Current weather · Sep 30, 5:23 AM CDT

42.6500, -95.2120

66°

Patchy fogFeels like 66° · Humidity 100%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Sioux Falls, SD · grid 149,23
High
72°
Low
59°
Rain today
46%
Sunrise
7:17 AM
Sunset
7:04 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Wed 5 AMPatchy fog66°66°66°100%5%WSW0 mph8 mph97%2%—3 mi400 ft
Wed 6 AMPatchy fog66°66°66°100%6%WSW0 mph8 mph98%2%—2.7 mi300 ft
Wed 7 AMPatchy fog66°66°66°100%7%WSW0 mph7 mph100%2%—1.9 mi200 ft
Wed 8 AMPatchy fog66°66°66°100%6%W0 mph6 mph97%2%—1.3 mi200 ft
Wed 9 AMPatchy fog66°66°66°100%4%NW1 mph5 mph95%2%—1.1 mi200 ft
Wed 10 AMPatchy fog66°66°66°100%3%N2 mph3 mph95%1%—2.2 mi300 ft
Wed 11 AMPatchy fog67°67°67°100%4%N1 mph3 mph95%1%—4 mi500 ft
Wed 12 PM68°68°67°97%5%NE1 mph3 mph94%1%—7 mi700 ft
Wed 1 PM70°70°67°90%6%0.00 inNE1 mph3 mph94%1%—8 mi1,000 ft
Wed 2 PMChance of very light rain showers70°70°67°90%10%0.00 inSSE1 mph2 mph94%4%—8 mi1,300 ft
Wed 3 PMChance of very light rain showers70°70°67°90%14%0.00 inS1 mph2 mph95%6%—9 mi1,900 ft
Wed 4 PMSlight chance of light rain showers70°70°66°87%18%0.00 inE1 mph2 mph95%8%—8 mi2,200 ft
Wed 5 PMChance of light rain showers71°71°67°87%27%0.00 inE1 mph2 mph96%8%—8 mi2,400 ft
Wed 6 PMChance of light rain showers70°70°67°90%36%0.00 inENE1 mph2 mph96%8%—8 mi2,800 ft
Wed 7 PMChance of light rain showers68°68°66°93%46%0.01 inE1 mph2 mph96%4%—7 mi3,000 ft
Wed 8 PMChance of light rain showers67°67°66°97%46%0.01 inENE1 mph2 mph96%4%—7 mi3,000 ft
Wed 9 PMChance of light rain showers65°65°65°100%46%0.01 inENE1 mph2 mph96%4%—7 mi3,000 ft
Wed 10 PMChance of light rain showers64°64°64°100%46%0.01 inE1 mph3 mph96%3%—7 mi3,100 ft
Wed 11 PMChance of light rain showers64°64°64°100%42%0.01 inN1 mph3 mph94%3%—7 mi2,900 ft
Thu 12 AMChance of light rain showers64°64°64°100%38%0.01 inNNE1 mph3 mph92%3%—7 mi2,700 ft
Thu 1 AMChance of light rain showers63°63°63°100%34%0.01 inNNE2 mph3 mph90%12%—7 mi2,600 ft
Thu 2 AMChance of light rain showers63°63°63°100%29%0.01 inNE2 mph5 mph91%12%—7 mi3,500 ft
Thu 3 AMSlight chance of light rain showers63°63°63°100%23%0.01 inNE3 mph7 mph92%12%—7 mi5,200 ft
Thu 4 AMSlight chance of light rain showers63°63°62°97%17%0.01 inNNE5 mph8 mph93%4%—9 mi6,000 ft
Thu 5 AMChance of very light rain showers62°62°61°97%14%0.01 inNNE5 mph10 mph97%4%—9 mi7,800 ft
Thu 6 AMChance of very light rain showers61°61°60°97%11%0.01 inNNE6 mph12 mph94%4%—9 mi11,400 ft
Thu 7 AM61°61°59°93%7%NNE7 mph14 mph93%1%—10 mi13,200 ft
Thu 8 AM60°60°58°93%5%NNE8 mph15 mph92%1%—10 mi14,300 ft
Thu 9 AM59°59°58°96%2%NNE9 mph17 mph91%—10 mi16,400 ft
Thu 10 AM61°61°57°87%0%NNE10 mph18 mph87%—10 mi17,500 ft
Thu 11 AM61°61°56°84%0%NNE12 mph20 mph90%—10 mi9,600 ft
Thu 12 PM61°61°55°81%0%NNE12 mph20 mph91%—10 mi14,800 ft
Thu 1 PM61°61°54°78%0%NNE12 mph18 mph85%—10 mi17,400 ft
Thu 2 PM63°63°52°67%0%NNE12 mph18 mph71%——
