textproduct: Glasgow

KEY MESSAGES

- A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 9 pm Friday evening. - A High Wind Warning is in effect through midnight tonight. Strong west winds are expected today with strong low pressure over southern Saskatchewan.

- Strong west winds will continue on Friday but they will be not as strong as they will be today.

DISCUSSION

WEATHER PATTERN OVERVIEW:

Stacked surface and upper low will drift across southern Saskatchewan today. This will bring strong west winds across NE Montana with cooler temperatures. Will keep High Wind Warning in effect today and through midnight tonight for the high winds.

Wrap around showers around this low could bring a few showers at times today along the Canadian Border.

With the sustained winds being higher than the Min RH for most of today and Friday, will keep the Red Flag Warning in effect into Friday evening. NASA Greenness maps were showing greenness in the SW zones, but to keep things simple, will maintain the warning for all areas.

While winds will drop below High Wind Warning criteria tonight, they will remain strong on Friday with west winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 to 50 mph. A Lake Wind Advisory is expected for Fort Peck Lake on Friday. A shortwave trough on zonal flow aloft will bring a chance for showers along the Canadian Border Friday afternoon.

Winds will diminish Friday night with high pressure moving into the area and light winds are expected on Saturday.

Upper trough will move through the area between Sunday and Tuesday with chances for showers and cooler temperatures.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE & DEVIATIONS: No deviations were made.

There is high confidence in windy conditions today and Friday. There is low confidence on timing any showers across the region.

AVIATION

LAST UPDATED: 0800Z

FLIGHT CAT RANGE: VFR most of the time, areas of MVFR and IFR today.

DISCUSSION:

Strong low pressure over southern Saskatchewan today will produce strong west winds. Visibility reductions will occur at times with blowing dust which will create areas of MVFR and IFR conditions.

There will be varying amounts of clouds today as a dry slot will clear skies this morning. Either wrap around moisture or day time cumulus will bring some low VFR and mid level clouds back into the region during the day. Skies will be mostly clear tonight.

WINDS: West 25 to 35 knots with gusts to 40 to 50 knots today, diminishing to 15 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots tonight.

EQUIPMENT: No obs from KSDY. TAF will be AMD NOT SKED until obs return.

FIRE WEATHER

Critical fire weather will continue today and Friday across northeast Montana. Strong west winds 25 to 50 mph with gusts to 50 to 70 mph are expected today with min RH in the 20s in most areas and in the 30s near the Canadian Border. The strongest winds today will be north of the Missouri River.

West winds on Friday will be 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 to 50 mph with min RH in the 20s in most areas and in the 30s near the Canadian Border.

GGW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

High Wind Warning until midnight MDT tonight for Central and Southeast Phillips-Central and Southern Valley-Daniels-Dawson- Eastern Roosevelt-Garfield-McCone-Northern Phillips-Northern Valley-Petroleum-Prairie-Richland-Sheridan-Southwest Phillips- Western Roosevelt-Wibaux.

Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT Friday for Dawson/McCone/Prairie/Richland/Wibaux Counties-Fort Peck Reservation and Daniels/Roosevelt/Sheridan Counties-Northern Valley and Northern Phillips Counties-Southern Petroleum and Southern Garfield Counties-The Little Rockies-The Lower Missouri River Breaks including the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge.