Our main focus continues to be the potential for snow later this week. Our latest forecast models have cut the moisture a bit, however, snow is still likely Wednesday night and Thursday into Friday. More on the possibility of winter weather in a moment…

We still have a couple of nice, mild days to look forward to. Today will be mostly sunny with high temps ranging from the 40s in Sioux Falls and across central South Dakota to the upper 30s in the north. Wind will be fairly light. Tomorrow will be slightly cooler and a bit breezy but still well above average for this time of year.

Our overall weather pattern will change significantly Wednesday night into Thursday. A powerful system will bring a brief shot of rain and freezing drizzle Wednesday night. That will quickly change to snow and continue Thursday into Friday morning. As of right now, I think the area of most significant impact will be southeastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. Snowfall amounts will be lighter across central and northern South Dakota. It’s too early to get specific with snowfall amounts, but there will likely be some accumulation… At least a couple of inches, possibly more in some places. In addition to the snow, wind will create areas of blowing snow at times on Thursday into Thursday night.

Behind the system, bitterly cold arctic air will pour into our region. By Christmas Day, lows will drop into the single digits either side of zero with highs ranging from the single digits in Sioux Falls and Aberdeen to the teens across central South Dakota.