National Weather Service Des Moines IA
328 AM CDT Fri Mar 13 2026

…POTENTIAL WINTER STORM PRODUCING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT…

A potentially significant winter storm will impact parts of the Upper Midwest this weekend, mainly from Saturday night through Sunday night, with lingering impacts due to blowing snow through Monday morning. A swath of heavy snowfall and strong winds may result in blizzard conditions and significant impacts during this time. There is still some uncertainty in how far south into Iowa the heaviest snowfall may occur, but the most likely areas to see the higher snowfall amounts is over northern Iowa, though blizzard conditions with lesser snow as far south as along the I-80 corridor
is possible.

Area Counties: Sac-Carroll-Guthrie and Dallas–

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

* WHAT…Accumulating snow and blizzard conditions are possible. Total snow accumulations up to 3 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. Gusty winds
could bring down tree branches.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

Today: Sunny to partly sunny & windy, with a high near 47. NW winds 20-40 mph decreasing to 10-20 mph in the afternoon. **Wind Advisory until 7-a.m.**
Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/a 20% chance of snow after 11pm. A low around 30. Winds N @ 5-10 becoming easterly.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny with a high near 56. E/SE winds 10-25 mph.
Tom. Night: Rain likely, mainly after 1am. A low around 33. E/SE winds 15-25 mph.
Sunday: Rain before 1pm, then snow. Windy. High near 50. .
Sunday Night: Snow, mainly before 7pm. Windy & cold. Low around 5.
Monday: Sunny & windy, with a high near 21.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 62. The Low was 21. Last year on this date (March 13th), the High in Atlantic was 78 & the Low was 29. The Record High was 79 in 2012, & the Record Low was -11 in 1948 & 1975. Sunrise: 7:367; Sunset: 7:24.

Cass-Adair-Madison-Adams-Union-Taylor-Ringgold Counties….

…A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM TODAY ( FRIDAY, 3/12/26).

* WHAT…Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts to near 50 mph, turning to west northwest overnight.

A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4-A.M. TODAY for Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont-Page Counties, for West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

* IMPACTS…Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 4-A.M. TODAY for Monona-Harrison-and Shelby Counties, and until 7-a.m. today for Sac-Calhoun-Webster-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Boone-Audubon- Guthrie-Dallas Counties.

Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 65 mph can be expected. Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Some power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI-TV] — Iowa saw its first tornadoes of 2026 Tuesday night. That’s according to National Weather Service damage surveys conducted Wednesday. NWS data shows two tornadoes formed from a severe storm in Lee County in far southeast Iowa. Both twisters have been rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

The first tornado touched down at 9:05 PM Tuesday just southwest of Donnellson. That’s about 10 miles west of Fort Madison. This tornado lasted just three minutes and traveled a mile and a half, damaging trees and some outbuildings, with peak winds estimated at 100 mph. The second tornado formed about 20 minutes later near a county park east of Donnellson. This tornado traveled two miles with winds of 90 mph. It mostly damaged trees and the exterior of a house.

Iowa’s first tornadoes of 2025 also occurred in the first half of March. Last year began with a brief tornado east of Iowa City near the town of Wilton on March 14. A total of 32 tornadoes eventually struck Iowa in 2025, down significantly from 2024 and below average

Today: Mostly sunny & windy. A high near 61. S/SW winds 5-15 mph increasing to 20 mph this morning gusting to near 40 this afternoon. **RED FLAG WARNING from Noon until 9-p.m. for critical fire weather conditions. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy & windy w/a 20% chance of rain. Low around 32. S/SW winds @ 25-35 mph becoming NW overnight & gusting to near 50 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy & windy. A high near 48. NW winds 15-35 mph.
Tom. Night: A 30% chance of snow, mainly after midnight. Low around 30. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.
Sat. Night: A 70% chance of showers & possibly a thunderstorm. A low around 30.
Sunday: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 1pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. Windy. A High near 41.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy & windy, with a low around 6.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 43. The Low was 21. We received .2″ of snow over the past 24-hours (ending at 7-a.m. today). Last year on this date (March 12th), the High in Atlantic was 71 & the Low was 24. The Record High was 74 in 1938, & the Record Low was -21 in 1998. Sunrise: 7:37; Sunset: 7:23.

(Radio Iowa) – Many areas of the state got a quick taste of snow this (Wednesday) morning, and now the forecast is calling heavy winds to blow in. National Weather Service Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says the snow accumulations were around an inch in most areas. “The most remarkable thing really was how quickly it fell and then disappeared. We went through kind of a six hour period where we went from no snow to an inch of snow and back to no snow again,” she says.

Hagenhoff says whatever moisture we got from the snow is going to soon be blown away. “We’re looking at wind gusts between 35 to 45 mile per hour during the daytime on Thursday,” she says. “And we actually have a red flag warning out for those winds along with dry conditions. And so we’re worried about any burning that could happen tomorrow.” Hagenhoff says the winds will have some staying power Thursday.

