158  
FXUS63 KBIS 210030  
AFDBIS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND  
630 PM CST FRI FEB 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- LOW CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW WEST AND PARTS OF CENTRAL. MAINLY  
DRY THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
- TEMPERATURES REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH  
DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS NORTHWEST AND PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL  
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
- TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH PRECIPITATION  
CHANCES BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 602 PM CST FRI FEB 20 2026  
 
A FEW FLURRIES REMAIN OVER PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH  
DAKOTA, BUT THESE HAVE BEEN TAPERING OFF OVER THE PAST HOUR OR  
SO. EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE GOING INTO THE EVENING.  
OTHERWISE, A QUIET AND COLD NIGHT REMAINS ON TAP.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 214 PM CST FRI FEB 20 2026  
 
THE UPPER LEVEL LOW THAT BROUGHT SNOW A FEW DAYS AGO IS  
RETROGRADING NORTHWESTWARD INTO MANITOBA. AN UPPER LEVEL  
SHORTWAVE IS CURRENTLY DIGGING ACROSS THE WESTERN HAVE OF THE  
STATE ENHANCED BY THE UPPER LOW, THUS HAS LEAD TO LIGHT SNOW AND  
FLURRIES ACROSS THE WEST. SNOW FLURRIES ARE FORECAST TO TAPPER  
OFF THIS EVENING. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO MOVE OVER  
SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN TONIGHT LEADING TO COLD LOW TEMPERATURES.  
IN ADDITION CLEARING SKIES WILL HELP ENHANCE RADIATIONAL  
COOLING TONIGHT. THUS TEMPERATURES WERE LOWERED TO THE NBM 50TH.  
LIGHT WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO AROUND -32 WIND  
CHILLS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL  
TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING.  
 
TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN COOL THROUGH THE WEEKEND  
WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 5 TO 15 DEGREES WHILE THE  
SOUTHWEST COULD WARM INTO THE 20S. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST  
TO MOVE THROUGH THE SOUTHWEST SATURDAY, BUT THE ENSEMBLES AND  
CAMS HAVE LOWER PRECIPITATION CHANCES. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST  
TO WARM UP ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST INTO THE 50S WHILE THE  
REMAINDER OF THE STATE WILL SIT IN THE 20 TO 30S. THE PATTERN  
WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WITH RIDGING OUT WEST. THERE IS  
GOING TO BE A BATTLE OF TWO AIRMASS WITH THE COLDER AIRMASS  
KEEPING THE NORTHEAST COLD WHILE THE SOUTHWEST WILL REMAIN WARM  
DUE TO RIDGING OUT WEST. THE UNCERTAINTY IS WHERE IS THE  
GRADIENT FOR THESE TEMPERATURES GOING TO SET UP. DEPENDING ON  
WHAT SIDE OF THE GRADIENT YOU ARE ON WILL DETERMINE IF YOU ARE  
COLDER OR WARMER. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE FORECAST TO RETURN  
MIDWEEK WITH SOME CHANCES FOR SNOW. A RIDGE WILL LIKELY BE  
FAVORED TO BUILD EASTWARD BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK FAVORING  
WARMER TEMPERATURES. NBM 25TH IS WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES  
FOR NEXT WEEK THUS GIVING US CONFIDENCE ON A WARMING PATTERN.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 602 PM CST FRI FEB 20 2026  
 
AREAS OF MVFR CEILINGS WILL REMAIN OVER NORTH CENTRAL NORTH  
DAKOTA THROUGH THIS EVENING AFFECTING THE KJMS TERMINAL, WITH  
IMPROVEMENT LATE TONIGHT. OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS WILL  
PREVAIL.  
 

 
   
BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM CST  
SATURDAY FOR NDZ001>003-009>011.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...JJS  
DISCUSSION...JOHNSON  
AVIATION...JJS  
 
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