951  
FXUS63 KFSD 201134  
AFDFSD  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD  
634 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- DANGEROUS HEAT AND HUMIDITY THIS AFTERNOON WILL LEAD TO HEAT  
INDEX VALUES OF 100-110 DEGREES SOUTH OF I-90. THE WARMEST  
CONDITIONS WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY-20.  
 
- CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS RETURN TO THE AREA BY  
LATE AFTERNOON MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY-20. GOLF  
BALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS TO 65 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS.  
 
- WILDFIRE SMOKE WILL PROGRESS THROUGH THE AREA TODAY WITH SOME  
NEAR SURFACE IMPACTS EXPECTED ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-90. BE  
PREPARED FOR TEMPORARY REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AND AIR QUALITY.  
ANY SENSITIVE GROUPS SHOULD MONITOR THEIR LOCAL AIR QUALITY.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 426 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2026  
 
TAKING A LOOK ACROSS THE AREA, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WATCH SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTHCENTRAL MN MOSTLY  
IN RESPONSE TO INCREASING LIFT WITH AN APPROACH SHORTWAVE AND  
NOCTURNAL LLJ. WHILE THE BETTER LIFT IS JUST TO OUR NORTHEAST, THE  
INCREASED SHEAR HAS SPURRED A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS COTTONWOOD AND JACKSON COUNTIES AS OF 3 AM.  
WHILE SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED, POCKETS OF MODERATE RAIN  
AND AN OCCASIONAL STROKE OF LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE OVER THE  
NEXT HOUR OR SO BEFORE THINGS EXIT OUR AREA. OTHERWISE, THE MAIN  
FOCUS CONTINUES TO BE ON THE HEAT TODAY. HIGHER DEW POINTS IN  
THE 60S TO MID 70S ALONG WITH BUILDING HEAT THIS AFTERNOON WILL  
LEAD TO HEAT INDEX VALUES IN THE LOW 100S SOUTH OF I-90 WITH THE  
POTENTIAL FOR UP TO 110 DEGREE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY-20 CORRIDOR  
AND PORTIONS OF THE LOWER MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY.  
 
WITH THIS IN MIND, WENT AHEAD AND UPGRADED PORTIONS OF OUR HEAT  
ADVISORY TO AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING. BOTH OF THESE PRODUCTS WILL BE  
IN EFFECT FROM 12PM TO 8PM. LASTLY, COULD SEE A FEW STRONGER STORMS  
DEVELOP BY LATE AFTERNOON MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY-20  
CORRIDOR AS A COLD FRONT PROGRESSES SOUTHEASTWARDS THROUGH THE  
REGION. THE MAIN THREAT WOULD BE GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND DAMAGING  
WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH. HOWEVER, WITH MOST GUIDANCE CONTINUING TO  
TREND INITIAL DEVELOPMENT SOUTHWARDS; THE WINDOW FOR ANY STRONGER  
ACTIVITY WOULD BE VERY NARROW (2-4 HOURS) IF ANYTHING AT ALL.  
LASTLY, WITH WILDFIRE SMOKE FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT;  
COULD SEE TEMPORARY REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY STARTING THIS MORNING.  
ANY SENSITIVE GROUPS SHOULD START TO MONITOR THEIR LOCAL AIR  
QUALITY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 229 PM CDT SUN JUL 19 2026  
 
A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE  
SHOWERS ARE ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY A MID LEVEL CLOUD DECK WHICH HAS  
KEPT TEMPERATURES A BIT COOLER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. HOWEVER,  
SUNSHINE REMAINS ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA. THUS,  
TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED TO THE UPPER 70S, 80S, AND A FEW LOCATIONS  
PUSHING INTO THE 90S. WITH DEW POINTS REMAINING IN THE 60S TO LOW  
70S, HEAT INDICES HAVE WARMED TO THE 80S AND 90S WITH A FEW  
LOCATIONS HITTING 100F. WITH SOME DIURNAL WARMING LEFT TO GO, SHOULD  
STILL SEE THE HEAT INDICES NUDGE A LITTLE HIGHER, ALLOWING FOR THE  
HEAT ADVISORY TO REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM THIS EVENING. ANOTHER  
ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT  
INTO TOMORROW MORNING (11PM TO 6AM). THESE STORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG  
A COLD FRONT IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MOVE SOUTHEASTWARDS THROUGH THE  
EVENING HOURS. THESE STORMS MAY GROW INTO A LINE AS THEY PUSH  
SOUTHEASTWARDS. HOWEVER, THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN WHETHER  
THESE STORMS WILL PUSH INTO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA OR STAY JUST OUTSIDE  
THE FORECAST AREA. THESE STORMS LOOK TO BE FOCUSED ON THE NOSE OF  
THE LOW LEVEL JET WHERE CONVERGENCE AND THE STRONGEST WARM AIR  
ADVECTION (WAA) WILL LIE. THE BULK OF THE HI-RES GUIDANCE AND THE  
ENSEMBLES ALSO SUPPORT THE STORMS REMAINING IN THIS LOCATION. STILL  
HAVE LEFT LIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS ACROSS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA IN  
CASE LINGERING SHOWERS AND STORMS PASS THROUGH THE AREA.  
 
