Iowa Weather Report December 10th 2014: Tis the Season to Get Warmer

RISING: Temperatures will be rising through the week and into the weekend ahead of the next system that will move into the state on Sunday with some rain. Prior to that, skies will be partly to mostly sunny. There will be a few more clouds in the southern counties with a dissipating disturbance moving to our south but there should be no precipitation with it. Readings today will be in the 30s to lower 40s. These readings will continue to rise into the 40s and 50s by the weekend with skies remaining partly to mostly sunny through at least Saturday when more clouds will be on the increase. Sunday should see some sunshine in the far eastern counties before clouds overspread even there and rainfall could make an appearance by the afternoon in the western counties and the rest of the state by Sunday evening into the overnight hours Monday morning.

RATHER DAMP: Monday will be rather wet across the state with periods of rain likely. Some of the precipitation may mix with some snow or sleet in the far northwestern counties of the state, otherwise it should stay all rain during the daylight hours. Readings on Monday will be cooler with all the rain and clouds around, with upper 30s through the upper 40s being commonplace. The precipitation will move off to the east Monday night but may end as some wintry mix or some snow across the eastern half of the state. It’s too early to determine if we may get any accumulation but with the amount of rain that is forecast to fall prior to the switchover, the amounts may be no more than a half inch or less.

DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS: As we look into the extended period which takes us up to Christmas Day, temperatures are looking to stay near seasonal levels during this period, that is until around Christmas Eve, where the GFS has an arctic front crashing through the state at that time, bringing with it much colder air into the state at that time. This is the first we’ve seen of this so our confidence isn’t high at this point. A few systems are possible during this period as well and some of the precipitation that it brings may be in the form of some snow, so there is some hope for that by Christmas time, however things can still change.