SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Dry skies can bring nice weather for early September. But the causes behind the nice weather will contribute to drought and fire concerns as we head into the weeks ahead.
The upper-air pattern features a very large ridge in the atmosphere. In September, this type of pattern is typically dry because our only chance of rain come with these Canadian low-pressure areas. They typically lack the moisture needed to produce widespread rain, so the result is a cool cycle followed by a return of a warmer weather cycle.
The warmer weather next week looks very significant. We already see several days of warmer-than-normal temperatures in the northern plains.
One reason for this weather pattern is a developing La Nina weather pattern. La Nina refers to the cooler-than-normal ocean temperatures near the equator off the coast of South America. This pattern links well with drier and warmer weather for September in the plains.
The drought in western KELOLAND will likely worsen in this outlook. More details on that story on Friday.
