Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Grand Forks, ND

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161 FXUS63 KFGF 231756 AFDFGF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 1256 PM CDT Mon Sep 23 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Less than 20% chance for patchy frost in west central and northern Minnesota this morning. && .UPDATE...
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Issued at 1256 PM CDT Mon Sep 23 2024 Getting a few radar returns moving into the Devils Lake basin, but no signs of anything reaching the ground yet. Best chances of anything reaching the ground are with the higher reflectivities west of Minot. Adjusted clouds a bit, but overall a breezy but low impact day still seems likely. UPDATE Issued at 947 AM CDT Mon Sep 23 2024 Made a few minor tweaks to cloud cover, and hourly temp, but otherwise no major changes to the going forecast. Still expecting a few showers later on this afternoon and tonight, although with upstream obs showing a whopping 0.02 of rain, impacts look pretty minimal. UPDATE Issued at 622 AM CDT Mon Sep 23 2024 Temperatures have remain in the 50s in ND and the 40s to 50s in northwestern Minnesota overnight. the coldest areas are in Hubbard, Wadena, and Beltrami counties where temps dropped to the upper 30s. Clouds continue to move across the area helping to keep the temperatures from dropping further. Winds will be on the increase this morning, with gusts up to 30mph possible this afternoon in the Red River Valley.
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&& .DISCUSSION... Issued at 328 AM CDT Mon Sep 23 2024 ...Synopsis... Large area of cloud cover continues to translate through North Dakota and Minnesota this morning. Areas that saw clearing earlier this morning have had temperatures drop to the upper 30s, but as soon as cloud cover moved in temperatures start to rebound into the 40s. These clouds are ahead of an approaching shortwave moving in from Canada. Northwesterly flow continues across the region through Tuesday, with the introduction of a short wave moving through this afternoon and into Tuesday morning. Post Tuesday, a ridge begins to build into the area increasing temperatures and drying conditions out for the week. ...Patchy Frost... Areas that are experiencing clearing this morning have had temperatures drop down into the upper 30s. These ares are located in a corridor from Beltrami county through Wadena county. Current observations have these areas hovering in the upper 30s, with the potential for isolated locations dropping into the mid 30s. These areas could see patchy frost this morning but confidence is low as clouds are moving into these areas helping to rebound temperatures. We are already starting to see this in Bemidji, where temperatures have already jumped up into the mid 40s this morning. None the less there is still a less than 20% chance a few isolated spots see patchy frost this morning in west central and northern Minnesota. As we progress through Monday a shortwave moves down from Canada bringing scattered showers to the area this afternoon through Tuesday morning. The main instability axis remains west of the area, with less than 250 J/kg of MUCAPE in the Devils Lake Basin. This means any thunderstorm chance will be little to none for the area this afternoon through Tuesday morning. Probabilities of seeing higher than 0.10 inches of QPF are 40-50% for the Devils Lake Basin and 20-40% for the Red River Valley. Anything over 0.30 inches is less than 10% for the region. Conditions begin to dry out Tuesday afternoon and evening, with temperatures reaching into the lower 70s. Ridge starts to build into the region mid week and into the end of the week, with temperatures climbing into the upper 70s to lower 80s. Conditions will remain dry as the ridge refuses to move eastward. Confidence is increasing that by the end of the following weekend and into the first week of October we start to see a breakdown of the ridge leading to a cool down in temperatures. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/...
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Issued at 1256 PM CDT Mon Sep 23 2024 VFR conditions now and throughout the period with some scattered showers moving in later this evening. Have mostly VCSH and no vis impacts on the airports at this point as it seems rain is very light. Winds will shift from a breezy southerly direction this afternoon to a more southwesterly to westerly direction overnight, then northwesterly at least on the ND side of the Red River by the end of the period.
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&& .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...None. MN...None. && $$ UPDATE...JR/Spender DISCUSSION...Spender AVIATION...JR