COMBINED WITH LOW CLOUDS WILL BRING MVFR TO IFR  
CONDITIONS TO MOST SITES THROUGH TONIGHT. SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT MAY  
BE FOUND ACROSS THE WEST TUESDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON,  
WITH MOST CENTRAL AND EASTERN SITES SEEING RAIN AND SNOW CHANCES  
CONTINUING ALONG WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS. LIGHT AND VARIABLE  
WINDS TODAY WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME NORTHWEST AND MAY BE BREEZY  
TO WINDY TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR NDZ004-005-012-013.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...ANGLIN  
DISCUSSION...TELKEN  
AVIATION...ANGLIN  
 
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