064
FXUS65 KTFX 272316
AFDTFX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
516 PM MDT MON APR 27 2026
AVIATION SECTION UPDATED.
KEY MESSAGES
- ONE MORE NIGHT OF WIDESPREAD SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES
TONIGHT.
- TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK
WITH WARMEST READINGS LIKELY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
- MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWERS EACH DAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY WITH AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE.
DISCUSSION
/ISSUED 209 PM MDT MON APR 27 2026/
- METEOROLOGICAL OVERVIEW:
THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDING FROM CANADA SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE
WESTERN US WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN WHILE SHIFTING EAST OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. A CYCLONIC NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT LINGERS
ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND MT THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH WEAK
EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES AND LIMITED MOISTURE COMBINING WITH DAYTIME
HEATING TO SUPPORT THE DIURNAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.
ONE MORE NIGHT OF WIDESPREAD SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED
TONIGHT WITH A RETURN TO SEASONAL TEMPERATURES BEGINNING TUESDAY.
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS ACROSS THE NW US THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FOR
MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS AREA-WIDE WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WARMING
ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES AND LIKELY TO PEAK ON FRIDAY WITH AFTERNOON
TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. HOENISCH
- FORECAST CONFIDENCE & SCENARIOS:
THROUGH THIS EVENING, WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL PRIMARILY BE
FOCUSED ACROSS SOUTHWEST MT AND NORTH ALONG THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE. ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, THE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE A BIT BROADER ACROSS WESTERN
PORTIONS OF NORTH-CENTRAL MT AS WELL AS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST MT. THROUGH THIS EVENING, PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH
ANY SHOWERS WILL PRIMARILY BE SNOW. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, SNOW
LEVELS RISE TO AROUND 6000 FT OR HIGHER, HOWEVER ENOUGH COLD AIR
ALOFT REMAINS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT GRAUPEL OR VERY SMALL HAIL DOWN
TO THE SURFACE WITH MORE INTENSE SHOWER ACTIVITY.
LONGER RANGE MODEL ENSEMBLES ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE BROADER
PATTERN EVOLVING THIS WEEKEND AS UPPER RIDGING AMPLIFIES OFFSHORE OF
BC WITH PACIFIC ENERGY DIVING SOUTH ALONG OR OFFSHORE OF THE US WEST
COAST. MEANWHILE, ENERGY COMING OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC RIDGE LOOKS
TO DIVE SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL CANADA, CARVING OUT A BROADER TROUGH
THAT DEEPENS INTO THE N-CENTRAL US BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. UNCERTAINTY
EXISTS IN THE TIMING OF ENERGY MOVING SOUTH OUT OF CANADA BY LATER
THIS WEEKEND AND THE EXTEND OF ANY MOISTURE MOVING OUT OF THE SW US
LOW. IN ANY CASE, SOME COOLING IS LIKELY TO BEGIN THIS WEEKEND WITH
LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF COOLING AND OCCURRENCE OF
PRECIPITATION. HOENISCH
AVIATION
28/00Z TAF PERIOD
SCATTERED SHOWERS IN AN UNSTABLE NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES AND MT WILL AFFECT SOME CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MT
TERMINALS WITH LOW-VFR/MFR CLOUD BASES BEFORE DECREASING LATER
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. AREAS OF MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION WILL
ALSO DECREASE OVERNIGHT. ON TUESDAY, INITIALLY VFR CONDITIONS AND
PARTIAL CLOUD-COVER WILL GIVE WAY TO AN INCREASING COVERAGE OF
SHOWERS, BROKEN MID LEVEL CLOUDS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. SOME
BRIEF GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KTS ARE POSSIBLE NEAR SHOWERS THIS
EVENING AND AGAIN WITH SHOWERS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE
SURFACE WINDS ARE LIGHT AND SOMEWHAT VARIABLE THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING BEFORE INCREASING SOME FROM THE WEST TO NORTHWEST TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. HOENISCH
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
GTF 27 56 33 58 / 10 30 20 30
CTB 23 55 30 57 / 10 20 10 10
HLN 29 56 33 58 / 10 30 20 50
BZN 24 54 30 57 / 10 30 20 50
WYS 17 46 22 50 / 40 30 10 50
DLN 25 54 31 58 / 10 20 0 20
HVR 24 59 29 59 / 0 10 0 0
LWT 24 52 29 54 / 10 30 10 40
TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
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