278  
FXUS63 KUNR 070459  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
959 PM MST SAT DEC 6 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- LIGHT SNOW CONTINUES TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING  
 
- CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING FOR A HIGH WIND EVENT TO IMPACT MUCH OF  
WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA ON TUESDAY. COULD SEE WIND GUSTS UP TO 70  
MPH  
 
- WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A LOW  
END CHANCE FOR VARIOUS PRECIPITATION TYPES ACROSS THE EASTERN  
PLAINS (RAIN/FREEZING RAIN AND A RAIN/SNOW MIX)  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 106 PM MST SAT DEC 6 2025  
 
REST OF TODAY...EMBEDDED IN THE PERSISTENT NW FLOW ALOFT A FAST  
MOVING SHORTWAVE IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUDS  
HAVE INCREASED IN RESPONSE WITH MUCH OF THE REGION NOW UNDER A LOW  
CLOUD, OVERCAST SKY. LINGERING MOISTURE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO  
SQUEEZE OUT SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS/FLURRIES ACROSS EASTERN  
WYOMING, WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND ACROSS THE BLACK HILLS THIS  
AFTERNOON AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING. EXPECTING VERY LITTLE  
ACCUMULATION WITH THE HIGHER PEAKS SEEING MAYBE ONE INCH, WITH THE  
VALLEYS ONLY SEEING A TRACE AMOUNTS OF SNOW. WHATEVER SNOW IS OUT  
THERE WILL DIMINISH SUNDAY AFTERNOON BUT WITH THE CLOUD COVER  
STICKING AROUND, TEMPERATURES WON'T WARM TOO MUCH ON SUNDAY WITH  
HIGHS PREDOMINATELY IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S ACROSS THE BLACK  
HILLS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. EXPECT THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OUT  
ACROSS THE EASTER PLAINS WHERE HIGHS WILL BE IN THE LOW 30S.  
MONDAY WILL BE THE ONLY QUIET DAY AS WE WAIT ON THE ARRIVAL OF A  
FAST MOVING COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG AREA OF LOW  
PRESSURE DIVING SOUTH OUT OF NORTH DAKOTA.  
 
CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING FOR A HIGH WIND EVENT TO IMPACT MUCH OF  
WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA ON TUESDAY. A FAST MOVING AND DEEPENING LOW  
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DIVE SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA AND  
QUICKLY RACE TO THE SOUTH THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON TUESDAY. WINDS  
ALOFT WITH THIS SYSTEM ARE CURRENTLY (LATEST MODEL RUN) BETWEEN  
50-60 KNOTS. THE WINDS WILL BE BE BACKED BY A FAST MOVING COLD  
FRONT WITH VERY STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION INTO THE REGION AND  
RAPID PRESSURE RISES WILL AID IN MIXING DOWN THESE WINDS ALOFT TO  
THE SURFACE. SOUNDINGS ARE SHOWING ~58 KNOT WINDS JUST ABOVE THE  
SURFACE ACROSS NW SOUTH DAKOTA. IF THIS PATTERN HOLDS, HIGH WIND  
WATCHES WILL BE ISSUED POTENTIALLY AS SOON AS EARLY MONDAY  
MORNING. CURRENT FORECAST CALLS FOR WINDS TO APPROACH 70 MPH  
ACROSS THE NW CORNER OF SOUTH DAKOTA WITH STRONG WINDS BETWEEN  
55-65 MPH IMPACTING THE FOOTHILLS AND EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH MUCH  
OF TUESDAY AFTERNOON. ADDITIONALLY, STRONG WAA WILL HAVE STREAMED  
INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM AND WITH THE COMPRESSIONAL  
HEATING OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE DYNAMIC AND FAST MOVING  
FRONTS, AND THE DOWNSLOPE WIND COMPONENT, TEMPERATURES COULD REACH  
INTO THE 60S BEFORE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH.  
 
WEDNESDAY ANOTHER WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE REGION AND THIS ONE MAY  
BE TRICKY IN DETERMINING THE P-TYPE ACROSS SOME OF THE BLACK HILL  
FOOTHILLS AND EASTERN PLAINS. CAA WILL BE WORKING IN FROM THE  
EAST BUT SURFACE WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST WILL KEEP  
LOW LEVEL TEMPERATURES WARM WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE BEST QPF.  
ALOFT TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLING SO PROFILES ARE HINTING AT THE  
VERY SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SOME FREEZING RAIN TO IMPACT PORTIONS OF  
THE EASTERN PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY. THESE TYPES OF EVENTS REQUIRE A  
LOT OF PARAMETERS COMING TOGETHER, BUT THERE IS A SLIGHT SIGNAL  
AND FREEZING RAIN DOES BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, SO THIS IS  
SOMETHING WE WILL BE WATCHING IN THE COMING DAYS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 956 PM MST SAT DEC 6 2025  
 
LIGHT SNOW AND PATCHY FREEZING FOG ARE CAUSING WIDESPREAD  
MVFR/IFR AND LCL LIFR CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTHEASTERN WY INTO  
WESTERN SD. THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF  
TONIGHT INTO EARLY THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR  
FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER ~16-18Z.  
 
 
   
UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
SD...NONE.  
WY...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...WOODWARD  
AVIATION...WONG  
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