401
FXUS63 KFSD 041718
AFDFSD
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
1218 PM CDT SAT APR 4 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW AND WINDS GUSTING 30 TO 40 MPH WILL
PRODUCE PERIODS OF LOW VISIBILITY IN PATCHY BLOWING SNOW
TODAY, MAINLY NORTH OF I-90. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS
BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 1 PM WEST OF I-29 AND 4 PM ALONG/EAST OF
I-29.
- ROLLER COASTER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
WITH SPOTTY CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
UPDATE
ISSUED AT 514 AM CDT SAT APR 4 2026
NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT, BUT DID HAVE SOME
REPORTS OF DRIZZLE/FREEZING DRIZZLE. EXPECT SNOW COVERAGE TO
INCREASE AS WE APPROACH DAYBREAK AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO
SLIDE EAST AND THE WRAP-AROUND SNOW CURRENTLY IN CENTRAL SD
SHIFTS INTO EAST-CENTRAL TO NORTHEAST SD. MODELS CONTINUE TO
SHOW MARGINAL POTENTIAL FOR SNOW-SQUALLS, THOUGH DOESN'T SEEM
LIKE AN OPTIMAL SET-UP.
NEVERTHELESS, CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT WE WILL SEE AN
INCREASE IN WINDS AS MORNING PROGRESSES WITH A PERIOD OF GUSTS
30-40 MPH COINCIDING WITH THE AREA OF LIGHT SNOW. ALTHOUGH SNOW
TOTALS WILL LIKELY REMAIN ON THE LIGHT SIDE, PERHAPS AN INCH ON
THE HIGH SIDE TOWARD HIGHWAY 14, THE COMBINATION OF FALLING SNOW
AND GUSTY WINDS COULD PRODUCE DIFFICULT TRAVEL AT TIMES DUE TO
PATCHY BLOWING SNOW AND RAPIDLY CHANGING VISIBILITY. FOR THIS
REASON, OPTED TO EXTEND THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY INTO THE
EARLY-MID AFTERNOON TODAY FOR MOST AREAS NORTH OF I-90.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 127 PM CDT FRI APR 3 2026
FOR THE MOST PART TEMPERATURES HAVE CLIMBED ABOVE FREEZING
EVERYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON, BUT WILL COOL BACK TO AROUND OR BELOW
FREEZING AGAIN, ESPECIALLY LATER TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-
90. PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL CONTINUES INTO TONIGHT, WITH THE BETTER
CHANCES NORTH OF I-90. MODEL SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE DRY SLOT
KEEPING MOST PRECIPITATION AT BAY OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. PERIODIC
SATURATION IN THE DGZ NORTH OF I-90 SHOULD LEAD TO OCCASIONAL LIGHT
SNOW BUT WITH A WARM GROUND AND TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO 30
ACCUMULATION MIGHT BE DIFFICULT. WHILE THERE WILL BE A BIT OF A
BREAK THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING PRECIPITATION WILL
REDEVELOP. SOME OF THE BETTER WRAP AROUND POTENTIAL COMES LATER
TONIGHT AS THE WAVE IS EXITING AND WILL SEE IF AN INCH OR TWO COULD
ACCUMULATE NEAR HIGHWAY 14. NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-90 THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT THE MAIN PRECIPITATION THREAT WILL BE DRIZZLE, MAYBE
PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AS THE LOW LEVELS REMAIN FULLY
SATURATED.
AS THE WAVE EXITS LATE TONIGHT, DEEPER MIXING AND A STRENGTHENING
NORTHWEST PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESULT IN SURFACE WIND GUSTS OF 35
TO 40 MPH ON SATURDAY. SOME VERY WEAK INSTABILITY IN THE MIXED LAYER
COULD RESULT IN SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WITH THE BETTER CHANCES NEAR
AND NORTH OF I-90 AND EAST OF THE JAMES RIVER FROM LATE MORNING INTO
MID AFTERNOON. SOUTH OF I-90 SATURATION IN THE DGZ IS JUST NOT THERE
SO THOSE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD BECOME MUCH MORE ISOLATED.
THE MAIN CONCERNS WOULD BE A QUICK DROP IN VISIBILITY THAT WOULD BE
FAIRLY SHORT LIVED.
A WEAK MOISTURE STARVED WAVE WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ON SATURDAY NIGHT
AND FOR NOW DOES NOT LOOK TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION TO
THE AREA. A SLIGHTLY STRONGER WAVE WILL MOVE BY TO THE NORTH ON
SUNDAY AND COULD BRING A LITTLE LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO THE MARSHALL
MN AREA BUT IMPACTS WILL BE MINOR.
A BIT OF A RECOVERY IN TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY AS THIS WAVE PASSES
BUT COLD ADVECTION BY LATE AFTERNOON WILL BRING A BREEZY NORTHWEST
WINDS TO THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING.
ANOTHER WAVE WILL BRING A BIGGER WARM UP ON WEDNESDAY ALONG WITH A
CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS. HIGHS WEDNESDAY WILL BE IN THE 60S.
THE GENERAL TREND FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY WILL BE FOR WESTERLY FLOW
ALOFT TO TURN A BIT MORE SOUTHWEST AS A TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES. SOME COOLER AIR WILL BE LOCKED IN PLACE BOTH
DAYS SO FOR NOW HIGHS SHOULD BE BELOW NORMAL. BROAD WARM ADVECTION
MAY BRING SOME RAIN AND SNOW TO THE AREA, SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE
ON.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/
ISSUED AT 1217 PM CDT SAT APR 4 2026
WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE TO VFR
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. PATCHY IFR CONDITIONS IN
LIGHT SNOW WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHWEST MN INTO MID
AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE NORTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST TO 30 TO 40 MPH
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, DECREASING AFTER SUNSET.
FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
SD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
SDZ040-056.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
SDZ038-039-052>055.
MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
MNZ071-072-080-097.
IA...NONE.
NE...NONE.
UPDATE...JH
DISCUSSION...08
AVIATION...08
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