SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The spring severe weather season has been one of the busiest in years across KELOLAND. But the summer pattern will bring some important changes to the ways in which we get storms in the weeks ahead.
The patterns that deliver storms to KELOLAND change with the seasons, even though summer storms can often turn severe just as easily as spring storms.
For the past few weeks, most of our cycles of severe weather have reoccurred on a pattern featuring a strong trough in the Pacific Northwest, with a big clash in air masses across northern plains. These are the traditional talking points when it comes to severe weather.
In the coming weekend, the weather patterns are transitioning to a more typical summer mode. KELOLAND will still be prone to severe weather with an approaching cold front from the northwest, like the storms we forecast Friday evening. This pattern can repeat in July.
We also see a very strong monsoon flow into the southwestern part of the country from New Mexico into Colorado. Usually, the monsoon storms will plant seeds for new storms in the plains once the moisture feed exits the Rocky Mountains. This is the main wild card that will determine not only how many storms we get, but also how sustained the heat will be in the coming weeks.
Nocturnal or overnight storms become even more likely this time of year as we head into July, underscoring the importance of paying attention to the weather during this active severe weather season that continues.