703 FXUS63 KUNR 200438 AFDUNRArea Forecast Discussion For Western SD and Northeastern WY National Weather Service Rapid City SD 1038 PM MDT Fri Sep 19 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Dry and warmer weather will prevail for this upcoming weekend.
- Rain chances will begin to increase early next week.
- By midweek, forecast uncertainty grows as the weather pattern becomes largely unsettled.
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.DISCUSSION...(This Afternoon Through Thursday) Issued at 1250 PM MDT Fri Sep 19 2025
A pleasant day is on display across west South Dakota and east Wyoming today with current temperatures in the upper 50s to mid 60s under mostly clear skies. An upper-level low, currently situated over eastern South Dakota, will continue rotating east towards Wisconsin and Minneapolis. Thus, resulting in warmer and drier weather for the upcoming weekend. This morning`s light showers have shifted more southeast creating a nice rest of our Friday. Overnight, patchy to widespread fog is once again expected form over much of the forecast area as winds go light under mostly clear skies, along a weak forecasted low-level inversion. Fog should lift by mid-morning as winds increase.
A much warmer and drier weekend, around 7-10 degrees warmer compared to the last several days, is on tap as the aformentioned upper low continues to push east. The upper-level pattern will transition to more of a northwest flow regime as a deep trough pushes into the PAC NW with a cold front out in front. This front will push into our forecast area Monday morning, bringing breezy, cooler conditions, and a return of rain chances for the start of next workweek. Past Monday, forecast confidence decreases a decent amount as a seeming blocking pattern begins to build in. The NBM solution has isolated to scattered, post-frontal shower and thunderstorms persisting mainly over southwest South Dakota and much of northeast Wyoming for much of Tuesday. However, with much model discrepancy and high pressure quickly building in behind the aformentioned front, drier weather may be the story Tuesday. Depending on how quickly this blocking pattern is able to breakdown will largely impact weather next workweek. Something to note, LREF does have an upper-low pushing in form the southwest, towards the southern rockies, but staying south of our area. If this upper-low does rotate more north, the forecast in the latter part of next week could vary greatly. Stay tuned..
AEH
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.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS Through 06Z Saturday Night) Issued At 1036 PM MDT Fri Sep 19 2025
After 06z patchy fog may develop on the SD plains with local MVFR to IFR conditions, which my reach the KRAP terminal in the early morning hours. Fog is expected to lift late morning, with VFR conditions then expected the remainder of the period.
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.UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. WY...None. &&
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DISCUSSION/KEY MESSAGES...Herdliska AVIATION...Dye
NWS UNR Office Area Forecast Discussion