355
FXUS63 KFGF 281936
AFDFGF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
136 PM CST TUE JAN 28 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE DAY.
- BRIEF SNOW SHOWERS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT MAY REDUCE
VISIBILITY. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE FOR SNOW SQUALLS IN NORTHERN
MINNESOTA (10% CHANCE) THIS EVENING.
- ACCUMULATING AND BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE LATE THIS WEEK INTO THE
WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 113 PM CST TUE JAN 28 2025
..SYNOPSIS
SURFACE ANALYSIS AT 19Z INDICATES THE CENTER OF A LOW PRESSURE
EJECTING FROM ONTARIO INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION, WITH AN
ATTACHED COLD FRONT STRETCHING ACROSS INTO CENTRAL MANITOBA.
THIS IS EXPECTED TO ROTATE DOWN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND MAY BE
ENOUGH LIFT TO PRODUCE A LINE OF SNOW SHOWERS THIS EVENING.
ATTACHED TO THIS LOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT IS A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE
GRADIENT FORCE OVER NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA WHICH IS CONTINUING
TO FACILITATE OUR ONGOING WIND.
THE UPPER FLOW PATTERN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE
PRIMARILY ZONAL BEFORE SHIFTING TO NORTHWESTERLY LATE THIS WEEK
INTO THE WEEKEND. TIMING DIFFERENCES EXIST IN ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE
BUT PRETTY MUCH EVERY ENSEMBLE FEATURES SOME DEGREE OF A
CLIPPER-LIKE WAVE LATE IN THE PERIOD. WHAT IS VERY CONFIDENT IS
SEASONABLY COLD TEMPERATURES RETURNING BY EARLY NEXT WEEK ON THE
BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM.
..WIND TODAY
A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA IS
FACILITATING ONGOING DOWNSLOPING AND GUSTY WINDS. THIS HAS
FACILITATED RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON. THESE
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER AROUND SO LONG AS THIS PRESSURE
GRADIENT LINGERS OVER THE REGION. WINDS WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH
BELOW ADVISORY LEVEL AFTER SUNSET AS WEAK BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING
WILL CEASE AND WIND SPEEDS WILL BE AT THE MERCY OF PRESSURE
GRADIENT STRENGTH. AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT LOWERS AFTER
MIDNIGHT, WINDS WILL BECOME MUCH LIGHTER.
..SNOW SHOWERS TONIGHT
AS THIS COLD FRONT SWEEPS DOWN, SNOW SHOWERS MAY FORM ALONG IT.
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS IS SOME WEAK INSTABILITY, MAINLY EAST OF
OUR CWA BUT COULD NUDGE INTO OUR EASTERN COUNTIES. THIS COULD
ALLOW FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVIER SNOWFALL RATES. COMBINING
THIS WITH SOME DECENT PRESSURE RISES AND COLD AIR ADVECTION ON
THE BACKSIDE, IT WOULDN'T BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE DOWNSTREAM
SNOW SQUALL THREAT BRIEFLY ARISE IN OUR AREA THIS EVENING. THIS
IS A VERY UNLIKELY SCENARIO (ONLY A 10% CHANCE OF OCCURRENCE)
BUT ONE THAT IS NONETHELESS A POTENTIAL EVENING IMPACT.
AS THE FRONT STALLS THIS EVENING, ADDITIONAL SNOWSHOWERS ALONG
IT MAY FORM FURTHER WEST, IMPACTING THE RED RIVER VALLEY. MOST
GUIDANCE HAS THIS MOSTLY PARALLEL TO THE LONG AXIS, BUT WARM
TEMPERATURES SHOULD KEEP MOST IMPACTS TO A MINIMUM.
IN ANY CASE, MAXIMUM ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE GENERALLY PROGS BETWEEN
0.5 AND 1 INCH OF SNOW, WITH A LOW POTENTIAL FOR 2 INCHES IN
NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THE BIGGEST IMPACTS TONIGHT WILL MOST
LIKELY BE FROM VISIBILITY RATHER THAN ACCUMULATING SNOW.
..SYSTEM LATE THIS WEEK
THERE REMAINS A CONSISTENT SIGNAL FOR A SYSTEM LATE THIS WEEK
INTO THE WEEKEND. EVERY ENSEMBLE SYSTEM FEATURES THIS SYSTEM TO
VARYING DEGREES OF INTENSITY, ALTHOUGH THE GREATEST UNCERTAINTY
FROM GUIDANCE RIGHT NOW IS TIMING. THE BULK OF GUIDANCE FEATURES
THE STRONGEST FORCING THIS WEEKEND, ALTHOUGH SOME MEMBERS DO
BRING PRECIPITATION AS EARLY AS FRIDAY. THESE MEMBERS WEREN'T
HIGH ENOUGH TO CROP UP IN THE BASE NBM, BUT ARE NONETHELESS
WORTH MENTIONING AS THE POTENTIAL EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME FOR
IMPACTS.
UNCERTAINTY IN IMPACTS IS VERY HIGH AS THE ONGOING ABOVE
FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO DESTROY ANY REMAINING
SNOWPACK WE HAVE, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE FAR NORTH.
COUPLING THAT WITH EFI MOSTLY HIGHLIGHTING SNOW ALONG AND NORTH
OF THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER, THERE ISN'T MUCH WE CAN SAY ABOUT
IMPACTS FROM BLOWING SNOW. WHAT IS LIKELY TO OCCUR IS VERY
STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION ON THE BACKSIDE WITH MUCH COLDER
TEMPERATURES. ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE
TO COME FROM NEW SNOW.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 1144 AM CST TUE JAN 28 2025
WINDS GUSTING UP TO 35 KNOTS REMAINS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON HOURS. A FEW GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS ARE
POSSIBLE, BUT THAT SHOULD BE THE EXCEPTION RATHER THEN THE
EXPECTATION. AS WINDS DECREASE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT,
A VFR DECK OF CLOUDS WILL PUSH SOUTH AND WEST OUT OF CANADA,
EFFECTING MOST TAF SITES. THERE MAY BE FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW
ACCOMPANYING THIS CLOUD DECK, BUT NO MAJOR IMPACTS TO VISIBILITY
ARE EXPECTED. CLOUDS WILL SLOWLY CLEAR AND LIFT WEDNESDAY
MORNING.
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
ND...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NDZ006>008-
014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052-054.
MN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR MNZ001-004-005-
007-008-013-014.
DISCUSSION...PERROUX
AVIATION...RAFFERTY
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