[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ou-RCNoU0A&w=480&h=360]

WON’T LAST: The warm weather continues today with temperatures well into the 70s and perhaps a few low 80s in western Iowa. It will be sunny but clouds will be rolling in as the next system approaches from the west. This will bring a few showers and thunderstorms to the state late tonight through the day on Monday. The amounts don’t look to be too heavy at this time as the rain will be scattered. Some areas may not get any rain at all with this first system. The front looks to stall over the state Monday night into Tuesday with some showers and thunderstorms around, but mainly confined to the eastern counties most of the night. However by Tuesday morning, the next system approaches and the showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous again at that time. We may see a break during the midday hours Tuesday before the storms refire in the afternoon hours once again. Severe weather is possible with this round of storms but it’s still too early to determine the threat at this time. Temperatures do look to stay warm at least through Tuesday with highs in the 70s and low 80s before the bottom falls out for the end of the week.

HERE IT COMES, HERE COMES COLD WEATHER: Rain and storms look to continue into Wednesday with temperatures taking a tumble into the 50s and lower 60s. Then the interesting weather begins. Temperatures are likely going to be slowly falling during the day Wednesday as colder air, much colder air in fact will move in from the northwest. With moderate to possibly heavy precipitation ongoing, it will be interesting to see whether by late Wednesday night into Thursday morning if the precipitation may or could change over to a wintry mix or all snow. The GFS has been hinting at that over the last few runs, with some wild speculations of snowfall across the western and northern counties of the state (in some cases over 6-10″). This run of the GFS shows most of the colder air looking to stay in the western counties as the cold core upper low, which we’ve been talking about for the last several days begins to develop across the Plains (which is in line with what the Euro has been showing). In any case this does look to keep some rain with embedded thunder going at least through Saturday, perhaps even next Sunday as the system will be slow to move. Temperatures are also likely to be held down into the 50s, perhaps upper 40s depending on the position of the cold core low (which is still in some doubt at this time). This is likely to change again so stay tuned.

FARTHER INTO MAY: The warmer weather looks to return after a week of cold showery weather. Another system around the 9th-11th of May could bring some more showers and thunderstorms to the state at that time but it’s too early to determine if there is a chance for severe weather with that at this time. We’ll keep monitoring.

SPONSOR: Is Tough Learning holding a child back?
©2013 Iowa Weather Blog/Iowa Weather Network