000 FXUS63 KUNR 072002 AFDUNR AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WESTERN SD AND NORTHEASTERN WY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD 202 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 .DISCUSSION...CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS TROUGH OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CONUS WITH RIDGE STRETCHING FROM EASTERN NEBRASKA INTO ONTARIO. COLD FRONT CURRENTLY LOCATED FROM PERKINS COUNTY TO SHANNON COUNTY WILL STALL OVERNIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS A SERIES OF SUBTLE SHORTWAVES MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL BE FOUND ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST WYOMING AS WELL AS FAR NORTHWEST SOUTH DAKOTA. ON TUESDAY...TROUGH WILL SWING ACROSS THE CWA AS COLD FRONT BEGINS TO PROGRESS EASTWARD. EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA AS THE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL INCREASE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. EXPECT CAPE VALUES AROUND 2000 J/KG ACROSS TODD...TRIPP...AND MELLETTE COUNTIES. AT THIS TIME SHEAR APPEARS MARGINAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...BUT GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE INSTABILITY...A FEW STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. ON WEDNESDAY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER IN SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA EARLY. EXPECT CLOUDS TO DIMINISH ACROSS THE AREA AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT BUILDS ACROSS THE CWA. EXTENDED...MODELS CONTINUE TO BRING AN UPPER LEVEL LOW INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS FOR THE END OF THE WORK WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. HAVE INTRODUCED POPS TO MOST AREAS THROUGH THIS PERIOD SINCE MODELS HAVE BEEN PERSISTENT WITH BRINGING THIS FEATURE THROUGH THE REGION OVER THE PAST FEW RUNS. MODELS HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN SLOWLY MOVING THIS FEATURE WESTWARD...SO WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS OVER THIS NEXT FEW RUNS TO SEE IF MODELS HAVE STABILIZED. && .AVIATION...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...MAINLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...BRINGING AREAS OF MVFR VIS/CIGS. THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE ACROSS NORTHEAST WYOMING AND NORTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .UNR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. WY...NONE. && $$ JRW/JS