066
FXUS65 KRIW 182247
AFDRIW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
347 PM MST SUN JAN 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNSET EAST OF THE DIVIDE
BEHIND A COLD FRONT. LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES
THIS EVENING WITH LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION.
- ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, BREEZY WINDS, AND MOSTLY DRY
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MOST OF THE
WEEK.
UPDATE
ISSUED AT 1243 PM MST SUN JAN 18 2026
THE FORECAST IS ON TRACK EARLY THIS AFTERNOON; LITTLE CHANGES WERE
MADE. A WEAK COLD FRONT HAS MADE ITS WAY SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA,
WITH BREEZY WINDS FOR LOCATIONS EAST OF THE DIVIDE. THIS CONTINUES
TO BE MOST NOTABLE ACROSS NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY WHICH SAW GUSTS OF
50 TO 60 MPH EARLIER. WINDS ARE ON THE DECREASE THERE AS THE 700MB
AND SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS HAVE RELAXED BEHIND THE FRONT.
LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED EVERYWHERE AFTER SUNSET. OTHERWISE,
OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT THOUGH
WITH LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION. LOWER CLOUDS WILL BE SEEN OVER
LOCATIONS NEAR NORTHERN SLOPES DURING THIS TIME, INCLUDING AT PLACES
LIKE CASPER, LANDER AND THERMOPOLIS; SNOW FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE
(AROUND 10%) OUT OF THE LOWER CLOUDS AT TIMES THIS EVENING.
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 /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/
ISSUED AT 346 PM 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. 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. WIND WILL REMAIN LIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING, WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE AT KRKS AFTER 19Z.
EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL TERMINALS.
THE GUSTY WINDS SEEN ALONG A COLD FRONT TODAY WILL DECREASE WITH
SUNSET. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE (20%) FOR SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS
THIS EVENING BUT THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT TERMINALS. BROKEN
TO OVERCAST VFR CEILINGS WILL BE SEEN AT MOST TERMINALS TONIGHT;
KCPR AND KLND WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE AT SEEING CEILINGS DROP TO
NEAR MVFR, BUT VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL FOR NOW.
CLOUDS WILL DECREASE BY SUNRISE WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED
MONDAY AFTERNOON. KCPR WILL SEE ELEVATED WESTERLY WINDS ON MONDAY
WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KNOTS; LIGHT WIND IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE.
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.
UPDATE...MYERS
DISCUSSION...STRAUB
AVIATION...MYERS
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