321  
FXUS63 KFGF 290832  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
332 AM CDT SUN JUN 29 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON.  
LIGHTNING AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS WOULD BE THE MAIN  
THREATS WITH STRONGER STORMS.  
 
- SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN INDEPENDENCE DAY (FRIDAY)  
INTO NEXT WEEKEND TO PARTS OF THE REGION.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 332 AM CDT SUN JUN 29 2025  
   
..SYNOPSIS  
 
AN OPEN MID LEVEL TROUGH IS MOVING OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS, WITH  
THE MAIN CENTER OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES. DEEPER MOISTURE AND  
INSTABILITY HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE SOUTHEAST WHILE A WEAK COLD  
FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION. ELEVATED INSTABILITY AND  
AT LEAST SOME LINGERING MOISTURE/FORCING WILL SUPPORT ISOLATED  
TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW RUMBLES OF THUNDER TODAY,  
BUT IMPACTS WILL BE MINIMAL. THE MID LEVEL TROUGH EVENTUALLY  
DEEPENS TO THE EAST MONDAY AND CYCLONIC NORTHWEST FLOW BRINGS A  
PERIOD OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE  
AFTERNOON. RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE THE PATTERN OVER THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, WITH SEASONABLY WARM  
TEMPERATURES AND MUCH LOWER CHANCES FOR MEASURABLE  
PRECIPITATION. AS THIS RIDGE FLATTENS ENSEMBLE CLUSTERS SHOW A  
SHIFT TO WESTERLY OR LOW AMPLITUDE SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS BY FRIDAY WHICH PERSISTS THROUGH THE WEEKEND,  
AND THE PATTERN MAY BECOME MORE ACTIVE ONCE AGAIN AS A RESULT.  
IN ADDITION, THE INCREASE IN BL MOISTURE AND HEIGHTS ACROSS THE  
CENTRAL US RAISES THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAT IMPACTS. THOUGH CURRENT  
NBM KEEPS HEAT RISK IN THE MODERATE CATEGORY LATE WEEK INTO THE  
WEEKEND. 75TH PERCENTILE OF NBM MEMBERS WOULD SUPPORT THE  
POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER IMPACTS.  
   
..STRONG STORM POTENTIAL MONDAY AFTERNOON  
 
THE SIGNAL FOR SCATTERED CONVECTION IS CONSISTENT WITH GUIDANCE  
WITH HIGHER COVERAGE FOR SHOWERS SHOWN TO BE CLOSER TO THE  
DEEPENING TROUGH IN OUR NORTHEAST DURING PEAK HEATING BASED ON  
NBM AND HREF. WHILE DRIER NW BL FLOW KEEPS BL IN THE UPPER 50S  
AND LOWER 60S, ML CAPE IS STILL SHOWN BY GUIDANCES TO INCREASE  
TO THE 1000-1500 J/KG RANGE DURING THE AFTERNOON. WHILE  
EFFECTIVE SHEAR MAY BE 30-35KT IN SOME AREAS, CAPE PROFILES WILL  
TEND TO BE SKINNY AND MARGINAL AS MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE  
WEAK (LESS THAN 7 C/KM). THIS LOWERS THE RISK FOR SEVERE  
CONVECTION, BUT MAY SUPPORT A FEW STRONG CORES AND HAIL TO THE  
SIZE OF NICKELS DURING THE AFTERNOON PERIOD. THE COVERAGE OF  
LIGHTING ACTIVITY (30-50%) DOES RAISE THE POTENTIAL FOR IMPACTS  
TO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING THE AFTERNOON EVEN IF HAIL BECOMES  
LESS OF A CONCERN. LOSS OF PEAK HEATING AND DECOUPLING WILL  
RESULT IN SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY QUICKLY ENDING EARLY  
EVENING.  
   
..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND  
 
THE SHIFT TO WEST OR SOUTHWEST FLOW WOULD ALLOW FOR A RETURN TO  
HIGHER BL MOISTURE RETURN AND HIGHER INSTABILITY AS PROGRESSIVE  
WAVES MOVE INTO THE REGION. THESE SPECIFIC SHORTWAVES CARRY  
LOWER PREDICTABILITY AND INDIVIDUAL ENSEMBLE MEMBERS SHOW HIGH  
VARIANCE IN TIMING/EVOLUTION THAT ULTIMATELY WILL IMPACT  
EVOLUTION OF ANY SEVERE RISK IN OUR REGION. ALL MACHINE LEARNING  
SYSTEMS HAVE AT LEAST A SIGNAL FOR SEVERE RISK (5%) ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS AND OUR CWA WITH SOME (FENGWU/PANGU) SHOWING 15%  
CONTOURS BY FRIDAY WITHIN PARTS OF THE REGION. AT THIS RANGE  
PREDICTABILITY IS TOO LOW TO ZERO IN ON SPECIFIC  
IMPACTS/COVERAGE, HOWEVER ANYONE WITH PLANS FOR THE HOLIDAY  
WEEKEND SHOULD MONITOR UPDATES.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1202 AM CDT SUN JUN 29 2025  
 
CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS HAS ENDED FOR THE AREA. VFR CONDITIONS  
WILL PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS WILL BE VARIABLE  
LESS THAN 10KT BEFORE 12Z INCREASING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TO  
25KT AFTER 16Z SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ND...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...DJR  
AVIATION...CJ  
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