Skies are partly to mostly sunny across KELOLAND, but wind dominates the weather. Brisk south winds are pushing temperature readings. Temperatures are moving through the 70s into the lower 80s, slightly warmer than normal for mid-September.

Tonight skies will be mostly clear, but a south wind will hold temperatures into the low to mid 60s.

Tomorrow will be an active day of weather. Sioux Falls and SE KELOLAND will be ahead of an incoming front, so temperatures will soar into the upper 80s, with increasing humidity. Dew points will climb into the 60s. Winds will be strong. The cold front will push through northern and western South Dakota, so winds will switch to the northwest and then to the north. That will set up thunderstorms as the front pushes through SE KELOLAND.

Thursday evening and night, that incoming front may produce strong or severe thunderstorms in Sioux Falls and SE KELOLAND. The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded the area to a slight risk of severe weather. The expectation is for isolated or scattered thunderstorms, producing damaging winds and hail. There could also be some pockets of heavy rainfall during the evening and nighttime hours.

After the thunderstorms end Friday morning, it will be a cooler day with highs only in the low70s, a bit below average.

The weekend still looks great. Sunny and warm. Saturday’s highs will be in the low to mid 80s East River, and the upper 80s to low 90s West River. Sunday will also be warm, with most locations reaching the 80s.

Monday will be breezy, but temperatures will remain in the 80s. Another front will produce thunderstorms on Tuesday, and these might be strong thunderstorms. We’ll have to wait and see about that.

But we will see a rather abrupt chance in temperatures beginning on Wednesday, which is also the first day of Autumn. Highs will be cooler than normal, in the 60s to around 70. And the cool air will hang around. We expect see a lot of daytime highs in the 60s through the following weekend (September 25-26).