textproduct: Sioux Falls

KEY MESSAGES

- Slightly cooler weather for the weekend. Today will remain dry with moderate rain chances (40-70%) returning to portions of the area Sunday through Sunday night. Rainfall amounts could exceed a tenth to a quarter of an inch.

- Additional chances for rain, and potentially strong to severe thunderstorms (5-15%), are possible through next week, though details are uncertain. Continue to check the latest forecast for the most up to date information.

UPDATE

Issued at 420 AM CDT Sat Aug 22 2026

A quiet night continues and thunderstorms have remained south of the forecast area as anticipated. Light winds and optimized radiational cooling have allowed for shallow/patchy fog development in portions of northwest Iowa. Will monitor trends, but at this time, do not expect any headlines will be needed.

Today should be a pleasant day with abundant sunshine. While there may still be a slight haze from smoke aloft, models show lower concentrations working into the area through the day.

Daytime rain/storm chances for Sunday remain focused mainly west of the James River Valley, with increased chances expanding east through the evening into Monday morning. SPC has maintained a Level 1 of 5 risk for severe storms in areas west of I-29 for this activity, with isolated damaging winds/large hail possible. However, model soundings would also indicate a potential for locally heavier rainfall with moistening profiles leading to precipitable water approaching 2 inches.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 139 PM CDT Fri Aug 21 2026

Quiet conditions persist this afternoon as temperatures have warmed to the 70s and 80s across the area. Quiet conditions are expected to continue for the rest of the day as the cold front has fully pushed through the area. This will keep storm chances south and west of the forecast area. Can't rule out the low possibility (less than 20%) of a shower or weak storm passing along and south of the Missouri River this afternoon, evening, and potentially into the overnight hours. Should this occur, the chance for a severe storm is low. Surface ridging will begin to slide into the forecast area tonight, resulting in light and variable winds with lows falling to the upper 50s to low 60s. Patchy fog is again on the table but with drier air in place, think that any fog that does develop will once again be tied to a few river valley's.

Saturday begins the weekend on the quiet side as high pressure pushes through the Northern Plains. High temperatures will be a bit cooler in the upper 70s to low to mid 80s, with a continuation of light northerly winds. This will make for a wonderful Saturday, perfect for outdoor activities! Rain chances will increase late Saturday night through Sunday as a weak shortwave trough rounds the top of a building upper level ridge. This will result in increasing chances for rain across the area for the day on Sunday. Cloud cover with the associated chances for rain will keep high temperatures a bit cooler in the upper 70s to low 80s. While some showers are possible during the morning timeframe, the highest chances for rain will come Sunday evening and night as the main shortwave pushes through the area. The ensembles show a broad 40-70% chance for rainfall totals to exceed a tenth of an inch. Soundings show some elevated instability in place so thunderstorms are possible, though severe storms are not expected at this time due to weak shear profiles. With non-severe storms on the table, rainfall amounts could be locally higher depending on how storms track.

An active pattern continues aloft for next week. Medium range guidance shows shortwave troughs continuing to push through the Northern Plains within the northwest flow regime. This will lead to chances for rain almost every day next week. However, the ensembles show a large variance in rainfall probabilities due to the differences in these upper level features. Latest machine learning (ML) guidance does show low probabilities (5-15%) for severe weather throughout the week. Details for severe weather remains uncertain so continue to check the forecast for the most up to date information. Aside from rain and storm chances, high temperatures look to remain in the upper 70s and 80s.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 540 AM CDT Sat Aug 22 2026

Patchy early morning fog, mainly in northwest Iowa, will locally reduce visibility to IFR levels early in the period. Otherwise, VFR conditions and light north winds generally at or below 12kt through sunset. Winds become light and variable tonight with VFR conditions expected to dominate across the area.

FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None.