Dakota Storm Center: Monday's Weather Blog

9:00pm

Overview

There is a low pressure system north of the Great Lakes region and over Canada. A cold front is stretched south, through the Ohio River valley and into the Central Plains. A stationary front is over the Southeast U.S. A secondary low is developing on the lee side of the Rockies, north of Montana. Elsewhere, a broad ridge of high pressure is over the Northern plains and into the Midwest.
Tropical Storm Colin is over the Northeast Gulf of Mexico and expected to continue moving East & NE. This T.S. will make landfall over the Florida gulf coast. Then it will move through Georgia and the Carolinas before moving over the Atlantic Ocean. At this point, it does not look like the system will intensify to hurricane strength.

Discussion

Across the area today we have been seeing a mixture of sunshine & cloud cover with low rain chances to our East and light to moderate winds. Today, temps topped out near the seasonable average. They climbed to either side of 70 and ranged from 65 to 76. The warm spot on the map was Buffalo at 76 and the cool spot was Jamestown & Devils lake at 65. In Bismarck there was a high of 72 and a low of 54. In Dickinson, a high of 71 and a low of 41. Temperatures were near average for this time of the year.

Tonight & tomorrow, a low pressure system will continue to develop to our West & NW ,over Saskatchewan. This system will move through the Dakotas on Wednesday. During this time our ridge of high pressure (over our area) will briefly give way to the approaching warm front. This means that winds will pick up a little bit with increasing clouds and scattered rain is expected during the afternoon & evening hours. Not everyone will get wet, but in the wake of this system, temperatures across the state will continue to climb through the 80s and into the 90s by the end of the week. Wednesday's warm front is 1 of 2 systems that will move through our area with a chance for rain, during the next 7days. A second system will move through the region as we go into the weekend with another round of rain, possible.

Headlines include a few changes through our short term forecast. We will see in & out clouds until a warm front moves through the area. A continued warming trend is in the forecast. By the end of the work week, temps will top out in the 90s. Our next chance for rain is Wednesday as a weak warm front moves through the Dakotas.

Through the rest of tonight & Tuesday

We will see fair to partly cloudy skies with clearing as a few scattered showers to our East dry up. Temperatures will fall into the 40s and wind speeds will taper off. It will feel a little cool by Tuesday morning. Tomorrow, we will see expect plenty of sunshine with a few in & out clouds and temperatures climbing through a seasonable range, topping out slightly above average for this time of the year. Highs will be on either side of 80 with a light to moderate wind. It will be pleasantly warm across the area with a rain- free forecast.

7day planner

Across the Dakotas we started off the work week with a ridge of high pressure that remains anchored over the region. We saw plenty of sunshine and seasonable temperatures, across the area. A low pressure system will begin to develop over northern Montana. A warm front associated with this system will move over our area on Wednesday. This developing low and approaching warm front will bring rain chances and warmer temps into the forecast during the mid- week. Temps will climb into the 90s through the latter half of the work week and rain chances will return this weekend.

Tonight, expect mostly clear skies with temperatures falling into a cool range. Lows in the 40s with a North/SE wind 2-10mph.

Tuesday will bring plenty of sunshine with in & out clouds and temps ranging above average for this time of the year. Highs will be on either side of 80 with a South/SE wind 2-12mph.

Tuesday night, expect fair to partly cloudy skies with light winds. Lows in the 50s with a SE wind 2-12mph.

Wednesday will bring mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies with in & out cover. Scattered showers & a few thunderstorms will be possible as a warm front moves through the state. Highs in the 80s with a few 90s and a SE/South wind 5-15mph G20. 20% chance for rain.

Wednesday night will bring partly cloudy skies with in & out cover and a few lingering showers. Lows on either side of 60 with a South wind 10-20mph.