233 FXUS65 KRIW 120852 AFDRIW Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 152 AM MST Fri Jan 12 2018 .SHORT TERM...Today through Sunday night Issued at 143 AM MST Fri Jan 12 2018 The Pacific system is currently pushing through WY with a few waves in ID still evident on radar and satellite. Expect snow to continue west of the divide through the afternoon today. Precip should be lighter than it was overnight with periods moderate snowfall. Winds will continue to be strong in the western mountains and in the southern areas from Lincoln County through the Green Mountains until early evening. Saturday models indicate a fairly steep ridge amplifying over the west coast states. This ridging should keep WY mild and dry through Saturday and into Sunday. Sunday night will see a quick moving Arctic system slide down the eastern side of the ridge. All models indicate a good shot of snow and colder temps east of the divide with this system. The Canadian is a little stronger with the cold push, affecting all the way to the Salt and Wyoming Ranges. At the moment moisture looks to be a problem for this system and snow totals look to be low. .LONG TERM...Monday through Friday Issued at 143 AM MST Fri Jan 12 2018 Arctic cold front will be entrenched east of the divide to start this period with some lingering light snow/flurries through the morning. The surface high with this continues to show stronger and stronger in the models with 1053-1056mb range over ern MT/wrn ND Monday morning. Temps will likely be quite cold across our far nrn and ern zones Monday with highs only struggling up into the teens. Blend of 30s was way too warm and dropped those down quite a bit but not as much as I'd like. An expected clear sky with a light wind behind this system Tuesday morning should lead to some cold morning lows. Once again, the blend is likely way too warm and lowered those quite a bit but they will also likely need to be lowered more with time. The next system will approach from the west Tuesday night and swing across WY into Wednesday. This system is still moving into the mean ridge (albeit a weakening ridge) so system will likely not have a huge impact but a period of snow in the far west mainly. A stronger system may be in store at the end of the period as we transition to a mean broad trough over the west (and really the whole country) by next weekend. Snow will spread into the west later Thursday or Thursday night through Friday and possibly spill east of the divide Friday into Friday night. Right now the model guidance is generally showing a splitting system with the majority of the energy diving towards the 4-corners. Should see some fairly strong wind ahead of this system Thursday/Thursday night and possibly as the trough passes through Friday. && .AVIATION...For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Saturday morning Issued at 143 AM MST Fri Jan 12 2018 West of the Continental Divide...KJAC, KBPI, KPNA and KRKS Northwest WY will see VFR conditions through 16Z with local MVFR ceilings. After 16Z, snow will be developing in NW WY and snow will continue through tonight. KJAC airport will see MVFR conditions around 19Z with snow developing around 21Z. IFR conditions will likely develop at KJAC airport around 00Z and continue through 12Z Friday. The mountains will be frequently obscured this afternoon and tonight. VFR conditions will occur in southwest WY through 03Z. Then KPNA and KBPI will see MVFR conditions develop after 03Z along with light snow developing after 06Z Friday. Please see individual terminal sites for more details. East of the Continental Divide...KCPR, KCOD, KRIW, KLND, and KWRL Fog may occur at the KWRL and KLND airports until 16Z with local MVFR/IFR conditions. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail through tonight. Gusty wind conditions will return to KCPR today and increase in speed tonight. Please see the Aviation Weather Center for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued AT 143 AM MST Fri Jan 12 2018 The winter weather system continues in western Wyoming today. Lingering areas of light snow through this afternoon and evening. Winds will be gusty across the western mountains and in the south from Lincoln County to the Green Mountains. Winds will slow in the evening Smoke dispersion will be fair to very good today west of the Divide...poor to fair east of the Divide. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for WYZ001- 002-014-015-024-025. Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM MST this afternoon for WYZ012- 013-023. && $$ SHORT TERM...Hulme LONG TERM...Skrbac AVIATION...Ross FIRE WEATHER...Hulme