651 FXUS63 KSGF 050800 AFDSGFArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Springfield MO 300 AM CDT Sun Oct 5 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Above normal temperatures continue through the early week.
- 20-50% chances of showers and thunderstorms across the area Monday through Tuesday. 30-50% chance for greater than half an inch of rain in locations east of Highway 5.
- Slightly cooler temperatures behind a front mid-week with more normal temperatures. Confidence is increasing in persistent above normal temperatures returning late week.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Issued at 300 AM CDT Sun Oct 5 2025
The synoptic pattern across our area has narily changed over the past 24-48 hours as a positively tilted shortwave ridge axis still protrudes through southern MO beneath a larger-scale ridge across the entire eastern half of the CONUS. Very dry mid-level air is nosing into southern MO as noted on water vapor imagery within the shortwave ridge axis. That being said, the pattern over the western half of the CONUS has changed a bit with a deep and moisture-laden longwave trough over the entire west CONUS, with a compact shortwave ejecting off the Rockies into the Dakotas. A surface low is noted in ND beneath the compact shortwave. A surface high is still situated over the east CONUS, slowly shifting eastward. The resulting pressure gradient in the space between has increased south-southeasterly winds across the central Plains. Winds yesterday were observed at 10-15 mph with gusts up to 20-25 mph. Observations overnight are in the 8-12 mph range. Increased winds will continue to keep lows a bit more mild this morning in the middle 50s to lower 60s.
Above normal temperatures and dry, breezy weather continue today:
With the pattern over our area barely changing over the last 24 hours, the forecast for today looks like a repeat of yesterday. Temperatures will continue to be 10-15 degrees above normal in the lower to middle 80s. The main change is slightly higher wind speeds across the area as the surface pressure gradient tightens a bit more with the slight eastward progression of the jet stream. Expect wind speeds between 12-18 mph with gusts up to 20-25 mph at times again today. Slightly increased moisture from southerly advection should keep minimum relative humidity values above 30-35% in most places, though increased winds and very dry mid-level air may result in some localized areas below 30% again today presenting a very minor and localized fire weather risk. Lows tonight then remain in the lower 60s.
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.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 300 AM CDT Sun Oct 5 2025
20-50% chances of showers and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday:
After the aforementioned shortwave trough surges north into Canada, the resulting upper-level pattern is an extensive positively-tilted trough from CA up into central Canada with the jet stream oriented along and just east of that axis. The positively-tilted nature of the trough will keep the jet stream stalled in this position through Tuesday, only slowly shifting east with the longwave. This sets up the baroclinic zone and resulting cold front in a line from the TX/OK panhandles NE into the northern Great Lakes. As a result, much of the precipitation along this stalled front should stay north and west of our CWA Monday.
Meanwhile, though, models show a subtropical branch of the jet stream impinging the Ozarks Monday into Monday night. This occurs as subtle mid-level shortwave energy lifts out of the Gulf along the Mississippi River Valley. As a result, better surface moisture and weak instability will advect into southern Missouri which will combine with lift from the mid-level shortwave energy, and upper-level ascent from the subtropical jet. All these combined should force scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area Monday into Monday night (20-50% chance).
The mid-level shortwave will exit eastward Tuesday, but at this point, the cold front and polar shortwave trough will slowly traverse the region, bringing additional 20-40% chances for showers and thunderstorms Tuesday.
Highest rainfall amounts are forecast to be east of Highway 5:
For the most part, showers and thunderstorms are expected to be isolated to scattered across most of the region Monday and Tuesday. However, greater lift and more widespread rain and thunderstorms can be expected where the nose of the subtropical jet overlaps with the northward progressing mid-level positive vorticity advection. This appears to be along the Mississippi River Valley. Therefore, much of this higher coverage should stay east of the area, but medium-range guidance from the SREF gives a 30-50% chance for some of this greater coverage to enter our region, mainly east of Highway 5. Here, widespread amounts of 0.25-0.75" are possible as shown by the REFS blended mean, with NBM and SREF guidance giving a 30-50% chance of greater than half an inch of rain east of Highway 5 through Tuesday.
Slightly cooler temperatures behind cold front mid-week:
Temperatures are expected to slightly cool to near normal as the front moves through Tuesday and Wednesday. With the front expected to be across east KS/west MO Tuesday, a gradient of high temperatures from the lower 70s across central MO and east KS, to the lower 80s along the MO/AR border are forecast. Highs Wednesday after the front has fully cleared should be a bit cooler in the middle 70s. Lows Tuesday and Wednesday night will range across the 50s.
Confidence increasing in above normal temperatures returning:
In previous forecast discussions, we were talking about the two scenarios of fall-like temperatures remaining following the front, or above normal temperatures returning. As we draw closer to the timeframe, ensembles are starting to favor above normal temperatures quickly returning as deep synoptic-scale ridging and southerly surface winds are progged to rebuild across the west-central CONUS. Confidence is increasing in this scenario as NBM spreads continue to tighten toward the upper end of the range and LREF guidance continues to drop cooler members one by one. Additionally, the Extreme Forecast Index continues to increase values for late this week, with even a shift of the tail. NBM 75th percentile max temperatures for Springfield are near 90 F for late this week. Those two pieces of guidance combined suggest there is a chance (albeit low for now) for record high temperatures to be challenged late this week.
Additional chances for rain, however, are stil quite uncertain based on the position of the upper-level ridge. A further west ridge (favored by most of the GEFS members) would allow shortwaves to traverse the region, bringing some rain chances. A further east ridge with the axis across our region (favored by most of the ENS members) would hinder any rain chances.
The returning above normal temperatures are then expected to persist as the CPC gives a quite high confidence forecast (70-80% chance) for above normal temperatures between the October 10th to 18th timeframe.
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.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1240 AM CDT Sun Oct 5 2025
VFR but breezy conditions are expected today with clear skies. South-southeasterly winds will be at 10-15 kts for much of the period. Some gusts up to 20-25 kts are possible at times, especially between 15-00Z.
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.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...None. MO...None.
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