648  
FXUS63 KUNR 162342  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
542 PM MDT TUE SEP 16 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- UPPER LOW WILL BRING COOL AND WET WEATHER THROUGH THURSDAY WITH  
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN  
- GENERALLY DRIER WEATHER RETURNS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 205 PM MDT TUE SEP 16 2025  
 
20Z SURFACE ANALYSIS HAD COOL FRONT FROM NORTHERN MN TO  
NORTHEASTERN CO. A COUPLE CLUSTERS OF CONVECTION TODAY HAVE PUSHED  
OUT OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES ACROSS WESTERN TO NORTHERN NE,  
INTERSECTING JUST SOUTHWEST OF KVTN. THIS IS WHERE BEST MLCAPE IS  
LOCATED WITH STRONG/SEVERE CONVECTION DEVELOPING JUST SOUTH OF  
SOUTH-CENTRAL SD. MUCH LESS BUOYANCY OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL SD, BUT A  
LIMITED WINDOW FOR ISOLATED STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS STILL  
EXISTS INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS, ESPECIALLY IF ONE ADVECTS IN  
FROM NE OR DEVELOPS IN THE INCREASINGLY LIMITED CLEAR AREAS OF  
TRIPP COUNTY. WIDENING OUR FOCUS, WATER VAPOUR LOOP HAD UPPER LOW  
OVER NORTHEAST WY WITH SMALL CLUSTERS OF WEAK CONVECTION  
DEVELOPING AHEAD OF IT, HEADING FOR NORTHEASTERN WY/WESTERN SD.  
THE UPPER LOW WILL BE THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN.  
 
TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY, UPPER LOW SHIFTS EAST AS IT INTERACTS  
WITH SOUTH-CENTRAL CANADIAN TROUGH, EVENTUALLY MERGING INTO AN  
OPEN TROUGH AND LIFTING AWAY FROM THE CWA FRIDAY. IN THE MEANTIME,  
SUSTAINED SYNOPTIC LIFT (MODEST QG-FORCING) COMBINED WITH WEAK  
BUOYANCY WILL SUPPORT PERIODS OF SHRA/TS THROUGH THURSDAY. DECENT  
DEFORMATION ZONE EXPECTED. 150-200% PWATS WRAP INTO THE SYSTEM  
WITH A SOUTHWEST-NORTHEAST ORIENTATED BAND FOCUSING LOCALLY HEAVY  
RAIN POTENTIAL FROM THE BLACK HILLS INTO NORTH-CENTRAL SD. AS  
BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW BECOMES INCREASINGLY NORTHEAST IN RESPONSE TO  
SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN SD, EXPECT UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT  
FOR THE NORTHEAST/EAST SLOPES OF THE BLACK HILLS AND ADJACENT  
PLAINS. GIVEN CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS, PINPOINTING EXACT AMOUNTS  
DIFFICULT, BUT OVERALL 25-75TH PERCENTILE STORM TOTAL QPF  
0.75-2.25" OVER MUCH OF THE CWA PER NBM/HREF. TEMPERATURES WILL  
BE COOL AND NEAR GUIDANCE.  
 
FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND, DRIER WEATHER AND A WARMER TEMPERATURES  
WILL OCCUR, ALTHOUGH A STRAY SHRA/TS COULD OCCUR.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY EVENING)  
ISSUED AT 534 PM MDT TUE SEP 16 2025  
 
VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AT AIRPORTS THROUGH MUCH OF TONIGHT  
BEFORE MVFR CIGS/VIS DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING  
AND CONTINUE MUCH OF WEDNESDAY. IFR CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE  
AT TIMES. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT  
WITH GREATER COVERAGE EXPECTED DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. NORTH TO  
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR  
GUSTS AROUND 21-26 KTS.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...HELGESON  
AVIATION...MELO  
 
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