Nice Week Ahead!

Today features widely varied temperatures as there is a frontal boundary that is fairly stationary draped across the state. Warm south/southwest winds are featured in the southwest portion of the state. Temperatures there are in the upper 30s to mid-40s this afternoon!! As for the rest of the state, southeast winds are in place still providing warmer air, but not nearly as warm as the southwest winds. Eastern Iowa is still struggling temp-wise only being in the mid-20s while central Iowa and northwest Iowa are warmer with temperatures in the upper 20s and low 30s.
The stationary front should become a warm front and move through the area this evening/tonight and thus warm us up nicely for President's Day. Tomorrow night though will have a weak cold front push through and lower the temperatures slightly for Tuesday. For Wednesday and the remainder of the workweek though, winds will shift back to the south and warm air advection shall continue. Creating temperatures well above normal for this time of year and melting much of the snowfall that we currently have on the ground. A very nice week ahead as far as temperatures go with mainly sunny skies for the work-week.

However, by this weekend things look to change dramatically. No, I am not talking about another huge arctic burst... Instead the potential for a very strong low pressure system moving through creating the chances for significant rainfall with potential thunderstorms!! The latest forecast from Des Moines NWS puts rain chances beginning on Saturday morning with thunder also being included. This system is massive in terms of size and potential strength, providing plenty of moisture for precipitation. No need for huge details at the moment beings this system is well out of good forecast range, changes are likely between now and the end of the week. But, just to mention this system as it has quite a bit of the meteorologists/chasers talking about severe potential as well as winter potential behind the low.