Iowa Weather Report September 19th 2013 – Iowa Weather Network Archives

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE1weQ-Ix-Y&w=480&h=360]

STORMY DAY: A cold front will move into the state today into tonight with a chance of showers and thunderstorms along it. Some of the storms could become strong to severe with large hail and damaging winds being the main threats with any of storms. The Storm Prediction Center has a slight risk of severe weather for the eastern 2/3rds of the state this afternoon into tonight. Some lingering showers will effect the eastern counties during the morning into the early afternoon hours with clearing elsewhere. Rainfall could be in the range of a half to one inch with some areas getting more and others getting less. Highs today will be in the upper 70s NW to low 90s south and southeast. Behind the front on Friday readings will be down into the upper 60s to mid 70s.

CALMER WEEKEND: The weekend looks fantastic with sunshine and cool temperatures in the 70s with lows in the 40s to lower 50s. Clouds will be on the increase late on Sunday in the western counties ahead of a disturbance that will just skim the western half of the state on Monday with some shower and storm activity. This looks to be very hit and miss at this point with rainfall amounts widely varied across the area.

WEEK AHEAD: The winds continue to blow from the south bringing warmer weather back into the state once again. The GFS is showing a storm trying to make its way into the state at mid-week. A ridge looks to set up over the southeastern part of the country that will literally keep storms from coming at the state and instead going around (similar to the storm prior to this one on Monday). The northwestern half of the state could see some activity from this system as early as late Wednesday night into Thursday while the southeast half may still some clouds and sunshine with continued warm readings. A possible Tropical Storm (which would be named Jerry) that may develop in the Gulf of Mexico next week could throw a wrench into this so changes are likely in the coming days.

COME ON ALONG TO OCTOBER: This run of the GFS has the previous storm in question finally moving into the rest of the state late on Friday. A new low pressure center will develop along the front and finally kick the system off to the east on Sunday after a weekend full of shower and thunderstorm chances. Thereafter the upper level pattern becomes more zonal with seasonal readings into the first days of October. One notable thing is the 540 line on 1000-500mb thickness (sometimes known as the freezing line at 500mb) is getting ever closer to the US Canadian border. It won’t be long thereafter before some of the first frosts will be covering the ground.