470  
FXUS63 KBIS 250918  
AFDBIS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND  
418 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY, QUICKLY FALLING  
TO BELOW NORMAL ON THURSDAY, THEN A WARMING TREND BACK TO  
ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
- LOW CHANCES FOR LIGHT RAIN ACROSS NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA  
TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING, WITH FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE  
ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER.  
 
- MEDIUM CHANCES FOR RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS  
WEDNESDAY EVENING, POSSIBLY CHANGING TO SNOW BEFORE ENDING  
THURSDAY MORNING.  
 
- INTERMITTENT BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS THIS WEEK, MAINLY  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.  
 
- A SHORT WINDOW OF NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN  
THE NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 417 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2026  
 
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING CONTINUES ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS KEEPING  
THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY IN NORTHWESTERLY  
FLOW ALOFT. A SHORTWAVE CONTINUES TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION  
BRINGING FORTH RAIN ACROSS THE NORTHWEST. TEMPERATURES ARE  
AROUND 30 DEGREES IN THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS SO ONCE PRECIPITATION  
MAKES IT'S WAY EASTWARD, FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THE TURTLE  
MOUNTAINS. THIS COULD LEAD TO LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF FREEZING  
RAIN RESULTING IN A LIGHT GLAZE ACROSS ELEVATED SURFACES. NOW  
TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO WARM INTO THE 40S ACROSS THE  
NORTHEAST TO THE LOWER 70S IN THE SOUTHWEST AS A WARM FRONT  
LIFTS THROUGH THE AREA. WINDY WESTERLY WINDS ARE FORECAST ACROSS  
THE NORTHWEST DUE TO A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM AN  
APPROACHING SURFACE LOW. THIS COULD LEAD TO A BRIEF WINDOW OF  
NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST.  
ALTHOUGH, THE THREAT FOR NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS  
LOOKS TO BE ON THE LOWER END AS THEY CONTINUE TO RECEIVE RAIN  
THIS MORNING AND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS FORECAST TO BE  
ABOVE 30 PERCENT ACROSS THE THE NORTH. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE OF  
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AS THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF  
INSTABILITY ACROSS THE REGION. CAMS PRODUCE CONVECTION THIS  
AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH  
THE REGION BEING THE LIFTING MECHANISM FOR STORMS. THE FRONTAL  
PASSAGE WILL BRING WINDY CONDITIONS TO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND  
EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA LATE TONIGHT.  
 
WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE  
FORECAST TO DROP BELOW NORMAL IN THE 20S ACROSS THE NORTH AND  
THE LOWER 40S IN THE SOUTH. THERE COULD BE A RAIN SNOW MIX  
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE THURSDAY MORNING. THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY NIGHT ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST TO  
DROP OUT OF NORTHWESTERLY FLOW BRINGING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW  
ACROSS THE NORTH. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REBOUND FRIDAY  
CLOSER TO NEAR NORMAL WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO  
RETURN THIS WEEKEND. WITH THESE CONDITIONS, THE WEEKEND IS  
FORECAST TO REMAIN DRY. THE PATTERN COULD BECOME ACTIVE AGAIN BY  
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS TROUGHING RETURNS TO WESTERN CONUS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1246 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2026  
 
A SYSTEM IS SLOWLY MOVING IN FROM THE WEST AND WILL SHIFT WINDS  
OUT OF THE WEST. RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE MORNING ACROSS  
ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. THERE ALSO COULD BE SOME  
LOW CLOUDS THAT MOVE INTO THE KMOT AREA THIS MORNING. GUSTY  
WINDS AROUND 30KT ARE POSSIBLE FOR KXWA THIS AFTERNOON AS THE  
SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE  
ACROSS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  
 

 
   
BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...JOHNSON  
AVIATION...JOHNSON  
 
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