Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Rapid City, SD

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747 FXUS63 KUNR 150324 AFDUNR Area Forecast Discussion For Western SD and Northeastern WY National Weather Service Rapid City SD 924 PM MDT Fri Jun 14 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Isolated/scattered showers and thunderstorms expected into tonight, with a marginal risk for severe storms through the evening. - Very warm and breezy Saturday with chances for PM showers and thunderstorms across a good portion of the area, some possibly strong to severe. Gusty winds developing Saturday night behind a passing cold front. - Unsettled weather continues through a good portion of next week, with occasional chances for showers and storms as well as cooler temperatures. && .DISCUSSION...(This Evening Through Friday) Issued at 252 PM MDT Fri Jun 14 2024 Current surface analysis shows a developing warm front from eastern MT to the Black Hills area and across the central high Plains. Upper level analysis shows a shortwave ridge passing over the Plains, with a trough off the Pacific NW coast. Skies are variably cloudy with isolated/scattered showers and thunderstorms over much of the area. Extensive cloud cover in many areas is helping to inhibit stronger storm development so far, but potential still exists over the next several hours for a few strong to marginally severe storms over the forecast area. Temps are generally in the 70s to mid 80s, with some 60s over the Black Hills. Winds are breezy from the south to southeast in many areas. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue developing and persist into tonight as the warm front settles over western SD and weak energy aloft passes through the ridge. Increasing moisture and steep mid-level lapse rates near and ahead of the warm front will result in MUCAPE values of mostly 800 to 1500 j/kg across a good portion of western SD into the evening hours. Shear looks to be marginally strong enough for at least short- lived supercells and more organized storm development across most of the area. Large hail and strong wind gusts would be the primary threats from any stronger storms into this evening. Activity should gradually shift east of the area overnight. Warm front will set up generally from northwest to central and southeast SD on Saturday, with very warm temperatures anticipated. Highs will reach the mid 80s to mid 90s in most areas, warmest over southern portions of northeast WY into southwest SD. South to southwest winds will increase, possibly becoming rather gusty from the west to southwest across northeast WY by late in the afternoon as a pre-frontal trough moves east of that area. Upper trough will track into the Pacific NW, with flow aloft becoming southwesterly from the Rockies to the Plains. Some showers and storms should develop during the afternoon, especially over far northeast WY, far western SD, and the Black Hills near the surface trough. The higher CAPE values, 1000 to over 2000 j/kg, will be near and north/east of the warm front later in the afternoon and early evening, mainly from northwest SD to central SD. Approaching cold front from the northwest will arrive across northeast WY and far northwest SD during the early to mid evening hours, then swing through the rest of the forecast overnight. The best chance for stronger storms still looks to be across far northeast WY to northwest SD late in the day and evening, but slightly later timing of the front could lower potential. Gusty northwesterly winds will accompany the front, for at least a brief period, as 4-6 mb/3 hr pressure rises take place in many areas. The potential for at least for a couple/few hours of 40 to 50+ mph wind gusts is fairly high (40 to 70 percent) across a good portions of the plains later Saturday night. Sunday will be much cooler and drier with highs in the 70s and lower 80s. Sunday looks to be the one dry day of the period across the forecast area as Pacific NW upper trough tracks northeast into south central Canada. However, chances for showers and thunderstorms will likely increase again Sunday night and Monday as another upper trough moves through the Pacific NW and into the northern Rockies. Depending on the track of upper energy moving through the Plains east of the trough, some strong to severe storms are possible later Sunday night and Monday as moisture returns from the south and southeast. Better chances look to be toward south central SD at this time. This upper trough will track north-northwest of the region as well on Tuesday as a cold front passes across the northern Plains, with the better chances for showers likely across northwest SD. Midweek looks drier, but at this point can`t rule out at least isolated showers and thundershowers in some areas Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures Monday through Thursday look to be at least slightly below average, with Monday the coolest day in many areas. A more unsettled pattern could return at the end of the week and into next weekend. && .AVIATION...
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(For the 06Z TAFS Through 06Z Saturday Night) Issued At 922 PM MDT Fri Jun 14 2024 Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will occur through much of tonight across western SD, but ending shortly after midnight across northeast WY. Brief MVFR conditions in stronger storms. IFR CIGS due to low stratus may develop over central SD after 06Z tonight. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will again develop Saturday afternoon, with brief MVFR conditions in stronger storms.
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&& .UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. WY...None. && $$ DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...26 AVIATION...Johnson