THE THERMAL RIDGE WILL PUSH DIRECTLY OVER THE FORECAST AREA ON  
MONDAY, PUSHING 850 MB TEMPERATURES UP TO +25C TO ABOUT +30C. MIXING  
THESE TEMPERATURES DOWN TO THE SURFACE WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD  
HIGH TEMPERATURES UP TO THE 90S TO LOW 100S, HOTTEST ALONG THE  
MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY. WITH DEW POINTS REMAINING IN THE 60S TO LOW  
70S, HEAT INDICES WILL WARM UP TO 100F TO 105F SOUTH OF I-90. AS  
SUCH, HAVE ISSUED ANOTHER HEAT ADVISORY FOR THIS AREA. THE ADVISORY  
IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM. THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED COLD FRONT  
WILL BE PUSHING THROUGH THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WHILE THIS  
FRONT WILL COOL TEMPERATURES, THE MAIN COLD ADVECTIVE PUSH FROM THE  
FRONT WILL COME IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING TIMEFRAME, THUS  
ALLOWING FOR HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE. THIS FRONT WILL  
SERVE AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS BETWEEN  
4PM AND 10PM. THE FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY, LIMITING  
THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TO NEAR AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY-20. STORMS  
LOOK TO REMAIN MORE DISCRETE AS THE DEVELOP AND QUICKLY RACE OUT OF  
THE AREA ALONG THE BOUNDARY. THE MOISTURE POOLING ALONG THE BOUNDARY  
WILL PUSH CAPE VALUES UP TO 2,000 TO 2,500 J/KG. HODOGRAPHS SHOW  
DEEP LAYER SHEAR VALUES ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 45 KNOTS. HODOGRAPHS  
ARE GENERALLY STRAIGHT WITH SLIGHT BACKING ALOFT. THIS SHOULD ALLOW  
FOR LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. DCAPE WILL ALSO BE HIGH  
AROUND 1,500 J/KG, RESULTING IN THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS TO  
70 MPH. SINCE THESE STORMS ARE DISCRETE AND LOOK TO ONLY IMPACT A  
SMALL AREA, SHOULD ONLY SEE ISOLATED IMPACTS FROM SEVERE STORMS.  
ONCE THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH, TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO THE 60S TO  
LOW 70S OVERNIGHT.  
 
TUESDAY WILL BE A COOLER DAY WITH THE POST FRONTAL AIRMASS IN PLACE.  
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEASONABLE IN THE 80S WITH DEW POINTS  
FALLING TO THE 50S. WHILE THIS WOULD USUALLY MAKE FOR A PLEASANT  
SUMMER DAY, SMOKE WILL FILTER IN BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH COULD AFFECT  
SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS. FORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE THE HIGHEST  
CONCENTRATION OF SMOKE WILL COME MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING  
AND BE SLOWLY DECREASED THEREAFTER. THESE SEASONABLE CONDITIONS WILL  
PERSIST FOR THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK AS NORTHWEST FLOW PERSISTS  
ALOFT. NEXT CHANCES FOR RAIN LOOK TO COME ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS  
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. THE ENSEMBLES SUPPORT  
THIS AS THEY SHOW A 40-60% CHANCE FOR RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXCEEDING A  
TENTH OF AN INCH FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME. INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BE  
QUITE LIMITED, SO SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. UPPER  
LEVEL RIDGING LOOKS TO POTENTIALLY MAKE A COMEBACK NEXT WEEKEND,  
LEADING TO A RETURN OF ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. THIS POTENTIAL  
REMAINS UNCERTAIN SO WILL KEEP AN EYE ON HOW THE PATTERN EVOLVES  
OVER THE NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 628 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2026  
 
MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS TAF PERIOD. TAKING A  
LOOK ACROSS THE AREA, A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUE TO  
PROGRESS THROUGH PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN MN WITH THE LLJ.  
SHOULD SEE THIS ACTIVITY STAY CLEAR OF OUR TAF SITES FOR NOW.  
OTHERWISE, A COLD FRONT WILL PROGRESS THROUGH THE AREA BRINGING  
THE INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR A BIT OF WILDFIRE SMOKE. WHILE SOME  
VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE, MOST AREAS SHOULD STAY  
IN VFR THRESHOLDS. OTHERWISE, A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY-20 CORRIDOR. WITH  
GUIDANCE CONTINUING TO TREND SOUTHWARDS WITH INITIATION DECIDED  
TO LEAVE ANY MENTION OUT OF THE KSUX TAF FOR NOW. OTHERWISE,  
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL BECOME MORE NORTHWESTERLY BEHIND THE  
PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED FRONT TO END THE TAF PERIOD.  
 

 
   
FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR  
SDZ050-063>069.  
EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING  
FOR SDZ070-071.  
MN...NONE.  
IA...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR  
IAZ001>003-012>014.  
EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING  
FOR IAZ020>022-031-032.  
NE...EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING  
FOR NEZ013-014.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...05  
DISCUSSION...MEYERS  
AVIATION...05  
 
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