As we move later in the day, we’re actually expecting winds to continue to increase and switch direction. And so overnight, they’ll transition to out of the northwest and increase. We’re expecting wind gusts from 50 to 60 mph possible late Thursday night through Friday morning,” Hagenhoff says. It might seem like the snow that came and melted would keep things from being dry, but she says the winds are going to take care of the moisture left behind.

“The wind as it starts to increase kind of through this evening and gradually increase into the day on Friday or on Thursday should be able to dry out those fuels pretty quickly,” she says. “We’re also looking at the relative humidity on Thursday is going to be between 20 to 30 So very low across the area, which will help to dry out fuels and create just dry air conditions.”

She says two areas of the state are at the greatest risk for fire issues. “Mainly western and southwestern Iowa are the largest concerns. We could certainly see those conditions start to creep towards central Iowa and further east, kind of across into southeast Iowa. But certainly western Iowa is going to see the driest conditions,” she says.

The red flag warning advises against any outside burning due to the dry, windy conditions.

Today: Rain and snow likely before 9am, then a chance of rain between 9am and 10am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 45. Winds N/NW @ 15-30 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 27.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny & windy, with a high near 62. S/SW winds 5-15 mph increasing 15-30 mph w/gusts to near 40.
Tom. Night: A slight chance of rain; Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. S/SW winds becoming W/NW @ 20-35 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny & breezy, with a high near 48.
Friday Night: A slight chance of snow. A low around 32.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 61. Our Low this morning was 33. Last year on this date (March 11th), the High in Atlantic was 58 & the Low was 24. The Record High was 74 in 2024, & the Record Low was -22 in 1948. Sunrise: 7:39; Sunset: 7:22.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy-to-cloudy w/a 30% chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Low around 34. N/NE winds 10-20 mph.
Tomorrow: A 30% chance of rain, possibly mixing with snow after 10am, then gradually ending & gradual clearing. A high near 50. Winds N @ 15-25 mph. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.
Thursday: Partly sunny & windy, with a high near 60.
Thu. Night: A slight chance of rain, otherwise mostly cloudy & breezy, with a low around 35.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.

Monday’s High in Atlantic of 76 tied the record for that date set in 1986. The Low was 36. Last year on this date (March 10th), the High in Atlantic was 78 & the Low was 25. The Record High was 78 in 2025, & the Record Low was -8 in 1948. Sunrise: 7:41; Sunset: 7:21.

(Iowa DNR Water Summary Update) – Drought watches have been issued for northwest and southeast Iowa following a winter marked by a lack of rain and snow, according to the latest Water Summary Update from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowa experienced a notably dry winter, with worsening drought conditions expanding across much of the state through February. This deterioration has resulted in the northwest and southeast drought regions of Iowa being placed under a drought watch. While seasonal streamflows currently remain within normal ranges, soil moisture levels continue to decline statewide.

Iowa’s preliminary statewide February precipitation totaled 0.38 inches, or 0.79 inches below normal. Monthly totals ranged from no accumulation at several southern and northwestern stations to 1.26 inches in New Hampton, with southeastern Iowa experiencing the driest conditions as precipitation measured between 0.75 and 1.75 inches. The preliminary statewide average temperature for February was 31.3 degrees, which is 7.2 degrees above normal.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) currently shows that most of Iowa is abnormally dry or experiencing drought conditions, with portions of southeast Iowa carrying a severe drought designation. According to Iowa’s Drought Plan, all drought regions saw conditions deteriorate in February as soil moisture remained critically dry due to growing moisture deficits and the resurgence of drought.

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s March outlook indicates above-average precipitation across the entire state, and an increased likelihood of above-average temperatures. The seasonal outlook suggests continued drought in far northwestern Iowa, and a drought-free or drought removal is likely for the remainder of the state.

“Following a winter of persistent moisture deficits, Drought Regions in northwest and southeastern Iowa are now under a drought watch. The lack of both precipitation and a significant snowpack has led to substantial soil drying across the state. While the seasonal outlook predicts drought will persist in far Northwest Iowa through May, the rest of the state shows a favorable trend for improvement,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist.

The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 70. S/SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. NE wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy w/a  30% chance of rain, mainly after midnight. A low around 34. N/NE winds 10-25 mph.
Wednesday: A slight chance of rain or rain-snow mix in the morning; Becoming Partly sunny & windy. High around 50.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.
Thursday: Partly sunny & windy, with a high near 61.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 70. The Low was 37. Last year on this date (March 9th), the High in Atlantic was 63 & the Low was 21. The Record High was 76 in 1986, & the Record Low was -10 in 1912. Sunrise: 7:42; Sunset: 7:19.