Hail in North Dakota, September 18, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
345 PM CDT WED SEP 18 2002

A MID LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS IN THE PROCESS OF CROSSING THE
STATE. WARM ADVECTION THUNDERSTORMS WILL GIVE WAY TO A COOLER WRAP
AROUND RAIN PATTERN...WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST SURFACE WINDS AS THE
SYSTEM MOVES PROGRESSIVELY EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE MID LEVEL SYSTEM AND THE ARRIVAL OF A FAST
ZONAL FLOW...THURSDAY WILL PRESENT MUCH DRIER WEATHER. SKIES WILL BE
MOSTLY SUNNY AND TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL FOR MID SEPTEMBER.

ON FRIDAY MORNING A SPOKE OF MID LEVEL VORTICITY WILL BE APPROACHING
FROM THE NORTHWEST AS IT ORBITS A LARGE HUDSON BAY LOW. THE APPROACH
OF THIS FEATURE WILL BACK THE SURFACE WINDS AND PUSH SOME WARM
ADVECTION INTO THE STATE. THE PASSAGE OF THE VORTICITY DURING THE
AFTERNOON WILL SHIFT THE WINDS BACK TO NORTHWEST...AND COLD
ADVECTION WILL FOLLOW.

THE COLD ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS...WELL INTO NEXT
WEEK  AS THE HUDSON BAY LOW EXTENDS ITS INFLUENCE OVER THE FAR
NORTHERN TIER OF THE UNITED STATES.

.BIS...WIND ADVISORY WEST AND CENTRAL...UNTIL 9 PM CDT
RSL

NDZ001-009-017-181920-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLISTON ND
1221 PM CDT (1121 AM MDT) WED SEP 18 2002

SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS AFFECT NORTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
THIS AFTERNOON. AT 1220 CDT LOCAL RADAR INDICATED THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN MCKENZIE COUNTY...NEAR KEENE...CHARLSON
AND MANDAREE. THE STORMS ARE MOVING VERY SLOWLY SOUTHWESTWARD.
THESE SLOW MOVING STORMS MAY PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND
POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL. ACROSS THE REST OF THE TRI COUNTY AREA
LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WILL BE THE EXTENT OF THE ACTIVITY THIS
AFTERNOON.

THOMSON