Sunrise 5:41 AM   Sunset 8:51 PM Moonrise 2:10 AM   Moonset 6:20 PM

  Print   HELP   Reset   Save   Recall  News

FXUS63 KDMX 030833 AFDDMX

Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 333 AM CDT Wed Jul 3 2024

KEY MESSAGES

- Break from wet and stormy weather today - More spotty showers/storms Thursday through Monday with a marginal severe threat Thursday afternoon.
- Heavier rainfall possible over far northern Iowa, but remainder of area not expected to be significant.
- Holiday activities may be impacted from time to time with the most challenges tomorrow north of US20.

DISCUSSION
Issued at 332 AM CDT Wed Jul 3 2024

Short Term /Today through Thursday/

Confidence Short Term: Medium to High

05z subjective sfc analysis shows a weak low over south central with another weak low over southeast Wisconsin. The main boundary and upper level support has been progressively moving east tonight, taking the heavy rainfall and severe threat away from the region. In its wake is a rather rain cooled airmass with significant boundary layer moisture. Patchy fog, dense at times, can be expected through the early morning hours; especially in valley areas. Today would be a great day to celebrate the holiday, as tomorrow will not be quite as nice. A weak wind shift will pass through the region early this morning, then weak high pressure fills in for the balance of the day. With ample heating, some fair weather cu and mild afternoon highs can be expected. Highs today reach the lower to mid 80s north and the mid to upper 80s in the south. Clouds will be on the increase this evening, ahead of the next system. Disorganized low pressure over the southwest will deepen by this afternoon in the lee of the Rockies as a northern stream short wave approaches. This will begin to draw the deeper moisture back into the Western Plains late today and tonight. A combination of return warm air advection west and a warm front into northern Missouri will spread areas of storms north with time, reaching the Iowa borders nearer 12z tomorrow.
Tomorrow the main trough will track into Iowa and slowly edge east northeast through 00z. This will bring increasing shower and thunderstorm coverage during the morning into early afternoon, with another round late afternoon and early evening mainly east of I35.
With current timing, areas along and west of I35 and south of US20 may dry enough by mid evening to keep holiday activities intact during the evening. North of US20 may not have the same benefit as the main upper level system will bring a longer period of showers and storms to the north tomorrow during the afternoon and evening.
Wet conditions may last into the night as the heavier showers diminish late evening. Tomorrow we are outlooked for a marginal risk of severe weather during the afternoon over the area. A fairly strong mid level jet max will cross the area from 18 to 00z with H500 to H300 winds of 50 to 80kts. This will lead to BWD of 50kts over most of the region in the afternoon. Some organization of storms is anticipated with a small risk of all modes tomorrow. PWATs will not revisit the high levels we have seen today and yesterday, but by mid to late afternoon an unwelcomed 1.5 to 1.75 ribbon will accompany the afternoon boundary crossing the region. Warm cloud depths tomorrow will reach about 10kft which will help warm rain processes, but not reach the insane levels seen Tuesday afternoon.
The 18z run of the GFS showed near 16.5kft in the afternoon along the boundary that dropped between 5 and 6 inches of rain in our area. Summing all this up for tomorrow, we may end up with areas of a half inch to 1.5 inches of rainfall, all unneeded, with the heavier totals closer to the Iowa Minnesota border and areas north.
Another area of a half inch to inch may fall along the Iowa Missouri border during the period. Lows tonight will be mild again in the lower 60s north to the mid to upper 60s south. Highs tomorrow will struggle with the clouds and showers, but should top out in the mid 70s north to the lower 80s south.

Long Term /Thursday Night through Tuesday/

Confidence: Medium

With the upper level low closing off over southeast MN late Thursday, clouds and some showers continue north Thursday night.
More typical of spring, this low will swing a secondary trough southeast into Iowa Friday, keeping showers/iso storms and cooler temperatures on the way. Predominantly, the upper level flow will remain from the west northwest through the end of the period. This will keep our area in some clouds into the weekend, but some sun is expected on Saturday. As another trough takes aim at the area Saturday night and Sunday, more showers and storms are expected.
Without going into much detail, we are likely to be looking at more showers and scattered storms Monday into Tuesday as weak waves track southeast from the Northern Plains into Iowa via the northwest flow.
And with ample moisture around, it doesnt take much more than a weak wave to trigger some showers and storms; such is 2024. There will be little change in day to day highs from Friday through Tuesday. We will be range bound from the upper 70s to lower 80s with lows in the lower to mid 60s region wide.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
Issued at 1149 PM CDT Tue Jul 2 2024

Some occasional shower and thunderstorm chances remain in the far southeast near KOTM with potentially a brief shower at the site over the next few hours. As the system departs, still expecting a few hours of ceiling and visibility reductions at KOTM and KALO, with both MVFR and IFR conditions possible through the morning.

After the clouds depart, the main impacts to aviation will be brief periods of visibility reductions due to ground fog.
Confidence is low in if or when these would impact sites, so will watch trends and try to update TAFs accordingly. Otherwise, quiet weather day tomorrow with VFR conditions prevailing after sunrise.

HYDROLOGY
Issued at 332 AM CDT Wed Jul 3 2024

With additional rainfall Thursday into Friday over northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, a continued slowing of the fall rate of some of the rivers can be expected in the West Des Moines basin. Farther east, in the Cedar River Basin, we are expected to see a brief uptick at Mason City and Shell Rock today to near minor or just above minor flood stage due to yesterdays rainfall. At Cedar Falls, a rise to near moderate stage and at Waterloo, a rise to minor is expected both this weekend. The remainder of the river basins are expected to see only in bank rises to near or above action stage.

Downstream at Saylorville, water will continue to raise the pool height with the current forecast expected to reach to near 882 ft by around July 10th. This is based on current water in the system and additional rainfall may alter that forecast.

While we have had a long, two days in terms of locally heavy rainfall and areas of flash flooding, today and tonight will provide a much needed but brief stretch of dry weather. Tomorrows forecast precipitation, though unneeded, should not bring much concern for localized flooding. If a quick 1 to 2 inches of rain fell later tonight or Friday in the Cass County east to Mahaska County corridor or in the far south near Wayne and Appanoose Counties, there would be a small risk due to lower flash flood guidance tonight. At this time the forecast risk of that much rain falling in an hour or two is very low. We will continue to monitor the evolution of any mesoscale convective systems that track near Iowa in the next 72 hours, but at this time there is no immediate concern.

DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
None.

Full Color Weather Map

Link to Loop


Other links: GEOS-West     Contential US     Full GOES-East

Des Moines, IA,