219  
FXUS63 KFGF 131459  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
959 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- ANOTHER ROUND OF WILDFIRE SMOKE WILL DEGRADE AIR QUALITY LATER  
THIS AFTERNOON INTO EVENING IN NORTHEAST NORTH DAKOTA INTO  
NORTHWEST AND WEST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA.  
 
- THERE IS A LEVEL 1 OUT OF 5 RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS BOTH LATE  
MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS,  
HAIL, AND FLASH FLOODING.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 959 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2025  
 
PRETTY QUIET THIS MORNING WITH A BIT OF A BREAK BETWEEN ROUNDS  
OF SMOKE CURRENTLY. HOWEVER, NEXT PUSH OF SMOKE IS SEEN ON  
SATELLITE ABOUT TO CROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER, AND WILL  
CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH AND EAST THE REST OF THE DAY.  
 
UPDATE  
ISSUED AT 731 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2025  
 
MORNING SUNLIGHT REVEALS NEXT BATCH OF WILDFIRE SMOKE IS  
CURRENTLY MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH SOUTHERN MB. ON ITS CURRENT  
TRAJECTORY, IT WILL START TO INFILTRATE AREAS NORTH OF US  
HIGHWAY 2 LATE THIS MORNING, WITH AREAS SOUTH IN THE AFTERNOON.  
THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THAT SMOKE WILL BYPASS SOME LOCATIONS  
NEAR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ND, WITH THICKEST SMOKE LIKELY TO BE  
MORE WITHIN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA LATE MORNING INTO EARLY  
AFTERNOON.  
 
IT REMAINS UNCLEAR HOW THICK SMOKE IS AT THE SURFACE DUE TO  
SPARSE OBSERVATION DATASET WHERE SMOKE CURRENTLY RESIDES AS WELL  
AS UPSTREAM OF ITS LOCATION. THUS WILL CONTINUE TO MESSAGE  
POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO ALL POPULATIONS AS TALKED ABOUT IN THE  
DISCUSSION BELOW.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 357 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2025  
   
..SYNOPSIS  
 
DEPARTING SHORTWAVE UPPER TROUGH/LOW IS EXITING THE WESTERN  
GREAT LAKES REGION INTO ON AS SEEN ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY EARLY  
THIS MORNING. IN ITS WAKE, NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL PERSIST  
CONTINUING TO ADVECT CONTINENTAL AIR MASS ORIGINATING FROM  
CANADA TODAY, WITH AN ADDITIONAL COLD FRONT SET TO MOVE THROUGH  
THE AREA TODAY. THIS WILL BRING ANOTHER, FINAL ROUND OF  
WILDFIRE SMOKE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT INTO THE REGION DEGRADING  
AIR QUALITY. MORE ON DETAILS ON THIS CAN BE FOUND BELOW.  
 
FLOW ALOFT THEN TURNS MORE ZONAL OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND  
UPPER MIDWEST AS LARGE UPPER LOW OVER THE HUDSON BAY BEGINS TO  
DEVELOP EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL PROMOTE ENTRANCE REGION UPPER  
JET DYNAMICS TO OVERSPREAD THE NORTHERN PLAINS, PROMOTING LEE  
TROUGHING/FRONTAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE SURFACE, INCREASING OVERALL  
FORCING FOR ASCENT WITHIN THE REGION. THIS ALSO WILL PROMOTE  
MOISTURE RETURN FROM THE SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND  
UPPER MIDWEST ALONG WITH INCREASING INSTABILITY. WITH FORCING  
FOR ASCENT INCREASING OVER THE REGION, CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS INCREASES MONDAY AND TUESDAY.  
 
WIDESPREAD MEDIUM TO HIGH CHANCE FOR RAINFALL INCREASES  
BEGINNING LATE MONDAY, LINGERING THROUGH TUESDAY. INCREASED  
INSTABILITY AND FLOW ALOFT WILL INTRODUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR  
STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS DURING THIS TIMEFRAME OVER THE DAKOTAS  
INTO MINNESOTA. ADDITIONALLY, ABOVE AVERAGE MOISTURE CONTENT  
PUSHING INTO THE REGION OF ASCENT WITHIN THE DAKOTAS AND  
MINNESOTA ALONG WITH POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS WILL  
INTRODUCE POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH  
FLOODING. MORE DETAILS ON THIS FOUND BELOW.  
 
AS THE HUDSON BAY LOW DEVELOPS FURTHER INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY,  
THERE WILL BE A TENDENCY FOR COOLER, CONTINENTAL AIR MASS TO  
INTRUDE OVER THE REGION. ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE LIKE ENS EFI  
CONTINUES TO NOTE ON HIGH PROBABILITIES FOR BELOW AVERAGE  
TEMPERATURES BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY. OVERNIGHT/EARLY  
MORNING LOW TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO BE FORECAST INTO THE MID  
40S AND LOW 50S. SHOULD IDEAL RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS  
OCCUR, THERE IS A LOW CHANCE FOR LOW TEMPERATURES INTO THE UPPER  
30S, PERHAPS MORE IN THE TYPICAL COOLER SPOTS OF NORTHEAST ND  
AND NORTHWEST MN. DRIER CONDITIONS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS SET  
UP, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL CHANCE FOR MORE WILDFIRE SMOKE TO  
INFILTRATE THE REGION.  
   
