651  
FXUS63 KABR 201850  
AFDABR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD  
150 PM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- THERE IS A 30-80 PERCENT CHANCE OF 0.50 INCHES OR MORE OF  
RAINFALL OCCURRING FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
- HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S TO LOW 70S THROUGH SATURDAY, THEN  
TURNING WARMER SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK (ABOUT 10 TO 20  
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S TO NEAR 90).  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 149 PM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
 
AT 1 PM CDT, SKIES ARE SUNNY OVER PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE CWA AND  
TEMPERATURES ARE WARMING THROUGH THE 50S AND 60S. SOUTH WINDS 10 TO  
25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE CWA, WITH THE  
HIGHER-END SUSTAINED WINDS/GUSTS NOTED ACROSS THE MISSOURI RIVER  
VALLEY REGION OF THE CWA. SEEING AN EXPANDING CU/ALTO-CU DECK  
FORMING OUT ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL SD, ASSOCIATED  
WITH SOME ONGOING AFTERNOON SHOWERS. THE SHORT-TERM/RAPID UPDATE  
MODEL SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO HINT AT A LITTLE BIT OF THIS SHOWERY  
PRECIPITATION WORKING UP INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN FORECAST ZONES BY  
LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE PARKED OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION FOR  
A COUPLE OF DAYS, NOT MOVING MUCH DO TO THE SEMI-STAGNANT NATURE OF  
THE UPPER LEVEL STEERING FLOW PATTERN. MODELS DO DEPICT, THOUGH,  
THAT LONGWAVE TROUGHING/UPPER ENERGY OVER THE ROCKIES WILL MAKE ITS  
WAY OUT ON THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN PLAINS ON FRIDAY. THERE SHOULD BE NO  
LACK OF LOW/MID-LEVEL MOISTURE AVAILABLE FOR THE ENERGY IN THIS  
TROUGH TO WORK WITH TO GENERATE THE NEXT ROUND OF SEMI-WIDESPREAD  
RAIN SHOWERS/EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. PRESENTLY, THERE IS A 30-80  
PERCENT CHANCE OF THE CWA SEEING 0.50IN OR MORE OF RAINFALL WITH  
THIS SYSTEM ON FRIDAY.  
 
THE PATTERN BEYOND FRIDAY GETS A BIT COMPLEX. NEARLY ZONAL FLOW  
ALOFT TRIES TO SET UP OVER THE WEEKEND, ONLY TO BE NEGATED BY UPPER  
LEVEL RIDGING ACROSS THE NATION'S MID-SECTION (WITH UPPER TROUGHS  
BOOKENDING IT ALONG THE COASTS). EVENTUALLY, THE PATTERN COULD  
BECOME QUITE BLOCKY/SPLIT-FLOWISH, WITH THIS UPPER RIDGE (RIDGE  
AXIS) SLIDING A BIT EAST OF THIS CWA AS LONGWAVE TROUGHINESS SETS UP  
OVER THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE CONUS. IF THIS SCENARIO (SPLIT FLOW  
NEVER LOOKS THE SAME ONE DAY TO THE NEXT) WERE TO HAPPEN, THE DEEP,  
NEARLY MERIDIONAL, SOUTHERLY/SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW PATTERN WOULD  
ESTABLISH THE POTENTIAL FOR MULTIPLE DAYS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER  
THE DAKOTAS.  
 
SPRING IS IN FULL SWING WITH THESE MOST RECENT BENEFICIAL (NOT  
DROUGHT-BUSTING, BUT CERTAINLY BENEFICIAL) RAINS. EVERYTHING THAT  
WAS GREENING UP IS REALLY GREENING UP, AND THINGS THAT WEREN'T GREEN  
BEFORE (BARE FARM FIELDS) WILL BE SOON. NO CONCERNS ON THE FIRE  
WEATHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO TREND UP  
INTO THE 60S (AND EVENTUALLY THE 70S) THROUGH SATURDAY BEFORE THE  
BOUNDARY LAYER FINDS ANOTHER GEAR AND TEMPERATURES POTENTIAL RUN UP  
INTO THE 80S TO LOW 90S NEXT WEEK. IF THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THAT  
ADVECTS UP INTO THE CWA FOR FRIDAY IS SUFFICIENT TO MAKE STRATUS,  
THEN 60S FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES IN RAIN AND CLOUDS MAY BE A LITTLE  
OVERLY-AMBITIOUS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1222 PM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
 
TERMINALS KABR,KATY,KPIR,KMBG  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  
A COUPLE SHOWERS OF RAIN MAY PASS OVER KPIR TERMINAL AIRSPACE  
THIS AFTERNOON, BRIEFLY REDUCING VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN VFR.  
THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING AT KPIR, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE  
CURRENTLY A COUPLE SHOWERS ~50-60 MILES AWAY, ARE PRETTY SLIM,  
SO JUST CARRYING A LATE AFTERNOON PROB30 GROUP FOR THIS  
POTENTIAL.  
 

 
   
ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SD...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...10  
AVIATION...10  
 
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