519  
FXUS63 KFSD 311108  
AFDFSD  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD  
508 AM CST FRI JAN 31 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- A BIT COOLER WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S AND 40S TODAY BUT  
WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND LOW 50S ON  
SATURDAY. SUNDAY WILL SEE MILD HIGHS BUT LIKELY SOME FALLING  
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES.  
 
- A BAND OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY WITH  
DECENT AGREEMENT AMONGST THE MODELS ON SOME ACCUMULATIONS  
ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-90. MONDAY MORNING COULD SEE SOME SLOWER  
COMMUTE TIMES AND SLICK ROADS.  
 
- NO SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORMS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK, BUT NEAR TO  
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND MULTIPLE CHANCES (20-50 PERCENT)  
FOR LIGHT SNOW ARE EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 256 AM CST FRI JAN 31 2025  
 
LOW PRESSURE TO THE SOUTH WILL TUG SLIGHTLY COLDER AIR SOUTHWARD  
TODAY WITH HIGHS RUNNING ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES COOLER THAN THURSDAY.  
EVEN WITH THIS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT DROP IN TEMPERATURES, HIGHS WILL  
STILL BE A SOLID 10-15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL, GENERALLY IN THE 40S.  
 
A FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF A FAST MOVING WAVE THAT MOVES  
THROUGH THE DAKOTAS LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ANALYSIS OF MODEL  
SOUNDINGS SUGGESTS THAT PRECIPITATION FROM THIS FAST MOVING WAVE IS  
VERY UNLIKELY. SATURATION AND FORCING IN THE DENDRITIC LAYER IS NOT  
TOO BAD, BUT THIS LAYER IS FOUND ROUGHLY FROM 600-500 MB, WITH A  
FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT DRY LAYER BELOW THIS. SOME HINTS THAT WE MAY SEE  
A LITTLE STRATUS, BUT FROM ABOUT 650 MB TO 900 MB IT IS VERY DRY.  
THERE IS SOME VERY WEAK INSTABILITY AROUND THE DENDRITIC LAYER AND  
THE DRY LAYER IS NOT QUITE AS DRY CLOSER TO HIGHWAY 14 INTO  
SOUTHWEST MN, SO MAYBE A SPRINKLE OR VERY LIGHT SHOWER. THE OVERALL  
MESSAGE IS THAT SATURDAY WILL SEE QUITE A BIT OF CLOUD COVER, BUT  
VERY LITTLE PRECIPITATION.  
 
AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES EAST, A STRONG JET AND WAVE WILL MOVE ONTO THE  
WESTERN HIGH PLAINS SUNDAY, WHICH WILL DRAG COLDER AIR SOUTHWARD  
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION WITH THIS INITIAL  
COLD PUSH SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY EVENING DOES NOT LOOK VERY  
LIKELY. HOWEVER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY A WAVE WILL MOVE OUT OF  
WYOMING AND INTERACT WITH THE LOW AND MID LEVEL THERMAL GRADIENT  
THAT IS LEFT BEHIND BY THE EARLIER SUNDAY WAVE. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL  
DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS WAVE AND BRING A DECENT SHOT OF FORCING WITH A  
GOOD CHANCE FOR A BAND OF FRONTAL PRECIPITATION. THE LOW LEVELS WILL  
ONCE AGAIN STRUGGLE A BIT TO SATURATE, BUT LATER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO  
MONDAY MORNING THE SOUNDINGS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF SOME SNOWFALL. FOR  
NOW THE BETTER CHANCES APPEAR TO BE NEAR AND NORTH OF I-90,  
ESPECIALLY ON THE SD SIDE. THE LATEST EC ENSEMBLE AND GEFS 50TH  
PERCENTILE SUGGESTS A BAND OF 1-2" OF SNOW WITH THE 75TH PERCENTILE  
MORE IN LINE WITH 2-4". THE GEFS IS A BIT FARTHER NORTH AND CLOSER  
TO HIGHWAY 14.  
 
ANY SNOW THE DEVELOPS WILL LIKELY BE DONE BY MONDAY AFTERNOON, BUT  
ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE AREA TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WITH ONLY  
MARGINAL AGREEMENT ON THIS ENERGY. WILL HAVE SOME SMALLER CHANCES  
FOR SNOW DURING THIS TIME AND TAKE A WAIT AND SEE APPROACH TO ANY  
POTENTIAL SNOW FOR MID TO LATE WEEK NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 506 AM CST FRI JAN 31 2025  
 
PATCHY MVFR CONDITIONS IN FOG AND STRATUS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN  
CENTRAL SD TOWARDS THE JAMES VALLEY THROUGH MID MORNING.  
OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL  
INCREASE OVERNIGHT WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH LIKELY LATE  
TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...08  
AVIATION...08  
 
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