578 FXUS63 KDMX 172347 AFDDMXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 647 PM CDT Wed Sep 17 2025
...Updated for the 00z Aviation Discussion...
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Scattered showers and storms this afternoon through tonight. A few stronger storms may produce hail or gusty winds. Pockets of heavy rain are possible but widespread flooding is not expected.
- Scattered showers and storm chances continue for the next several days. It will not be a washout with rain the entire period, but scattered storms will be possible each day.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 208 PM CDT Wed Sep 17 2025
Widespread scattered thunderstorms have persisted across the area with the surface low to the west slowly easing east. An axis of instability in the form of 1000-1500 J/kg of MLCAPE has developed from central to southern Iowa where clearing earlier in the day allowed for quick heating. Along this axis the thunderstorms are more robust with periodic stronger cores. Even so, shear is quite weak at 15-20 kts or less, limiting more robust and persistent storm development. As such the severe threat remains low today, however a few stronger cores may produce hail or gusty winds as those cores collapse. While a few stronger cores have had pixels of 60-65dbz, this has generally been shallow and short-lived today. These may have produced brief hail, however no reports have been received so far. A few of these stronger cores have produced gusty winds with isolated gusts of 30-40 mph observed so far.
Aloft, the upper level cutoff low will remain across the area for the next several days (through Friday and into the weekend) with continued chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms. As we saw yesterday and have seen so far today, activity is more widespread than CAMs would have us believe and expect that this trend will continue until the low finally lifts out of the area early next week and the pattern changes. The environment remains the same through the end of the week and weekend, so pulsey storms producing hail or gusty winds will remain possible while widespread storms are less likely. With little flow, storm motions are fairly slow. These slow moving storms are efficient rain producers in an environment with deep warm cloud layers of 3500+ m and PWATs over 1.5". After several fairly dry weeks, flood concerns are low at this time. While convection remains scattered, pockets of heavy rain with some of the stronger cores may produce areas of ponding. Any potential for flash flooding would come from stronger cells setting up in town where drainage is slower.
Another upper level cutoff low drops across the area early next week, pushing the current one out of the area. Differences remain with regards to timing and placement of this low, lending towards uncertainty in precipitation chances into early next week.
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.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 647 PM CDT Wed Sep 17 2025
Scattered showers and storms are expected to continue across portions of central into southern Iowa this evening, with main short term impacts affecting KDSM, KOTM, and KALO. Beyond the evening activity, there is a low chance for additional showers and storms Thursday, with chances overall low to have enough confidence to include at any one site at this time, though chances look to be higher near the end of the current TAF period. Will update as needed as trends continue to become more clear. There is also a low signal for fog, mainly over parts of northern Iowa overnight, so will have to monitor this over the next several hours.
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.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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DISCUSSION...Hagenhoff AVIATION...Bury
NWS DMX Office Area Forecast Discussion