Thu 3 PM61°61°51°70%0%NNE10 mph17 mph75%——
Thu 4 PM61°61°51°70%0%NNE9 mph16 mph85%——
Thu 5 PM61°61°50°67%0%N9 mph16 mph85%——
Thu 6 PM59°59°49°69%0%N7 mph13 mph61%——
Thu 7 PM57°57°48°72%0%N6 mph12 mph65%——
Thu 8 PM56°56°47°72%0%N6 mph10 mph95%——
Thu 9 PM55°55°46°72%0%N6 mph10 mph75%——
Thu 10 PM55°55°45°69%0%N6 mph10 mph55%——
Thu 11 PM54°54°44°69%0%N6 mph10 mph51%——
Fri 12 AM53°53°44°71%0%N5 mph10 mph48%——
Fri 1 AM52°52°43°71%0%N5 mph10 mph44%——
Fri 2 AM51°51°42°71%0%N5 mph10 mph38%——
Fri 3 AM50°48°42°74%0%N6 mph10 mph32%——
Fri 4 AM49°47°41°74%0%N6 mph10 mph26%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 30, 3:58 AM CDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 10, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 3072°59°Patchy Fog then Chance Rain Showers46%0.07 inwind 7 mph
  2. ThuOct 163°47°Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy38%0.04 inwind 12 mph · gusts 20 mph
  3. FriOct 262°48°Sunny0%wind 6 mph
  4. SatOct 364°49°Sunny4%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  5. SunOct 462°44°Sunny4%wind 6 mph
  6. MonOct 560°50°Sunny2%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  7. TueOct 665°54°Mostly Sunny4%wind 15 mph · gusts 24 mph
  8. WedOct 770°55°6%wind 7 mph · gusts 15 mph
  9. ThuOct 868°54°National Blend4%wind 3 mph
  10. FriOct 965°53°National Blend8%0.02 inwind 7 mph
  11. SatOct 10~64°49°Model mean
  12. SunOct 11~62°48°Model mean
  13. MonOct 12~63°44°Model mean0.02 in
  14. TueOct 13~56°45°Model mean
  15. WedOct 14~56°43°Model mean
  16. ThuOct 15~63°43°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like66°
  • WindCalmgusts 8 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity100%
  • Dew point66°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility3 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · not yet up
  • Moonrise9:03 PMMoonset 12:10 PM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous82% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 30, 1:00 AM CDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 3072°59°NWS grid 72° / 59°rain 46%thunder 14%0.04 inwind 3 mph
  2. ThuOct 163°47°NWS grid 63° / 47°rain 33%0.05 inwind 12 mph · gusts 20 mph
  3. FriOct 262°48°NWS grid 62° / 48°rain 1%wind 6 mph
  4. SatOct 364°50°NWS grid 64° / 49°rain 4%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  5. SunOct 462°45°NWS grid 62° / 44°rain 2%wind 6 mph
  6. MonOct 561°51°NWS grid 60° / 50°rain 2%wind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  7. TueOct 666°56°NWS grid 65° / 54°rain 6%thunder 12%wind 15 mph · gusts 24 mph
  8. WedOct 770°55°NWS grid 70° / 55°rain 5%wind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  9. ThuOct 868°54°Beyond the NWS gridrain 4%wind 3 mph
  10. FriOct 965°53°Beyond the NWS gridrain 8%0.02 inwind 7 mph
  11. SatOct 1066°—Beyond the NWS gridrain 7%wind 12 mph · gusts 18 mph
41°59°77°ThuFriSatSunMonTueWed

