641  
FXUS63 KUNR 200828  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
128 AM MST FRI DEC 20 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- MILDER TEMPERATURES RETURN FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS,  
WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES LIKELY FOR MOST OF THE AREA  
TOMORROW THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
- MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH NEXT WEEK, WITH  
ONLY PASSING, SLIGHT CHANCES OF ISOLATED MEASURABLE  
PRECIPITATION.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)  
ISSUED AT 128 AM MST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY COMBINED WITH NIGHTTIME MICROPHYSICS RGB IMAGERY  
TONIGHT SHOWS PATCHES OF CIRRUS DRIFTING OVER THE REGION IN  
NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THE CLIPPER SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT STRONG WINDS  
TO THE REGION OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS HAS SHIFTED SOUTHEASTWARD AND  
IS NOW CENTERED OVER THE OH VALLEY/GREAT LAKES. ANOTHER TROUGH IS  
EVIDENT APPROACHING THE NORTHERN ROCKIES/PLAINS, WITH A CORRIDOR OF  
ENHANCED DEEP MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE EAST  
PACIFIC THROUGH SOUTHERN AB. MODEST SHORTWAVE RIDGING IS EVIDENT  
NOSING NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN. LATEST SURFACE  
ANALYSIS SHOWS HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER ND, WITH RIDGING  
EXTENDING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS, WITH WEAK TROUGHING  
FROM WESTERN AB SOUTHWARD THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL WY. IT'S A CHILLY  
NIGHT AREA-WIDE, PARTICULARLY ACROSS OUR EAST, WHERE SOME  
TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW ZERO AT THIS HOUR.  
 
SURFACE TROUGH SHIFTS EASTWARD TODAY AS PARENT MIDLEVEL DISTURBANCE  
RAPIDLY TRANSLATES EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST  
THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS.  
ASSOCIATED DEEP Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE AND ISENTROPIC ASCENT LARGELY  
SKIRTS OUR FAR NORTH, WITH BETTER LARGE-SCALE SUPPORT FOR  
PRECIPITATION TO OUR NORTH AND EAST. AS SUCH, MAIN SENSIBLE WEATHER  
IMPACT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE TROUGH FOR US WILL LIKELY BE  
INCREASING SOUTH/SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS OWING TO A TIGHTENING PRESSURE  
GRADIENT AND ACCOMPANYING 2-4 MB/3 HR PRESSURE FALLS. THE TROUGH  
PASSAGE WILL DO LITTLE TO STYMIE THE EXPANSION OF LOW-LEVEL THERMAL  
RIDGING INTO THE AREA, WITH 850 MB TEMPERATURES PROBABLY TO LIKELY  
(60-90% CHANCES) EXCEEDING 10C BY SATURDAY EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF  
THE AREA BASED ON LATEST LREF PROBABILITIES. THOUGH NOT QUITE AS  
WARM THEREAFTER, EPS/GEFS/GEPS PROBABILITIES ALL SUGGEST THAT 2-M  
TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES OF 5-10F OR GREATER ARE LIKELY TO DEFINITE FOR  
MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE, AND EVEN LONGER FOR OUR  
EASTERN 2/3RDS.  
 
A SECOND SHORTWAVE WITH A BETTER SIGNAL OF Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE  
CROSSES THE REGION EARLY SUNDAY, MAINLY ACROSS FAR NORTHWESTERN SD.  
THOUGH PROBABILITIES FOR MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION HAVE DECREASED  
SOMEWHAT OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS, LREF PROBABILITIES OF OVER 0.01" OF  
PRECIPITATION ON SUNDAY REMAIN CLOSE TO 40% ALONG THE SD/ND BORDER,  
DECREASING TO NEAR 0 ALONG THE I-90 CORRIDOR. ANY AMOUNTS SHOULD BE  
VERY LIGHT, WITH PROBABILITIES FOR OVER 0.1" OR MORE OF  
PRECIPITATION LIMITED TO LESS THAN 5%. ALTHOUGH A COUPLE MORE  
PASSING CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION WILL IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH  
CHRISTMAS DAY, ODDS CERTAINLY FAVOR A BROWN CHRISTMAS FOR MOST THIS  
SEASON.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 914 PM MST THU DEC 19 2024  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD.  
 

 
   
UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...NONE.  
WY...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...SHERBURN  
AVIATION...7  
 
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