textproduct: Aberdeen

KEY MESSAGES

- Gusty northwest winds behind a departing cold front this morning will gust between 35-50 mph before diminishing this afternoon. A Wind Advisory remains posted for most of central SD through late morning.

- A 20-60 percent chance for rain will be possible this morning mainly across parts of northeast SD into west central MN. The rain will taper off from west to east late this morning into the afternoon.

- Rain chances will become more widespread Sunday through Tuesday. Probabilities of seeing a half inch or more range from 30-60 percent across north central SD to 60-90 percent from south central SD into northeast SD and west central MN.

UPDATE

Issued at 611 AM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Updated discussion for the 12Z TAFs below.

UPDATE Issued at 531 AM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Added Faulk, Hyde, Hand, and Buffalo counties to the ongoing Wind Advisory, valid until 10am. Obs around the area have gusted to 45 mph, with potential gusts to 50 mph for the next few hours until the strongest CAA, associated right behind the cold front, continues to track east and weaken.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 345 AM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Weather conditions across the forecast area early this morning have featured isolated showers and a few thunderstorms ahead of a cold front that has pushed into central SD. Gusty northwest winds have developed behind this front across central and western SD where observed gusts have reached 45-50 mph in some locations. Cooler and drier air has already begun to filter into central sections of the state where temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s have taken hold while our eastern zones are still holding onto the 60s.

The cold front will continue to shift east across our eastern forecast area and is progged to clear our CWA by mid to late morning. Guidance progs an increase in shower activity post fropa across our eastern zones this morning into the first half of the afternoon before tapering off. The strongest winds gusts are still expected to set up west of the James Valley where speeds will range between 40-50 mph through about late morning. Wind speeds are then expected to gradually diminish this afternoon. A Wind Advisory will remain posted for most of central SD until 15Z. High pressure will slowly build into the area from the northwest this afternoon into tonight. Parts of central SD will have a better chance of seeing some clearing as a result. A much cooler, more seasonal air mass will take over today with daytime temperatures in the 50s to low 60s. Tonight will feature some scattered clearing early, otherwise clouds will persist or thicken overnight and despite this overnight lows are expected to fall into the low to mid 30s.

Southwest flow is progged to remain the dominant upper flow pattern across the Northern Plains this weekend through the middle of next week. We will see a brief lull in rain chances tonight into Sunday morning. An upper trough is progged to kick northeast into our region late this weekend through Monday as an more broad upper low tracks into the Pacific Northwest. Lead shortwave energy shifting into SD on Sunday will kick off rain chances across southern SD. With the sfc high poised to our north and northeast, a drier fetch of air in the lower levels should effectively keep most of the rain out of our northern and eastern zones most of the daytime hours on Sunday. Once the main shortwave trough axis lifts overhead Sunday night through the first half of Tuesday, more widespread rain chances expand north and east. Rainfall probabilities of at least a half inch or more are fairly high across our southern and eastern zones where they range between 60-90 percent. Farther to the north and west(north central SD), probabilities of these amounts range between 30-60 percent. Temperatures will actually be near to below normal through the early portion of next week with daytime highs struggling to reach 50 degrees on Monday into Tuesday. Overnight lows will be near or just below the freezing mark. This could lead to the potential for some wet snowflakes to mix in with the rain across north central SD Monday into Monday night.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 611 AM CDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Terminals KABR,KATY,KPIR,KMBG

The cold front currently extends over northeastern SD through east central SD with locations behind the front in northwest flow (with KATY winds still out of the south ahead of the front). Per steeper pressure gradients and strong cold air advection behind the front, winds will continue to be gusty this morning ranging from 35 to 50kts across central SD and 20-35kts over northeastern SD. As the front continues to track east, winds will diminish west to east across the region later on this morning through the afternoon with winds calming tonight as high pressure moves in. Isolated to scattered elevated rain showers continue across the region with prob30 mentions mainly at KATY through the morning as rain will continue to move in from the southwest. Otherwise, VFR cigs are forecast through the TAF period.

ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

SD...Wind Advisory until 10 AM CDT /9 AM MDT/ this morning for SDZ003>005-009-010-015>017-033>037-045-048-051. MN...None.