399  
FXUS63 KFSD 312327  
AFDFSD  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD  
627 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- SURFACE SMOKE WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS  
AND HEALTH HAZARDS TO SENSITIVE GROUPS THROUGH FRIDAY.  
 
- LOWER CONFIDENCE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS SATURDAY  
NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.  
 
- ANOTHER CHANCE WILL COME TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. A BIT  
MORE SHEAR AND INSTABILITY POTENTIAL WITH THIS EVENT SO  
SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 354 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2025  
 
SKIES ARE PARTLY CLOUDY AND SMOKY ACROSS THE AREA ON THIS MILD  
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IS SLIDING  
EASTWARD THROUGH NORTHERN MINNESOTA, ALLOWING FOR THE RETURN OF  
LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS LOCALLY. A FIELD OF CUMULUS CLOUDS  
STRETCHES FROM NORTHWEST IOWA TO CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA, AND WITH  
SOUNDINGS INDICATING SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY, COULD SEE A FEW  
SPITS OF DRIZZLE WEST MAINLY WEST OF I-29 THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS  
TODAY ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 70S. SHOWERS AND  
ISOLATED THUNDERSHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA THIS  
AFTERNOON DUE TO A WEAK SHORTWAVE DRIFTING BY. SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY  
MAY TRY TO CREEP INTO THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE MISSOURI, BUT WITH  
MINIMAL INSTABILITY (TOPPING OUT AROUND 300-400 J/KG), NOT MUCH  
ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED LOCALLY. A STRONGER SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE IN FROM  
WESTERN WYOMING AND FIRE OFF MORE STORMS OVER WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA  
OVERNIGHT. THESE STORMS WILL PUSH EAST TOWARDS THE MISSOURI RIVER  
AND WEAKEN AS INSTABILITY WANES. AS A RESULT, SOME SHOWERS WILL BE  
POSSIBLE EARLY FRIDAY MORNING IN THE CHAMBERLAIN-AREA BUT LIKELY  
WON'T AMOUNT TO MUCH. LOWS TONIGHT DROP INTO THE UPPER-50S TO LOW-  
60S, WARMEST WEST WHERE THERE WILL BE MORE CLOUD COVER. THE LESS  
CLOUD COVER FARTHER EAST COMBINED WITH WET GROUNDS WILL LEAD TO THE  
POTENTIAL FOR PATCHY FOG EAST OF I-29, BUT MAJOR CONCERNS ARE NOT  
EXPECTED.  
 
MORE SURFACE SMOKE WILL BE IN PLACE ON FRIDAY, REDUCING VISIBILITIES  
AT TIMES AND COULD CAUSE ISSUES FOR THOSE SENSITIVE TO SMOKE. HIGHS  
WILL BE SLIGHTLY COOLER ON FRIDAY COMPARED TO TODAY AS THERE WILL BE  
SLIGHTLY MORE CLOUD COVER OVERALL, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING.  
ANOTHER WAVE WILL TRAVEL THROUGH THE REGION ON FRIDAY, WITH PERHAPS  
SOME BETTER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS LATER FRIDAY WEST RIVER  
AS THE LOW-LEVEL JET KICKS UP TO AROUND 35-40 KTS IN WEST-CENTRAL  
SOUTH DAKOTA. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY WEAKEN AS THEY CROSS THE  
MISSOURI RIVER AS INSTABILITY DROPS OFF SHARPLY INTO OUR AREA  
OVERNIGHT FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.  
 
UPPER LEVEL TROUGHINESS SLOWLY WORKS FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE  
AREA INTO SATURDAY. FOR THE MOST PART ANY INSTABILITY FRIDAY NIGHT  
INTO SATURDAY SHOULD MOSTLY REMAIN BOTTLED UP NEAR AND WEST OF THE  
JAMES RIVER. FAIRLY STABLE AIR TO THE EAST OF THIS AXIS OF  
INSTABILITY IN CENTRAL SD WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ANY STORMS TO  
PROPAGATE EASTWARD ON SATURDAY. BY SATURDAY NIGHT THIS UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH SHIFTS EAST ENOUGH TO ALLOW SOME INSTABILITY TO SPREAD INTO  
EASTERN SD WHICH SHOULD INCREASE THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS. WHILE OVERALL DEEPER LAYER SHEAR IS FAIRLY WEAK, THE  
LOWER LEVEL SHEAR DOES INDICATE SOME TURNING WITH 20 TO 30 KNOTS IN  
THE LOWEST 3 OR SO KM. THIS ON TOP OF THE POTENTIAL FOR 1500-2000  
J/KG CAPE MAINLY WEST OF I-29 MAY SUPPORT SOME ISOLATED SEVERE  
STORMS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A SOUTHEAST PROPAGATING MCS DURING THE  
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. SUNDAY CONTINUES THIS THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS WITH A FEW SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE. STILL A LOT OF  
QUESTION MARKS AS SOME MORNING ACTIVITY COULD BE IN PLACE WHICH  
COULD ALTER EXPECTATIONS. OTHERWISE, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ALL  
LOOK TO HAVE BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S AND  
LOWS IN THE 50S TO LOWER 60S.  
 
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL CONTINUES WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY  
AS UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL  
PLAINS WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE  
POTENTIAL FOR MULTIPLE SMALLER WAVES TO RIDE THROUGH.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 627 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2025  
 
LATEST OBSERVATIONS CONTINUE TO SHOW SMOKE ACROSS THE AREA WITH  
VISIBILITIES RANGING FROM VFR TO MVFR. A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS ARE ALSO  
PRESENT ALONG AND WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER THOUGH THESE SHOWERS ARE  
NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT ANY TAF SITES. SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST  
THROUGH THE ENTIRE TAF PERIOD THOUGH TOO UNCERTAIN TO INCLUDE MVFR  
VISIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE AT THIS TIME. WINDS THIS EVENING WILL  
REMAIN SOUTHEASTERLY AT 5-10 KNOTS. LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF I-29  
ARE EXPECTED TO SEE WINDS GO LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT. THIS IS  
ALSO THE SAME AREA WHERE PATCHY FOG IS POSSIBLE BY TOMORROW MORNING.  
HOWEVER, THIS POTENTIAL IS LOW (<=30%). WINDS WILL SLIGHTLY  
STRENGTHEN OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST TOMORROW MORNING WHILE LIGHT SHOWERS  
PUSH INTO AREAS WEST OF THE JAMES RIVER, INCLUDING NEAR KHON.  
SOUTHEAST WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS TOMORROW AFTERNOON  
AND REMAINING SMOKE WILL FINISH OUT THE TAF PERIOD.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...SAMET/08  
AVIATION...MEYERS  
 
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