323
FXUS65 KRIW 190946
AFDRIW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
246 AM MST MON JAN 19 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- DECREASING CLOUDS TODAY, WITH NEARLY CLEAR SKIES THIS
AFTERNOON. HIGHS FROM THE MID 20S FOR WESTERN VALLEYS TO THE
LOWER 40S EAST OF THE DIVIDE.
- ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE SWEEPS ACROSS THE STATE DURING THE DAY
TUESDAY. MOISTURE IS LIMITED, SO AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW FOR
THE BIGHORN RANGE, AND LIGHT PRECIP FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST
OF THE DIVIDE.
- THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM DIVES INTO THE STATE FRIDAY, BRINGING
COLDER TEMPERATURES EAST OF THE DIVIDE, ALONG WITH SOME LIGHT
MOUNTAIN SNOW TO ALL RANGES.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 206 AM MST MON JAN 19 2026
THE H5 RIDGE HOLDS IN PLACE YET ANOTHER DAY, DEFLECTING LARGER
WEATHER SYSTEMS AND MOST MOISTURE WELL AWAY FROM THE REGION.
YESTERDAY'S SHORTWAVE WAS ENOUGH TO BRING A FEW NUISANCE
FLURRIES TO CENTRAL WY, BUT NOT MUCH TO SPEAK OF OTHERWISE.
TODAY WILL SEE DECREASING CLOUD COVER AS THE WAVE DEPARTS.
WESTERLY WINDS WILL START RAMPING UPWARDS AGAIN FOR HIGHER
ELEVATIONS AND ACROSS CENTRAL WY DUE TO THE APPROACH OF THE NEXT
WAVE. WINDS WILL HELP KEEP TEMPERATURES MILD AGAIN, WITH HIGHS
AROUND 40 EAST OF THE DIVIDE AND ACROSS SWEETWATER COUNTY, WHILE
WESTERN VALLEYS HOLD AROUND 30 AGAIN.
THE NEXT WAVE ON TUESDAY WILL BRING ANOTHER SURGE OF NORTH
WINDS, BUT IS NOT BRINGING ANY APPRECIABLE COLD WEATHER ALONG
WITH IT, WHICH WILL HOLD BACK INTO LATER IN THE AFTERNOON.
TEMPERATURES MOST OF THE DAY WILL AGAIN RISE INTO THE 30S AND
40S. THERE IS ENOUGH MOISTURE TO BRING SNOW INTO THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE BIGHORNS, BUT WRINGING OUT MORE THAN 1 TO 2
INCHES WILL BE TOUGH. SOME LIGHT PRECIP MAY DRIFT INTO THE
LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE DIVIDE, BUT WITH MILD TEMPS, EXPECT
ONLY LIGHT DRIZZLE/FLURRIES AT BEST. NORTH WINDS WITH THIS WAVE
WILL JUMP AGAIN EAST OF THE DIVIDE, WITH GUSTS 30 TO 30 FOR THE
BIGHORN AND WIND RIVER BASINS, AND ANOTHER 50 TO 60 MPH EVENT
ACROSS JOHNSON COUNTY. A TRAILING WAVE SWEEPS SOUTHWARD ACROSS
THE DAKOTAS ON WEDNESDAY. THIS IS TOO FAR EAST TO PROVIDE ANY
PRECIP, BUT WILL REINFORCE THE GUSTY NORTH WINDS, ESPECIALLY
ACROSS JOHNSON COUNTY.
THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE A MILD DAY AGAIN, AS THE RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS
EASTWARD ALONG THE ROCKIES FOR THE DAY. FOR THE UPCOMING
WEEKEND, CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOWER, AS MODELS CONTINUE TO VARY ON
COLD AIR AND PRECIP WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM. THERE IS A
CONSIDERABLE COLD POOL RACING SOUTHWARD INTO THE CENTRAL US, BUT
HOW MUCH OF THE COLD AIR GETS INTO WYOMING IS THE DIFFICULT PART
OF THE FORECAST. WILL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THESE.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/
ISSUED AT 945 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 REMAINS VERY LOW FOR THIS TO IMPACT
KJAC AND REMAINS OUT OF 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.
BROKEN TO OVERCAST VFR CEILINGS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AT THE
START OF THE TAF PERIOD, WITH CLEARING SKIES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
OCCURRING THROUGH 12Z. THERE WILL BE A FEW AREAS OF LINGERING
LOW VFR CLOUDS THROUGH THE REST OF THE MORNING, OTHERWISE SKIES
WILL BE SKC THROUGH THE DAY. 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.
DISCUSSION...STRAUB
AVIATION...MYERS
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