[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKEPBhILyPI&w=480&h=360]

COME ON OVER TO THE WARM WEATHER LAND: You’re gonna have a warm filled weekend, regardless, if you’re heading to the opening weekend of Adventureland in Des Moines or not. Sunshine abounds today with highs in the 60s. Same thing for Saturday as well with 60s to lower 70s around. There may be a few more clouds around especially in the eastern counties with a disturbance passing just south of the state. This may kick off a very isolated shower Saturday (at least according to the latest GFS), but it looks highly unlikely. Sunday will be a few degrees warmer with 60s and 70s around as a system approaches from the west to begin a new active period into next week.

ACTIVE PERIOD NEXT WEEK: A cold front will move into the state late Sunday night into Monday but will be slowly dissipating as it does so. It still may kick off a few isolated showers and thunderstorms across the northern tier of the state, however most places at least south of US Hwy 30 should remain dry. The front lifts back north as a warm front Monday night into Tuesday with more chances of showers and thunderstorms at that time, again concentrated to areas along and north of US Hwy 20 or so to start before encompassing most of the state by Tuesday morning. This will be ahead of another storm system that will make its way into the state Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday. Could there be severe weather? It’s possible but it’s too early to determine that at this time. Could we see heavy rain? Again, also too early to answer, however the front will be slow to move as rain and thunderstorms still look possible Wednesday with the system still overhead. The rain should be on the way out Wednesday night with much colder air following in its wake. Goodbye to the 70s for at least a few days and say hello to readings back into the 50s perhaps upper 40s, by Thursday.

COLD SHOT: The beginning of May won’t feel like it, with the passage of the frontal system the middle of next week. Friday looks to remain cold as a cold core upper low forms over the Great Lakes. It may be close enough to bring some clouds to the eastern counties of the state along with some showers, possibly mixed with graupel. Further to the northeast, some of the showers could be mixed with some sleet or even snow in this winter that doesn’t want to let go quite yet. This cut off feature looks to continue to bother us through at least the 7th before it finally is shunted off to the northeast. Temperatures look to improve greatly thereafter with seasonal readings by mid-month.

SPONSOR: Is Tough Learning holding a child back?