Iowa Weather Network December 24th 2014: Twas The Day Before Christmas

CHRISTMAS: Today and Christmas Day will feature different weather across the state. Today will be mainly cloudy with a chance of some light snow over the eastern counties of the state. Any accumulations will be light with only a dusting at most in those areas. The heaviest snow will be to the east of the state. Highs today across the state will be in the 30s. As we head to Christmas, skies will be partly to mostly sunny. Northeastern Iowa will see a few more clouds than the rest of the state. Winds will be out of the south and southwest and this will boost readings well into the 30s and 40s across the state. This will melt some if not all of the snow that has fallen across the state over the past few days.

WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK: The warmer air we will see on Christmas Day doesn’t look to last too long as another system will move into the state Friday into Friday night. This will bring some light snow to the state at that time. Moisture will be limited with this system so any accumulation will be no more than a dusting to a half inch in most locations. Readings will be down into the 30s for most. Sunday will be quiet with seasonal readings but this will be ahead of an arctic plunge that will come on Monday. This may come with some light snow or flurries but the big story will be the much colder air that will flood the area from the north and northwest. This looks to last through the end of the year and into the first few days of 2015 as well.

FARTHER INTO THE NEW YEAR: Looking farther into the New Year, the weather looks rather tranquil across the state at least for the time being. Readings look to moderate to seasonal levels by the 4th if this is correct. The GFS shows this lasting through the end of the period but another Arctic Plunge looks set to move in at the end of the period from the northwest with a 1052 millibar High over northern Alberta on the evening of the 8th. We have plenty of time to watch for this and anything else that may arise in the coming days.