866 FXUS63 KFGF 120843 AFDFGFArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 343 AM CDT Sun Oct 12 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected through the morning hours. Additional showers and thunderstorms may develop this afternoon and evening mainly in northwest Minnesota. This will result in impacts to outdoor activities such as harvest operations.
- Strong winds are expected along and west of the Red River Valley through the early evening with gusts up to 50 mph. Strong winds are likely to continue across the Devils Lake Basin through midnight.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 343 AM CDT Sun Oct 12 2025
...Synopsis...
SW flow is in place ahead of an approaching upper trough this morning as an embedded wave is moving through the region. This is responsible for ongoing rain this morning, and after a dry slot tracks across the region another round of showers/isolated thunderstorms is shown to develop along a cold front this afternoon and evening (better coverage in MN). This strong cold front pushes through the region this afternoon and evening bringing another round of strong winds through this evening and much cooler temperatures through the first half of the week. Ridging does return as long wave troughing rebuilds over the western US and eventually SW flow returns bringing temperatures back to seasonal ranges (upper 50s/lower 60s) and additional rainfall chances through the end of the week and next weekend. There is good ensemble agreement in the general pattern evolution through the end of the week including the eventual arrival of the trough over the Northern Plains, however there remains higher spread in smaller details within the pattern which influence timing/coverage/amounts of precipitation. Due to warmer temp profiles in all guidance p-type would be rain and only impacts would be to ongoing harvest operations or those planning outdoor activities.
...Rain and isolated thunderstorms today...
The most organized areas of rain will be this morning with large areas of light rain and clusters of moderate/locally heavy rainfall tracking through SW flow along a strong LLJ and axis of WAA. A dry slot is already developing as this initial shortwave in SW flow transitions north and the main trough over Montana will eventually merge and deepen through midday. This dry slot should result in a lull/break in precipitation, with enough clearing/breaks in cloud cover allowing low level lapse rates to possible steepen while elevated instability and steep mid level lapse rates linger. New showers and isolated thunderstorms are shown by CAMs to redevelop along/ahead of this front withing the Red Rive Valley as it pushes east with coverage peaking in northwest MN before ending this evening due to the arrival of much drier/stable air in west- northwest flow. Many locations have received between 0.25" and 0.75" of rainfall so far along the RRV and locations to the northeast. Additional totals 0.1 to 0.5" may occur in eastern ND before the dry slot arrives based on HREF and radar timing, while and HREF PMM supports additional amounts 0.5-1.25" in our northeast where is is more likely to linger/redevelop.
...Strong winds today...
Increasing gradient ahead of the approaching cold front and potential increased mixing due to the arrival of the dry slot should allow for increased southerly winds after sunrise into the early afternoon, with periodic gusts to 45 mph. The main period of winds is still with the arrival of the cold front and shift in winds to the west with stronger CAA and pressure rises peaking in the late afternoon and evening hours. Guidance continues to favor gusts to 50mph along and west of the Red River Valley. ECMWF EFI shows values of 0.7-0.8 with no notable shift of tails, supportive of advisory and lowered confidence in potential for warning impacts.
There is a general decreasing trend in mixed layer winds in the immediate valley as stronger gradient transitions north into Manitoba this evening, however guidance continues to show deep enough mixing in the Devils Lake Basin closer to the LLJ around the base of the mid level low in Canada and strong gusts are more likely to linger there beyond 8 PM into the evening. The wind advisory was extended in time for those areas in our northwest beyond 8 PM through Midnight to cover that trend/signal. The advisory remains in effect through 8 PM for the RRV.&&
.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1142 PM CDT Sat Oct 11 2025
Rain has now begun in earnest at KDVL, KGFK and KFAR. Rain will quickly expand northeastward through the next two hours, impacting all terminals overnight. Visibility will range from VFR to MVFR while it is raining, with generally the same idea for ceilings, teetering between VFR/MVFR. The exception will be KDVL, where periods of IFR ceilings will sneak in overnight, so added a TEMPO group to account for this. Rain will end from west to east in the morning. However, already gusty winds overnight will increase in strength during the morning hours, with gusts to 40 knots expected during the afternoon. Winds will also switch from the south/southeast direction that we have seen the past few days to the west as a cold front pushes through. Along the cold front, a few more showers are possible from the mid afternoon through the evening at sites from the Red River Valley to the east. Ceilings will slowly but generally improve from tomorrow afternoon onward, with sites that are stuck in MVFR during the morning/afternoon seeing VFR by the end of the TAF period. The only exception will be KBJI, as being the furthest east, lower MVFR ceilings will linger a little longer.
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.FGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ND...Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 8 PM CDT this evening for NDZ008-016-027>030-038-039-053. Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to midnight CDT tonight for NDZ006-007-014-015-024-026-054. MN...Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 8 PM CDT this evening for MNZ001>005-007-008-013>015-022-027-029-030.
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DISCUSSION...DJR AVIATION...Rafferty
NWS FGF Office Area Forecast Discussion