086 FXUS63 KUNR 041733 AFDUNRArea Forecast Discussion For Western SD and Northeastern WY National Weather Service Rapid City SD 1133 AM MDT Sat Oct 4 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
-A cold front will bring rain, some wind, and much cooler temperatures to the region
-Gradual warming trend next week after Monday, with mainly dry weather
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.DISCUSSION...(Today Through Friday) Issued at 124 AM MDT Sat Oct 4 2025
Upper trough near the Great Basin will shift east and phase with a deep southern Canadian upper trough, forcing a cold front into the area, as a plume of Pac moisture shifts northeast into the region. Cold front is progressing across the area this morning with a few elevated returns beginning to show up on radar over northeast WY. As the upper trough shifts east, increasing LSA will interact with a plume of elevated moisture and support increasing coverage of showers and a few thunderstorms through the day. Highs will range from the 60s across northeast WY to around 90 ahead of the front in scentral SD. As a jet streak moves into the region from the southwest late this afternoon and early evening, expect a broken line of heavier showers and TS to progress across the area. The southern end of this feature may have some gusty winds and small hail, but overall CAPE is limited with storms mainly being dynamically driven by the speed max. The best chances for precip will be tonight when the best overlap of lift, moisture, and convergence shifts over the region. Given strong forcing and slow system progression per phasing, expecting many locations across the far NW to see one half to one inch of rain, with the higher amounts across far NW SD under the deformation zone. Breezy winds will develop Sunday morning as the main cold front moves through the region. Models have backed off on the stronger winds from earlier, but there still could be a small window where a few gusts over 50 mph will me possible on the NW SD Plains and in the lee of the BH Sunday morning. Showers will linger into Sunday per cyclonic flow and unstable profiles, but in a waning fashion. A secondary upper trough may support another round of light rain or snow across mainly the southwest third Sunday night into Monday morning. However, the best forcing and better moisture looks to remain southwest of the FA. Profiles will certainly be cold enough for snow across the higher elevations of the BH as well as portions of the WY Plains. Any accums would be very light. Much cooler weather for Sunday and Monday with highs in the 40s/50s on the Plains and 30s/40s in the BH. Upper trough will shift east out of the area by Tues with upper ridging expected mid week. This will allow for a warming trend and dry weather then. Another cool front and associated upper trough looks to move through the area by the end of the week. However, the degree of height falls and local effects remains at low confidence per continued large model spreads.
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.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS Through 18Z Sunday) Issued At 1130 AM MDT Sat Oct 4 2025
A storm system will bring showers and isolated thunderstorms as well as MVFR/IFR conditions through the rest of the forecast period. The lowest cigs and heaviest precipitation will be found from northeast WY into NW SD tonight. Winds will increase from the northwest after 06Z, with gusts over 35 knots as a cold front moves from northwest to southeast across the area Sunday morning.
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.UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. WY...None. &&
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DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...JC AVIATION...Smith
NWS UNR Office Area Forecast Discussion