Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Des Moines, IA

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777 FXUS63 KDMX 050458 AFDDMX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1158 PM CDT Sat May 4 2024 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion... .KEY MESSAGES... - Winds becoming light overnight with the threat of low lying fog. - Strong to potentially severe storms on Monday evening into early Tuesday. Locally heavy rainfall also a possibility. - Unsettled weather persist for much of the work week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 239 PM CDT Sat May 4 2024 Extensive clouds field across the forecast area this afternoon in the wake of the system which passed through central Iowa this morning. However, the threat of any rainfall has ended with the passage of the boundary with decent cold advection on the backside. Surface ridging approaches from the west tonight with winds backing off considerably this evening as skies clear allowing the decoupling of the winds. As surface ridge arrives overnight, winds become light and variable with the potential for some ground fog given the recent moist conditions across the state and have included patchy fog in the forecast for portions of the area although locally dense fog would not be surprising. Relatively quiet and pleasant conditions are expected into Sunday as the surface ridging slides east of the state with sunshine returning. Warm advection intensifies on Sunday night into Monday in response to a vigorous shortwave passing through the Rockies. This draws moisture northward into the state during the day on Monday into Monday evening ahead of the increasingly negatively tilted shortwave. Convection is likely to develop ahead of the surface trof within the instability axis in Nebraska southward into Texas. This convection slides eastward during the evening and enters into Iowa. The convective system is fed by a strong 40-50kt low level jet into the evening and overnight. Main question is how far east it will be able to travel before exhausting the narrowing instability axis across Iowa. There is sufficient bulk shear of over 40kts and somewhat robust SRH to support the system and some severe weather seems likely in the west. However, the CAPE profiles become skinnier to the east which is likely to limit the eastward extent of the severe weather. Some moderate to locally heavy rainfall may also occur given the strong moisture transport into the state. The upper low trudges across the northern Plains into the middle of the week before another shortwave ejects across Iowa on Wednesday. This keeps unsettled weather in and around the state through the middle of the week with a continued threat for rainfall along with seasonably mild conditions. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/...
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Issued at 1157 PM CDT Sat May 4 2024 Main change is the decrease confidence in fog for sites overnight. Have removed fog mentions for all but KFOD. Patchy fog cannot be ruled out given clear skies and calm winds. Otherwise, VFR with light winds becoming easterly during the daylight hours.
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&& .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Cogil AVIATION...Jimenez