(Radio Iowa)- Iowa’s weather pattern is expected to make a big shift this week, from cold and rainy to hot and humid, raising familiar concerns about drought. Meteorologist Doug Kluck, climate services director for the Central Region of the National Weather Service, based in Kansas City, says some forecasts show improving conditions in the months ahead across the Missouri River basin.
“The forecasters in this case pared back drought substantially across almost the entire basin, really,” Kluck says. “I’ll cross my fingers and hope this comes true.” While Iowa’s high temperatures last week were mostly in the 40s, 50s and 60s, the week ahead promises highs climbing into the 70s and 80s to near 90. Looking ahead, Kluck says there are conflicting signals.
“Short term, temperatures are sort of a mixed bag,” Kluck says. “There’s going to be some warmth and that’s going to be realized in the eastern part of the basin. Precipitation slightly favors above normal, that’s good. Long term, not so good. Above normal temperatures and drier than normal conditions are what the current outlooks say.” Forecasters had expected the La Nina weather pattern to fade away in the past few months, but that hasn’t happened.
“We’re hanging on to La Nina this year through the summer,” Kluck says. “We don’t know if that’s going to hang into the fall or not yet, but La Nina is what we had the last few years and it tends to have a dry and warm aspect to it. So, La Nina is not necessarily our friend.” The U-S Drought Monitor map issued for Iowa late last week showed little change from the week before, with no drought at all in roughly 56 counties, 30 counties were abnormally dry, and 10 counties were considered in moderate drought. Parts of three northwest Iowa counties, Plymouth, Monona and Woodbury, were in severe drought.
DAY ONE…Today and tonight
Thunderstorms will move into the area this morning and remain periodic throughout the day and evening. The threat for severe weather is low, but some storms may produce small hail and locally heavy rainfall.
DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Monday through Saturday
Additional thunderstorms are possible Monday evening through Monday night, mainly across northern and eastern Iowa. A few of these storms may become severe, with large hail and damaging winds being the primary threats. Locally heavy rainfall would also be possible. Chances for scattered thunderstorms remain for the duration of the week.
Temperatures by the middle of next week may reach above 90 degrees in some locations. Heat index values may approach the upper 90s at times.
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
Spotters will not be needed at this time.
Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 69. Windy, with a south southeast wind 16 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 65. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday: Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 90. Windy, with a south wind 21 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming east northeast after midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. South southeast wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Breezy.
Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 73. The Low was 49. We received .03″ rain overnight into this morning. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 53 and the Low was 42. The Record High was 95 in 1895. The Record Low was 25 in 1980.
Today: Sunny breezy. High 70. SE @ 10-20 w/gusts to near 25.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 54. SE @ 15-30.
Tomorrow: Cloudy w/showers & thunderstorms early & later in the day. High around 70. SE @ 15-35.
Monday: Cloudy, breezy & warmer. High 89. S @ 15-30.
Tuesday: P/Cldy & hot. High near 92. S @ 15.
Friday’s High in Atlantic was 69. Our Low this morning, 48. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 71 and the Low, 47. The Record High was 95 in 1966, and the Record Low was 24 in 1931.
(Radio Iowa) – By most accounts, it’s been a miserable spring in Iowa, with chilly temperatures, plentiful rain and even a few late season snow storms, but forecasters say a big change is coming in a few days. After another cool, drizzly day today (Friday), National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says we’ll be skipping from wearing coats and gloves directly to shorts and t-shirts. “We’ll gradually warm through the weekend and really flip the switch into summer,” Small says. “As we start next week, we’ll see highs widespread across Iowa in the 80s and we’ll see dew points up into the 60s, at least, with people probably turning on their air conditioners because it will be definitely warm and humid.”
By Tuesday and Wednesday, high temps across Iowa’s southern half may be climbing into the mid and upper 80s to near 90. Small says it’s a big change in a short time. “The extended outlooks are for more above normal temperatures,” Small says. “Normal highs right now are, depending on what part of the state you’re in, they’re right around 70 degrees, so highs in the 80s are definitely above normal.”
Small warns the arrival of this warming trend may include a higher risk of hazardous weather. “When we turn on the heat and humidity, that does introduce some storm chances,” Small says. “We could have some stronger thunderstorms on Sunday or Monday. Right now, there’s an outlook for a slight risk of severe weather on Monday to keep an eye on as we start the next work week.”
We may experience that Iowa weather phenomenon next week of running both the heater and the air conditioner on the same day.
Today: Mostly cloudy w/areas of fog & sprinkles this morning; P/Cldy this afternoon. High 62. SE @ 5-10.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 47. SE @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. S @ 15-25.
Sunday: P/Cldy to Cldy & breezy, w/scattered morning showers & thunderstorms. High 76.
Monday: P/Cldy & breezy. High 85.
Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 57. Our Low this morning, 49. We received .01″ rain from yesterday into early this morning. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 66 and the Low, 42. The Record High was 97 in 1934, and the Record Low was 23 in 1891.
Today: Mostly cloudy w/scattered showers & isolated thundershowers. High 58. E @ 10-15 mph.
Tonight: Mo.cloudy w/rain & isolated thundershowers. Low 45. N @ 10-15.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 62. N-SE @ 5-10.
Saturday: Mo. Sunny. High 78.
Sunday: P/Cldy w/isolated showers & thunderstorms. High near 80.
Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 55. Our Low was 46. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 65 and the Low was 28. The Record High on this date was 96 in 1909. The Record Low was 2 in 2021.
Today: Mostly cloudy. High near 60. SE @ 10 mph.
Tonight: Mo.cloudy w/rain & isolated thundershowers. Low 45. E @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: Mo. Cldy w/shwrs & isolated tshwrs. High 53. E @ 10-15.
Friday: Shwrs ending; Becoming P/Cldy. High 62.
Saturday: P/Cldy. High 76.
Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 52. Our Low was 41. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 65 and the Low was 27. The Record High on this date was 91 in 1918. The Record Low was 27 in 1907.
Today: Cloudy w/light rain ending this morning; Becoming P/Cldy late. High 55. N @ 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 38.
Tomorrow: Areas of fog in the morning; P/Cldy. High 62. SE @ 5-10.
Thursday: Cldy w/shwrs & possible tstrms. High 53.
Friday: Cldy w/light rain early; Becoming P/Cldy. High 64.
Monday’s High in Atlantic was 45. We received 1.25” of rain from Monday through early this morning, at KJAN. Our Low was 37. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 71 and the Low was 41. The Record High on this date was 87 in 1895, 1949 & 1960. The Record Low was 25 in 1900.
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