FXUS65 KTFX 241757
AFDTFX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
1050 AM MST THU DEC 24 2009
UPDATED AVIATION SECTION
.DISCUSSION...
QUIET WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TO RESIDE OVER THE REGION OVER THE
NEXT FEW DAYS. GENERALLY...I REMOVED THE PATCHY FREEZING FOG FOR
MOST AREAS FOR THIS MORNING...EXPECT THE HELENA AND BOZEMAN
VALLEYS. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPERATURES...STILL VERY COLD
IN THE HAVRE AREA...AND SOME VALLEYS OF SOUTHWEST MT.
OTHERWISE...ALL ELSE ON TRACK. BRUSDA
&&
.AVIATION...
UPDATED 1750Z.
DRY NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE. SKIES ARE GENERALLY CLEAR
WITH SOME HIGH CLOUDS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTH. A STRONG VALLEY
INVERSION WILL CONTINUE AT KHLN WHERE IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS EXIST DUE
TO LOW CEILINGS AND FOG. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO MVFR AT KHLN BY
21Z. MVFR CONDITIONS EXIST ALSO AT KBZN DUE TO FOG BUT CONDITIONS
SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR BY 21Z. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL ELSEWHERE.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
/ISSUED 449 AM MST THU DEC 24 2009/
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER
THE WEST COAST WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
HEIGHTS WILL BUILD AND THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN DRY WHILE SLOWLY
TRENDING WARMER. NORTH WINDS ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE WEST COAST
HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO BRING COOL...CANADIAN AIR INTO THE REGION
UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. ALTHOUGH THE AIRMASS WARMS VERY
SLOWLY...TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE TO RISE. CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS
WILL BRING COLD MORNING TEMPS AND THE FOLLOWING DAY TIME HIGHS WILL
WILL HAVE TROUBLE OVERCOMING THE LOW OVER NIGHT MINS. ZELZER
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN CENTERED
OVER SOUTHERN ALBERTA WITH TRANQUIL CONDITIONS REMAINING ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA. A WEAK AND MOISTURE-STARVED UPPER-LEVEL SHORTWAVE
WILL CIRCULATE THROUGH SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND THEN INTO THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST. PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND DRY CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND SEASONAL AVERAGES ON SUNDAY AND
MONDAY. LONG-RANGE MODELS SUGGEST A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BY TUESDAY...BRINGING INCREASED PRECIP CHANCES
ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA.
NORTHWEST FLOW WILL ALSO YIELD SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES DURING
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. MLS
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF 17 -1 25 12 / 0 0 0 0
CTB 14 -6 25 8 / 0 0 0 0
HLN 9 -2 19 -1 / 0 0 0 0
BZN 14 -10 21 -4 / 0 0 0 0
WEY 10 -10 17 -8 / 0 10 10 10
DLN 16 -5 21 -1 / 0 0 0 0
HVR -10 -13 11 -9 / 0 0 0 0
LWT 9 -2 22 5 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
$$
WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
