560  
FXUS63 KARX 220002  
AFDARX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI  
702 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN TODAY SOUTHWEST OF I-94, FOCUSED MAINLY  
SOUTH OF I-90. OVERALL IMPACTS SHOULD BE LIMITED WITH RAINFALL  
AMOUNTS GENERALLY OF 1/2" OR LESS.  
 
- COOL AND DRY FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH NEAR TO  
SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.  
 
- NEXT CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD RAIN ARRIVES OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT  
DETAILS OF RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND PLACEMENT REMAIN SPARSE.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 1200 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2026  
 
TODAY - TONIGHT: PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN  
 
A STACKED MID TO UPPER TROPOSPHERIC CLOSED LOW MEANDERS ESE  
ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT, BRINGING WITH  
IT PERIODS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS. WITH THE SHOWERS DRIVEN  
MAINLY BY DCVA AHEAD OF THE LOW AND LITTLE IN THE WAY OF DEEPER  
MOISTURE AND MESOSCALE ASCENT, RAINFALL RATES WILL BE ON THE  
LIGHTER SIDE. AS OF 11 AM, RAINFALL AMOUNTS AROUND THE I-35  
CORRIDOR HAD TOPPED OUT AROUND 1/2 OF AN INCH, BUT THIS BAND  
WAS STARTING TO THIN AND WEAKEN. WHILE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS  
SOUTH OF I-90 COULD APPROACH SIMILAR VALUES (20-30% CHANCE),  
THIS RAIN WILL FALL OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL HOURS AND HAVE  
LITTLE IMPACT AND ANY ELEVATED RIVER LEVELS. THE RAINFALL AXIS  
GRADUALLY SPREADS ESE AHEAD OF THE LOW CENTROID, PERSISTING  
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE DEPARTING TO THE SOUTHEAST BY  
SUNRISE ON TUESDAY. WITH THE WIDESPREAD CLOUDS AND RAIN TODAY,  
HIGHS WILL ONLY TOP OUT IN THE LOW TO MID 60S, A FULL TEN  
DEGREED BELOW AVERAGE.  
 
REST OF THE WORK WEEK: COOL AND MOSTLY DRY  
 
THE REGION RESIDES ALONG THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A LARGE  
SOUTHERN ONTARIO/QUEBEC HIGH PRESSURE CELL THROUGHOUT THE  
BALANCE OF THE WORK WEEK, KEEPING A COOL AND DRY EAST/SOUTHEAST  
FETCH IN PLACE THAT WILL LIMIT THE INTRUSION OF ANY RAIN INTO  
THE REGION. A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE GRAZES THE DAKOTAS ON WEDNESDAY,  
WITH CONVECTION LIKELY TO MOVE AT LEAST INTO CENTRAL MINNESOTA  
BY THURSDAY MORNING. HOWEVER, HOW THIS RAIN SHIELD EVOLVES  
AFTERWARDS IS A SOURCE OF FORECAST UNCERTAINTY. MOST SOLUTIONS  
DECAY THIS SYSTEM RELATIVELY QUICKLY BEFORE REACHING THE  
MISSISSIPPI RIVER, BUT THERE ARE A FEW OUTLIER SOLUTIONS (10%)  
THAT ADVECT THE RAIN FARTHER EAST. HOWEVER, ODDS ARE FAVORING  
MORE OF A DRY FORECAST DURING THIS PERIOD.  
 
UPCOMING WEEKEND: NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN  
 
A DEEPER LONGWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES THE REGION FOR THE WEEKEND,  
SHUNTING THE RIDGE TO THE EAST AND OPENING THE DOOR FOR THE  
RETURN OF RAINFALL. WHILE THE BULK OF THE MEDIUM TO LONGER RANGE  
GUIDANCE HAVE THIS WAVE RESOLVED, TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THIS  
TROUGH MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN ANY DETAILS ABOUT THIS  
RAINFALL. WHAT IS MORE CERTAIN IS THAT GIVEN THE LACK OF DEEPER  
MOISTURE AND PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE SURFACE FRONT, RAINFALL  
AMOUNTS DO NOT LOOK TO BE OVERLY HIGH WITH LREF RAINFALL  
PROBABILITIES OF >1/2" BEING AROUND 10-20%.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 649 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2026  
 
LOW PRESSURE CENTER UPSTREAM OF THE FORECAST AREA CAUSING  
WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. HIGHER IMPACT  
MVFR-IFR CIGS PROGRESSING INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST  
AREA EXPECTED TO AFFECT KRST TAF SITE SHORTLY AFTER TAF  
ISSUANCE. IFR VISIBILITIES EXPECTED TO REMAIN UPSTREAM OF KRST  
ALTHOUGH LOW CONFIDENCE AND MAY NEED FURTHER UPDATE BEFORE 06Z  
TAF ISSUANCE.  
 
 
   
ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WI...NONE.  
MN...NONE.  
IA...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...SKOW  
AVIATION...JAR  
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