086  
FXUS63 KUNR 041733  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
1133 AM MDT SAT OCT 4 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
-A COLD FRONT WILL BRING RAIN, SOME WIND, AND MUCH COOLER  
TEMPERATURES TO THE REGION  
 
-GRADUAL WARMING TREND NEXT WEEK AFTER MONDAY, WITH MAINLY DRY  
WEATHER  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 124 AM MDT SAT OCT 4 2025  
 
UPPER TROUGH NEAR THE GREAT BASIN WILL SHIFT EAST AND PHASE WITH  
A DEEP SOUTHERN CANADIAN UPPER TROUGH, FORCING A COLD FRONT INTO  
THE AREA, AS A PLUME OF PAC MOISTURE SHIFTS NORTHEAST INTO THE  
REGION. COLD FRONT IS PROGRESSING ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING  
WITH A FEW ELEVATED RETURNS BEGINNING TO SHOW UP ON RADAR OVER  
NORTHEAST WY. AS THE UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS EAST, INCREASING LSA WILL  
INTERACT WITH A PLUME OF ELEVATED MOISTURE AND SUPPORT INCREASING  
COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE DAY.  
HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE 60S ACROSS NORTHEAST WY TO AROUND 90  
AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN SCENTRAL SD. AS A JET STREAK MOVES INTO THE  
REGION FROM THE SOUTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING,  
EXPECT A BROKEN LINE OF HEAVIER SHOWERS AND TS TO PROGRESS ACROSS  
THE AREA. THE SOUTHERN END OF THIS FEATURE MAY HAVE SOME GUSTY  
WINDS AND SMALL HAIL, BUT OVERALL CAPE IS LIMITED WITH STORMS  
MAINLY BEING DYNAMICALLY DRIVEN BY THE SPEED MAX. THE BEST CHANCES  
FOR PRECIP WILL BE TONIGHT WHEN THE BEST OVERLAP OF LIFT,  
MOISTURE, AND CONVERGENCE SHIFTS OVER THE REGION. GIVEN STRONG  
FORCING AND SLOW SYSTEM PROGRESSION PER PHASING, EXPECTING MANY  
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FAR NW TO SEE ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN,  
WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS ACROSS FAR NW SD UNDER THE DEFORMATION  
ZONE. BREEZY WINDS WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY MORNING AS THE MAIN COLD  
FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE  
STRONGER WINDS FROM EARLIER, BUT THERE STILL COULD BE A SMALL  
WINDOW WHERE A FEW GUSTS OVER 50 MPH WILL ME POSSIBLE ON THE NW SD  
PLAINS AND IN THE LEE OF THE BH SUNDAY MORNING. SHOWERS WILL  
LINGER INTO SUNDAY PER CYCLONIC FLOW AND UNSTABLE PROFILES, BUT IN  
A WANING FASHION. A SECONDARY UPPER TROUGH MAY SUPPORT ANOTHER  
ROUND OF LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW ACROSS MAINLY THE SOUTHWEST THIRD  
SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. HOWEVER, THE BEST FORCING AND  
BETTER MOISTURE LOOKS TO REMAIN SOUTHWEST OF THE FA. PROFILES WILL  
CERTAINLY BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF  
THE BH AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE WY PLAINS. ANY ACCUMS WOULD BE  
VERY LIGHT. MUCH COOLER WEATHER FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH HIGHS  
IN THE 40S/50S ON THE PLAINS AND 30S/40S IN THE BH. UPPER TROUGH  
WILL SHIFT EAST OUT OF THE AREA BY TUES WITH UPPER RIDGING  
EXPECTED MID WEEK. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A WARMING TREND AND DRY  
WEATHER THEN. ANOTHER COOL FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH LOOKS  
TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BY THE END OF THE WEEK. HOWEVER, THE  
DEGREE OF HEIGHT FALLS AND LOCAL EFFECTS REMAINS AT LOW CONFIDENCE  
PER CONTINUED LARGE MODEL SPREADS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY)  
ISSUED AT 1130 AM MDT SAT OCT 4 2025  
 
A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AS  
WELL AS MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE REST OF THE FORECAST  
PERIOD. THE LOWEST CIGS AND HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL BE FOUND  
FROM NORTHEAST WY INTO NW SD TONIGHT. WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE  
NORTHWEST AFTER 06Z, WITH GUSTS OVER 35 KNOTS AS A COLD FRONT  
MOVES FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...JC  
AVIATION...SMITH  
 
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