Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Dodge City, KS
Issued by NWS Dodge City, KS
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007 FXUS63 KDDC 221030 AFDDDC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 430 AM CST Sat Nov 22 2025 ...Updated Aviation... .KEY MESSAGES... - Sunshine and milder temperatures return Saturday. - Numerous rain showers expected Sunday, but rain amounts will be much less than observed from the previous storm system. - A long stretch of dry weather is expected Monday through Friday. - A dry cold front will bring elevated north winds Tuesday, followed by a hard freeze in the 20s Wednesday morning. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 202 AM CST Sat Nov 22 2025 Nighttime microphysics satellite imagery and surface observations showed widespread stratus persisting across SW KS, but it was eroding gradually on the northern and western periphery. Stratus will continue to erode through sunrise. Will need to monitor for fog development through Saturday morning, given wet ground from previous rains and a saturated boundary layer. Light downslope trajectories should deter fog development from being widespread, but updated to increase fog mention in the grids through sunrise. Sunshine returns Saturday, allowing for milder temperatures. A ridge axis building overhead will reduce cloud cover to minimal levels, and a weak pressure gradient will keep winds light, 10 mph or less with a westerly component. The result will be a beautiful day for late November standards, with 3 pm temperatures in the lower 60s, several degrees above normal. Southern stream closed midlevel cyclone over Baja California at 6 pm Saturday will advance quickly northeast to Arizona 6 am Sunday, and into central Colorado through Sunday evening. Forcing for ascent will increase quickly daylight Sunday, with rapidly increasing clouds. Models have shown continuity with numerous rain showers spreading southwest to northeast across SW KS Sunday afternoon. This appears to be a high pop/low QPF event, with high confidence of rain showers, but also high confidence that rain amounts will be much reduced compared to the previous event. NBM probability of QPF > 0.10 inch has been trending downward the last several runs, and QPF grids now carry a widespread 0.10-0.20 inch rainfall. Progressive nature of the ejecting trough will push showers rapidly through, limiting time for rainfall to accumulate at any one location. Instability progs across the various models are nil to scant, as such kept thunder out of the grids. That said, SPC Day 2 convective outlook does include a general thunder outlook for SW KS. Given the favorable diurnal timing with the trough approaching during the warmest afternoon hours, some thunder can`t be ruled out. Certainly, severe weather is not expected. Trough weakens and ejects eastward across Kansas Monday, with subsidence and decreasing clouds. Little change in afternoon temperatures, in the lower 60s. An amplifying shortwave in the northern stream will cross the northern plains Tuesday, with the associated dry cold front racing through about sunrise Tuesday. After coordinating with neighboring WFOs, increased wind grids on Tuesday above the NBM. 850 mb winds as high as 40 kts are noted on ECMWF guidance, so gusts near 40 mph are probable, especially at wind prone locations such as the preferred US 83 corridor. Cold Canadian surface high near 1032 mb is forecast to settle directly over SW KS sunrise Wednesday, allowing for a hard freeze in the 20s. Afternoon temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday will be chillier than we are used to, in the upper 40s and lower 50s, but these readings are very near normal for late November. An extended dry spell is expected Tuesday through Friday, under dry benign NWly flow aloft, excellent for the busy Thanksgiving travel period. Global models and their ensembles agree with strong troughing across western North America by December 1st, but have shown no continuity with details, to be expected this far out. Pops for rain showers do return in the NBM grids by next Saturday, with a strong surge of gulf moisture expected northward through the plains. Some interesting weather impacts are possible Sunday and Monday, also big travel days, but it is impossible to speculate details that far out. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 430 AM CST Sat Nov 22 2025 Nighttime microphysics/infrared satellite imagery indicated stratus continuing to erode across SW KS as of 1030z Sat. Remaining stratus is expected to be dissipated by sunrise. As stratus dissolves, areas of radiation fog will develop in the light wind regime, enhanced by the wet ground from recent rainfall and saturated boundary layer. Low confidence of how limited visibility will impact each airport over the next 4-5 hours, so amendments are likely. Any fog will dissipate by 16z Sat, followed by VFR/SKC for the remainder of this TAF period. A weak pressure gradient will result in light winds, less than 10 kts, through the period. && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Turner AVIATION...Turner