.. WILDFIRE SMOKE TODAY  
 
BEFORE SUNSET SATURDAY, VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWED AN AREA  
OF DENSE SMOKE EMERGE FROM WILDFIRES WITHIN SK BEHIND A PASSING  
COLD FRONT. THIS COLD FRONT AND ATTENDANT AIR MASS WILL MOVE  
THROUGH THE AREA. SMOKE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW THIS SMOKE  
TO MOVE THROUGH PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ND INTO NORTHWEST AND  
WEST- CENTRAL MN THIS AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. OBSERVING THE  
THICK SMOKE LENDS CREDENCE TO THIS SCENARIO UNFOLDING, HOWEVER,  
THERE IS UNCERTAINTY HOW DENSE SMOKE WILL BE BEHIND AS IT  
ENVELOPES THESE AREAS GIVEN THE LACK OF UPSTREAM SURFACE  
OBSERVATIONS. WILL CONTINUE TO MESSAGE INCREASED RISK OF ADVERSE  
HEALTH EFFECTS TO ALL POPULATIONS TODAY FROM WILDFIRE SMOKE  
TODAY INTO THIS EVENING.  
   
.. SEVERE POTENTIAL LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY  
 
THERE CONTINUES TO BE INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN POTENTIAL FOR AT  
LEAST ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN PORTIONS OF EASTERN  
ND INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST-CENTRAL MN STARTING LATE MONDAY,  
LASTING THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY AI  
GUIDANCE LIKE NCAR'S PANGU AND FENGWU CONVECTIVE HAZARD  
FORECASTS BOTH HIGHLIGHTING INCREASED PROBABILITIES ABOVE 15% IN  
THESE AREAS MONDAY AND NOW TUESDAY.  
 
THERE IS STILL HOWEVER LARGE UNCERTAINTY IN HOW STORM EVOLUTION  
WILL UNFOLD. WHILE CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT WINDOW FOR SEVERE  
POTENTIAL STARTS LATE MONDAY (POSSIBLY AFTER SUNSET), CONFIDENCE  
IN LOCATIONS AND TIMING THROUGH TUESDAY IS LOW. THIS IS PARTLY  
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WILL BE BROAD SCALE ASCENT OVER THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST WITH POTENTIALLY SEVERAL MID  
LEVEL SHORTWAVE IMPULSES MOVING OVER A FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT  
WILL GRADUALLY PUSH SOUTHWARD LATE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.  
ADDITIONALLY, IMPORTANT MESOSCALE DETAILS CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN  
QUESTION THAT WOULD DICTATE MORE PRECISE TIMING AND LOCATION.  
 
SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY (POTENTIALLY MODERATE INSTABILITY AROUND  
THE ORDER OF 2000 J/KG) AND INCREASING SHEAR (PARTICULARLY IN  
THE LOWER LEVELS) WILL DRIVE SEVERE HAZARDS. WHILE LOW LEVEL  
SHEAR WILL BE HIGH AT TIMES, WARM LOW LEVEL TEMPERATURES AND  
RELATIVELY DRY LOWEST LEVELS WILL PRECLUDE TORNADO POTENTIAL.  
HIGH LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL HOWEVER DRIVE POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS  
TO 70 MPH (WITH A LOW CHANCE FOR POTENTIALLY UP TO 80 MPH SHOULD  
CONDITIONS ALIGN RIGHT), EVEN FOR OVERNIGHT STORMS MONDAY NIGHT.  
ADDITIONALLY, ELEVATED INSTABILITY ALOFT AND SUFFICIENT SHEAR  
ALOFT WILL DRIVE HAIL POTENTIAL. CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON HAIL SIZE  
POTENTIAL, HOWEVER, HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PING PONG BALLS SEEMS  
REASONABLE GIVEN ELEVATED CONVECTION PUSHING CLOUD BEARING LAYER  
CLOSER TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES.  
 
ADDITIONALLY, HEAVY RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING IS  
POSSIBLE AS WELL. LATEST MODELED GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO PRESENT  
LARGE SWATHS OF 1-2 INCHES OF RAINFALL OVER THE DAKOTAS INTO  
MINNESOTA LATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY, WITH LOW NEIGHBORHOOD  
PROBABILITIES OF 3-5 INCHES CONTINUING TO SHOW UP. COVERAGE OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE WIDESPREAD GIVEN THE GENERALLY  
LARGE SCALE NATURE OF FORCING FOR ASCENT WITH POTENTIAL FOR  
SEVERAL IMPULSES TO MOVE THROUGH IN THIS TYPE OF SYNOPTIC  
PATTERN, BUT WILL HINGE UPON OTHER MESOSCALE FACTORS LIKE  
INSTABILITY, BOUNDARY ORIENTATION/LOCATION, AND CLOUD-BEARING  
FLOW. THIS LOWERS CONFIDENCE IN COVERAGE, LOCATION, AND AMOUNT  
OF RAINFALL.  
 
IN COORDINATION WITH THE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER, THERE HAS  
BEEN AN UPGRADE TO A SMALL AREA OF LEVEL 2 OUT OF 4 RISK FOR  
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING OVER OUR REGION FOR  
TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 731 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2025  
 
MAIN IMPACT TO AVIATION TODAY WILL BE ANOTHER ROUND OF WILDFIRE  
SMOKE MOVING INTO PORTIONS OF EASTERN ND INTO NORTHWEST AND  
WEST-CENTRAL MN. SMOKE WILL WORK ITS WAY SOUTHWARD STARTING LATE  
MORNING NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER, THEN AFTERNOON INTO EARLY  
EVENING AS IT CONTINUES TOWARD CENTRAL MN. SITES LIKE KGFK,  
KTVF, AND KBJI HOLD GREATEST CHANCE OF SEEING MVFR CONDITIONS  
FROM VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS.  
 
OTHERWISE, WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AROUND 10-20KT.  
VERY DRY AIR WILL LIKELY LIMIT AMOUNT OF DAYTIME CUMULUS  
DEVELOPMENT TODAY.  
 
 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ND...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
UPDATE...CJ/JR  
DISCUSSION...CJ  
AVIATION...CJ  
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