Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Bismarck, ND

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000
FXUS63 KBIS 202030
AFDBIS

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
330 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SHORT TERM CONTINUES TO BE THE IMPACTS OF THE
ONGOING RAINFALL EVENT.

OVERALL THE GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT...AND FOLLOWED A BLEND
OF THE 12 UTC GFS/GEM/ECMWF AND 15 UTC SREF FOR ALL FIELDS.
CURRENTLY THE STACKED LOW ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA IS
EXPECTED TO SLOWLY PROPAGATE INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA THROUGH
TUESDAY. WRAP AROUND RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY DOWNTREND
THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY WITH AN ADDITIONAL ONE HALF TO
THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL EXPECTED. SEE THE HYDROLOGY
DISCUSSION BELOW FOR DETAILS.

FOR THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...DID MAINTAIN THE WIND ADVISORY FOR
THE WEST AND NORTH. THE WIND FIELD ACROSS THESE AREAS CONTINUES TO
STRENGTHEN WITH 40-45 KTS AT THE TOP OF A SHALLOW MIXED LAYER AS
DEPICTED BY THE 12 UTC NAM/GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS. THE STRONGEST WINDS
ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS WHERE GUSTS TO NEAR 50
MPH ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

.LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THE MAIN FORECAST ISSUE THROUGH THE LONG TERM PERIOD WILL BE ONGOING
RIVER AND OVERLAND FLOODING CONCERNS. SEE HYDROLOGY DISCUSSION BELOW
FOR DETAILS. THEN ATTENTION TURNS TO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AND THE
POSSIBILITY FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.

THERE IS FAIRLY GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT REGARDING THE POSITION AND
MOVEMENT OF THE CLOSED UPPER LEVEL LOW...ASSOCIATED WITH THE
PERSISTENT RAINS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. THE UPPER LOW IS
FORECAST TO BE OVER THE SD/MN BORDER TUESDAY EVENING...THEN BECOME
MORE OF AN OPEN WAVE BY WEDNESDAY EVENING OVER IA/WI/IL AND THE
WESTERN GREAT LAKES. THIS SCENARIO WILL MEAN THE VERY HIGH/LIKELY
CHANCES OF RAIN TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE JAMES RIVER BASIN WILL LESSEN
TO SCATTERED IN NATURE BY WEDNESDAY. THE REST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
NORTH DAKOTA SHOULD SEE A DECREASE IN COVERAGE OF THE SHOWERS
TUESDAY NIGHT. SLIGHT CHANCES TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WEDNESDAY AS THE
SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF THE REGION.

BY WEDNESDAY EVENING AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW/TROUGH MOVES EAST...A
WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS
WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS ANOTHER LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW/TROUGH SYSTEM
MOVES INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND ROCKIES. THUS NO PRECIPITATION
MENTION FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW
OVER THE ROCKIES IS FORECAST TO REMAIN IN PLACE...SETTING UP A
PROLONGED PERIOD OF SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT FOR NORTH DAKOTA. THIS
WILL MEAN PERIODIC UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING NORTHEASTWARD
THROUGH THE MEAN FLOW. AT THE SURFACE...THIS WILL RESULT IN BROAD
LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE PLAINS...ALLOWING PLENTY OF GULF OF MEXICO
MOISTURE TO STREAM NORTHWARD. A PROLONGED LOW LEVEL JET AT H925-H850
WILL HELP TRANSPORT MOISTURE AND ENERGY NORTHWARD UP THE PLAINS.
THUS PERIODIC EPISODES OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE IN THE
FORECAST FRIDAY THROUGH THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

WHILE TOO FAR OUT FOR MUCH CERTAINTY IN NARROWING DOWN SPECIFIC
AREAS OF CONCERN...SURFACE DEWPOINTS RISING INTO THE 50S BY FRIDAY
AND FORECAST CAPE DEVELOPING FROM THE SOUTHERN...CENTRAL...TO THE
NORTHERN PLAINS WOULD SUGGEST SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER
A BROAD AREA OF THE PLAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STAY TUNED FOR LATER
FORECASTS AND STORM PREDICTION CENTER OUTLOOKS FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS COMING WEEKEND.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER ALL TERMINALS
THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD WITH MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS. WIND GUSTS OF
30-40 KTS ARE POSSIBLE AT KISN...KMOT AND KDIK THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

DID MAINTAIN THE FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH
DAKOTA THROUGH TONIGHT. CALLS TO AREA EMERGENCY MANAGERS REVEAL THAT
FOR THE MOST PART...COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ROAD IMPACTS ARE LIMITED.
HOWEVER...AS SOILS CONTINUE TO SATURATE...OVERLAND FLOOD CONCERNS
COULD INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT. FURTHERMORE...REPORTS HAVE BEEN
COMING IN OF WATER ENTERING BASEMENTS ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE
SATURATED GROUND. ADDITIONAL RIVER AND STREAM RISES ARE EXPECTED
OVER THE COMING DAYS. FOR THE MOST PART WITHIN BANK RISES ARE
ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...THE SOURIS RIVER AT TOWNER IS EXPECTED TO
RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AGAIN...THE PIPESTEM CREEK NEAR PINGREE IS
FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE MINOR FLOOD STAGE TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH
THE WILLOW CREEK NEAR WILLOW CITY POSSIBLY APPROACHING FLOOD STAGE
BY WEDNESDAY EVENING.

&&

.BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR NDZ001>005-009>013-
017>023-025-031>037-040>048-050-051.

WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM CDT /MIDNIGHT MDT/ TUESDAY FOR
NDZ001>005-009>013-017>019-021-031>033-040-041-043-044.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...AYD
LONG TERM...JV
AVIATION...AYD
HYDROLOGY...AYD








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