481  
FXUS63 KFGF 281715  
AFDFGF  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND  
1215 PM CDT TUE APR 28 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- LOW CHANCE FOR FIRE WEATHER IMPACTS FRIDAY INTO THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 659 AM CDT TUE APR 28 2026  
 
UPDATED 12Z TAF AVIATION DISCUSSION.  
 
UPDATE  
ISSUED AT 227 AM CDT TUE APR 28 2026  
 
TODAY STARTS A QUIET WEATHER WEATHER WISE THAT WILL LAST THRU  
THE END OF THE WEEK AT A MINIMUM. ONE 500 MB WAVE MOVING NORTH-  
NORTHEAST THRU THUNDER BAY ONTARIO REGION TAKING THE RAIN WITH  
IT. OTHERWISE BEHIND IT IS A BROAD UPPER TROUGH OVER THE  
CANADIAN PRARIRIES, WHICH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THRU THURSDAY  
KEEPING TEMPERATURES ON THE COOL SIDE OF NORMAL AND ALSO KEEP A  
LAYER OF MOISTURE AT 850-700 MB LAYER. PATCHES OF CLOUDS  
ANTICIPATED THE NEXT FEW DAYS....WITH SUNSHINE DURING THE DAY  
LEADING TO HIGH BASED CU MIDDAY AND AFTN AS CONVECTIVE TEMPS ARE  
LOW. FOR TODAY CONVECTIVE TEMPS ARE MID 40S AND FCST HIGHS  
UPPER 40S. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED THRU  
THURSDAY...BUT MAY SHOW UP THIS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND IF WARM  
ENOUGH TEMPS TO DROP RH.  
 
UPDATE  
ISSUED AT 712 PM CDT MON APR 27 2026  
 
CLEARING OF LOWER CLOUDS ALLOWED FOR A BRIEF WINDOW BEFORE  
SUNSET FOR A FEW GUSTS OVER 40 MPH IN THE NORTHERN RED RIVER  
VALLEY. THE GENERAL TREND HAS BEEN FOR WINDS TO CREASE WELL  
BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. AS WINDS ALOFT ARE ALREADY BEGINNING  
TO WEAKEN FROM THE NORTHWEST TO THE SOUTH AND LOW LEVELS  
CONTINUE TO DECOUPLE AFTER SUNSET, THE THREAT FOR GUSTS 45MPH+  
ARE GREATLY DIMINISHED. THE WIND ADVISORY WAS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE  
AS SCHEDULED.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 154 PM CDT MON APR 27 2026  
   
..SYNOPSIS
 
 
THE CURRENT SHORTWAVE BRINGING OUR RAIN WILL WORK OFF TO THE  
NORTHEAST OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH CONDITIONS DRYING OUT  
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA AND BY MIDNIGHT FOR  
THE MINNESOTA COUNTIES. IN OTHER NEWS MODERATE PRESSURE RISES  
AND A TIGHTENED PGF ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE LOW WILL  
CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED WINDS ACROSS THE VALLEY AND SOUTHEAST  
NORTH DAKOTA THIS AFTERNOON (WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7PM)  
WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. BEYOND TODAY ZONAL FLOW TOMORROW  
BECOMES NORTHWEST BY WEDNESDAY EVENING WITH THIS LASTING THROUGH  
THE WORKWEEK AS HIGHS STAY 45-55 DEGREES THROUGH THURSDAY.  
WARMING UP FRIDAY ONWARDS WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S FOR MOST AREAS  
AS THERMAL RIDING CREEPS OVERHEAD. VARIOUS LOW AMPLITUDE  
SHORTWAVES WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE NEXT  
WEEK BUT OUR CONFIDENCE IN TIMING/LOCATION OF A WETTING (>0.10")  
RAIN IS LOW.  
 
- TODAY  
 
DRYING PROFILES ALONG AND NORTH OF HWY 2 ARE LEADING TO  
DIMINISHING RADAR RETURNS WITH A SURGE OF MOISTURE IN WEST  
CENTRAL MINNESOTA LEADING TO INCREASING COVERAGE OF SHOWERS WITH  
ANOTHER TENTH TO QUARTER INCH THROUGH MIDNIGHT FROM FARGO TO  
BAUDETTE AND POINTS SOUTH BRINGING EVENTS TOTALS WIDELY ABOVE 1"  
IN AREAS THAT CURRENTLY FALL INTO "ABNORMALLY DRY" ON THE  
DROUGHT MONITOR CLASSIFICATION. DEFINITELY A RAIN THAT FALLS  
INTO THE CLASSIC MIDWEST "WE NEEDED THIS" CATEGORY. WINDS AS  
STATED ABOVE WILL BE DYING OFF AROUND SUNSET TONIGHT WITH A FEW  
GUSTS OF 40-45 MPH STILL EXPECTED, THOUGH LOOKING TO BE LESS  
WIDESPREAD THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT GIVEN A SOUTHERN MN LOW  
AROUND 995MB RATHER THAN 990MB AS FORECASTED YESTERDAY RESULTING  
IN A WEAKER SURFACE PGF.  
 
- REST OF THE WEEK  
 
ZONAL FLOW TOMORROW WILL USHER IN MUCH CLEARER SKIES, THOUGH IT  
WILL ALSO BRING BELOW AVERAGE TEMPS WHICH STAY IN PLACE THROUGH  
THE WORKWEEK. AVERAGE HIGHS FOR THE PERIOD ARE AROUND 60 SO  
ABOUT 5-10 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE FOR MOST WOULD BE THE  
EXPECTATION. AS WE NEAR THE WEEKEND THERMAL RIDGING FINALLY  
MOVES EAST OFF THE ROCKIES BRING A SLIGHTLY WARMER MID LEVEL  
AIRMASS AND PUSHING HIGHS INTO THE UPPER 50S AND 60S. DURING  
THIS TIME ENSEMBLE CLUSTERS SHOW A NUMBER OF LOW AMPLITUDE  
SHORTWAVES THAT COULD BRING SOME MORE SHOWERS BUT ANY GIVEN  
CLUSTER NEVER SHOWS A HIGHER THAN 30% CHANCE FOR A TENTH OF AN  
INCH OR MORE. THIS SLIGHTLY RAISES CONFIDENCE IN A MOSTLY  
INACTIVE PERIOD BUT THINGS ARE CERTAIN TO CHANGE AS IS THE NORM  
IN THE WORLD OF WEATHER. THE HDWI ALSO FAILS TO EVER GET ABOVE  
THE 75TH PERCENTILE DESPITE DAILY MINRH OF 30 TO 40 PERCENT.  
WOULD BE SURPRISED AT THE VERY LEAST IF THERE ISNT A DAY OF  
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS... JUST  
NOT SURE WHERE OR WHEN.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1213 PM CDT TUE APR 28 2026  
 
GENERALLY QUIET AVIATION CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE TAF  
PERIOD. AFTERNOON CUMULUS THAT DEVELOPS WILL REMAIN VFR  
REGARDLESS OF COVERAGE WITH PRIMARILY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS  
SUSTAINED BETWEEN 10-15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS  
(POTENTIALLY HIGHER AT GFK DUE TO LOCAL TERRAIN EFFECTS). WINDS  
WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET AND BE REPLACED BY GENERALLY LIGHT  
AND VARIABLE WINDS, SLOWLY BECOMING NORTHERLY AFTER SUNRISE  
TOMORROW. FOG IS NOT EXPECTED AS DEWPOINTS REMAIN VERY LOW.  
 

 
   
FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
ND...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...RIDDLE/DJR  
DISCUSSION...TT  
AVIATION...PERROUX  
 
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