233
FXUS63 KDMX 250535
AFDDMX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
1235 AM CDT Thu Jun 25 2026

 ...Updated for the 06z Aviation Discussion...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A shower or storm possible over the far northeast this 
  afternoon and the far southwest tonight.

- More precipitation possible later Thursday night and Friday
  central and south.

- Hot and humid conditions arriving by Sunday and into next
  week. Heat index values over 100 expected.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
Issued at 234 PM CDT Wed Jun 24 2026

Short wave trough currently moving across Minnesota and Wisconsin 
along with a boundary extending from northwest Wisconsin and into 
central Iowa. A plume of higher dewpoints in the 60s has pooled 
ahead of the boundary and an axis of 1000+ J/kg MLCAPE had developed 
in this region. Sounding profiles show mostly narrow CAPE with the 
top of the CAPE region also aligned with an area with much strong 
flow aloft that could lead to shear overwhelming updrafts especially 
considering the main forcing mechanism is the sfc boundary. Note the 
stronger forcing is north and east associate with the upper short 
wave. There have been a few failed attempts at convective initiation 
(CI) south of Des Moines. Failed CI will likely be the case for most 
areas today remaining dry with a few instances of agitated cumulus 
outside the potential for a storm or two over the far northeast and 
closer to the greater forcing. Another area of storms is moving 
across northwest Nebraska and into southwest South Dakota. That 
activity should remain west of the area though there is a noted 
secondary instability axis that is across northern Missouri and 
could help sustain precipitation long enough to reach parts of 
southwest Iowa. This precipitation could linger over far southern 
Iowa Thursday morning, otherwise, dry conditions are expected the 
remainder of the day with partly to mostly cloudy skies with highs 
in the mid to upper 70s.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 234 PM CDT Wed Jun 24 2026

Theta-e advection will lift into Iowa Thursday night and Friday as 
an upper low pressure begins to descend from the Gulf of Alaska with 
troughing extending across the entire western CONUS. This will lead 
to 1000-500 mb height rises into Iowa and the push of theta-e 
advection northward. Showers and a few storms will be possible, 
mainly over central and southern Iowa. A more significant push of 
theta-e advection and of much warmer temperatures begins Saturday 
afternoon and night as the upper low further descends into the 
Pacific Northwest while a sub-tropical high begins to form over the 
Lower Mississippi Valley. Note, the location of the sub-tropical 
high has been trending west the past 48 hours, which would place 
Iowa in potentially an even warmer/drier solution. Still the 
potential for elevated convection as the theta-e advection and 
instability/low level jet pass through Iowa. A stout elevated mixed 
later should then develop leading to hot and humid conditions for 
Sunday and Monday. Highs in the 90s and heat index values over 100 
are expected. Still monitoring Tuesday/Wednesday as potential 
timeframe where the sub-tropical high flattens some as the western 
upper low moves northeast. This could lead MCS develop and track 
into parts of Iowa that may suppress the heat, at least across 
northern Iowa. A sneak peek beyond Wednesday does look like the sub-
tropical high becomes re-established even further north bringing 
back the heat, potential for the end of next week and into the 
Fourth of July weekend.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 1229 AM CDT Thu Jun 25 2026

Fairly quiet TAFs are in store as surface high pressure largely
dominates the period. A passing disturbance to the southwest
will bring increased clouds to KDSM and KOTM Thursday afternoon
but CIGS are expected to be around 10K ft. Also, afternoon 
cumulus is forecast to develop around 4K to 5K with increased 
winds from the northwest will impact the remaining TAF sites 
but when sunset arrives, winds will diminish to light and 
variable.



&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Donavon
LONG TERM...Donavon
AVIATION...Vorst