Iowa Weather: Unseasonable warmth and high fire conditions early this week
Unseasonably warm, windy and dry conditions to start the week. When Fire Is a Threat in Your Storm Team 8 Forecast.
Updated: 7:03 a.m. CST on March 10, 2024
To be a great warm-up. When can we see rain next? There will be no rain for the latter part of this weekend. For anyone traveling today, there are no problems anywhere across the state. We're looking at mostly clear skies. Temperatures this morning are fairly cold. This is from ALGONA SKYCAM, where the temperature is 21 degrees with calm winds. Wind chills are not a problem. It is very close to the actual air temperature. As we head toward Story County this morning, Ames just south of Iowa State 19, there are calm winds as well. For the next several hours today, we'll watch those calm winds move south as high pressure pushes toward the east. In response, we see a very rapid warm-up in the temperature department. We'll reach 49 by 157. Mostly sunny by 4. Again, these winds are blowing from the south to the southwest at approximately 5 to 10 mph. It's hard to find a cloud anywhere across the upper Midwest this morning due to this extended area of high pressure. Eventually, as the winds shift toward the east, the winds will become southerly, keeping us all warmer today. We really see that the warm trend is headed to higher highs tomorrow. As these winds become southerly, you will notice overnight that we are back in the mid to upper 30s before quickly bouncing back into the lower 70s with stronger winds during tomorrow as well. Again, as we've seen on several days repeatedly here in the last few weeks with. Warm, dry and windy conditions, many of our fuels are drying out. Fire danger will be moderate to high tomorrow. In the central and western parts of the state. So please avoid any open burning as any fires may start to spread quickly. Otherwise, we expect high temperatures to reach 25 degrees above average tomorrow, with a range of low to mid 70s here across the state. Monday night into Tuesday, a cold front will move in from the northwest. It's a weak front, it doesn't have a lot of strength, but as it advances into late Tuesday, it's stalling out in our southeastern counties. We can't rule out a well-isolated thunderstorm after sunset in locations perhaps like Lamoni toward Ottumwa. Better chances for showers and storms arrive as this storm system moves southwest Wednesday into Thursday. Most of the good model and guidance and agreement right now is that the track of this system will stay in southern Iowa, so it will likely stay out of the unstable air. So we're not worried about severe weather right now. But yes, there is a good chance of scattered showers and storms Wednesday night into Thursday. This will be followed by slightly cooler temperatures through the end of the week. Highs in the 50s on Friday and into the 40s perhaps by then
Iowa Weather: Unseasonable warmth and high fire conditions early this week
Unseasonably warm, windy and dry conditions to start the week. When Fire Is a Threat in Your Storm Team 8 Forecast.
Updated: 7:03 a.m. CST on March 10, 2024
Sunday morning begins with clear skies and light winds under a ridge of surface high pressure over central Iowa. As this feature moves east later today, winds will shift to the south and begin the process of transporting warm air into the area. Sunday afternoon will show mid to upper 50s in central Iowa, with a few 60 degree readings possible in western portions of the state where the advection of warm air from the southwest will be strongest. The warming trend will continue into next week with highs reaching the low to mid 70s on Monday accompanied by fresh southwesterly winds. Record temperatures should not be reached in Des Moines, but temperatures will be a steady 25 degrees above normal. Fire weather conditions are also expected to increase due to dry air in place, continued drought/dormant vegetation, and strong winds. Any outdoor burning or activities that could generate sparks and start fires should be postponed until Monday. Winds will decrease and relative humidity values will rise some on Tuesday before a weak weather system and a cold front will likely stop in the middle and central regions. Southern parts of the state late in the day. There is a slight chance of an isolated thunderstorm Tuesday evening over our southeastern counties. A stronger storm system will move in from the southwest Wednesday night into Thursday with a greater chance of showers and thunderstorms. Right now, the most humid and unstable air will be to our south, so extreme weather isn't expected, but there will be enough instability for at least a few storms. Rainfall amounts are currently trending above the last system, with the best chance for measurable rain falling over the central and southern portions of the state. Cold temperatures are expected to return by the end of the week, with below-average temperatures likely to continue by the end of next week and into the following week.Radar Watch and Warnings
Sunday morning begins with clear skies and light winds under a ridge of surface high pressure over central Iowa. As this feature moves east later today, winds will shift to the south and begin the process of transporting warm air into the area. Sunday afternoon will show mid to upper 50s in central Iowa, with a few 60 degree readings possible in western portions of the state where the advection of warm air from the southwest will be strongest.
The warming trend will continue into next week with highs reaching the low to mid 70s on Monday accompanied by fresh southwesterly winds. Record temperatures should not be reached in Des Moines, but temperatures will be a steady 25 degrees above normal. Fire weather conditions are also expected to increase due to dry air in place, continued drought/dormant vegetation, and strong winds. Any open burning or any activities that could generate sparks and start fires should be postponed until Monday.
Winds will decrease and relative humidity values will rise somewhat on Tuesday before a weak weather system and a cold front will likely stall over the central and southern parts of the state late in the day. There is a slight chance of an isolated thunderstorm Tuesday evening over our southeastern counties. A stronger storm system will move in from the southwest Wednesday night into Thursday with a greater chance of showers and thunderstorms. Right now, the most humid and unstable air will be to our south, so extreme weather isn't expected, but there will be enough instability for at least a few storms. Rainfall amounts are currently trending above the last system, with the best chance for measurable rain falling over the central and southern portions of the state. Cold temperatures are expected to return by the end of the week, with below-average temperatures likely to continue by the end of next week and into the following week.
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