283
FXUS65 KRIW 181800
AFDRIW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
1200 PM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WARMING TREND FOR TODAY THROUGH ABOUT MID WEEK WITH ELEVATED
TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
- THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL PUSH IN BY WEDNESDAY BRINGING
INCREASE PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND COOLER TEMPERATURES.
UPDATE
ISSUED AT 1200 PM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
NO CHANCE TO THE SHORT TERM FORECAST AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING
CONTINUES TO BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST AS DEPICTED ON IR.
WARMING TREND AND DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY AHEAD
OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM. DETAILS UNKNOWN WITH AMPLE
UNCERTAINTY ON ITS TRACK AND DIRECT IMPACTS ACROSS THE CWA.
OTHERWISE, A WARMING TREND AND DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST WITH ONLY
ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AS WINDS WILL
NOT BE STRONG THROUGHOUT.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 240 AM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
A FEW LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS WITHIN THE CYCLONIC NORTHWEST FLOW ARE
NOTED EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA. THESE
WILL END BY SUNRISE AS UPPER RIDGING QUICKLY TAKES OVER. AFTER
ANOTHER WIDESPREAD COLD MORNING, TEMPERATURES WILL WARM TO AROUND
THE CLIMATOLOGICAL NORM UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. OTHERWISE, THERE
WILL BE SOME ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS TODAY GIVEN THE DRY
AIRMASS NOW IN PLACE. THE LACK OF STRONGER WIND WILL HELP KEEP THIS
CONCERN FAIRLY LIMITED, WITH THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER WIND
LARGELY OVER AREAS THAT RECEIVED SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW THURSDAY
NIGHT (NATRONA COUNTY). ACCORDINGLY, NO FIRE WEATHER HAZARDS WILL BE
ISSUED, THOUGH BRIEF, LOCALIZED CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE (50-
60%) ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON, NAMELY FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 283 AND 289.
RIDGING WILL DOMINATE ACROSS THE ROCKIES SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL PEAK IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S ON SUNDAY,
RISING INTO THE 70S AND 80S BY TUESDAY. LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION
IS EXPECTED DURING THIS TIME. EACH DAY WILL SEE ELEVATED TO NEAR-
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THOUGH LIGHTER WIND WILL AGAIN BE
A LIMITING FACTOR.
ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE IS HINTING AT THE RIDGE BREAKING DOWN ON WEDNESDAY
AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW APPROACHES FROM THE WEST COAST. AS IT
CURRENTLY STANDS, THIS WOULD RETURN PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO WESTERN
WYOMING, SPREADING EAST THROUGH THURSDAY. AS IS COMMON FOR THE AREA,
THIS SETUP IS ALSO FAVORABLE FOR STRONG WIND AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE; WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. FURTHER OUT, GUIDANCE PERSISTS ANOMALOUSLY LOW
500 MB HEIGHTS INTO NEXT WEEKEND, BRINGING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR
MUCH-NEEDED MOISTURE.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1106 AM MDT SAT APR 18 2026
AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA, VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH THE PERIOD. WINDS ARE DIURNALLY DRIVEN, INCREASING SOME
DURING THE AFTERNOON, WITH LIGHTER WINDS OVERNIGHT. A SUBTLE
SHORTWAVE TONIGHT BRINGS INCREASING HIGH (CIRRUS) CLOUDS, WITH A
MOSTLY CLEAR SKY SUNDAY.
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...LOWE
DISCUSSION...MYERS
AVIATION...WITTMANN
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