694  
FXUS63 KUNR 182038  
AFDUNR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD  
238 PM MDT FRI SEP 18 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- COOL AND WET THIS WEEKEND, WITH DAILY PRECIPITATION IN THE  
REGION.  
 
- GRADUAL WARMUP EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 213 PM MDT FRI SEP 18 2026  
 
CURRENT WATER VAPOR AND UPPER AIR MODELS SHOW SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER  
THE FORECAST AREA, AS UPPER LOW DIGS INTO THE ROCKIES. 18Z SURFACE  
ANALYSIS DEPICTS A LOW OVER SOUTHEASTERN SD, WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY  
STRETCHING INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA. WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT OUT OF  
THE NORTH, WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S TO UPPER 70S.  
 
OUT AHEAD OF THE UPPER LOW, A DISTURBANCE WILL LIFT UP INTO THE  
REGION THIS EVENING. THE LINE OF SHOWERS/STORMS IS CURRENTLY IN  
CENTRAL WYOMING MOVING NORTHEAST, EXPECTED TO ENTER THE FORECAST  
AREA IN A FEW HOURS. GENERALLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION WITH THE  
EVENING PRECIPITATION, BUT ACCUMULATIONS NEARING A TENTH OF AN  
INCH MAY BE POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER PRECIP CORES. PRECIPITATION MAY  
LINGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, AND SOME SHOWERY DEVELOPMENT IS  
POSSIBLE AGAIN DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. THERE'S A LOW-END CHANCE  
FOR A SEVERE STORM SATURDAY AFTERNOON, GIVEN SOME CAPE VALUES  
500-1000 J/KB, HOWEVER WEAK EFFECTIVE SHEAR (20-30KTS).  
 
ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO THE MAIN EVENT, AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES  
OVER WYOMING LATER SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION  
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION OVER THIS TIMEFRAME. HEAVIEST  
AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON AND WILL TAPER  
OFF FROM WEST TO EAST SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. LREF PROBABILITIES  
FOR 24 QPF 0.5" OR MORE HAS A BULLSEYE OF 70-90% OVER THE BLACK  
HILLS INTO SOUTHWESTERN SD. PROBABILITIES FOR 1" OR MORE QPF RANGE  
FROM 30-60% IN THE SAME AREA. EXPECT COOLER TEMPERATURES AS WELL  
AS THE LOW MOVES INTO THE PLAINS, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY  
ONLY REACHING AROUND 60 OVER THE PLAINS, AND THE LOW TO MID 50S  
OVER THE BLACK HILLS.  
 
BY THE LATTER HALF OF MONDAY, THE PATTERN CHANGES AGAIN AS UPPER  
RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE PLAINS, BRINGING A GRADUAL WARMING TREND  
MONDAY THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES CLIMB BACK TO AT OR  
ABOVE NORMAL BY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 1127 AM MDT FRI SEP 18 2026  
 
LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OUT AND BURN OFF EARLY  
THIS AFTERNOON, ALTHOUGH MID-LEVEL CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE. RAIN  
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP LATE THIS  
EVENING (~19/01-03Z) AND LAST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FRIDAY  
INTO SATURDAY MORNING WITH LOW CLOUDS AND MVFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS.  
FOG IS EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP EARLY SATURDAY MORNING WITH IFR/LIFR  
CONDITIONS AT KRAP, POSSIBLY IMPACTING KGCC AS WELL.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...DYE  
AVIATION...SCHULTZ  
 
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