Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Riverton, WY
Issued by NWS Riverton, WY
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798 FXUS65 KRIW 291747 AFDRIW Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 1147 AM MDT Sat Jun 29 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Seasonal temperatures today, with a slight breeze this afternoon. Isolated showers and storms over Sweetwater County this afternoon and evening. - Hot and windy Sunday. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions. - Weather system late Sunday into Monday, bringing rain chances and cooler temperatures. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 217 AM MDT Sat Jun 29 2024 A seasonal day today. Temperatures warm a bit, sitting around normal for the end of June. Highs will generally be in the 80s for the lower elevations. This is due to a ridge building in over the area today. This high pressure also keeps a mostly clear sky. High pressure centered over the southern U.S. pushes just a little moisture into the area this afternoon. High-resolution models are indicating this is enough to trigger a few showers and thunderstorms over Sweetwater County to maybe far southern Natrona County this afternoon and evening. Chances are 15% to 30%, or very isolated. The main concern with any of these would be gusty outflows, given model soundings showing the classic inverted-v signature. Outflow gusts 40 to 50 mph would not be surprising for any stronger convection. These rain showers and thunderstorms should dwindle through the evening, ending by around midnight. As for fire weather concerns today, they will be less than yesterday. The ridge moving over should lessen winds. Of note is Sweetwater County, where relative humidities (RH) around 15% during they afternoon may combine with the aforementioned gusty outflows, creating localized elevated fire weather conditions. Sunday becomes more complex. The focus will be on fire weather concerns. An incoming trough over the Pacific Northwest tightens the pressure gradient. Wind gusts 20 to 30 mph look common across the area. For the Wind Corridor, (from roughly Sweetwater County through Natrona County) gusts 30 to 40 mph as favored southwest flow occurs. Very dry air will also be in place. Afternoon minimum RHs around 10% to 15% occur across much of the area, with RHs 20% to 25% for northwest Wyoming. These elements bring elevated fire weather conditions to most of the area Sunday afternoon. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for the lower elevations of Natrona County, where fuels are deemed critical. Now for the complexity. The projected synoptic pattern of models has added some complexity into Sunday afternoon and evening with recent runs. That high over the southern U.S. is projected to push moisture into the area, namely across the Wind Corridor (approximately that stretch of area). This will determine just how low afternoon RHs get. Minimum RHs have trended up since last`s shift forecast. Have dropped them slightly due to the uncertainty of how quickly and how north this moisture makes it. At the same time, the trough from the Pacific Northwest begins making its way into northwest Wyoming. This will act to push that moisture further east, stopping/slowing its northward extent. These two factors add a bit of uncertainty to the forecast when it comes to RH and precipitation (next paragraph) for the area from roughly Rock Springs northeast around Casper. Now for precipitation Sunday. Starting with the approaching trough from the northwest, it brings rain chances to Yellowstone starting around the middle afternoon as the cold front advances. Rain chances spread southeastwards through Sunday night as the cold front continues. Most rain chances occur for the northern half of the area (roughly an Afton to Casper line, with lesser chances in the basins). The other rain chances come from moisture advecting from the high to our south. Isolated to scattered (15% to 50%) rain chances occur over Sweetwater County Sunday afternoon. The best chances remain west of the Continental Divide, though some isolated chances also occur for southern Fremont County and into Natrona County. As explained in the paragraph above, there is some uncertainty when it comes to how far this moisture advances. Latest model trends are indicating these rain chances though. Past Sunday (Monday and Tuesday), a broad trough over the area keeps (relatively) cooler temperatures over the area with continued rain chances, mainly over the northern half of the area. Some model uncertainty begins Wednesday with how high pressure builds over the western U.S. As of now, there is potential for showers and storms on the 4th, but mainly across the northern half of the area. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1146 AM MDT Sat Jun 29 2024 VFR conditions will prevail through the period. There is a low chance (less than 20%) of a shower or thunderstorm near KRKS this afternoon and early evening, but confidence is not high enough to keep mention of this in the TAF for now. Otherwise, wind will generally remain on the lighter through this evening. The exception will be at KCPR which will see a gusty easterly wind from around 0Z to 06Z. Then, southwesterly wind will begin increasing at most terminals late Sunday morning. Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on smoke, icing, and turbulence forecasts. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 217 AM MDT Sat Jun 29 2024 Winds will be lighter today, with slightly higher afternoon RHs, generally 15% to 25%. Some afternoon and evening convection in Sweetwater County may bring localized elevated fire conditions with outflow gusts up to around 50 mph possible. Widespread elevated fire weather conditions Sunday, with a Fire Weather Watch in effect for zone 280. In general, RHs about 10% to 18% occur across most of the area, with afternoon gusts 20 to 40 mph. Afternoon convection is also notably possible (15% to 50%) across zones 279, 289, 280, and 300. See the above discussion section, as there are some points of uncertainty in the forecast. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Fire Weather Watch from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening for WYZ280. && $$ DISCUSSION...Wittmann AVIATION...Myers FIRE WEATHER...Wittmann