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 30, 1:00 AM CDT · GFS Sep 29, 7:00 PM CDT · GEFS Sep 29, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF Sep 29, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF AI Sep 29, 7:00 PM CDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

41°64°86°ThuFriSatSunMonTueWed

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 3072° 59°0.07 in72° 65°0.03 in72° 65°0.06 in73° 64°0.27 in73° 64°0.38 in~72° 65°0.33 in
Thu Oct 163° 47°0.04 in65° 49°0.18 in65° 55°65° 54°66° 55°0.56 in~66° 60°0.39 in
Fri Oct 262° 48°~48° 47°63° 49°62° 47°60° 48°~62° 46°
Sat Oct 364° 49°—69° 47°67° 47°67° 49°~67° 48°
Sun Oct 462° 44°—64° 48°66° 51°67° 51°~72° 51°
Mon Oct 560° 50°—62° 43°63° 47°64° 47°~70° 48°
Tue Oct 665° 54°—64° 48°0.07 in66° 50°0.05 in~72° 55°~78° 59°
Wed Oct 770° 55°—72° 55°71° 56°0.03 in~74° 58°~74° 55°
Thu Oct 8——71° 47°0.02 in71° 53°0.01 in~68° 49°~71° 47°
Fri Oct 9——53° 41°69° 52°~71° 57°~68° 41°
Sat Oct 10——~53° 36°—~73° 55°~66° 56°
Sun Oct 11——~60° 41°—~76° 63°~49° 38°
Mon Oct 12——~70° 49°—~66° 53°0.06 in~53° 29°
Tue Oct 13——~53° 47°—~51° 45°~64° 43°0.01 in
Wed Oct 14——~54° 37°—~39° 36°~58° 50°
Thu Oct 15——~63° 43°———

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Storm Lake (SLB) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Thu Oct 15, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean33%40%40%warmer 33% · Oct 202640% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normal

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 3068° / 44°91° (1997)20° (1935)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 763° / 39°90° (2010)17° (1964)40% chance above normal · days 8 to 1440% chance below normal · days 8 to 14
Oct 1460° / 40°89° (1975)13° (1937)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2156° / 37°87° (1927)12° (1930)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2851° / 30°86° (1937)2° (1925)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Nov 449° / 30°78° (2006)-1° (1991)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Nov 1144° / 27°76° (2012)-9° (1940)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Nov 1844° / 24°69° (1908)-11° (1937)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Nov 2536° / 19°69° (1960)-10° (1893)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Dec 234° / 16°66° (1998)-19° (1917)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Dec 932° / 14°61° (1939)-27° (1901)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Dec 1630° / 12°64° (2021)-25° (1989)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook
Dec 2330° / 14°54° (1936)-25° (1989)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decno outlook

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightVery goodhumid

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayFairhumid
  • HikingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • BikingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • GolftodayGoodchance of rain
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayFairfog
  • Beach and pooltodayFairovercast
  • CampingtonightVery goodchance of rain
  • StargazingtonightPoorovercast

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hFairfog
  • Drivingnext 24 hFairlow visibility

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • GardeningtodayVery goodchance of rain
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayPoorchance of rain
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayPoorchance of rain
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayVery highwarm
  • TickstodayVery highwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayHighhumid

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
WednesdayPoor8:38 PM to 5:44 AM0 of 9None79%9 h5 mph
ThursdayPoor8:36 PM to 5:45 AM0 of 9None70%6 mph
FridayFair8:34 PM to 5:47 AM5 of 92 h from 9:00 PM60%Fair3 mph
SaturdayFair8:32 PM to 5:48 AM5 of 9None49%Poor9 h5 mph
SundayGood8:30 PM to 5:49 AM10 of 105 h from 8:00 PM39%Poor4 h2 mph
MondayGood8:29 PM to 5:50 AM5 of 105 h from 8:00 PM29%Poor6 h10 mph
TuesdayPoor8:27 PM to 5:51 AM0 of 10None20%10 h8 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Wed6:49 AM to 7:00 AM7:00 AM to 7:55 AM6:26 PM to 7:21 PM7:21 PM to 7:32 PM
Thu6:50 AM to 7:01 AM7:01 AM to 7:56 AM6:25 PM to 7:19 PM7:19 PM to 7:30 PM
Fri6:51 AM to 7:02 AM7:02 AM to 7:57 AM6:23 PM to 7:17 PM7:17 PM to 7:28 PM
Sat6:52 AM to 7:03 AM7:03 AM to 7:58 AM6:21 PM to 7:16 PM7:16 PM to 7:27 PM
Sun6:53 AM to 7:04 AM7:04 AM to 7:59 AM6:19 PM to 7:14 PM7:14 PM to 7:25 PM
Mon6:54 AM to 7:05 AM7:05 AM to 8:00 AM6:17 PM to 7:12 PM7:12 PM to 7:23 PM
Tue6:56 AM to 7:06 AM7:06 AM to 8:02 AM6:16 PM to 7:11 PM7:11 PM to 7:21 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:17 AM, 93° E
  • SS Sunset 7:04 PM, 267° W
  • MR Moonrise 9:03 PM, 53° NE
  • MS Moonset 12:10 PM, 305° NW
  • Waning gibbous, 82% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: no-fly (low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)). Next good stretch: Wed 1 PM to 6 PM, 5 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:47 AM to sunrise 7:17 AM, and sunset 7:04 PM to 7:34 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Wed6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Fri12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Wed 5 AMNo-fly0085%3.1 miup to 0 ft66°low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 6 AMNo-fly0086%2.7 miup to 0 ft66°visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 7 AMNo-fly0077%1.9 miup to 0 ft66°visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Wed 8 AMNo-fly0066%1.3 miup to 0 ft66°visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51)
Wed 9 AMNo-fly1254%1.1 miup to 0 ft66°visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51)
Wed 10 AMNo-fly2343%2.2 miup to 0 ft66°visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51)
Wed 11 AMNo-fly1244%4.3 miup to 0 ft67°low cloud limits height (107.51)
Wed 12 PMCaution1245%7 miup to 200 ft68°low cloud limits height (107.51)
Wed 1 PMGood1246%8 mi400 ft70°nothing against it
Wed 2 PMGood12310%8 mi400 ft70°nothing against it
Wed 3 PMGood12314%9 mi400 ft70°nothing against it
Wed 4 PMGood12318%8 mi400 ft70°nothing against it
Wed 5 PMGood12327%8 mi400 ft71°nothing against it
Wed 6 PMCaution12336%8 mi400 ft70°chance of rain
Wed 7 PMCaution12346%7 mi400 ft68°chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 8 PMCaution12346%7 mi400 ft67°chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 9 PMCaution12346%7 mi400 ft65°chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 10 PMCaution12446%7 mi400 ft64°chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 11 PMCaution12442%7 mi400 ft64°chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 12 AMCaution12438%7 mi400 ft64°chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 1 AMCaution23434%7 mi400 ft63°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 2 AMCaution23629%7 mi400 ft63°thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 3 AMCaution35823%7 mi400 ft63°thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Thu 4 AMCaution571017%9 mi400 ft63°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Thu 6 PM to Fri 5 PM 23 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 12 AM to 3 AM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 10 AM to 12 PM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 4 PM to 8 PM 4 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 11 AM to 7 PM 8 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Mon 10 AM to 9 PM 11 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Wed 1 PM to 4 PM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
Wed6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Fri12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sat12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
WednesdayShowers possible46%0.07 in87%2 mph
ThursdayShowers possible5%0.04 in67%12 mph
FridayDry0%0.00 in50%5 mph6 d
SaturdayDry4%0.00 in65%10 mph5 d
SundayDry1%0.00 in56%6 mph4 d
MondayDry2%0.00 in67%7 mph3 d
TuesdayDry4%0.00 in81%15 mph2 d
WednesdayDry3%0.00 in73%5 mph1 d

