266 FXUS63 KFSD 011203 AFDFSD AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR SOUTHEAST SD/SOUTHWEST MN/NORTHWEST IA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 603 AM CST WED FEB 1 2012 .AVIATION.../FOR THE 12Z TAF ISSUANCE/ OTHER THAN SOME PATCHY FOG IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA THROUGH ABOUT 14Z...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. /08 && .DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 355 AM CST/ TODAY AND TOMORROW CONTINUE TO LOOK FAIRLY WARM ACROSS THE REGION WITH 925 TEMPS IN THE 5 TO 6 DEGREES CELSIUS RANGE...AND AT LEAST SOME MIXING TO PROMOTE AFTERNOON TEMPS A TOUCH ABOVE ISOTHERMAL. LOWS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL BE MORE SIMILAR TO THOSE SEEN THIS MORNING WITH VERY LITTLE CLOUD COVER...THEN BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT...THE APPROACHING SYSTEM TO THE SOUTH BEGINS IMPACTING TEMPERATURES FOR THE FORECAST AREA. MODELS ARE SETTLING ON A SOLUTION FOR THE SURFACE LOW UP THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...TAKING A FAIRLY SOUTHERN TRACK THROUGH OKLAHOMA INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS. THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY STAY SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY WITH THE BEST UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS AND IMPRESSIVE INSTABILITY CONFINED TO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA THROUGH KANSAS...BUT HAVE INCLUDED A SLIGHT CHANCE OVER THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE AREA FOR UNCERTAINTY IN THE LOW TRACK AND A POTENTIAL FOR SOME OVERRUNNING NORTH OF THE 700 MB FRONT. ALTHOUGH 850 MB TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE ZERO MOST OF FRIDAY...MODELS INDICATE A DRY LAYER THROUGH THIS LAYER...AND PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY BRING THE BULK OF THE SOUNDING BELOW FREEZING...SUPPORTING MOSTLY SNOW. HOWEVER...NEAR SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL HOVER A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING MOST OF THE DAY...ALLOWING FOR SOME MELTING IN THE LOWEST LEVELS AND A POTENTIAL RAIN SNOW MIX. WITH WARM GROUND AND NEAR SURFACE TEMPERATURES...SNOW AMOUNTS ON FRIDAY SHOULD BE MINIMAL. AS THE SYSTEM PUSHES NORTH AND BEGINS TO DEEPEN ON FRIDAY NIGHT... PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND COOLER AIR WRAPPING IN TO THE NORTH WILL CHANGE THE PRECIPITATION TYPE TO SNOW THROUGHOUT THE AREA. ON SATURDAY...MODEL UNCERTAINTY EXPLODES AS THE GFS QUICKLY KICKS THE LOW OUT TO THE EAST...EC HANGS THE LOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS...AND GEM WAVERS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THE TWO SOLUTIONS. SATURDAY MORNING STILL LOOKS FAIRLY LIKELY FOR SNOWFALL ACROSS THE SOUTH...AND WITH THE BEST DYNAMICS IN THE EC AND GFS LIFTING INTO NORTHWEST IA...HAVE FOCUSED THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR THIS PERIOD. SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY...HAVE SLOWLY ALLOWED THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION TO DECREASE AS THE SURFACE LOW BROADENS AND UNCERTAINTY INCREASES. TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THIS SYSTEM SHOULD CUT OFF FAIRLY RAPIDLY SOMEWHERE NOT FAR FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND CURRENTLY HAVE NOMINAL ACCUMULATIONS NORTH OF A LINE FROM WAKEFIELD NEBRASKA TO STORM LAKE. BEYOND SUNDAY...TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO LOOK ABOVE NORMAL IN A QUIET WEATHER PATTERN. THE NEXT COLD PUSH SHOULD DROP INTO THE REGION ON TUESDAY...BUT DOES NOT LOOK VERY POTENT...ESPECIALLY IN THE GFS. AFTER SNOW TAPERS ON SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY...CONDITIONS SHOULD BE DRY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. /LAFLIN && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. NE...NONE. && $$