486  
FXUS63 KFSD 300210  
AFDFSD  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD  
910 PM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS INCREASE THURSDAY MORNING,  
CONTINUING THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY. SOME STORMS MAY  
BE STRONG TO SEVERE LATE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT WITH  
STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH AND HEAVY RAIN THE MAIN THREATS.  
 
- OVERALL BENEFICIAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH  
FRIDAY MORNING, WITH A 60-90% PROBABILITY OF AT LEAST 0.50  
INCHES AND A 30- 70% CHANCE OF AT LEAST AN INCH FOR THE AREA.  
THIS RAINFALL COULD HOWEVER LEAD TO ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING IN  
URBAN AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS, SO BE SURE TO REMAIN WEATHER  
AWARE.  
 
- DRY CONDITIONS AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES RETURN FOR THE  
WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 908 PM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
 
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE  
THIS EVENING. THESE STORMS WILL PUSH EASTWARDS THROUGH THE REST OF  
THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO AN  
INCREASINGLY STABLE AIRMASS CHARACTERIZED BY DRY AIR IN THE MID  
LEVELS WHICH WILL RESULT IN WEAKENING THE STORMS. THUS, NO SEVERE  
STORMS ARE EXPECTED BUT A WEAK STORM TO SHOWER IS POSSIBLE AROUND  
AND JUST AFTER DAYBREAK TOMORROW MORNING IN LOCATIONS WEST OF THE  
JAMES RIVER.  
 
DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE CLOUD DEBRIS LASTS FROM THESE MORNING  
SHOWERS ON THURSDAY, IT COULD KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES A BIT COOLER IF  
THESE CLOUDS STICK AROUND LONG ENOUGH. THERE IS ALSO A SIGN FROM  
SOME OF THE MODELS THAT LOW LEVEL STRATUS COULD DEVELOP ACROSS PARTS  
OF NEBRASKA AND PUSH INTO THE AREA TOMORROW MORNING AS WELL.  
HOWEVER, THE MODELS ARE SOMEWHAT CONSISTENT IN SHOWING CLEARING  
SKIES OR AT LEAST BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER WEST OF I-29 TO ALLOW  
FOR SUFFICIENT DESTABILIZATION TO TAKE PLACE. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN,  
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL WARM TO THE 80S ACROSS THE AREA WITH MOIST  
DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 60S AND 70S. WITH MOIST NEUTRAL LAPSE RATES  
IN PLACE, NO CAPPING WILL BE PRESENT. AS SUFFICIENT SURFACE HEATING  
IS REACHED, A MID LEVEL WAVE WILL BE PUSHING INTO THE AREA, ALLOWING  
FOR POTENTIALLY MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION TO DEVELOP ALONG AN  
INVERTED TROUGH/WEAK SURFACE LOW. WITH THE MID LEVEL LOW OVER THE  
FORECAST AREA, VERTICAL SHEAR VALUES WILL BE MITIGATED. AS OF NOW,  
ONLY, LOOKING AT DEEP LAYER SHEAR VALUES ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 25 TO  
30 KNOTS. STILL SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO ALLOW SOME STORMS TO BECOME  
STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS TO 65 MPH VIA WATER LOADED  
DOWNDRAFTS. SOME BETTER STORM ORGANIZATION IS POSSIBLE AS MOST OF  
THE HI-RES MODELS HAVE STORMS GROWING INTO A LINE DURING THE EARLY  
EVENING HOURS. THIS LINE MAY HAVE THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING  
WINDS. HEAVY RAINFALL REMAINS ON THE TABLE AS WELL AS PRECIPITABLE  
WATER (PWAT) VALUES REMAIN IN THE 99TH PERCENTILE OF CLIMATOLOGY.  
THUS FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ESPECIALLY IF  
THEY TRAIN OVER AN INDIVIDUAL LOCATION OR PASS THROUGH URBAN AREAS.  
WHILE THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR FLASH FLOODING AND STRONG TO SEVERE  
STORMS WILL BE WANING HEADING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, COULD STILL  
SEE WEAKER STORMS PERSIST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT TIMEFRAME. LATEST  
GUIDANCE IS SHOWING A POTENTIAL WRAP AROUND/TROWAL LIKE  
PRECIPITATION SHIELD TO DEVELOP ON FRIDAY AND PERSIST ACROSS  
LOCATIONS MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-29 THROUGH THE DAY ON FRIDAY  
BEFORE EXITING THE AREA FRIDAY EVENING. ALL THIS TO SAY THAT  
RAINFALL AMOUNTS REMAIN ON TRACK BETWEEN A HALF AN INCH TO UP TO  
ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. LOCALLY HIGHER  
AMOUNTS UP TO AND EXCEEDING 4 INCHES REMAINS POSSIBLE IN THE  
HEAVIEST STORMS AS WELL. ALTHOUGH DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSIST ACROSS  
THE AREA, THIS HEAVIER RAINFALL CAN STILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING  
CONCERNS SO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECAST FOR THE MOST UP  
TO DATE INFORMATION.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 241 PM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
 
LINES OF CUMULUS CLOUDS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE  
MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. WITHOUT MUCH UPPER LEVEL  
SUPPORT TO GET STORMS GOING, WE WILL NEED TO RELY ON SPOTS  
REACHING CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES TO GET STORMS TO INITIATE.  
ACCORDING TO SOUNDINGS, THIS WILL BE AROUND 95 DEGREES OR SO.  
CHANCES FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT WITH THIS IS LOW, BUT EITHER WAY  
SEVERE WEATHER IS UNLIKELY GIVEN WEAK MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND  
WEAK SHEAR. HOWEVER, CAN'T RULE OUT A WIND GUST UP TO 55 MPH IN  
ANY COLLAPSING THUNDERSTORM IF THEY EVEN DEVELOP IN OUR AREA IN  
THE FIRST PLACE. OTHERWISE ANOTHER VERY WARM AND HUMID  
AFTERNOON CONTINUES, WITH HEAT INDICES PUSHING 100 DEGREES AT  
TIMES ESPECIALLY WEST OF I-29 INTO THE SIOUX CITY METRO.  
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THESE 100 DEGREE HEAT INDICES WILL BE TOO  
WIDESPREAD AND DEW POINTS DO LOOK TO DROP OFF A BIT MORE THROUGH  
THE AFTERNOON, SO DID CONTINUE TO HOLD OFF ON ANY HEAT  
HEADLINES. HOWEVER, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO BE HYDRATED AND TAKE  
SOME BREAKS WHEN WORKING OR PLAYING OUTDOORS THIS AFTERNOON!  
 
SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA WILL BE KNOCKING ON  
SOUTH-CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA'S DOOR BY DAYBREAK THURSDAY;  
HOWEVER, THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY BE WEAKENING AS IT MOVES INTO  
THE AREA. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AS  
AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA AND WILL LIKELY HAVE  
ENOUGH WITH IT TO BREAK THE CAP IN THE FAIRLY WEAKLY CAPPED  
ENVIRONMENT. THIS MORNING ACTIVITY IS UNLIKELY TO BE SEVERE AND  
SHOULD HELP LIMIT FULL DESTABILIZATION FROM OCCURRING BEFORE  
ANY AFTERNOON/EVENING ACTIVITY DEVELOPS. HOWEVER, WE WILL STILL  
LIKELY SEE A LINE OF STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP IN THE  
AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD  
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS ASSOCIATED WITH A COOL  
FRONT. 65 MPH WINDS AND QUARTER SIZED HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN  
THREAT WITH THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING ACTIVITY.  
 
THERE IS AN ALTERNATE, BUT LESS LIKELY SCENARIO WHERE WE DON'T  
GET MUCH IF ANY RAINFALL DURING THE THURSDAY MORNING TIME FRAME  
DUE TO A STRONGER THAN EXPECTED CAP, ALLOWING FOR MORE  
DESTABILIZATION TO OCCUR. IN THIS SCENARIO, LIKE SHOWN IN THE  
29.12Z HRRR, A STRONGER LINE/MCS WOULD DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON  
AND EVENING AND BRING WIND GUSTS POTENTIALLY UP TO AROUND 65  
MPH. TRENDS WILL BE MONITORED, SO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE  
LATEST FORECAST. A SECONDARY WAVE AND AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL  
CLOSE OFF NEAR THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY  
MORNING, LIKELY KEEPING GENERAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
CONTINUING INTO THE NIGHT. THIS WILL ALSO LEAD TO SOME FLASH  
FLOODING CONCERNS THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE NIGHT. WET GROUNDS  
FROM MORNING SHOWERS/STORMS WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONGER  
AFTERNOON STORMS AND OVERNIGHT STORMS TO LEAD TO SOME FLASH  
FLOODING CONCERNS MAINLY IN URBAN AREAS THAT SEE MULTIPLE  
THUNDERSTORMS. RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY  
FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE AROUND A HALF AN INCH TO 1.5", BUT  
LOCALIZED AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 4+ INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. MAKE  
SURE TO STAY WEATHER AWARE AND KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST  
FORECAST!  
 
AFTER THIS NEXT STORM SYSTEM PASSES, AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD  
INTO THE AREA AND HELP TO KEEP US DRY. AND WITH NORTHERLY FLOW IN  
PLACE, HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL BE A LOT MORE  
PLEASANT WITH SOME AREAS ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY HAVING HIGHS STAYING  
ONLY IN THE 70S! SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS AGAIN BY SUNDAY, SO WE  
SHOULD START TO SEE ANOTHER WARM UP, THOUGH WE SHOULD STAY BELOW  
HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA EVEN AS HIGHS WARM BACK UP TO THE MIDDLE 80S  
TO LOWER 90S. THE NEXT APPRECIABLE RAIN CHANCES WILL RETURN MONDAY  
NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. IT LOOKS LIKE  
THERE MAY BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY AND SHEAR FOR AT LEAST SOME SEVERE  
THREAT, BUT UNCERTAINTY REMAINS HIGH AT THIS TIME.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 625 PM CDT WED JUL 29 2026  
 
LATEST SATELLITE SHOWS A DIURNALLY DRIVEN CU FIELD ACROSS THE  
MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY EARLY THIS EVENING. AM NOT EXPECTING ANY NEW  
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA SO SHOULD SEE THE CU FIELD  
DISSIPATE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WESTERN  
PART OF THE STATE WILL SLOWLY PUSH EASTWARDS THROUGH THE EVENING AND  
OVERNIGHT HOURS WHILE ON A WEAKENING TREND. THERE REMAINS  
UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL SURVIVE ALL THE WAY TO  
THE AREA SO HAVE LEFT OUT ANY CHANCE FOR RAIN IN ALL TAFS. A FEW  
MODELS SUGGEST THAT LOW LEVEL STRATUS COULD DEVELOP ACROSS TOMORROW  
MORNING. HOWEVER, THIS HAS A LOW PROBABILITY (~20%) OF OCCURRING SO  
HAVE ALSO LEFT OUT OF ALL TAFS. WILL MONITOR TRENDS THROUGH THE REST  
OF THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS.  
 
ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IS EXPECTED TOMORROW AFTERNOON.  
STORMS LOOK TO DEVELOP WEST OF I-29 DURING THE AFTERNOON TIMEFRAME.  
THESE STORMS WILL BE PUSHING EASTWARDS TO END THE PERIOD.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...MEYERS  
DISCUSSION...SAMET  
AVIATION...MEYERS  
 
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