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Thursday, rated fair.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Wed Poor3:10 AM to 5:10 AM3:39 PM to 5:39 PM11:40 AM to 12:40 PM8:33 PM to 9:33 PM 82%7:17 AM, 7:04 PM
Thu Fair4:10 AM to 6:10 AM4:41 PM to 6:41 PM12:54 PM to 1:54 PM9:26 PM to 10:26 PM 73%7:18 AM, 7:02 PM
Fri Fair5:12 AM to 7:12 AM5:44 PM to 7:44 PM1:59 PM to 2:59 PM10:30 PM to 11:30 PM 64%7:19 AM, 7:00 PM
Sat Fair6:15 AM to 8:15 AM6:45 PM to 8:45 PM2:52 PM to 3:52 PM 53%7:20 AM, 6:59 PM
Sun Fair7:15 AM to 9:15 AM7:43 PM to 9:43 PM11:44 PM to 12:44 AM3:34 PM to 4:34 PM 43%7:22 AM, 6:57 PM
Mon Fair8:11 AM to 10:11 AM8:37 PM to 10:37 PM1:00 AM to 2:00 AM4:06 PM to 5:06 PM 32%7:23 AM, 6:55 PM
Tue Poor9:02 AM to 11:02 AM9:27 PM to 11:27 PM2:17 AM to 3:17 AM4:33 PM to 5:33 PM 23%7:24 AM, 6:53 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. Overnight61° · 5% · 0 mph

    Patchy fog. Cloudy. Low around 61, with temperatures rising to around 66 overnight. Wind around 0 mph.

  2. Wednesday72° · 27% · 0 mph

    Patchy fog before noon, then a chance of rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 72. North northwest wind around 0 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

  3. Wednesday Night59° · 46% · NE 0–5 mph

    A chance of rain showers. Cloudy. Low around 59, with temperatures rising to around 62 overnight. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

  4. Thursday63° · 11% · NNE 5–10 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

  5. Thursday Night47° · N 5 mph

    Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. North wind around 5 mph.

  6. Friday62° · NE 0–5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 62. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph.

  7. Friday Night48° · 1% · SE 0–5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

  8. Saturday64° · 3% · S 5–10 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 64.

  9. Saturday Night49° · 4% · WNW 5 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

  10. Sunday62° · 2% · N 5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 62.

  11. Sunday Night44° · 1% · NE 0–5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 44.

  12. Monday60° · 2% · SE 0–5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 60.

  13. Monday Night50° · 2% · SSE 5–10 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

  14. Tuesday65° · 4% · S 10–15 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Sioux Falls, SD · issued Sep 30, 2:20 AM CDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

Dense fog is becoming more widespread, mainly east of Highway 281 so far, and a Dense Fog Advisory has been issued for most of southeast SD, and southwest MN along/west of the Buffalo Ridge through 10 AM. Visibility one quarter mile or less will be prevalent through the morning commute.

Additional showers will lift through the U.S. Highway-20 corridor in northwestern IA this afternoon/evening. Rainfall amounts mainly less than 0.25 inch are expected, but totals nearing 0.50 inch may push into far southern portions of Ida and possibly Woodbury Counties.

Drier conditions will temporarily return on Thursday and Friday with the potential for our next rain chances returning by Saturday.

Update

220 AM CDT Wed Sep 30 2026

As anticipated by previous shifts, clearing and light winds has allowed dense fog to develop through the southwest to central portions of the forecast area early this morning. Have issued a Dense Fog Advisory mainly east of Highway 281 for now, but satellite hints at potential need for expansion farther west and will continue to monitor.

