707  
FXUS63 KDMX 210358  
AFDDMX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA  
1058 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
...UPDATED FOR THE 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION...  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A FEW ISOLATED STORMS SKIM NORTHERN IOWA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT.  
 
- ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST IOWA FRIDAY EVENING AND  
OVERNIGHT.  
 
- MOSTLY DRY AND SUNNY THROUGH THE WEEKEND!  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 222 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
HIGH PRESSURE HAS ALLOWED FOR TRANQUIL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA  
TODAY WITH A FEW DIURNALLY DRIVEN CLOUDS IN SOUTHERN IOWA.  
FARTHER NORTH A SHORTWAVE IS MOVING ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST,  
RESULTING IN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MINNESOTA. A FEW HIGH  
CLOUDS HAVE MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN IOWA ASSOCIATED WITH THIS  
WAVE. THE COLD FRONT TRAILS ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA AND INTO  
NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL MOVE EAST, PUSHING ACROSS IOWA  
OVERNIGHT AND ON FRIDAY. BETTER FORCING WILL BE ACROSS MINNESOTA  
NEAR THE SURFACE LOW AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED  
THERE, EXTENDING ALONG THE FRONT. A FEW OF THESE MAY SKIM  
NORTHERN IOWA OVERNIGHT. WHILE AN ISOLATED STRONGER STORM IS  
POSSIBLE, THESE WILL LARGELY BE CONFINED NORTH AND WEST OF THE  
AREA WHERE FORCING AND INSTABILITY ARE BETTER PHASED.  
 
MUCH OF FRIDAY WILL THEN BE DRY WITH NORTHWEST FLOW HELPING TO  
BRING HIGH LEVEL SMOKE FROM FIRES ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.  
ANOTHER EMBEDDED WAVE RIDING ALONG THE WESTERN US RIDGE WILL  
SLIDE ACROSS NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA FRIDAY EVENING. THIS  
WILL BRING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. FORCING  
IS AGAIN MODEST AND FOCUSED LARGELY WEST OF THE AREA, BUT WITH  
1500+ J/KG MLCAPE AND 40 KTS OF SHEAR, A FEW STRONGER TO SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE EVENING.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 222 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
ANY LINGERING STORMS IN FAR SOUTHERN IOWA SHOULD CLEAR OUT EARLY  
SATURDAY MORNING WITH DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER  
EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS IOWA LATE SUNDAY EVENING INTO  
MONDAY, SLOWING FROM MODEL SOLUTIONS 24 HOURS AGO. THE UPCOMING  
WORK WEEK LOOKS TO REMAIN ACTIVE WITH EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES CONTINUING  
TO RIDE ALONG THE WESTERN US RIDGE WITH NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS IOWA.  
A MORE ROBUST SYSTEM LOOKS TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON TUESDAY AND  
WILL BE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE ORGANIZED CONVECTION. AT THIS  
TIME RANGE DIFFERENCES REMAIN WITH THE GFS FAVORING A SOUTHERLY  
TRACK OVER THE EURO NORTHERLY TRACK.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1052 PM CDT THU AUG 20 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ONGOING AND EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF  
PERIOD. FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS ARE STARTING TO SKIM FAR  
NORTH AND NORTHEAST SECTIONS MAINLY NORTH OF KMCW AND KALO.  
THERE'S STILL A LOW CHANCE FOR A SHOWER TO IMPACT EITHER SITE  
WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER CHANCES AT KMCW THAN KALO. ADDED SHOWER  
MENTION INTO KMCW PRIOR TO START OF 06Z TAFS WITH UPSTREAM  
ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SO NO MENTIONS AT EITHER SITE AFTER  
06Z. HIGH LEVEL SMOKE MAY KEEP SKIES HAZY ON FRIDAY. SOME  
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS/STORMS ARE POSSIBLE INTO FRIDAY MORNING BUT  
CHANCES ARE GENERALLY LESS THAN 30% SO DID NOT INCLUDE ANY  
MENTIONS WITH LOW CONFIDENCE. SIMILARLY, MAY ALSO SEE SOME  
STORMS IN SOUTHWEST OR SOUTHERN IOWA IN THE AFTERNOON TO EARLY  
EVENING, BUT SOUTH AND WEST OF TAF SITES. WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTH  
TONIGHT BECOME OUT OF THE WEST TO NORTHWEST DURING THE DAY  
FRIDAY.  
 
 
   
DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...HAGENHOFF  
LONG TERM...HAGENHOFF  
AVIATION...05  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab IA Page
Main Text Page