290
FXUS65 KRIW 181745
AFDRIW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
1045 AM MST SUN JAN 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A WEAK WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS AND A CHANCE FOR
LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN BIGHORN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN
JOHNSON COUNTY THIS MORNING.
- THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING REMAIN MILD AND
DRY THE REST OF THE WEEKEND AND MOST OF THE UPCOMING WEEK.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 123 AM MST SUN JAN 18 2026
THE H5 RIDGE ALONG THE WEST COAST IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE DURING
THE NEXT FEW DAYS, SO THE STATUS QUO CONTINUES ACROSS MOST OF
WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. MOISTURE CONTENT WRAPPING AROUND
THE TOP OF THE RIDGE REMAINS DRY, SO ANY SYSTEMS PASSING THROUGH
WILL HAVE A HARD TIME WRINGING OUT ANY PRECIP. A WEAK SHORTWAVE
IS RACING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS THIS MORNING, WITH THE
TAIL EDGE JUST CLIPPING ALONG THE EDGE OF THE BIGHORN RANGE.
OVERNIGHT WEBCAMS AND ROAD CONDITIONS SHOW ANY PRECIP THAT FELL
WITH THIS HAS BEEN VERY LIGHT AND DRY, WITH MINIMAL
ACCUMULATION. WINDS ACROSS JOHNSON COUNTY HAVE BEEN GUSTING 25
TO 35 MPH, WITH A FEW HIGHER GUSTS. THIS HAS KEPT MOST LIGHT
SNOW FROM ACCUMULATING, AND WOULD LIKELY KEEP BLOWING THE SNOW
ALL THE WAY TO NEBRASKA...
THE RIDGE WILL KEEP THE AREA IN THE MILDER TEMPERATURES THROUGH
THE REST OF THIS WEEK, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES VARYING BETWEEN
THE 30S AND 40S, DEPENDING ON ANY GUSTY WINDS BRINGING
DOWNSLOPING. ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE AGAIN SWEEPS BY TO THE
NORTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT, BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WINDS
AND LIGHT SNOW MAINLY TO THE BIGHORNS AND NORTHERN JOHNSON
COUNTY. THE WESTERN VALLEYS ARE UNLIKELY TO SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT
WEST WINDS THIS WEEK BEING CLOSER UNDER THE RIDGE, SO COLD
POOLS IN THE VALLEYS WILL HOLD IN PLACE, KEEPING TEMPS IN THE
20S AND LOW 30S.
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE WESTERN RIDGE FINALLY BREAKS DOWN
LATE THIS WEEK, ALLOWING A MORE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER SYSTEM INTO
NORTHERN WYOMING OVER THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. THIS MAY BRING A
CONSIDERABLE DROP IN TEMPERATURES AND A BETTER CHANCE FOR
SNOWFALL FOR ALL MOUNTAIN RANGES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/
ISSUED AT 1045 AM MST SUN JAN 18 2026
WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS TERMINALS.
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT TERMINALS THROUGH THE
PERIOD. KRKS WILL SEE GUSTS TO NEAR 20 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON BUT
OTHERWISE LIGHT WIND IS EXPECTED. SOME GUIDANCE IS HINTING AT FOG IN
UPPER JACKSON HOLE TONIGHT, BUT CONFIDENCE IS VERY LOW FOR THIS TO
IMPACT KJAC AND WILL NOT INCLUDE IN THE FORECAST.
EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL TERMINALS.
GUSTY WINDS ALONG A COLD FRONT WILL BEEN THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT HOURS
AT SEVERAL TERMINALS, MOST NOTABLY AT KCOD, KCPR, KRIW, AND KWRL
WITH GUSTS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE (20%) FOR
SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS BUT THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT
TERMINALS. BROKEN TO OVERCAST VFR CEILINGS WILL BE SEEN AT MOST
TERMINALS; KCPR AND KLND WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE AT SEEING
CEILINGS DROP TO NEAR MVFR TONIGHT, BUT VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO PREVAIL FOR NOW.
PLEASE SEE THE AVIATION WEATHER CENTER AND/OR CWSU ZDV AND ZLC FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION ON ICING AND TURBULENCE FORECASTS.
RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
DISCUSSION...STRAUB
AVIATION...MYERS
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