(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say there’s a rising risk of severe weather across a wide portion of Iowa tomorrow (Friday) afternoon and evening, along with a drastic downshift in temperatures that may bring snow on Saturday. Meteorologist Brian Pierce, at the National Weather Service office in Davenport, says it’s a large, fast-moving system. “The primary risk we’re looking at is the potential for widespread damaging winds,” Pierce says, “but given how the winds are changing with height in the atmosphere, we now cannot rule out the potential for tornadoes to be occurring as well.” Pierce warns Iowans to be “weather aware” tomorrow, especially between 5 and 11 P-M.

“Be paying attention to the weather that’s going on around you,” Pierce says, “and the fact that these storms are going to be moving at highway speeds means you will have less time to react as they approach you.” A powerful blizzard swept across Iowa last Wednesday, knocking out the lights to more than 20-thousand Iowa houses and bringing traffic to a standstill with whiteout conditions. Pierce says this approaching system may be even worse. “The center of the storm system, which is going to be going through western Iowa, is very strong, comparable to the one we saw about a week or so ago, possibly even stronger,” Pierce says, “and so because of that, it will be bringing up moisture into the area, and the winds aloft are also very strong as well.”

While most of Iowa can expect high temperatures in the 70s today and tomorrow, Pierce says this incoming storm will bring much colder weather behind it. Lows by Saturday night will be in the 20s, with snow possible. “The snowfall is probably going to be more or less the western half of Iowa, but we can’t rule out some flakes falling in eastern Iowa as well,” Pierce says. “As for amounts, eastern Iowa is probably an inch at the very worst. It may actually be no more than a dusting.” Any snow that falls won’t last long, as the forecast calls for much of Iowa to be in the 40s by Sunday and the 50s on Monday.