639 FXUS63 KFSD 160855 AFDFSDArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 355 AM CDT Tue Sep 16 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Tuesday will again be warm with highs in the mid-to-upper-80s, with some spots possibly reaching 90 mainly east of I-29. Temperatures cool off to end the work week.
- Scattered showers and thunderstorms return from late Tuesday afternoon onwards. While half dollar-sized hail and damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph will be the main hazards with any stronger activity, pockets of locally heavy rainfall are likely.
- Additional chances for showers and thunderstorms continue from midweek into the start of the weekend. While the overall severe threat will be low, pockets of locally heavy rainfall will be possible.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 343 AM CDT Tue Sep 16 2025
We`re starting this morning with mainly clear skies across the area. Another unseasonably warm day is in store for our day today, with highs well into the 80s with the potential for some places to reach 90 especially east of I-29. Showers and storms have been ongoing this past night west of the area in western South Dakota and the Nebraska panhandle, which are slowly pushing eastward while weakening as it moves away from the upper-level support. Can`t rule out a shower or two lasting into areas west of the James River around sunrise, but any activity would be light or may not even make it to the ground at all due to the amount of dry air the raindrops would fall into. The main story today will be the increasing storm chances this afternoon and evening as daytime heating destabilizes the atmosphere and leads to around 1500-3000 J/kg of MLCAPE to develop through the day. A developing upper-level low over the northern Rockies will slowly push eastward and start to nudge a frontal boundary into our area and this will be the focus for storm development through this evening. Soundings indicate the cap weakening and breaking in the early to mid-afternoon west of the James River just ahead of the front, which could lead to isolated to scattered thunderstorm development. Lapse rates will be around 7-7.5 C/km, but bulk shear will be quite weak (less than 10 kts) during the afternoon, so storms may struggle to become severe. If an updraft can sustain itself, then hail up to the size of half dollar coins will be possible. Dry mid-level air will also lead to a damaging wind threat, with gusts up to 65 mph possible.
Additional showers and isolated severe storms may develop farther east into the evening as the frontal boundary drifts eastward, but showers and storms will increase in coverage tomorrow morning as the upper-wave and large-scale ascent spreads into our area. Latest guidance has backed off the timing of this main wave to later than previously expected, but still expect a 60-80% chance of rain through the day Wednesday into Wednesday night as the upper-low meanders around the area. It won`t be raining all day long, but tall, skinny CAPE profiles will lead to locally heavy rainfall from time to time, which could cause minor urban and low-lying area flooding. For that reason, there is a Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 4) for flooding from the Weather Prediction Center. Severe weather is not expected tomorrow, though a stronger storm with gusts up to 50 mph and small hail can`t be ruled out mainly over northwest Iowa where instability will be a bit higher than compared to the rest of the area. Most of the area will see around a half an inch of rain Wednesday into Wednesday night, though some locally higher amounts up to an inch or so appear likely in spots. Temperatures will be cooler on Wednesday due to the frontal boundary clearing the area, with highs mainly in the 70s with the exception for areas east of I- 29 where we may see some highs into the low-80s.
The upper-low will continue to hang around into the day on Thursday, keeping us wet, cloudy, and with near to slightly below seasonal normal temperatures. In terms of rainfall amounts, ensembles are showing of a 20-40% chance of at least a half an inch of rain Thursday into Thursday night. A trough coming out of southern Canada on Friday may finally provide the kick to start moving the upper-low out of our area, but not before rain chances continue for Friday and even into Saturday (mainly east of I-29 by Saturday). Models diverge significantly from there, but as rain chances wind down to end the weekend, expect another warm-up into next week.
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.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 1015 PM CDT Mon Sep 15 2025
VFR conditions will persist this TAF period. Taking a look at satellite imagery, clear conditions persist across the area this evening. Expect these condition to continue through the first half of Tuesday before shower and thunderstorm chances increase into from the late afternoon onwards. Added in a PROB30 group into KHON to account for the increasing chances. However, with varying degrees of evolution among high-resolution guidance; decided to hold off on anything else for our other TAF sites. Otherwise, light southerly to southwesterly surface winds will continue.
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.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None.
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DISCUSSION...Samet AVIATION...05
NWS FSD Office Area Forecast Discussion