585  
FXUS63 KUNR 132022  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
222 PM MDT SAT SEP 13 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- MARGINAL RISK (1/5) FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS WESTERN SD THIS  
EVENING.  
 
- LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY  
AFTERNOON.  
 
- DRYING OUT AND WARMING UP MONDAY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 152 PM MDT SAT SEP 13 2025  
 
CURRENT (2:05 PM MDT) SATELLITE IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS  
CONTINUES TO SHOW THE 500MB TROUGH CENTERED OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN  
WEST WITH A RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING NORTHEAST FROM CENTRAL TEXAS INTO  
THE GREAT LAKES. A FEW SHORTWAVE IMPULSES CONTINUE TO EJECT TOWARD  
THE NORTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND THESE FEATURES WILL SUPPORT  
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING.  
 
AT THE SURFACE A SMALL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED  
AROUND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IS KEEPING AN INVERTED TROUGH IN  
PLACE THAT EXTENDS NORTHWARD ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER INTO CENTRAL  
NORTH DAKOTA. THE MORNING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY CONTINUES TO PUSH  
OUT OF THE AREA AND IN THE WAKE SOME SUBSIDENCE AN DRYING AS MOVED  
INTO EASTERN WYOMING AND WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, LEADING TO MOSTLY  
SUNNY SKIES ACROSS THESE REGIONS. UNDERNEATH THESE MOSTLY CLEAR  
SKIES SOME MARGINAL INSTABILITY HAS DEVELOPED. 18Z UPPER AIR  
SOUNDING SHOWS A PALTRY ~15 J/KG OF MLCAPE BUT AROUND 1300 J/KG OF  
MUCAPE WHICH CLOSELY RESEMBLES MOST MODEL GUIDANCE. THE  
SUBSIDENCE IN THE LOW TO MID LEVELS MAY BE ENOUGH TO LIMIT THE  
SEVERITY OF THE THREAT THIS EVENING BUT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE  
SHORTWAVE IMPULSE THE COVERAGE OF THE ACTIVITY REMAINS ON TRACK.  
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ALONG THE BLACK HILLS THIS EVENING  
AND MERGE INTO SMALL CLUSTERS AS THEY MOVE EAST.  
 
SUNDAY IS LOOKING CLOUDY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED  
THUNDERSTORMS TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE AREA AS THE MAIN 500MB TROUGH  
BEINGS TO EJECT INTO THE PLAINS. THIS WILL BRING A DEEP FETCH OF  
GULF MOISTURE ON THE HEELS OF STEEP SOUTHERLY WINDS. BY TOMORROW  
AFTERNOON PWAT VALUES ARE FORECAST TO SURGE TO 165-225% OF  
CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS. ENSEMBLE QPF GUIDANCE SHOWS 24 HOUR  
RAINFALL PROBABILITIES OF GREATER THAN 1.5" RANGING FROM 20-40%  
FOR AREAS EAST OF THE BLACK HILLS. ANY EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORM  
ELEMENTS COULD PUSH THESE TOTALS HIGHER LOCALLY.  
 
EXPECT THE RAIN TO END LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AS THE TROUGH  
EXITS AND 700MB THETA-E SUBSIDENCE MOVES INTO THE REGION ALLOWING  
FOR DRY CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP. THIS BRIEF DRY AND WARMING TREND  
WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS PROGGED TO  
MOVE INTO THE REGION AND BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER AND COOLER  
TEMPERATURES BACK INTO THE FORECAST BY MID-WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY)  
ISSUED AT 1141 AM MDT SAT SEP 13 2025  
 
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING,  
HOWEVER LOW CONFIDENCE ON ANY STORMS AFFECTING THE TAF SITES.  
EXPECT MOSTLY VFR CONDITIONS TODAY OUTSIDE OF STORMS. INCREASING  
CLOUD COVER TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING WILL BRING WIDESPREAD  
MVFR/IFR CIGS OVERNIGHT FOR MUCH OF THE WESTERN SD PLAINS. TAF  
FORECASTS REMAIN VFR HOWEVER ITS POSSIBLE LOW CIGS COULD GET FAR  
ENOUGH WEST TO AFFECT KRAP. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF  
THE FORECAST AREA TOWARDS THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD THROUGH  
THE REST OF THE DAY SUNDAY, HOWEVER LOWER CONFIDENCE ON TIMING AND  
LOCATIONS.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...WOODWARD  
AVIATION...DYE  
 
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