As far as our rain chances over the next 24-30 hours, 30/00Z models continue to focus band of heavier rain south of our CWA as the remnant moisture from Hurricane Polo is drawn northward ahead of a strengthening upper low swinging east-northeast out of the Four Corners area tonight. We should see some increase in mid-level clouds across our southeast (south of Yankton SD to Spencer IA), but with the 850mb front projected to remain near to south of a Sioux City to Storm Lake line, northward push of more significant moisture will be limited by a dry low level northerly flow north of the boundary. This could result in our far southeast counties being near the northern edge of a very sharp rainfall gradient, with additional rainfall potentially ranging from only a tenth or two near Sioux City to Storm Lake, to an inch or more only a county or two south. With relatively good run-to-run consistency in this southern solution over the past 24-30 hours of model runs, confidence has increased that this system no longer poses a risk of flooding in northwest Iowa, and the Flood Watch has been cancelled.

Discussion

238 PM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

Regional radar as of 29.1930Z shows the majority of warm advective rain showers have moved into areas south of U.S. Hwy 18 across southeast SD and northwest IA. These showers will continue to move eastward into the late afternoon/early evening with most areas drying out by 00Z. That said, some CAMs show scattered convective activity re-developing along a trailing surface boundary/front late this afternoon and evening mainly along and south of a Yankton to Sioux Falls to Windom line. Area soundings show some weak instability, so will keep chance POPs/isolated thunder into the evening across far southeast SD into northwest IA. Any lingering activity will diminish overnight, although clouds will be slow to move out. Some clearing across southeast SD will allow lows to drop into the low to mid 50s, whereas temperatures will bottom out closer to 60 degrees for areas under cloud cover across northwest IA.

In addition, will need to watch for fog overnight. Given weak near surface flow and ample boundary layer moisture from rain today, could see rapid fog development if the broader cloud shield dissipates or moves far enough east.

For Wednesday, a strong Four Corners closed low will begin to eject east-northeastward, and with it will be remnant moisture from Hurricane Polo. This is a very wet system for late September with NAEFS PWATS above the 99th percentile. However, our southernmost forecast area will be on the northern periphery of the highest moisture as the surface low moves across the Central Plains and the stationary front sets up across NE/IA. 00/06Z model runs last night and now the 12Z suite this morning have trended south with the highest QPF. There is likely to be a sharp gradient in rainfall, ranging from amounts less than an inch to higher than 2-3 inches. Areas north of U.S. Hwy 18 will likely remain dry all day. Current trends suggest our forecast area will be on the lower end, but given some lingering concern about a late model shift north, will keep current Flood Watch in place and adjust as needed on later shifts. Otherwise, Wednesday will be warm and mostly cloudy with high temperatures in the low to mid 70s.

Some lingering showers are possible Thursday across northwest IA, but the majority of the area will be dry with much needed dry conditions continuing into Friday as surface high pressure moves across the region. A cold frontal passage Wednesday night will also usher in cooler air, keeping high temperatures Thurs/Fri mainly in the 60s. As long as skies remain mostly clear, overnight lows will dip into the mid to upper 40s.

Another weak wave moves through northwest flow aloft on Saturday, bringing a 20-40 percent chance of showers to areas mainly north of I-90. Synoptic 500 hPa flow begins to diverge between the major models Sunday into early next week, but the consensus now is for dry conditions with seasonable early October temperatures.

Aviation · 06Z TAFs Through 06Z Thursday

1215 AM CDT Wed Sep 30 2026

Mainly VFR conditions with occasional IFR to LIFR vsbys are expected this TAF period. Taking a look at satellite imagery, we continue to clear from west to east this evening with a few spotty patches of fog developing. Expect fog development to become more widespread after 06z as winds continue to decouple and the inversion sets in. IFR to LIFR vsbys will then persist across the area through about 15z-16z (10am-11am) before gradually eroding with diurnal heating. Otherwise, light and variable winds will persist for the rest of the TAF period. Lastly, a few VFR showers will be possible near KSUX towards the end of the TAF period. With this in mind, decided to add a PROB30 for light rain through 06z.

