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

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APPETIZER SYSTEM: A small but irritable storm will move through the area today into tonight bringing with it some rain across the far southeastern counties, some icy mix and some snow across the north. All the precipitation should be light and travel isn’t expected to be impacted at this time, but it’s best to take it easy through Friday morning especially on bridges and overpasses as they may be iced over at that time. Skies will remain cloudy for the majority Friday into Saturday ahead of the next more powerful storm system.

MOTHER NATURE’S CHRISTMAS GIFT: The next system will likely impact travel this weekend, especially late Saturday through the day on Sunday. The snow will move into the southern and southeastern counties of the state late Saturday evening and last through Sunday afternoon. The timing is still a bit up in the air, but as of this run, the heaviest snowfall looks to fall between 4am and 10am Sunday morning across the southeastern quarter of the state, roughly southeast of a Centerville to Bellevue line. This may still change however as the center of the storm system is still not set in stone as yet. A drift a few miles in either direction to move the heaviest snow band completely out of the state OR could move it farther into central Iowa. As it looks right now areas northwest of an Omaha to Ames to Decorah line may get little or nothing out of this system, but as mentioned earlier this may change as well. Stay tuned. Anyone that will be travelling Sunday should continue to pay attention to the forecast over the next couple of days.

THROUGH CHRISTMAS WEEK INTO 2014: It will cool off behind the system this weekend, likely back below seasonal levels once again with a fresh snow cover on the ground in the southeastern counties. This will be followed by a weak clipper system that will move through on Christmas Day that may bring some light snow showers or flurries. This doesn’t look to amount to much as this point, but it will dust the ground at best across the state. Another clipper brings more snow on the 27th with a reinforcing shot of cold air from the northwest at that time. This will begin a series of clippers every other day through the end of the year into the beginning of January with some light snow and or flurries accompanying each system. The amounts are light at this point, but one undeniable fact is that it does look to stay cold through the end of the year into the beginning of 2014 at this time.