Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Missoula, MT

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505 FXUS65 KMSO 191907 AFDMSO Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Missoula MT 107 PM MDT Thu Sep 19 2024 .DISCUSSION...
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The region remains under the influence of a broad trough, but most of the energy in the trough is associated with a closed low in the base of the trough over southern California and the US Southwest. That leaves the northern Rockies in a split flow pattern, with a cool air mass and little moisture to work with. Within that pattern, a shortwave trough will move through and along the Canadian border this evening and overnight. It will mainly cause increased cloud cover and some showers, mainly in the mountains, over northwest Montana. For the weekend, zonal flow sets up. These means there isn`t really a trough or a ridge over the region. That will help keep things cool and breezy with partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. By Monday, another trough arrives. Ensembles are fairly split on this one. As the trough digs over the northern Rockies, a ridge will be building upstream over the Canadian Pacific coast. How far west that ridge and trough pattern forms will determine how much moisture makes it into the northern Rockies and how much gets pushed farther east onto the plains. Right now, around 60% of ensembles are pushing most of the moisture farther east. From next Tuesday onward, ensembles agree well on a ridge building over the region with most of next week being above average temperatures with mostly clear skies.
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&& .AVIATION...
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Expect VFR conditions today with a dry northwest flow pattern over the region. A shortwave will pass by northwest Montana and the Canadian border this evening and overnight. However, it won`t have much moisture to work with, so the main impacts will be increased cloud cover and isolated showers, especially over the mountains.
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&& .MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...None. ID...None. && $$