938  
FXUS63 KFSD 231132  
AFDFSD  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD  
632 AM CDT SUN AUG 23 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS ARE LIKELY EARLY THIS  
MORNING IN SOUTH-CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA, WITH SOME LINGERING  
ACTIVITY POSSIBLE INTO THE AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT  
EXPECTED, BUT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING  
ANY AFTERNOON STORM.  
 
- THE NEXT BETTER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS A WIDER  
PART OF THE AREA IS TONIGHT (50-70%). LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND  
ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE.  
 
- OTHERWISE MOST DAYS THROUGH NEXT WEEK WILL SEE HIGHS IN THE  
80S AND LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 415 AM CDT SUN AUG 23 2026  
 
FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK THIS MORNING WITH AN AREA OF LIGHT  
SHOWERS AND TRAILING THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS  
SOUTH-CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA. INSTABILITY IS LIMITED EAST OF THE  
MISSOURI RIVER UNTIL MID-LATE AFTERNOON, SO ANTICIPATE GENERAL  
WEAKENING AS ACTIVITY ATTEMPTS TO MOVE EAST THIS MORNING.  
 
STILL SEEING SOME SIGNALS IN 00Z/06Z GUIDANCE POINTING TO A  
POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT. THE QUESTION IS  
EXACTLY WHERE IT MAY MATERIALIZE AS THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE RUN  
TO RUN CONSISTENCY SHOWING WHERE A LINE OF SLOW-MOVING/TRAINING  
STORMS MAY SET UP. SOME SOLUTIONS PLACE THIS NEAR TO JUST NORTH  
OF THE MISSOURI RIVER, WHILE OTHERS SHIFT THE RISK FARTHER SOUTH  
INTO NORTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THIS LEADS TO A LOWER CONFIDENCE  
FORECAST FOR TONIGHT, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE ISOLATED SEVERE RISK  
AND HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL ADDRESSED IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS BELOW.  
 
ISSUED AT 845 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE FORECAST TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. MID TO  
HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE MOVING INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA  
ASSOCIATED WITH OUR NEXT WEAK WAVE MOVING IN. THESE CLOUDS WILL  
CONTINUE PUSHING EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE NIGHT, AND THE  
AFOREMENTIONED WAVE WILL HELP SET OFF SOME SHOWERS AND WEAK  
THUNDERSTORMS STARTING IN SOUTH-CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA EARLY  
TOMORROW MORNING WITH THIS ACTIVITY GRADUALLY SPREAD EAST-  
SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY. AS IT MOVES EASTWARD,  
IT WILL OUTRUN ANY APPRECIABLE INSTABILITY AND BECOME JUST HIT  
OR MISS LIGHT SHOWERS/SPRINKLES AS IT APPROACHES I-29.  
 
HEAVY RAIN LOOKS TO BE THE MAIN THREAT HEADING INTO SUNDAY  
NIGHT AS THE LOW LEVEL JET KICKS UP AND SETS OFF MORE ELEVATED  
THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE AID OF AN UPPER WAVE MOVING IN FROM THE  
NORTHWEST. WITH THE POTENTIAL OF MULTIPLE UPDRAFTS GOING UP  
AROUND THE SAME TIME, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF COMPETITION FOR  
THE STRONGEST UPDRAFT AND THIS WILL HELP LIMIT A SEVERE WEATHER  
RISK. HOWEVER, IF ONE OR TWO STORMS CAN GO MORE ISOLATED AND  
BECOME A MORE DOMINANT UPDRAFT, THEN PERHAPS SOME LARGE HAIL  
WILL BE POSSIBLE GIVEN EFFECTIVE SHEAR VALUES AROUND 40-45 KTS.  
FREEZING LEVELS WILL BE QUITE HIGH THOUGH, SO EVEN IF AN UPDRAFT  
CAN SUSTAIN ITSELF, HAILSTONES WILL HAVE A PRETTY DEEP WARM  
LAYER TO GO THROUGH BEFORE IT WERE TO REACH THE SURFACE.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 142 PM CDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
A QUIET NIGHT IS AHEAD AS HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS EAST. SOUTHERLY FLOW  
WILL DEVELOP IN CENTRAL SD LATER TONIGHT AND BECOME MORE  
ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. THE LIGHT WINDS WILL  
ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 50S, ESPECIALLY EAST OF I-  
29.  
 
THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOW LEVEL WINDS TURNING  
SOUTHERLY WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL SD TOMORROW MORNING, AND EASTWARD  
AND SOUTHEAST FROM THERE THROUGH THE DAY. WITH FAIRLY STOUT LOW TO  
MID LEVEL DRY AIR, MAINLY AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER IS EXPECTED  
THROUGH THE MORNING. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE SOUTH CENTRAL SD WHERE  
ENOUGH MOISTURE MAY ALLOW FOR 500-1000 J/KG OF ELEVATED CAPE, WHICH  
WILL SUPPORT SOME SPOTTY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SEVERE WEATHER  
IS NOT EXPECTED.  
 
LIFT WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT,  
WHEN A MODERATELY STRONGER LLJ FOCUSES ON THE AREA. GIVEN FAIRLY  
WEAK SHEAR AND CAPE VALUES GENERALLY UNDER 1000 J/KG, SEVERE WEATHER  
LOOKS UNLIKELY. HOWEVER WITH A FREEZING LEVEL AROUND 13 KFT, LOCALLY  
HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. NOT MUCH AGREEMENT ON THE LOCATION OF  
THE HEAVIER RAIN WITH THE MODELS PRETTY INCONSISTENTLY PLACING THE  
MID LEVEL WAVE ACROSS THE AREA. SOME HINTS THAT THE LLJ WILL FOCUS  
SOMEWHERE ON THE SD SIDE, BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW.  
 
THIS WAVE MOVES OUT OF THE AREA ON MONDAY BUT ANOTHER WEAKER WAVE  
MOVES BY TO THE NORTH ON MONDAY NIGHT AND BRINGS A SMALL INCREASE IN  
WARM AIR ADVECTION, WHICH COULD SPARK A FEW SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
MAINLY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES TUESDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. THIS  
WILL BRING PERIODIC SMALL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WITH LITTLE AGREEMENT ON EXACTLY WHEN. OTHERWISE  
LOWS SHOULD MAINLY BE FROM THE MID 50S TO MID 60S WITH HIGHS IN THE  
80S.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 632 AM CDT SUN AUG 23 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE PREVALENT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA  
THROUGH TODAY WITH A POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF OCCASIONAL MVFR  
VISIBILITY IN RAIN/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TOWARD SOUTH-CENTRAL  
SOUTH DAKOTA.  
 
GROWING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVES EAST AFTER SUNSET,  
POTENTIALLY IMPACTING TAF SITES AFTER 24/04Z-06Z. THIS COULD  
BRING A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR VISIBILITY, THOUGH CONFIDENCE IN  
TIMING IS ON THE LOW SIDE SO WILL STICK WITH PROB30 FOR NOW.  
 

 
   
FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
IA...NONE.  
NE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...JH/SAMET  
DISCUSSION...08  
AVIATION...JH  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab SD Page
The Nexlab IA Page
The Nexlab MN Page
The Nexlab NE Page Main Text Page