088  
FXUS63 KFSD 090854  
AFDFSD  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD  
354 AM CDT SUN AUG 9 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- THUNDERSTORM RISKS CONTINUE INTO THE MORNING HOURS WITH SOME  
FOCUS ALONG OR NORTH OF HIGHWAY 14, AND NORTHWEST IOWA AFTER  
MIDNIGHT. MARGINAL HAIL AND 70 MPH WINDS WOULD BE THE MAIN  
RISKS ANY ANY STORM.  
 
- LATE SUNDAY EVENING INTO MONDAY COULD BE A FOCUS POINT FOR  
STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION IN WESTERN INTO CENTRAL SOUTH  
DAKOTA. WHILE UNCERTAIN, ONE OR TWO CLUSTERS OF SEVERE STORMS  
MAY DEVELOP.  
 
- NEARLY DAILY PRECIPITATION RISKS WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO NEXT  
WEEK, HOWEVER CHANCES REMAIN LOW DUE TO THE HIGH UNCERTAINTY  
IN THE FORECAST.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 352 AM CDT SUN AUG 9 2026  
 
TAKING A LOOK ACROSS THE AREA, OUR FOCUS CONTINUES TO SIT NEAR THE  
ND/SD BORDER THIS MORNING AS A FEW STRONGER HAVE DEVELOPED MAINLY IN  
RESPONSE TO A LINGERING WARM FRONT AND A WEAK SHORT WAVE. OVER THE  
COURSE OF THE MORNING, EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO GRADUALLY CONGEAL AND  
DIVE SOUTHEASTWARDS INTO OUR AREA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS (3AM-  
8AM). AS THIS DEVELOPING ACTIVITY BECOMES MORE OUTFLOW DOMINANT  
SHOULD SEE THE DAMAGING WIND THREAT INCREASE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR  
UP TO 70 MPH WIND GUSTS POSSIBLE. UNTIL THAT TIME, THE INITIAL SEMI-  
DISCRETE CELLS WILL CARRY A MARGINALLY LARGE HAIL THREAT WITH  
UP TO QUARTER POSSIBLE WITH DECENT MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES. WHILE  
THE CAMS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THE THE EVOLUTION OF THIS  
ACTIVITY, CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE TO FAVOR THE HIRESW-ARW WHICH  
HAS THE MOST CONSISTENT PLACEMENT WITH CURRENT RADAR IMAGERY.  
WITH THIS IN MIND, CURRENT THOUGHTS ARE THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO  
FOLLOW THE 850MB MOISTURE/THERMAL GRADIENT DOWN A HURON TO SIOUX  
FALLS TO STORM LAKE, IA LINE WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY  
NORTHEAST OF THIS LINE.  
 
SHOULD SEE MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY EXIT THE REGION BY 7AM TO 8AM.  
OTHERWISE, QUIETER CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN TO THE AREA AFTERWARDS  
WITH HIGHS PEAKING IN THE UPPER 70S TO UPPER 80S BY EARLY AFTERNOON.  
WITH MORE HUMID CONDITIONS EXPECTED (60S TO LOW 70S DEW POINTS),  
HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL APPROACH THE LOW TO UPPER 90S IN AREAS ALONG  
AND SOUTH OF I-90 WITH THE HIGHEST VALUES CONCENTRATED ALONG THE  
MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY. WHILE THIS FALLS JUST SHORT OF ADVISORY  
CRITERIA, MAKE SURE TO STAY HYDRATED AS LIGHTER SURFACE WINDS WON'T  
PROVIDE MUCH RELIEF FROM THE OPPRESSIVE CONDITIONS. LASTLY, WITH AN  
ACTIVE PATTERN ALOFT; CAN'T RULE OUT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. NONETHELESS, MOST  
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO HANDLE COVERAGE AND EVOLUTION POORLY SO  
HOPEFULLY FUTURE MODEL RUNS CAN PROVIDE SOME CLARITY MOVING  
FORWARD.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 123 PM CDT SAT AUG 8 2026  
 
THIS AFTERNOON: WE'RE CONTINUING TO WATCH A SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD  
ADVANCING MID-LVL CLOUD DECK EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS CLOUD LAYER  
MARKS THE ADVANCING EDGE OF MOISTURE (AND INSTABILITY) ADVECTING  
WITHIN THE 850:700 MB LAYER. A PARCEL LIFTED FROM THIS LEVEL STILL  
APPEARS TO BE FIGHTING A BIT OF INHIBITION, WHICH WILL KEEP ONLY  
VERY LOW POPS IN THE FORECAST AS THIS MOVES NORTHEAST. ELSEWHERE,  
WILDFIRE SMOKE ALOFT REMAINS QUITE THICK, AND MAY HAVE SLIGHT  
IMPACTS ON HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
TONIGHT: THE FORECAST REMAINS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN THIS EVENING AND  
OVERNIGHT, THOUGH THERE ARE AT LEAST BETTER SIGNALS FOR WHERE  
CONVECTION MAY FORM AFTER DARK TODAY. LATEST SHORT TERM GUIDANCE  
POINTS TO TWO DISTINCT AREAS OF FOCUS. ONE NEAR THE SD/ND BORDER  
INTO WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA WHERE CURRENT AC FIELD ENDS UP BY  
SUNSET. THE INITIATION OF AT LEAST A 25 TO 35 KNOT LLJ SHOULD BE  
ENOUGH TO DEVELOP A FEW STORMS. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT A MINOR  
SHORTWAVE COULD ALSO DROP SOUTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT HELPING PUSH THIS  
ACTIVITY TOWARDS HIGHWAY 14 AND SW MINNESOTA BY DAYBREAK. A SECOND  
AREA TO WATCH WILL BE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL IOWA WHERE  
SLIGHTLY STRONGER LLJ CONVERGENCE DEVELOPS. ANY ACTIVITY THAT FORMS  
SHOULD PASS ALONG THE FAR EASTERN CWA BY 12Z. REALISTIC MUCAPE  
BETWEEN 1500-2000 J/KG WITH 20-25 KNOTS OF SHEAR MAY PRODUCE A FEW  
STRONGER STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL.  
 
