FXUS63 KFGF 262115
AFDFGF

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
315 PM CST SAT DEC 26 2009

.SHORT TERM...
THE MAIN CHALLENGE WILL BE THE CURRENT WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY...THEN TEMPS. THE CHRISTMAS STORM OF 2009 CONTINUES TO
WIND DOWN...WITH SOME BLOWING/FALLING SNOW THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM
THIS EVENING.

FOR TONIGHT...WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE OVERNIGHT AS THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT AND 925MB WINDS SLOWLY RELAX. THERE WILL BE
LIGHT SNOW FOR MOST AREAS...AND THERE COULD BE AN INCH IN WEST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND LESS THAN AN INCH FOR MOST LOCATIONS. THERE
WILL BE SOME DRIFTING SNOW MAINLY IN THE VALLEY...WITH PERHAPS A
BIT OF BLOWING THIS EVENING.

ON SUNDAY...THE WEATHER WILL IMPROVE AND ONLY A FEW FLURRIES ARE
EXPECTED. TEMPS WILL BE SIMILAR TO TODAYS READING WITH NO COLD AIR
ADVECTION TO SPEAK OF.

FOR MON/TUE...EXPECT A DRY PERIOD WITH NIGHTTIME LOWS AFFECTED
LARGELY BY CLOUD COVER. IF CLEARING DEVELOPS...THEN GIVEN THE
DEEP/FRESH SNOWPACK...TEMPS WOULD FALL WELL BELOW ZERO. CURRENT
THINKING IS THAT THERE WILL BE SOME CLOUDS WITH NW FLOW ALOFT AND
FAIRLY WARM TEMPS ALOFT. THEREFORE...WON/T GO TOO COLD WITH TEMPS
BUT WE/LL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON CLOUD TRENDS.

.LONG TERM...
THE PERIOD BEGINS WITH ZONAL FLOW ALOFT FOLLOWED BY A S/WV SKIRTING 
THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER ON THU. DO NOT EXPECT ANY PRECIP TO IMPACT 
THE FCST AREA WITH THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. ON FRI...AN UPPER 
TROF DIGS SOUTHWARD INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND EVOLVES INTO A 
CLOSED LOW FRI NITE INTO SAT OVER THE WESTERN GTLKS REGION. AT THE 
SURFACE...RIDGING WILL KEEP THE FCST DRY THRU THE LATTER PART OF 
NEXT WEEK. TEMPS WILL BE BE BELOW NORMAL WITH MAX TEMPS NEAR ZERO 
TOWARD NEW YEARS EVE. 

&&

.AVIATION...
VSBYS GENERALLY AOB 1 MILE AND CIGS AOB 1K FT IS EXPECTED THRU 00Z 
MOST PLACES EXCEPT FOR KTVF. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BEYOND 00Z 
WITH CIGS AOA 1KT FT AND VSBYS AOB 2 MILES. BLOWING SNOW WILL CONT 
INTO THE EVENING HOURS UNTIL WIND SUBSIDE BETWEEN 00Z AND 006Z. 

&&

.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ND...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR 
     NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-039-049-052>054.

MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR 
     MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040.

&&

$$
DK/MF