918  
FXUS63 KFGF 182142  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
342 PM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OVERSPREADS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND  
MINNESOTA TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY.  
 
- ACCUMULATING SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS WILL BRING WINTER IMPACTS  
TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.  
 
- UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS IN THE SEVERITY AND LOCATION OF WINTER  
IMPACTS, WITH THE MAIN UNCERTAINTY TIED TO THE STRENGTH AND  
TRACK OF THE SYSTEM.  
 
- HIGHEST CHANCES TO RECEIVE WINTER STORM IMPACTS ARE STILL OVER  
THE DEVILS LAKE REGION, BUT EXPANDED THIS A BIT ON THE EASTERN  
AND SOUTHERN EDGES TO ENCOMPASS A SLIGHTLY WIDER AREA FOR THE  
UNCERTAINTY OF THE SNOW/WIND/BLOWING SNOW POTENTIAL.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 342 PM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
   
..SYNOPSIS  
 
THE SURFACE LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM IS  
CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL KANSAS, BUT ITS RAIN SHIELD HAS MOVED ALL  
THE WAY NORTH INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. SEEING LIGHT RAIN  
REPORTED ALREADY AS FAR NORTH AS REDWOOD FALLS MINNESOTA. THIS  
SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO TRACK NORTHWARD TO SOUTH CENTRAL  
MINNESOTA BY TUESDAY MORNING, THEN NORTHWARD TO AROUND WINNIPEG  
BY EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. THEN IT APPEARS THERE WILL BE AT LEAST  
A 12 HOUR PERIOD (TUESDAY NIGHT) THAT IT REMAINS IN PLACE,  
BEFORE IT BEGINS TO SLOWLY WEAKEN ITS GRIP ON THE NORTHERN  
PLAINS (AS IT EXITS TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST). 500MB RIDGING BUILDS  
IN BEHIND THIS SYSTEM FOR LATE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND, WITH  
A WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM POSSIBLE LATE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT  
WEEK.  
   
..RAINFALL TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY  
 
AS THE SURFACE LOW OVER KANSAS LIFTS INTO SOUTH CENTRAL  
MINNESOTA BY TUESDAY MORNING, A STRONG SOUTHERLY MOISTURE SURGE  
WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM NORTHWARD THROUGH MINNESOTA. HAVE BEEN  
LOOKING AT A WIDESPREAD WETTING RAIN ACROSS THE ENTIRE FA FOR  
TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. THE LATEST NBM SHOWS ALMOST A 100  
PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER 0.50 INCHES EAST  
OF THE RRV TO ABOUT A 70 PERCENT CHANCE TO THE WEST.  
PROBABILITIES FOR 1 INCH OR MORE OF RAINFALL HAVE SHOT UP TO  
AROUND 70 PERCENT EAST OF THE RRV, BUT THAT TAPERS OFF QUICKLY  
TO THE WEST OF THE VALLEY. SO QUITE A BIT OF RAIN IS ANTICIPATED  
OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 30 HOURS.  
   
..WINTER IMPACTS TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY  
 
AS THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH THE EASTERN FA ON TUESDAY AND  
TRACKS TOWARD WINNIPEG, THERE SHOULD BE A TRANSITION FROM RAIN  
TO SNOW IN SOME AREAS. THIS SHOULD OCCUR FIRST ACROSS THE DEVILS  
LAKE REGION, BUT THE LATEST HREF IS SHOWING A POTENTIAL CHANGE  
OVER IN THE "HIGHER" ELEVATIONS WEST OF THE RRV FROM FINLEY TO  
WALHALLA NORTH DAKOTA. LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL MODEL SOUNDINGS,  
MANY ARE KEEPING IT FAIRLY WARM THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD, SO AM  
MORE CONFIDENT IN THE EARLIER CHANGE OVER ACROSS THE DEVILS LAKE  
REGION, RATHER THAN FURTHER EAST. WIND SPEEDS INCREASE DURING  
THE DAY TUESDAY, ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A DEVILS LAKE TO  
FERGUS FALLS LINE. THE SNOW COMBINING WITH THE WIND SHOULD BEGIN  
TO CREATE SOME VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. THE PROBABILITY FOR MORE  
THAN 6 INCHES OF SNOW DECREASED SOMEWHAT TODAY, BUT REMAINS THE  
HIGHEST ACROSS THE DEVILS LAKE REGION. BASICALLY IT NOW SHOWS  
ABOUT A 50 PERCENT PROBABILITY IN THE DL REGION FOR THE 6 INCHES  
OR MORE, WITH THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL RIGHT AROUND THE TURTLE  
MOUNTAINS. THE SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTH SURFACE LOW TRACK, TO  
AROUND WINNIPEG, MAY PLAY PARTLY INTO THIS. THE ONLY OTHER  
CHANGE THIS AFTERNOON WAS SEEING PROBABILITIES FOR 4 INCHES OR  
MORE OF SNOW INCREASE JUST EAST OF THE RRV.  
   
..UNCERTAINTY IN THE STRENGTH AND TRACK OF THE SYSTEM  
 
THIS STORM SYSTEM HAS ALWAYS APPEARED TO BE ONE MOVING  
NORTHWARD OUT OF NORTH TEXAS, COMBINING AT SOME POINT WITH  
ANOTHER WAVE OUT OF CANADA. DEALING WITH WAVE INTERACTIONS IS  
ALWAYS TRICKY, AND THAT REMAINS THE CASE WITH THIS STORM  
SYSTEM. IF THE SURFACE LOW HOLDS LONGER NORTH OF THE CANADIAN  
BORDER, IT IS POSSIBLE MORE OF THE SNOW WILL HOLD TO THE NORTH  
AS WELL. IF MORE COLD AIR CAN GET DRAWN INTO IT, MORE SNOW COULD  
STILL FALL ACROSS THE DEVILS LAKE REGION. IN ADDITION TO THE  
ABOVE MENTIONED UNCERTAINTIES, THERE IS ALSO THE QUESTION OF HOW  
LOW VISIBILITIES WILL GET WITH THE WIND DRIVEN SNOW. THE  
CURRENT WIND FORECAST FOR THE DEVILS LAKE THROUGH SOUTHERN RRV  
(HIGHER WIND CORRIDOR), STILL LOOKS TO HAVE A GUST POTENTIAL TO  
40 TO 50 MPH.  
   
..KEPT THE WINTER STORM WATCH BUT EXPANDED IT SLIGHTLY  
 
WITH THE HIGH AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY, DID NOT WANT TO SWITCH TO  
WARNINGS QUITE YET. HOWEVER, DID WANT TO EXPAND THE WATCH AREA  
SLIGHTLY. WITH THE STRONG WIND POTENTIAL AND SLIGHTLY BELOW  
WARNING CRITERIA SNOW A LITTLE BROADER, WENT AHEAD AND EXPANDED  
THE WATCH TO INCLUDE A FEW MORE COUNTIES TO THE SOUTH AND  
EAST. AT SOME POINT, WILL ALSO NEED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY,  
BUT FELT THAT COULD WAIT AT THIS POINT TOO.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1253 PM CST MON NOV 18 2024  
 
BASICALLY EXPECT LOWERING CEILINGS AS THE RAIN MOVES NORTHWARD  
TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THERE COULD BE SOME FOG MIXING IN WITH THE  
RAIN AS WELL. LOOKS LIKE A 50-60 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET WILL PUSH UP  
THROUGH MINNESOTA TONIGHT, WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME LLWS AT KBJI  
OVERNIGHT.  
 
 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ND...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR NDZ006-007-014-015-024-026-028-054.  
MN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...GODON  
AVIATION...GODON  
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