textproduct: Bismarck

KEY MESSAGES

- Another cool night overnight, then warming trend through Thursday.

- Little to no rain through this week.

- Low to medium rain chances in the beginning of next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 150 PM CDT Tue Aug 4 2026

Currently northwest flow over the Northern Plains is present as apart of a large cyclonic system in south central Canada. This cyclonic flow has brought much cooler temperatures to the region and has allowed diurnal cumulus to form. This has also kept the wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest to stay out of North Dakota, and instead flow to the south. For tonight we bump down the NBM lows about 4 degrees as last night we dropped well below the NBM forecast.

Through the rest of this week, a ridge that is currently over the Pacific Northwest will slowly move east. A thermal ridge built into the ridge will aid in warming temperatures back into the low 90s, mainly southwest and south central, by Thursday. Heading into the weekend that ridge will flatten and push the much the warmer temperatures in the thermal ridge south of the state. Highs over the weekend will then be steady in the 70s to 80s. Fire weather concerns continue to increase, mainly in the southwest half of the state, with warm temperatures and relative humidities 15 to 20 percent, along with drying grasses. A cold front will also pass through Thursday, leading to breezy northwest winds.

Early next week there will be a low to medium chance of rain starting Sunday night with a small wave in the cyclonic flow in southern Canada. That cyclonic flow looks to stick around next week and regulate our temperatures around average or slightly below (low 80s).

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1215 PM CDT Tue Aug 4 2026

VFR through the period with daytime cumulus this afternoon and winds gusting to 25kts from the northwest. Winds will then calm overnight.

BIS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.