[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8Poe3xp34&w=480&h=360]

STORMY DAYS: Something we haven’t talked about over the last few weeks is a chance of showers and thunderstorms, but they will return later today into tonight and Thursday across the state. Some of the storms could be strong especially in the late afternoon and evening today over the northern counties of the state. The main threats would be from large hail and damaging straight line winds. Prior to the storms, partly to mostly sunny skies will be around with highs in the lower 90s for most locations. Rain chances begin to dwindle Thursday as the front moves to the south with some cooler air through Friday with highs in the lower to middle 80s.

NEED MORE HEAT: The cool shot doesn’t last long as the ridge comes back with more heat and some humidity. Highs back near 90 again by early in the week. The GFS wants to bring some shower chances in Monday and Tuesday from the north but those look unlikely. A front by next Wednesday could be the next chance of rain across part of the state, but the ridge looks set to continue through the end of the month.

END OF SUMMER: As we near the end of Meteorological Summer at the end of the month, the GFS shows the ridge finally breaking down around the 1st of September with a trough digging in across the area for the first few days of the month. Of course this is out in voo-doo and we could see the ridge continue to hold tough through Labor Day weekend or something totally different. Any tropical activity in the Atlantic or the Gulf will change things even here so we’ll have to keep a watchful eye for that over the next few weeks as well.

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