161  
FXUS63 KBIS 050005  
AFDBIS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND  
705 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF  
WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THIS EVENING.  
 
- GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA  
THROUGH THIS EVENING, CONTINUING IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN  
NORTH DAKOTA ON MONDAY. STRONGER NORTHERLY WINDS IN NORTHWEST  
NORTH DAKOTA ON MONDAY.  
 
- ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP IN WESTERN  
NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING. HIGHER CHANCES FOR SCATTERED  
SHOWERS AND STORMS INCREASE MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE  
EVENING.  
 
- COOLER ON TUESDAY, WITH A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE  
SOUTHWEST. THEN MOSTLY DRY WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND  
BREEZY CONDITIONS AT TIMES THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 607 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2025  
 
LATE AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AGITATED CUMULUS CLOUDS  
BUILDING ALONG A SURFACE WIND SHIFT FROM NEAR GLENDIVE, MT TO  
BELLE FOURCHE, SD. A FEW UPDRAFTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GROW INTO  
THUNDERSTORMS, MAINLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 12. LATEST SPC  
MESOANALYSIS SHOWS UP TO 1000 J/KG SBCAPE BUT ONLY 500 J/KG  
MLCAPE IN SOUTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR IS ALSO  
ONLY AROUND 20-25 KTS. STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE,  
BUT THE STRONGLY MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER COULD PROMOTE CONVECTIVE  
WIND GUSTS ENHANCED BEYOND THE BACKGROUND SYNOPTIC WINDS.  
FURTHER NORTH, A LESS-AGITATED CUMULUS FIELD IS FILLING IN OVER  
NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA. THIS COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FEW  
SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A WEAK THUNDERSTORM, BUT BOTH CAPE AND SHEAR  
ARE MUCH LOWER IN THAT PART OF THE STATE.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2025  
 
DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW IN EASTERN MT AND EXITING HIGH PRESSURE  
TO OUR EAST WILL CONTINUE TO BRING A WARM, DRY, AND WINDY FLOW  
THROUGH THIS EVENING. ISOLATED ADVISORY WINDS HAVE BEEN NOTED  
ALREADY THIS AFTERNOON, ALTHOUGH ARE NOT WIDESPREAD ENOUGH FOR A  
HIGHLIGHT AT THIS TIME. THE BIGGER CONCERN IS WIDESPREAD  
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING.  
A RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES FOR MOST OF THE CWA. SEE THE FIRE  
WEATHER DISCUSSION BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS. THIS EVENING THROUGH  
TONIGHT, A BOUNDARY OF UP TO 1000 J/KG MUCAPE STILL LOOKS TO SET  
UP IN THE WEST. SHEAR IN THIS AREA LOOKS OVERALL LOW. HOWEVER,  
WITH THE LOW APPROACHING AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE  
THROUGH TONIGHT. SPC HAS ALSO ADDED IN GENERAL THUNDER FOR THIS  
THREAT. THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS OVERALL LOW. THE STRONG  
LOW LEVEL JET ALOFT AND INVERTED V SOUNDING COULD BRING A  
MAINLY SUB SEVERE WIND THREAT WITH ANY STORMS THAT CAN DEVELOP.  
LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE MILD AND MAINLY IN THE 50S. LOW AND  
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH MONDAY,  
ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION AND COLD FRONT TIMING MAY BE SLIGHTLY  
DELAYED. BECAUSE OF THIS, WARM, DRY, AND BREEZY CONDITIONS MAY  
LINGER ACROSS THE EAST AND PERHAPS BRING SOME NEAR CRITICAL FIRE  
WEATHER CONDITIONS. MEANWHILE, IN THE WEST COLD FRONT PASSAGE  
WILL BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG NORTH  
WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT COULD ALSO BE FOUND, AND PERHAPS BE AT  
ADVISORY LEVELS. AS THE FRONT ENTERS CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATER  
IN THE DAY, MODEST MUCAPE AND SHEAR WILL BE FOUND. THERE IS SOME  
CAPPING CONCERNS AND THE BETTER SHEAR IS NOT FULLY ALIGNED WITH  
THE HIGHEST INSTABILITY. SPC HAS MAINTAINED A GENERAL RISK FOR  
THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY. OF NOTE ARE LOW CHANCES FOR SEVERE HAIL  
IN THE CSU-MLP GUIDANCE. IF SHEAR AND INSTABILITY CAN BETTER  
ALIGN, THEN PERHAPS AN ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORM IS  
POSSIBLE, ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO MESSAGE  
SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS POINT. HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL SEE A WIDE  
RANGE DUE TO THE MENTIONED COLD FRONT. LOOK FOR HIGHS NEAR 60 IN  
THE NORTHWEST TO NEAR 80 IN THE SOUTHEAST. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS  
WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE THEN EXPECTED FOR MONDAY NIGHT.  
MOST AREAS WILL SEE WINDS BECOME NORTHERLY AND BECOME BREEZY.  
LOWS WILL DIP INTO THE UPPER 30S TO UPPER 40S.  
 
