Building Ridge Aloft
Sunday, October 18, 2026 · 10:36 PM
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Cool nights and mild days through the week. Highs mainly in the seventies, maybe some lower eighties late week. Dry pattern for the rest of the month with drought conditions worsening. Clean guitars ring into empty open air. Patches of river fog dissolve by daybreak. The night settles cool and clear. Surface high pressure sprawling across the state. Highs creeping well into the seventies. Late week touching eighty degrees. Relative humidity drops, the ground dries out. Fire danger mounting in the fallen leaves. Light winds whisper across the valley floor. No clouds in sight, no rain on the horizon. The pattern holds firm through the end of the month. Drought conditions worsening with every sunrise. Sprawling surface high pressure locks the atmosphere! Every afternoon warmer than the last! Drying out the leaves, setting fire to the grass! Building ridge aloft! Building ridge aloft! Building ridge aloft! BUILDING RIDGE ALOFT! BUILDING RIDGE ALOFT!
The forecast discussion
NEW SHORT TERM, LONG TERM
KEY MESSAGES
Updated at 1026 PM CDT Sun Oct 18 2026
- Cool nights and mild days through the week.
Highs mainly in the 70s, maybe some lower 80s late week.
- Dry pattern for the rest of the month with drought conditions worsening.
SHORT TERM
(Tonight through Tuesday Night) Issued at 1026 PM CDT Sun Oct 18 2026
Dry and seasonable conditions will stay in place.
Nights will be clear and cool and days will be sunny and mild.
Winds will remain light.
All of this will occur under sprawling surface high pressure with a gradually building ridge aloft.
There may be a few patches of fog along lakes and river in the late night - daybreak hours.
LONG TERM
(Wednesday through next Monday) Issued at 1026 PM CDT Sun Oct 18 2026
High temperatures will creep up well into the 70s late week, and a few spots may top 80. Nights will stay cool.
The air will remain quite dry and rain-free, so fire danger remains a concern as drought conditions worsen.