Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Riverton, WY
Issued by NWS Riverton, WY
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694 FXUS65 KRIW 291916 AFDRIW Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 116 PM MDT Mon Apr 29 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered showers across western WY this afternoon, with a gradual spread eastward as a cold front moves through this evening. - Gusty winds of 30 to 40 mph with isolated gusts of 40+ mph will continue through the afternoon today before decreasing after sunset. - Breezy conditions remain through the overnight with a return of gusty winds for Tuesday. - Cooler temperatures and chances for precipitation are in store for the Cowboy State through the remainder of the week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 114 PM MDT Mon Apr 29 2024 Another mostly quiet start to the day across the Cowboy State, with only a few lingering showers in parts of the west. Near normal temperatures are expected today before cooler air moves in for the remainder of the week. A weak shortwave will sweep across the PACNW and move into the Northern Rockies this afternoon. Showers look to develop by the early afternoon across western WY before gradually spreading east through the day. A few isolated thunderstorms will be possible across the state during the afternoon and evening, with most having a (10-20%) chance for a thunderstorm. The best chance (40-70%) for showers and thunderstorms looks to come during the late evening, as a cold front sweeps across the state. Dry air looks to be ahead of the front, which may create some concerns regarding strong outflow winds with any showers or thunderstorms that do develop. This is due to inverted V signatures that indicate the possibility for dry downbursts due to dewpoint depressions being 40- 50 degrees. Overall, winds look to increase Monday as the pressure gradient tightens due to the approaching shortwave. Currently models are showing a (40-80%) chance for most of the state to see gusts of 35+ mph during the day Monday. Weaker winds are expected in parts of the Bighorn Basin and Powder River Basin. Winds look to remain breezy after Monday, as the pressure gradient remains tight due to another system nearing for the second half of the week. Tuesday will be drier with an upper-level low staying north of WY. Showers are possible but look to be isolated with the best chances (20-40%) across the northern CWA. The main concern for Tuesday with be near elevated fire weather conditions as a potent upper-level jet crosses over the area. This will aid in mixing down strong winds with wind prone areas seeing a (40-70%) of seeing 40+ mph gusts. RH values will also be rather dry with percentages around 15-20%. Temperatures are forecast to remain cool, with highs around 5-10 degrees below normal, which may limit any fire weather highlights. Most of the state is expected to remain mostly dry Tuesday with the exception being northwestern/northern portions of the CWA. These areas have a (20-40%) chance of seeing a brief shower during the day Tuesday. Other parts of the state have a much lower chance to see precipitation, however an isolated shower cannot be ruled out. The remainder of the week is looking active with multiple quick hitting systems moving through the region. However, models are continuing to lessen the impacts of these systems with each passing day. A large potent upper-level low sets up over northern Montana by Tuesday night. This low will aid in ejecting weak shortwaves to the south, bringing chances for precipitation to parts of the state throughout the week. These shortwaves will also usher in much cooler air that lingers through most of the week. Looking at 700 mb temperatures, models show well below normal values of -5 to -10 degrees Celsius across the state from Wednesday through Friday. Any precipitation that moves into the state as a result of these shortwaves would likely result in mountain snow, with the possibility for low elevation snow mainly during the overnight hours. One thing to note is that models have continued to lessen QPF values with these disturbances. The tracks have shifted slightly so that impacts will be mainly seen across the western and northern portions of the CWA. The next chance for widespread precipitation does not arrive until Friday. Based off how the upcoming mid week system has shifted, it would not be a surprise to see something similar happen for Friday`s. Overall, there still is a lot of uncertainty for the remainder of the week, with impacts continuing to trend towards remaining mainly across northern and western WY. The one aspect that does look pretty locked in would be cooler below normal temperatures through the remainder of the week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1138 AM MDT Mon Apr 29 2024 Shower activity starting to increase across western WY, and will continue to impact sites into this evening. Have added some tempo thunder into KJAC TAF, as lightning probabilities have increased in latest model runs. As the latest system moves east, showers will quickly move east across the divide, with a brief round of showers between 00Z and 06Z at all sites. Thunder should not be an issue overnight. Showers will be quickly shifting east after 06Z, with sct high cirrus only cloud cover remaining overnight and into Tuesday morning. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Dziewaltowski AVIATION...Straub