629  
FXUS63 KFGF 292058  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
358 PM 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 358 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2025  
   
..SYNOPSIS  
 
MID LEVEL TROUGHING CONTINUES TO MOVE FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST  
THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST FLOW PREVAILS AT THE H5 LEVEL, WITH A  
SLIGHTLY DRIER AIRMASS SETTLING INTO THE REGION. FOR MONDAY, ANOTHER  
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE  
TRAILING SIDE OF THE DEPARTING TROUGH. THERE COULD BE JUST ENOUGH  
INSTABILITY TO ALLOW A MENTION OF SMALL HAIL; HOWEVER, MOST ACTIVITY  
WILL BE ON THE WEAKER SIDE. RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS  
AND UPPER MIDWEST STARTING LATE TUESDAY, WITH THE AXIS CENTERED OVER  
THE AREA BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW AT LEAST SOME MOISTURE  
RETURN INTO THE AREA AHEAD OF ANOTHER MID LEVEL TROUGH THAT IS  
EXPECTED TO TRAVERSE THE REGION OVER THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND. AS THE  
RIDGE FLATTENS AND THE TROUGH DEEPENS, WE COULD SEE AN OPPORTUNITY  
FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAT IMPACTS.  
   
..ISOLATED STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON  
 
THERE IS A LOW CHANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW STRONGER STORMS  
MONDAY AFTERNOON AS A MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE CONTINUES TO WORK EASTWARD  
INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST. LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR  
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY, BUT LOSE INTENSITY IN THE MID LEVELS. MLCAPE IS  
SHOWING IN THE RANGE OF 900-1500 J/KG, WITH SHEAR PROFILES ONLY  
MARGINALLY SUPPORTIVE OF ORGANIZED CONVECTION. THE PRIMARY RISK WILL  
BE LIGHTNING, BUT A FEW STRONGER CELLS COULD PRODUCE NEAR-SEVERE  
HAIL DURING PEAK AFTERNOON HEATING. ATMOSPHERIC SUPPORT FOR  
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FALLS SIGNIFICANTLY AS SUNSET APPROACHES AND  
THE MID LEVELS DECOUPLE FROM THE BETTER LAPSE RATES NEAR THE SURFACE.  
   
..SEVERE T-STORM POTENTIAL FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND  
 
H5 RIDGING WEAKENS LATE THIS WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND, GIVING WAY  
TO A MORE ACTIVE PATTERN OUT OF THE WEST TO SOUTHWEST. MOISTURE  
RETURN INCREASES THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WITH DEW POINTS CLIMBING INTO  
THE UPPER 60S TO NEAR 70 DEGREES BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS RETURN  
FLOW WILL BE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT AND RELATIVELY SHARP THETA-E  
GRADIENT. WHILE TIMING IS STILL UNCERTAIN, THIS SETUP CERTAINLY  
SUPPORTS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DURING  
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF JULY 4TH AND INTO SATURDAY AS WELL.  
ENSEMBLES SHOW AN 80 PERCENT CHANCE FOR CAPE VALUES GREATER THAN  
2000 J/KG AND A 50 PERCENT CHANCE FOR CAPE VALUES IN EXCESS OF 3000  
J/KG. AT THIS DISTANCE, CONFIDENCE IN THUNDERSTORM MODE IS SOMEWHAT  
LOW, WITH SOUNDINGS SUGGESTING SUPPORT FOR ALL MODES, BUT FAVORING  
HYBRID CLUSTERS AND LINEAR LINE SEGMENTS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1230 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2025  
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL AT ALL SITES THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOOK FOR  
AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A SCATTERED  
SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM DURING THE LATE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO  
MONDAY MORNING. BETTER CHANCES ARE IN THE FORECAST FURTHER INTO  
MONDAY, PRIMARILY FOR KBJI, WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER CHANCES AT KGFK  
AND KFAR. WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE AS CONFIDENCE GROWS, BUT AT  
THIS TIME, PROJECTED COVERAGE LOOKS TOO INCONSISTENT TO INCLUDE  
IN THE TAFS.  
 
 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ND...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...LYNCH  
AVIATION...LYNCH  
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