768  
FXUS63 KUNR 171700  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
1000 AM MST FRI JAN 17 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
-STRONG COLD FRONT ARRIVES TODAY WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND  
FALLING TEMPERATURES  
 
-A BIT OF LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES ON THE PLAINS WITH A FEW INCHES OF  
ACCUMULATION IN THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS THROUGH SATURDAY.  
HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE TODAY IN THE WEST WITH  
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES  
 
-ARCTIC FRONT WILL BRING BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES OVER THE  
WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)  
ISSUED AT 121 AM MST FRI JAN 17 2025  
 
WATER VAPOR SHOWS UPPER LOW OVER SOUTHERN SASK/MANITOBA WITH TROF  
CARVING OUT OVER THE NORTHWEST CONUS. AT THE SURFACE, PAC COLD  
FRONT ALREADY PUSHING THROUGH OUR NORTHWESTERN ZONES WITH ARCTIC  
FRONT JUST NORTH OF THE US/CNDN BORDER. EARLY MORNING TEMPS  
LARGELY IN THE 30S WITH DOWNSLOPE FLOW CONTINUING.  
 
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE QUICKLY THIS MORNING WITH 3-4MB/3HR  
PRESSURE RISES AND COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE PACIFIC FRONT,  
FURTHER REINFORCED BY THE ARCTIC FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. CURRENT  
WIND ADVISORY LOOKS GOOD. HIGHS WILL BE EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH  
FALLING TEMPS THROUGH THE DAY, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE ARCTIC BOUNDARY  
MOVES IN. LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO OUR WESTERN THIRD TO HALF  
OF ZONES BY MID TO LATE MORNING. SOME HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS NOT OUT  
OF THE QUESTION GIVEN STEEP LOW LEVEL RATES. COMBINED WITH THE  
WINDS, VISIBILITIES COULD BECOME PROBLEMATIC IN ANY HEAVIER SNOW  
SHOWERS.  
 
REINFORCING SHOT OF ARCTIC AIR ARRIVES ON SATURDAY ALONG WITH SOME  
ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW, AGAIN MOSTLY IN OUR WESTERN THIRD TO HALF  
OF ZONES. A FEW INCHES LIKELY IN UPSLOPE AREAS OF THE NORTHERN  
BLACK HILLS, AND MAYBE AN INCH OR SO IN NORTHEAST WY.  
PROBABILITIES FOR MUCH, IF ANY, SNOW ACCUMULATION ON THE SD PLAINS  
VERY LOW.  
 
DRIER CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED BY SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH. BITTERLY COLD CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY  
THROUGH MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT AS 1050MB HIGHS SETTLES IN. COLD  
WEATHER ADVISORIES (GENERALLY -25F AND COLDER) ARE LIKELY TO BE  
NEEDED BEGINNING LATE SATURDAY, AND POSSIBLE EXTREME COLD WARNINGS  
(GENERALLY -35F AND COLDER) FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS CORE  
OF COLDEST AIR MOVES IN.  
 
WARM ADVECTION WILL QUICKLY RETURN MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS  
NEXT CLIPPER APPROACHES AND PUSHES THE ARCTIC AIR EAST OF THE  
AREA. ACTIVE NORTHWEST FLOW LOOKS TO DEVELOP AFTERWARD WITH  
HIGHLY VARIABLE TEMPS AND INCREASED WIND. CONFIDENCE IN TEMPS AND  
WEATHER DROP OFF SHARPLY TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK DUE TO HIGH  
VARIABILITY IN MODEL SOLUTIONS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 956 AM MST FRI JAN 17 2025  
 
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WINDS  
WILL DECREASE THIS EVENING BUT STILL REMAIN BREEZY, AROUND 15 TO  
25 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 35 MPH. BREEZY WINDS WILL CONTINUE  
SATURDAY. MVFR CEILINGS ACROSS NORTHEASTERN WY, THE BLACK HILLS,  
AND NORTHWESTERN SD WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY. SNOW/BLOWING SNOW  
COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY TO MVFR AT TIMES, BUT NOT EXPECTING MUCH  
FOR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AT KRAP AND KGCC.  
 

 
   
UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST /6 PM CST/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR  
SDZ001-002-012>014-026-030>032-042>044-046-047-049-072-073-  
077-078.  
WY...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...JOHNSON  
AVIATION...POJORLIE  
 
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