Buck Hill Ski Area Snow Report

476 FXUS63 KDMX 240704 AFDDMX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 204 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Cloudy today with rain beginning in northwest Iowa this morning, then moving southeast through the day. - Showers and a few rumbles of thunder expand across Iowa on Friday and Saturday, tapering off on Sunday. Severe storms are not anticipated but pockets of heavier rain are possible. - Another strong system will arrive Tuesday next week. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... Issued at 204 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026 Cloud cover is increasing across Iowa early this morning with light showers west of the state across South Dakota and Nebraska. Zooming out for a wider view, the trough pushing across the northern plains early this morning is squashing the central US ridge and tilting it to the east. This has induced an elongated area of convergence for shower development with increasing moisture transport. This axis will gradually move into Iowa with showers reaching northwest Iowa later this morning and sinking southeast across the state through the day. There is very little instability available today, so while a rumble of thunder is possible severe weather is not expected. This convergent axis shifts across Iowa Friday with continued showers and isolated thunderstorms across the state throughout the day. PWAT values reach around 1.7-1.8" on Friday with warm cloud depths of 3500-4000m, allowing for more efficient rainfall. Even so, the lack of convective processes limited by meager instability will help to mitigate more widespread heavy rain. Amounts of 0.5-1.0" are expected through Friday evening, though rain continues on Saturday as the pattern moves very little. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 233 PM CDT Wed Sep 23 2026 Numerous waves of theta-e advection will occur into Friday with precipitation chances increasing further east into central Iowa as Lee side cyclogenesis occurs over eastern Colorado to Wyoming. The cyclogenesis will push additional moisture into Iowa and bring more widespread potential for showers and a few non-severe thunderstorms. PWAT values Friday night and Saturday will be over 1.5 inches over Iowa along with 850 mb dew points near 12C and warm cloud depths near 13 kft. These parameters will be favorable for warm rain processes and a efficient rain producing system. Deep convection will be lacking, which in this case, maximum rainfall rates are not expected. The deep layer moisture will diminish on Sunday but stratus may linger over parts of Iowa into early next week. A potent upper level system remains on track to impact Iowa Tuesday and Tuesday night. Locally heavy rainfall and perhaps a few strong storms will be possible. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1041 PM CDT Wed Sep 23 2026 VFR conditions are expected to continue throughout the morning, with cloud cover gradually increasing and ceilings lowering through the day. MVFR conditions become possible for most areas into the afternoon and especially into the evening from low ceilings. Otherwise, PROB30s are now introduced across all sites except KOTM, given an increased signal for light rain to spread across the forecast area in the afternoon to evening. Will continue to refine timing and probabilities with future forecast updates. Winds will generally remain out of the southeast, with daytime gusts occasionally reaching up to 15-20 knots, highest over northwest Iowa. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Hagenhoff LONG TERM...Donavon AVIATION...Bury