Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Grand Forks, ND
Issued by NWS Grand Forks, ND
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258 FXUS63 KFGF 231043 AFDFGF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 443 AM CST Sun Nov 23 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Impacts to holiday travel are possible Tuesday and Wednesday with a 70% chance of minor (advisory type) winter impacts. - Below average temperatures arrive after Wednesday, with a more active precipitation pattern possible. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 443 AM CST Sun Nov 23 2025 ...Synopsis... H5 ridging prevails today into Monday across the area, with warmer than average high temperatures in the upper 40s to upper 50s today. A weak cold front brings temps down slightly on Monday, with highs generally in the 40s. A much stronger system is set to move through the region Tuesday and Wednesday as a strong H5 trough combines with an upper low. This will bring widespread precipitation starting late Monday as rain, then into Tuesday as a rain/snow mix, then all snow. North to northwest winds are also expected, ranging from 15-20 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph Tuesday afternoon. These conditions should start to diminish during the overnight hours and into Wednesday morning. Much colder air follows this system as afternoon highs Wednesday only reach the lower to middle 20s. Reinforcing cold air brings temps down further as we head into Thursday and Friday, with another chance for precipitation heading into the weekend. ...Winter Impacts Tuesday into Wednesday... Confidence is increasing in regards to winter impacts heading into Tuesday. A strong H5 trough will be moving southeast into the Northern Plains, while H5 low pressure moves northeast along southwest flow. The two features are expected to combine late Monday night into Tuesday morning, with the trough possibly closing off into a closed low by midday Tuesday. At this time, ensemble guidance seems to be coming into better agreement, both spatially and temporally. Although there is good agreement synoptically, the heaviest bands of snow will be located along mesoscale features that form as the low pivots to the northeast on Tuesday. As such, there is still some uncertainty surrounding the exact amounts expected an any given location. At this time, the heaviest snowfall looks to favor areas south of Highway 2 and north of I-94 in west central and northwest Minnesota. Given the distribution of possible solutions, there is still quite a range of accumulation potential, with the 10th and 90th percentiles showing 1 inch and 8 inches respectively. The median and mean are in the 2-4 inch range. Areas where accumulations are heavier will also face the concern of blowing snow as winds increase out of the north Tuesday afternoon, potentially leading to visibility reductions. At this time, the WSSI-P shows a 70 percent chance for minor impacts and a 20 percent chance for moderate impacts across parts of the area. It is worth noting that if we see the 75th to 90th percentile snowfall in a given area, very difficult travel conditions are likely, especially when considering the higher wind gusts. ...Active Winter Weather Remains Possible Next Week... Looking into Thursday and Friday, much colder temperatures are expected as highs struggle to reach the low 20s on Thursday. Several reinforcing surges of cold air are expected through the end of the week, along with a chance for additional snowfall as we head into the weekend. At this time, guidance is showing a large range of potential solutions, with generally low confidence in a single scenario. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1113 PM CST Sat Nov 22 2025 Winds will remain generally below 7 knots overnight tonight with primarily a southwesterly component to the wind, however the direction may be variable at times due to the lightness of the base wind. Ceilings will lower but remain VFR this morning, eventually clearing out by late morning to early afternoon. A wind shift from southerly winds at 12z to primarily southwesterly winds by 18-20z is expected to develop for all TAF sites, with gusts peaking in the range of 15 to 25 knots, mainly at DVL/FAR/GFK. No other aviation impacts are expected to develop. Winds will diminish after sunset and become light and variable once again. && .FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...None. MN...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Lynch AVIATION...Perroux