Cold Front

The cold front is making its’ way through the state as I write, currently being marked out very well by a line of showers and occasional thundershower. Also coming along with this front is a very sharp drop in temperatures; the cold front came through the Ames area just after 5 pm. The front combined with the loss of the sun really allowed temperatures to drop quickly and they are still dropping now. Here is a cool graph from one of the Ames schools, courtesy of the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.

Ames, IA 1-Minute Temperature Plot

Thus, with this passage of the cold front, tonights’ low temperatures should be in the teens for northwest Iowa. While areas of central Iowa should be in the upper 20s and lower 30s. Areas of eastern Iowa may not see the cold front pass tonight, thus their lows could be in the 40s and even mid 50s in the extreme southeast. Highs tomorrow will not bounce up much, only lower 20s in northwest Iowa and near 60 where the cold front once again stalls out in the Dubuque to Cedar Rapids line. As this front passes, the precipitation will as well. Meaning areas of western Iowa and most of central Iowa should be done with the rain, although areas of eastern Iowa should see the rain holding on until Wednesday night. The snowfall forecast has dwindled for the most part with only dustings being likely over most of the state. Rain will be the most likely precip to fall over eastern Iowa, although some sleet/snow mix does seem possible tomorrow with any lingering precipitation behind the front. Eastern Iowa may see some of this mix by the time the rain dwindles on Wednesday night.