Iowa Weather Report January 16th 2014 – Iowa Weather Network Archives

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FUN WITH WIND AND SNOW: A clipper system will drop into the state today into early Friday bringing with it some light snow and flurries but more importantly, some strong winds. A High Wind Warning has been issued for large portion of central into northern and western Iowa for sustained winds of 30-45 miles per hour with gusts approaching or exceeding 55 miles per hour. With any snow that could be falling, this could create near-blizzard conditions in open areas. Due to the very light snowfall amounts (around an inch or less), true blizzard conditions will not occur, but many areas will see blowing and drifting snow. Temperatures will be in the 20s and 30s today, but those will occur before Noon. Temperatures will begin to drop throughout the afternoon into the evening. With the strong winds, wind chills could become a major issue during the night as those readings will easily go sub-zero by the late evening into the overnight hours even as winds begin to diminish to a 15-25mph range by sunrise Friday. During the day on Friday, skies will slowly clear and temperatures will struggle to reach the teens in the northern and eastern counties, with 20s in the south and western counties that may get little if any snow from this system and have little if any snowpack left.

SPLIT WEEKEND: Saturday will see another clipper system drop into the area mainly targeting the eastern half of the state with some light snow and flurry activity. Amounts again will be light and winds could be a factor once again although not as high as today. Readings from the middle to upper teens northeast to lower and middle 30s south and west will be possible. Sunday will be partly to mostly sunny and much warmer across the state. Highs will range from the lower and middle 30s northeast to lower and middle 50s southwest where no snowpack will be found. Monday will be a few degrees cooler with 30s and 40s across the state as well with partly to mostly sunny skies found.

MORE COLD SHOTS: Cold air returns on Tuesday with the passage of another front, albeit mainly dry across the state. This will drop readings back into the teens and 20s for highs across the state. Readings will go sub-zero Wednesday morning in the northeastern counties of the state while remaining in the single digits and lower teens elsewhere. Another disturbance will come through Wednesday bringing some light snow or flurries across the eastern half of the state once more but accumulations being no more than a dusting at best.

INTO THE PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY: More cold air returns around the 25th of January that could bring the coldest air since last week across the area. Several more clipper systems are possible through the end of the month with reinforcing shots of arctic air following in their wake. We’ve been seeing this for several model runs in a row so the trend of seeing a cold second half of the month looks to be taking hold for the time being.