Iowa Weather Report February 18th 2014 – Iowa Weather Network Archives

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVacjcA2ihM&w=420&h=315]

SOME CALM BEFORE THE NEXT ONE: After getting some snow and some ice dumped on the state on Monday, we’ll be in for two calm days across the state with some warm temperatures that will melt some of the snow that fell (if it hasn’t already melted) and bring some sunshine around as well. Readings today will be in the upper 30s northeast and in the heavy snowpack areas to the lower and middle 50s out west where there is no snowpack on the ground. Temperatures on Wednesday will be a degree or two cooler but not noticeable with readings in the 30s through the lower and middle 50s from NE to West.

ANOTHER WINTRY STORM: The next system will move into the state late Wednesday night through the day on Thursday. This will bring a multitude of problems to the area along with a lot of possible precipitation types. The precipitation in the southeastern counties is likely to start as some rain and perhaps even some thunderstorms as well. If temperatures do drop down below freezing as some areas are forecast to do, we could see some freezing rain set up in the eastern counties of the state. While that is going on, the western half of the state could be getting in on some light and possibly moderate snow which is expected to sweep across the state during the daylight hours. Some of this precipitation may change back to rain as temperatures warm and then change back to snow as it ends Thursday evening as the low pressure system lifts out to the northeast. It is still a very fluid situation regarding all of this activity and just one slight movement here and there could drastically change the forecast for the area you may be at. Stay tuned for updates on this system over the next 48 hours.

WEEKEND: Following the system on Thursday, we’ll see readings heading back down below seasonal levels back into the 20s to lower 30s across the state although this will be dependent on snow cover. Those that will not have any (or don’t get that much from the Thursday system especially in western Iowa) may warm above this readings. This looks to last Friday through the weekend. A disturbance looks to round the base of the departing Thursday system late Friday night into Saturday morning which may trigger some light snow showers at that time. It may bring an inch at best but we’ll be able to fine tune that once we get closer to the weekend. There also looks to be a slight chance of seeing some light snow showers or flurries on Sunday mainly in the southern counties of the state as well. The big story though will be the cold air that will filter down from Canada keeping the snow from melting and keeping us from seeing warmer readings that we’re desperate to see after such a long winter.

ON TO THE EXTENDED PERIOD: As we move into the following week, it looks to begin with another snow storm around the 24th and 25th. It’s too early to determine amounts at this time, but we’ll keep watch of it in the coming days. The GFS is also showing some systems around the 28th of February through the 1st of March and again around the 4th that could bring some precipitation to the state if this were to verify. Again this is still more than two weeks away and things are likely to change as we move ever closer to the start of Meteorological Spring which begins the 1st of March.