087  
FXUS63 KABR 180631  
AFDABR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABERDEEN SD  
131 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- HIGH TEMPERATURES THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY WILL BE IN THE  
60S, 70S, AND POSSIBLY INTO THE LOWER 80S (CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA).  
ANY LINGERING SNOW WILL LIMIT THE TEMPERATURE RISES.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 130 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2026  
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE TO THE WEST IS SLOWLY MOVING ITS WAY TOWARDS SD  
AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ITS WAY EAST INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS HELPS  
TO MOVE WARMER TEMPERATURES INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN SD.  
TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE 15-30 DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL  
THROUGH SATURDAY. HOWEVER, IN AREAS THAT HAVE STILL HAVE SNOW ON THE  
GROUND, MAINLY AREAS EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER TODAY AND EAST OF  
THE JAMES RIVER THURSDAY, WILL HAVE COOLER TEMPERATURES UNTIL THE  
SNOW MELTS. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE 40S TO 50S IN THESE AREAS WITH  
SNOW, AND IN THE 60S TO 70S WHERE THE SNOW HAS MELTED. THE MELTING  
SNOW OVER NORTHEASTERN SD, AS WELL AS SOME LIGHTER WINDS TONIGHT,  
COULD LEAD TO PATCHY AREAS OF FOG DEVELOPING INTO THURSDAY MORNING.  
THIS FOG COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED AREAS OF LOWER VISIBILITIES INTO THE  
MORNING HOURS.  
 
WHILE THE RIDGE IS MOVING OVER SD, PRECIPITATION CHANCES STAY OUT OF  
THE STATE AS THE PRECIPITATION RIDES THE EDGE OF THE RIDGE INTO MN.  
THIS LEADS TO SOME LINES OF PRECIPITATION OCCURRING TO THE EAST,  
WHICH WILL MOST LIKELY STAY OUT OF NORTHEASTERN SD AND OUR WEST  
CENTRAL MN COUNTIES. HOWEVER, IF THE TRACK OF THE PRECIPITATION ENDS  
UP BEING SLIGHTLY FURTHER TO THE WEST, FAR NORTHEASTERN SD AND WEST  
CENTRAL MN COULD SEE A SMALL CHANCE FOR LIGHT SPRINKLES OF RAIN  
TONIGHT.  
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST TO SUPPRESS THE RIDGE DURING  
THE WEEKEND. WITH THE RIDGE SUPPRESSED, SOME MODELS SHOW A LOW  
MOVING OUT OF ALBERTA AND EAST THROUGH CANADA. A COLD FRONT ATTACHED  
TO THIS LOW WILL MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN SD SATURDAY  
INTO SUNDAY AND WILL LEAD TO THE NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION OVER  
THE AREA. MODELS VARY THE TIMING OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY, IF THERE  
WILL BE PRECIPITATION ALONG THE BOUNDARY, AND WHERE THE TRACK OF THE  
FRONT AND PRECIPITATION WILL BE. THIS LEADS TO LOWER CONFIDENCE ON  
THE CHANCE WE GET ANYTHING. ONE THING THE MODELS DO AGREE ON IS THAT  
THE COLD FRONT WILL BRING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THE REMAINDER  
OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LEAD TO AROUND NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1240 AM CDT WED MAR 18 2026  
 
TERMINALS KABR,KATY,KPIR,KMBG  
 
LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AT KABR/KATY TERMINALS  
DURING THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS BEFORE DISSIPATING BY 09Z WED.  
OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH  
THE DAYTIME HOURS AND INTO THIS EVENING. MVFR/IFR CIGS WILL BE  
POSSIBLE AT KATY THIS EVENING AFTER ABOUT 02Z THU.  
 
 
   
ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
SD...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...12  
AVIATION...VIPOND  
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