POST FRONTAL CONDITIONS TO BE FOUND ON TUESDAY. LINGERING  
SHOWERS COULD BE FOUND THROUGH THE DAY. BREEZY NORTHEAST WINDS  
COULD BE FOUND CENTRAL AND EAST, ALTHOUGH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN  
THE UPPER 50S TO UPPER 60S WILL BRING IMPROVED HUMIDITY VALUES.  
WINDS AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DIMINISH TUESDAY NIGHT.  
OVERNIGHT LOWS COULD BE QUITE COOL AND IN THE 30S TO LOWER 40S  
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. RIDGE TO FLAT RIDGING THEN FORECAST FOR  
THE MID TO LATE WEEK PERIOD. THIS BRINGS WARMING TEMPERATURES  
BACK INTO THE 70S TO PERHAPS LOWER 80S. BREEZY WINDS AT TIMES  
MAY ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS PATTERN THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  
HUMIDITY VALUES COULD LOWER AGAIN DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, AND  
MAY NEED TO BE MONITORED FOR THE RETURN OF FIRE WEATHER  
CONCERNS. CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ARE LIMITED RIGHT NOW. THERE  
COULD BE A WEAK WAVE IN THE FLOW THURSDAY EVENING INTO FRIDAY.  
NBM PUTTING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AS A RESULT DURING THIS  
TIME PERIOD.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 703 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2025  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR MOST AREAS THROUGH THE FORECAST  
PERIOD. ONE EXCEPTION IS IN NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA WHERE MVFR  
CEILINGS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE IN MONDAY AFTERNOON. ISOLATED  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN  
NORTH DAKOTA THIS EVENING. THEN ON MONDAY, NORTHWEST NORTH  
DAKOTA COULD SEE LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS RETURN IN THE AFTERNOON,  
WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS  
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATER IN THE AFTERNOON.  
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ENOUGH TO INTRODUCE A PROB30 FOR TSRA AT KDIK  
WITH THIS SET OF TAFS, WITH KBIS AND KMOT TO SEE HIGHER ODDS  
FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS MONDAY EVENING. ANY STORM THAT MOVES OVER  
A TERMINAL THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE CAPABLE OF  
BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR/IFR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND ERRATIC,  
GUSTY WINDS.  
 
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST AROUND 20 KTS THIS EVENING,  
DECREASING SLIGHTLY OVERNIGHT AND TURNING TO THE SOUTHEAST IN  
WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN NORTH  
DAKOTA ON MONDAY, REACHING KDIK TO KMOT BY THE END OF THE  
FORECAST PERIOD. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND  
15-25 KTS WILL PREVAIL ON MONDAY. BEHIND THE FRONT, WINDS WILL  
SHIFT TO THE NORTH AROUND 15-25 KTS, BUT STRONGER SPEEDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 40 KTS ARE EXPECTED IN NORTHWEST NORTH DAKOTA MONDAY  
AFTERNOON. LASTLY, LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL IMPACT SOUTHWEST  
AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA LATE THIS EVENING INTO EARLY MONDAY  
MORNING.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 703 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2025  
 
RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF WESTERN AND  
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. LAMOURE AND DICKEY COUNTIES REMAIN AT  
NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR TODAY GIVEN  
UNCERTAINTY IN FUELS AS A GREENUP IS MORE APPARENT THERE, YET  
UNCERTAIN IF THAT IS ENOUGH TO OVERCOME REMAINING TALL DEAD  
GRASSES FROM LAST SEASON. SOUTH WINDS UP TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP  
TO 40 MPH REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THIS EVENING.  
EARLY EVENING RH VALUES REMAIN IN THE 15 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE,  
BUT SHOULD BEGIN SLOWLY RISING BY SUNSET. ANYWHERE IN THE RED  
FLAG WARNING COULD SEE RAPID GROWTH AND SPREAD OF WILDFIRES. THE  
MOST CONCERNING AREAS WITHIN THE RED FLAG WARNING ARE IN  
SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. THESE AREAS HAVE LOW LEVEL  
LAPSE RATES OVER 8 C/KM OVERLAP WITH THE STRONGEST 850 MB LEVEL  
WINDS ALOFT. FOR THOSE INTERESTED, MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS  
IS NOW COVERED UNDER GOES EAST 19 MESO SECTOR 1 TO HELP MONITOR  
FOR HOT SPOTS USING SATELLITE DATA.  
 
TONIGHT, A STEADY SOUTHERLY WIND WILL LINGER THROUGH THE NIGHT  
WITH RH RECOVERIES AROUND 50 TO 80 PERCENT. CHANCES FOR  
PRECIPITATION MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST ON  
MONDAY. THIS INCREASED MOISTURE MAY BE DELAYED ACROSS THE EAST,  
AND WARM TEMPERATURES COULD ALLOW AFTERNOON RH VALUES TO DROP  
INTO THE 20S. BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS  
THE EAST ON MONDAY, WHILE WINDS BECOME STRONGER OUT OF THE  
NORTH ACROSS WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO  
POSSIBLE FOR MONDAY. THE COMBINATION OF LOWER HUMIDITY VALUES  
AND BREEZY WINDS MAY RESULT IN NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER  
CONDITIONS MAINLY EAST OF HIGHWAY 83 THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.  
BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM  
CHANCES ARE THEN EXPECTED FOR MONDAY NIGHT. COOLER TEMPERATURES,  
IMPROVED HUMIDITY VALUES, AND SOME LINGERING BREEZY NORTHERLY  
WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED FOR TUESDAY. SOME SHOWERS MAY LINGER IN  
THE WEST AS WELL ON TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR  
NDZ001>005-009>013-017>023-025-031>037-040>047-050.  
 
 
 
 
 
UPDATE...HOLLAN  
DISCUSSION...ANGLIN  
AVIATION...HOLLAN  
FIRE WEATHER...ANGLIN/HOLLAN  
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