FSD Watches / Warnings / Advisories

SD...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for SDZ039-040- 050-054>056-059>071. MN...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for MNZ071-080- 089-097-098. IA...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for IAZ001. NE...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for NEZ013.

Hazardous weather outlook Sep 30, 4:41 AM CDT

The office’s own seven-day heads-up for spotters and emergency managers.

FLUS43 KFSD 300941
HWOFSD

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
441 AM CDT Wed Sep 30 2026

IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097-
098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-010945-
Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-
Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson-
Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory-
Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson-McCook-
Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Bon Homme-Yankton-
Union-
441 AM CDT Wed Sep 30 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Iowa, west central 
Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, central South 
Dakota, east central South Dakota, south central South Dakota and 
southeast South Dakota.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Dense fog will impact the morning commute across most of southeast
South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa and northeast
Nebraska. Plan on an earlier departure and use extra caution at 
intersections, railroad crossings, and school bus stops. The fog is 
expected to improve by 9 to 10 AM CDT this morning. 

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

$$

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Wed Sep 30General Thunderstorms Risk
  2. Day 2 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  3. Day 3 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Mon Oct 5No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Tue Oct 6No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Wed Oct 7No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Wed Sep 300.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Thu Oct 1Under 0.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Fri Oct 2Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 3–Oct 4Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 5–Oct 6Under 0.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Flash flood risk

  1. Day 1 · Wed Sep 30Marginal
  2. Day 2 · Thu Oct 1Below marginal
  3. Day 3 · Fri Oct 2Below marginal
  4. Day 4 · Sat Oct 3Below marginal
  5. Day 5 · Sun Oct 4Below marginal

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature40% chance above normalOct 5–Oct 9
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 5–Oct 9
  3. Days 8–14 · Temperature40% chance above normalOct 7–Oct 13
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 7–Oct 13

Drought

  1. Drought MonitorNo drought
  2. Outlook for Sep 2026Drought persists

Drought in this county: the map, the record since 2000 and the outlook

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Storm Lake

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around April 25 and the first fall freeze around October 13: a growing season of about 170 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by October 1; one spring in ten still has one after May 7.

Climate of 42.65, -95.21: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 25 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementWedThuFriSatSunMonTueWed
Wet bulb globe temperature max70°64°58°62°59°58°63°68°
Heat index max71°
Wind chill min45°46°47°44°
Chance of thunder max12%12%0%4%4%2%4%6%
Cloud ceiling min200 ft2,600 ft
Visibility min1.1 mi7 mi
Mixing height max2,000 ft2,400 ft3,600 ft500 ft
Transport wind max12 mph18 mph15 mph12 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Storm Lake (SLB) · 3.9 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Wed Sep 3072° / 59°71° / 46°89° (2023)26° (1939)
Thu Oct 163° / 47°72° / 47°89° (2023)27° (1961)
Fri Oct 262° / 48°69° / 45°90° (1953)23° (1974)
Sat Oct 364° / 49°68° / 44°91° (1997)26° (1974)
Sun Oct 462° / 44°67° / 43°89° (1938)20° (1935)
Mon Oct 560° / 50°65° / 42°89° (1947)26° (2012)
Tue Oct 665° / 54°66° / 44°90° (1963)23° (2012)
Wed Oct 770° / 55°65° / 44°89° (1963)21° (2000)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Wed6:49 AM7:17 AM7:04 PM7:32 PM11 h 47 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:50 AM7:18 AM7:02 PM7:30 PM11 h 44 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:51 AM7:19 AM7:00 PM7:28 PM11 h 41 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat6:52 AM7:20 AM6:59 PM7:27 PM11 h 39 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun6:53 AM7:22 AM6:57 PM7:25 PM11 h 35 min Last quarter · 43% lit
Mon6:54 AM7:23 AM6:55 PM7:23 PM11 h 32 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue6:56 AM7:24 AM6:53 PM7:21 PM11 h 29 min Waning crescent · 23% lit
Wed6:57 AM7:25 AM6:52 PM7:20 PM11 h 27 min Waning crescent · 15% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from