Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Des Moines, IA

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815 FXUS63 KDMX 210757 AFDDMX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 257 AM CDT Sat Sep 21 2024 .KEY MESSAGES...
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- Warm and humid today with storms early and again afternoon/evening - Marginal Severe Risk today - Lingering showers/storms southeast half tomorrow/Monday - Pleasant and Mainly Dry Remainder of Week
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&& .DISCUSSION...
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Issued at 257 AM CDT Sat Sep 21 2024 .Short Term /Today through Sunday/... Confidence: Medium to High Though most of the details through tomorrow seem well defined, highs today may pose a few challenges due to cloud cover. Subjective 03z surface map shows elongated trough/areas of low pressure extending from South Dakota north to Northern North Dakota with cool front connecting the two lows and a stronger cold front trailing the northern low. Two areas of warm air advection/warm fronts extend from the two systems this morning. A warm front over northern MN has developed an area of showers and storms from west central MN to northern MN while another weak warm front developing over Iowa has developed an area of mid level warm air advection showers over northern Iowa at 0630z, which may expand somewhat this morning through 12-14z in the far northeast. Have added some showers/iso thunder due to expanding area of mid level clouds on nighttime microphysics image. The southern low over South Dakota is pulling a ribbon of 60 to 70F dew points into Kansas at this time and already initiating some scattered showers/iso storms over southeast Nebraska and northwest MO. This area is anticipated to expand and track northeast into southern/southeast Iowa by 12-13z and continue to track northeast into the late morning hours. This should be mainly south of I80 this morning. As we move into the afternoon hours, the approaching cool front will eventually have a decent airmass to tap into for storm development. Sometime between 18z and 20z, initiation will take place along and behind the boundary. HIRES models are in generally good agreement with scattered storms initially, then filling in toward the I35 corridor between 21 and 22z with a line from near Atlantic to Charles City. Though sufficient CAPE over 2000 J/kg and ECAPE over 1500 J/kg is forecast this afternoon, 0 to 6 km BWD is running about 30kt during the afternoon hours ahead of the boundary. Organization will likely not be significant, though some linear organization is expected with time. The main threats will be some wind or hail as the LCLs are forecast to be near 4500 feet or higher. Though there is no real concern of any hydro issues today, along the approaching boundary this afternoon we briefly reach efficient rainfall criteria with warm cloud depths of 13kft and PWATs of 1.5 to 2.0 inches. This will continue as the line of showers and storms drifts southeast into the evening. With mean storm motion of 20 to 25kt, rainfall totals may exceed 1 to 1.5 inches at some locations. As the boundary sags south into the evening hours, another weak ripple may enhance some of the showers and storms over the south with rainfall continuing into day Sunday; especially over the southeast. Highs today will be warm and will range from the lower 80s north to the mid to upper 80s south. Tonight will turn much cooler, as breezy northwest winds usher in more fall like air into the region. Temps will range from the lower 50s northwest to the lower 60s in the southeast. Highs tomorrow will be especially cool over the southeast half where showers will continue; ranging from the lower to mid 60s there to the mid to upper 60s in the far northwest. This will be some 20 to 25 degrees cooler than today. .Long Term /Sunday Night through Friday/... Confidence: Medium to High There is generally good agreement with the exodus of the system to the southeast by Monday, though some timing differences persist between the deterministic and ensemble solutions. The ensembles are holding onto a precipitation chance a bit longer on Monday, but otherwise any lingering precipitation will be light. A lot will depend on whether an apparent southern stream system can strengthen in Missouri Sunday night. If it does, this would extend the light showers south into Monday afternoon. Regardless of some uncertainty early in the extended, the bulk of the week will feature a broad area of high pressure expanding across the Great Lakes south into the mid Mississippi River Valley through late week. Our extended blend has brought back some slight rain chances beginning Thursday night and extending into Friday. There seems to be little support in either the 00z deterministic or ensemble guidance for any precipitation by late week. We will likely revisit those rain chances as we near the end of the extended forecast over the next few days. Otherwise, temperatures will gradually warm from the 60s Monday to the lower 70s Tuesday and then remain in the mid 70s through Thursday with dry and pleasant conditions.
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&& .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1150 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 VFR conditions to prevail over the next 6 hours. Low confidence rain at KOTM after sunrise, but will be short lived. Showers and thunderstorms will form along a cold front after 18z, highest confidence near KMCW and KALO. Isolated severe winds possible with storms in the daytime hours. Storms will fill in southward after sunset, reaching KOTM after 06z. Have added in SHRA mentions to reflect timing confidence. Rain will persist well into Sunday across the southern half of the state. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...REV AVIATION...Jimenez