460 FXUS63 KFSD 101112 AFDFSDArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 612 AM CDT Fri Oct 10 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Cooler today, but overall above normal temperatures will persist into this weekend. Increasing hints that we will transition to normal to a bit below normal temperatures next week.
- Rain chances increase (30-60%) late Saturday into Sunday with the passage of a cold front. Timing uncertainty of the frontal passage may lead to changes in which areas see the best chance of rain, so keep up to date with the latest forecast.
- Additional chances (around 20%) for rain are possible into parts of next week though details are uncertain and confidence is low.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 413 AM CDT Fri Oct 10 2025
A dry cool front continues to move through northwest Iowa this morning, leaving cooler temperatures and clearer skies in its wake. Very patchy shallow fog has developed in areas where winds were able to turn light, but expect any fog to burn off quickly with sunrise. A dry, sunny, and pleasant day is in store for our day today as high pressure settles over the Northern Plains and winds lighten. Highs today will be mainly in the mid-60s to low-70s with winds out of the north-northeast around 5-10 mph.
As the surface high drifts east of the area tonight, expect the return of southeasterly winds and thus another warming trend into the weekend. Looking off to our west, an upper-low and its attendant trough will move into the Pacific Northwest and send a couple of waves our way through the weekend. The first of these waves will move in from eastern Rockies/central High Plains tonight, increasing cloud cover from west to east across the area. A few showers will be associated with this activity heading into tomorrow morning, but soundings indicate that any raindrops will have to battle a fairly deep dry layer of air, so most of this activity will struggle to reach the ground.
Winds will pick up tomorrow as the low-level jet strengthens through the day into tomorrow night, with gusts up to 25- 35 mph (locally stronger). Temperature-wise tomorrow, the return of southerly flow will be offset by extra cloud cover and thus highs will be about the same as today (mid-60s to low-70s, though less mid- 60s overall compared to today). Another upper- wave moves into the area tomorrow evening into the night, bringing another chance of some showers. There will be a little less dry air to overcome this time as the southerly LLJ strengthens and continues to bring in more moisture around 850 mb, but still expecting shower coverage to be fairly scattered in nature at this time.
On Sunday, the aforementioned upper-low over the Pacific Northwest will move into the Northern Plains, with a surface low moving across North Dakota into southern Canada and its associated cold front draped across the northern Plains into the central Plains moving eastward. Warm air pools ahead of the front and so highs on Sunday will be in the upper-70s to mid-80s. Showers and isolated storms look to fire up ahead of the front, placing the better rain chances along and east of I-29 at this time. However, the timing of the frontal passage may change as we get closer to the event, which could impact overall rain chances as some guidance indicates the cold front passing through the area before showers/storms get going. Instability looks to be quite weak, so only general thunder is expected at this time. The cold front clears the area heading into Monday morning, leading to cooler temperatures with highs in the mid-50s to low-60s Monday and Tuesday. A couple of additional weak waves may keep some small rain chances in the forecast into parts of next week, but confidence is low as many details remain uncertain. Another warm-up may occur mid-week as ridging aloft may build back in. Guidance diverges significantly from there on the location and development of another big upper- trough over the western US, which could eventually have downstream effects into our area to end next week.
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.AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 611 AM CDT Fri Oct 10 2025
Very patchy shallow fog has developed this morning in areas where winds were able to go calm, but fog is not expected to impact the TAF sites as winds in those spots have stayed around 5-10 kts this morning. Otherwise, VFR conditions expected through the period. Winds will be fairly light out of the north-northeast today around 5-10 kts, with perhaps an isolated gust up to about 18 kts. Winds will begin to turn more easterly then southeasterly tonight, with gusts increasing to around 25 kts to end the period west of the James River. High level clouds move in from west to east to end the period late tonight.
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.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None.
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DISCUSSION...Samet AVIATION...Samet
NWS FSD Office Area Forecast Discussion