[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEqKWrd1ZXg?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

SLIGHT RAIN CHANCES: If you were east of Interstate 35, all you saw was increasing cloudiness during the late afternoon and early evening. If you were west of I-35 and south of US Hwy 30, you saw more than increasing cloudiness. Showers and thunderstorms rolled across the western and southwestern counties of the state with large hail and damaging winds. Hail was to the size of tennis and baseballs in some areas. Today however, there will likely be no severe weather, no hail, no damaging winds and in many places, no rain. A cold front will be moving through the state later today which may spark a shower or storm in the late afternoon and evening especially over the eastern half of the state, otherwise skies will remain partly to mostly sunny with highs in the 80s. An early morning shower Saturday will lead to another fantastic weekend with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower to middle 80s.

NEXT WEEK: Several more chances of rain return next week, with Monday into early Tuesday and then again on Wednesday. The chances at this time look slight 20-30% and severe weather is unlikely at this time. A high pressure from Canada will move in Thursday into Friday with cooler weather and highs possibly only in the mid to upper 70s by that time.

FARTHER OUT: The tropics will take the stage at the end of the month with the GFS continuing to show a possible tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico possibly making landfall near Biloxi MS on the 29th. This would be significant enough that some of the moisture may move into the state by late on the 30th and into the 31st, but it’s too early to determine that this far in advance. The first few days of September will feature some seasonal weather will a few showers possible with a frontal system that will have been slowed by the passage of the aforementioned tropical feature.

FOOTBALL!!!: Tonight is week 0 of the Iowa High Athletic Schedule thus there are a few high school football games, mainly over central and western Iowa. The football forecast is on video above, future football forecasts will be on Thursday’s video.