


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Des Moines, IA
Issued by NWS Des Moines, IA
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018 FXUS63 KDMX 161958 AFDDMX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 258 PM CDT Wed Jul 16 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Diminishing storm chances tonight overall, but some storms/locally heavy rain possible far south late tonight (~30-40% chance). Severe risk low. - Drier & cooler Thursday. - Multiple rounds of showers/storms this weekend with potential for heavy rain. Slight Risk (Level 2 of 4) ERO for Friday- Sunday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 228 PM CDT Wed Jul 16 2025 Surface low continues to push eastward early this afternoon into northeast Iowa/southwest Wisconsin with the associated surface cold front already largely through the area as of early afternoon. This has resulted in quite pleasant temperatures having already arrived in much of the area with temperatures in the 70s to low 80s. The lingering rain from the MCV this morning in the north/northeast has also largely diminished into early this afternoon with just a few showers or sprinkles remaining north central to northeast. With the location of the front and associated warm sector, storm chances for the afternoon and evening have pushed southward into Missouri and considerably diminished PoPs as a result. Some may see a brief shower or sprinkle still this afternoon, but otherwise a largely pleasant afternoon and evening are in store for much of the area. CAMs still suggest late evening shower/storm development along the elevated boundary which was forecast to be in southern Iowa with many of the evening/overnight runs but 12Z data has pushed this boundary further south as well keeping most of the precipitation chances right along to south of the IA/MO border as well. Although pwat values reach between 1.5-2" with favorable warm cloud depths and the corfidi vectors pointing in line with the boundary in southern Iowa, the LLJ is not particularly robust tonight nor in a favorable location, and instability values also wane through the evening hours. All this being said, there could be some locally heavy rain with any showers/storms that develop far south late tonight (after 10 pm), but given antecedent drier conditions, continuing maturing crops, and more capacity in southern Iowa, the hydro threat for the night has also diminished given forecasted rainfall amounts are largely all less than 1" with higher amounts into northern MO. Should some locally heavy rainfall occur north of the border, some localized ponding could occur, but overall the hydro and severe risk through the night are both low with any rain far south ending into early Thursday morning. Temperatures tonight and Thursday will both be cooler with lows tonight in the 50s to low 60s and highs on Thursday in the 70s. Similar temperatures are expected into Friday, though afternoon temperatures warm a bit more southwest into the low 80s as the surface high which moves in early Thursday pushes off to the east on Friday returning low to mid-level flow out of the south to southwest respectively allowing for the warming temperatures but also a stream of moisture off the Gulf which largely persists through the weekend. Multiple shortwaves will move through the region at times from later Friday through the weekend within the upper zonal flow to start the weekend before upper ridging develops into Sunday. This will bring the return of periodic shower and storm chances through the weekend though location and timing remain more uncertain with guidance not in good agreement. Overall, better rain/storm chances look to be overnight into early morning Friday night through Sunday night with some drying through the midday periods Saturday and Sunday. Will continue to evaluate the severe threat with time as guidance comes into better agreement but setup favors multiple rounds of heavy rain as noted in the WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlooks (EROs) for days 3-5 (Friday-Sunday). && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1241 PM CDT Wed Jul 16 2025 Lingering rain showers from the overnight activity continues to diminish early this afternoon in the northeast with the main aviation impacts from the lingering lower ceilings with a combination of VFR to MVFR CIGs prevailing at midday. A few IFR CIGs may occur at times as well, especially north to northeast, into this evening though extent of and timing of lower ceilings, especially north, remains a bit more uncertain and updates may be needed. Additional rain chances may impact KOTM late tonight into the early overnight but kept with prob30 group due to location uncertainty with activity potentially occurring south of the terminal. Widespread improvements expected into Thursday morning as VFR conditions return to all terminals. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...05 AVIATION...05