000 FXUS65 KTFX 121510 AFDTFX SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 910 AM MDT SUN MAY 12 2002 .SHORT TERM...QUIET MORNING OVER SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. MID LEVEL CLOUDS THAT ARE OVER THE CWA ARE QUICKLY DISSIPATING THIS MORNING. WILL REMOVE MORNING CLOUDS FROM THE FORECAST FOR MOST AREAS. TEMPERATURES MIGHT BE A FEW DEGREES ON THE COOL SIDE...BUT THEY ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO KEEP FROM UPDATING. MEIER .EXTENDED...MRF/AVN RUN CONTINUES TO BE TOO STRONG AND TOO FAST MOVING THE UPPER TROUGH THROUGH THE RIDGE. BY WEDNESDAY THE MRF AND NOGAPS HAVE CARVED OUT A CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER SOUTHERN ALTA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. PREFER THE ECMWF SOLUTION WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKENS THE UPPER LOW AS IT MOVES INTO THE RIDGE...AND TRANSITIONS INTO A WEAK OPEN TROUGH. CURRENT FORECAST SEEMS TO BE IN LINE WITH THIS SCENARIO...WITH COOLER WEATHER AND INCREASED CLOUDS OVER THE CWA EARLY IN THE 4-7 DAY PERIOD. ANOTHER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE ROCKIES FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...FOR A RETURN TO WARMER TEMPS. MPJ .CCF NUMBERS GTF BU 067/040 076/045 071 14000 NEWEB 037/065 039/060 038/066 038/070 038 11123322211 CTB BU 065/036 072/042 067 14000 NEWEB 038/063 035/060 034/065 034/068 034 11123322211 HLN BU 070/039 077/045 071 14000 NEWEB 040/066 038/063 037/067 037/070 037 12223322211 BZN BU 066/033 075/040 070 14000 BEBEE 040/065 037/062 036/065 036/068 036 12223322211 WEY BU 061/022 067/030 064 14000 BEWEB 032/060 030/056 030/060 030/064 030 12233333311 DLN UU 065/034 073/042 071 14000 BEWEB 042/065 038/062 040/066 040/070 040 12222222211 HVR BU 069/038 078/045 074 14000 NEWEB 040/066 038/062 038/066 038/070 038 11223322211 LWT BU 064/036 073/042 070 14000 NEWEB 038/065 037/062 038/066 038/070 038 -1123322211= .TFX...NONE.