663 FXUS63 KGLD 172329 AFDGLDArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 529 PM MDT Wed Sep 17 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Scattered showers/storms may develop over southern and southwestern portions of the area (south of Highway 40) this evening and overnight. Recent trends in observational data and high-res model guidance suggest that severe weather will likely be confined south of the NWS Goodland county warning area.
- Below average to near average highs will persist through Friday. Above average temperatures will return over the weekend, with highs in the mid 80`s on Sat-Sun.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... Issued at 300 PM MDT Wed Sep 17 2025
Cyclonic flow aloft will persist over the central Rockies and adjoining High Plains.. on the southern periphery of a fractured, west-east elongated upper wave extending eastward from southern WY to western NE. Guidance suggests that the western-most portion of this fractured wave -- situated over southwest WY at 18 UTC (per SPC Mesoanalysis 400-250 mb Pot Vort) -- will dig southward through northwest CO (this afternoon), ESE-SE through central-southeast CO (tonight) then eastward along/near the KS-OK border (Thursday). An ill-defined, `post-convective` low-level (MSLP to 850 mb height) pattern will persist into Thursday. Overnight/early morning convection and stratus has altered the airmass in place over much of the area.. limiting diurnal destabilization to ~250-750 J/kg MLCAPE this afternoon. With weak (or altogether absent) low-level forcing.. convective potential in the Goodland CWA this afternoon will likely be a function of upstream development along the higher terrain in CO /I-25 corridor/. Current and recent runs of the HRRR and NAM NEST appear to support this line of reasoning. Severe weather potential will, more likely than not, be associated with upstream development along the I-25 corridor late this aft and early this eve (~00-04 UTC, 6-10 pm MDT). Radar/satellite trends suggest that afternoon development will most likely occur along/south of Colorado Springs. Given that right-mover motion is from the WNW-NW (~295-325 deg) at 15-25 knots.. any cyclonic updraft(s) would likely remain S and SW of the Goodland CWA. DPVA associated with the upper wave digging ESE-SE through central-southeast CO late this evening and overnight may well foster convective development upstream-of and/or directly over portions of the Goodland CWA in the ~04-12 UTC time frame.. mainly south of I-70 (in closer vicinity to the track of the upper wave). Precip chances will end from west- east in the wake of the shortwave (after sunrise Thu).. with dry conditions likely to prevail thereafter.
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.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 300 PM MDT Wed Sep 17 2025
Fri-Sat: Expect predominantly dry conditions and a warming trend.. as shortwave ridging supplants cyclonic flow aloft over the region.
Sun-Tue: Guidance suggests a transition to WNW-NW flow aloft will occur late this weekend and early next week. If this is the case, one would expect a more active pattern with above average chances for convection.
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.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 529 PM MDT Wed Sep 17 2025
Predominately VFR conditions are expected for the next 24 hours. The only exception will be the potential for temporary visibility drops in any thunderstorms tonight. One storm is currently crossing the CO/NE border heading in the general direction of MCK. It is currently forecast to weaken, with only a 20% chance of MCK being impacted, so will leave out of the TAF and amend if necessary. For GLD, will be watching storms moving eastward out of central Colorado. Higher probabilities of TSRA will be south of GLD, but probabilities warrant a PROB30 mention overnight. Winds will range from northerly to northwesterly at 6 to 10 kts.
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.GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...None. CO...None. NE...None.
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SHORT TERM...Vincent LONG TERM...CA AVIATION...JDavis
NWS GLD Office Area Forecast Discussion