137
FXUS65 KRIW 060800
AFDRIW
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
200 AM MDT WED MAY 6 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW HAS TAPERED OFF WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS PUSHING
ACROSS EASTERN SWEETWATER COUNTY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
- COLD TEMPERATURES AND FREEZE WARNINGS IN EFFECT THROUGH MID
WEDNESDAY MORNING GIVING WAY TO SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES BY
AFTERNOON AND IMPROVED CONDITIONS.
- SHORTWAVE BRINGS SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS
OF THE VIEWING AREA FOR THURSDAY AND SATURDAY
AFTERNOONS/EVENINGS WITH MINIMAL IMPACTS EXPECTED.
- DRY AND WARMING TREND INTO THE WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 200 AM MDT WED MAY 6 2026
IR CURRENTLY DEPICTS AMPLE CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF
OF THE CWA WITH IMPROVED CONDITIONS FURTHER NORTH. THE CLOSED
UPPER LEVEL LOW HAS EMBEDDED INTO THE OVERALL L/W TROUGH PATTERN
WITH A POSITIVE ORIENTED TILT ACROSS THE DAKOTAS TO THE ROCKIES
WITH THE PFJ DIPPING AROUND ITS BASE. A FEW SCATTERED SNOW
SHOWERS LINGER ACROSS MAINLY EASTWARD SWEETWATER COUNTY
EXTENDING FROM SOUTH PASS/SWEETWATER STATION BUT WILL SLOWLY
DIMINISH AS IT EXITS TO THE SOUTHEAST BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY
MORNING. COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE HARD FREEZE WARNING CRITERIA
CATEGORY FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE
DIVIDE BEFORE RECOVERING TO SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES BY
AFTERNOON.
OTHERWISE, EXPECT UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO START BUILDING IN LATER
WEDNESDAY GIVING WAY TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND AMPLE
CONVERGENCE. IMPROVED SKY CONDITIONS AND RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS
THROUGH THE REST OF WEDNESDAY AND INTO THURSDAY. A SUBTLE
SHORTWAVE PROPAGATES DOWN THE RIDGE THAT WILL BRING SOME
SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA, MAINLY
PARTS OF THE BIGHORN BASIN AND MOUNTAINS BUT WILL MINIMAL IF ANY
IMPACTS EXPECTED. THE PATTERN CONTINUES WITH NORTHWEST FLOW
ALOFT WITH THE PFJ REMAINING IN FAR REACHES OF THE NORTHEAST
PART OF THE STATE WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE EFFECTING THE
NORTHEASTERN CWA AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. MINIMAL
IMPACTS EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN BUT THE OVERALL PATTERN LOOKS TO BE
A MOSTLY DRY AND WARMING TREND INTO THE WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEK.
RIDGING AND NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CONTINUE WITH NO SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER SYSTEMS OF NOTE ON THE HORIZON AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 945 PM MDT TUE MAY 5 2026
WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS TERMINALS.
MARGINAL MVFR CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AT KBPI/KPNA
THROUGH 10Z, WITH A 30% CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW TO IMPACT KPNA AS
A LINE OF SHOWERS MOVE OVER THE SITE. THESE CONDITIONS ARE ALSO
EXPECTED AT KRKS, WITH EAST- NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING UP TO
30KT. THESE WINDS WILL DECREASE BY 08Z. KJAC IS EXPECTED TO
REMAIN VFR WITH CLEARING SKIES, ALTHOUGH SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS
WILL BE FREQUENTLY OBSCURED. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE AFTER
SUNRISE WEDNESDAY AS SKIES CLEAR THROUGH THE REST OF THE
MORNING, WITH LIGHTER WINDS AND SKC SKIES EXPECTED THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON. GUSTS AROUND 20KT WILL OCCUR IN THE AFTERNOON AT
KJAC, KBPI AND KPNA.
EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL TERMINALS.
SNOW WILL BE WANING AT KRIW BY THE START OF THE TAF PERIOD, BUT
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT KLND THROUGH 08Z. THERE IS A 20-30%
FOR IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT KLND AFTER THE SNOW ENDS.
SKIES WILL BE CLEARING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, WITH SKC SKIES
EXPECTED AT KCOD BY 09Z. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
REST OF THE MORNING, WITH SKC SKIES EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA BY
18Z.
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
FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM MDT THIS MORNING FOR WYZ003>006-010-
011-017-018-020.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM MDT THIS MORNING FOR WYZ019-
030.
DISCUSSION...LOWE
AVIATION...LAVOIE
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