SUNDAY: A CONTINUED UNCERTAIN FORECAST REMAINS FOR SUNDAY. MORNING  
CONVECTION SHOULD WEAKEN BY MID-MORNING AS THE LLJ WEAKENS AND ANY  
ACTIVITY PUSHES EAST OF THE CWA. IN IT'S WAKE, THERE REMAINS NO  
STRONG TRIGGERING MECHANISMS FOR ANY CONVECTION FURTHER WEST AND LOW-  
LVL AND SURFACE FLOW MAY TURN MORE NORTHEASTERLY BY MID-DAY.  
NEVERTHELESS WHILE WE MAY SEE CAPE VALUES PUSH 2500-3000 J/KG, HREF  
PROBABILITIES OF LESS THAN 100 J/KG CIN REMAIN ONLY AROUND 25%,  
SUGGESTING THAT SURFACE BASED CONVECTION MAY BE HARD TO COME BY.  
WILDFIRE SMOKE WILL AGAIN BE QUITE THICK ON SUNDAY, AND HAVE LOWERED  
TEMPERATURES A DEGREE OR TWO. THOUGH THE ONGOING DROUGHT MAY ALSO  
COUNTER ACT SOME OF THOSE LIMITING EFFECTS.  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT: SLIGHTLY INCREASED POPS ARRIVE LATE SUNDAY EVENING  
INTO MONDAY AS THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME MID-LVL VORTICITY MOVING  
THROUGH THE REGION. WHILE HIGHLY UNCERTAIN ON THE TRACK, THIS COULD  
AT LEAST POSE SOME RISKS FOR STRONGER CONVECTION FORMING EARLY IN  
THE EVENING IN WESTERN SD/ND ON THE NOSE OF AN INCREASING LLJ. THIS  
CONVECTION WILL BE INITIALLY SURFACE BASED AND CAPABLE OF VERY  
LARGE HAIL. THERE ARE SOME HINTS THAT THESE STORMS COULD CONGEAL  
AND BEGIN TO PRODUCE A BIT MORE WIND AS THEY REACH CENTRAL SD.  
THE LIMITING FACTOR IN THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION COULD BE A VERY  
DRY SUB 600 MB LAYER AS THESE STORMS REACH THE JAMES RIVER  
VALLEY.  
 
MONDAY-WEDNESDAY: THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK CONTINUES TO LOOK VERY  
UNCERTAIN GIVEN THE QUASI-ZONAL OR SLIGHTLY NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN  
ALOFT. IT'S CERTAINLY POSSIBLE ONE OR MORE OF THESE DAYS WILL  
FEATURE A RAIN CHANCE, BUT THESE ARE ALL DEPENDENT ON ANY WEAK EDDY  
IN THE FLOW. THERE CONTINUES TO BE SOME CONSISTENCY AGAIN TODAY ON  
ONE OF THESE WAVES ARRIVING MONDAY EVENING INTO TUESDAY AND AGAIN  
INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE AVAILABLE INSTABILITY WOULD SUGGEST  
AT LEAST A CONTINUED LOW-RISK FOR A SEVERE STORM OR TWO, THOUGH  
WIND SHEAR CONTINUES TO BE BORDERLINE. TEMPERATURES REMAIN NEAR  
THEIR SEASONAL NORMALS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 80S.  
 
THURSDAY-FRIDAY: NO CHANGES IN THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST,  
WHERE MID-LVL FLOW FLATTENS AND BECOMES WESTERLY. POPS WILL BE  
ELEVATED INTO THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT MAY PASS THROUGH THE  
REGION. THERE CONTINUES TO BE GROWING SIGNS OF A SLIGHT COOLDOWN  
INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1258 AM CDT SUN AUG 9 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS CURRENTLY ACROSS THE REGION. WE ARE WATCHING NORTH  
CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AS STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING  
SOUTHEAST. RISKS WITH STORMS INCLUDE WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH, HEAVY  
RAIN, AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. WHILE THERE REMAINS SOME  
UNCERTAINTY IN STORM EVOLUTION AND TRACK, STORMS LOOK TO GROW  
UPSCALE INTO ONE OR MORE BOWING SEGMENTS. AT WHICH POINT THE MAIN  
THREAT WILL TRANSITION TO WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. STORMS LOOK MOST  
LIKELY TO IMPACT ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM KHON AND KFSD  
AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST IOWA. IFR DOWN TO LIFR CEILINGS ARE  
POSSIBLE UNDER STRONGER STORMS.  
 
IN ADDITION, STRONG DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED SHEAR ARE EXPECTED AS THE  
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TRACKS SOUTHEAST WITH THE SYSTEM. THE STRONGEST  
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE EAST OF THE REGION SHORTLY AFTER 12Z  
SUNDAY. WINDS BECOME NORTHEASTERLY AND INCREASE ON THE BACKSIDE OF  
THE STORMS. GUSTS OF 15-20 KTS ARE EXPECTED FOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST  
OF I-29. LIGHTER WINDS TO THE EAST. MORE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE END OF THE PERIOD.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...05  
DISCUSSION...DUX  
AVIATION...AJP  
 
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