A Warm-up!

After seeing a low of -5 on my home weather station on January 2nd and having some howling winds this morning leading once again to well below zero wind chills it is about time for a warm-up. This warm-up may lead to some good melting of the snow cover that is in place over the state, this snow cover is however also going to limit the ability of the air to warm over the state. Some early forecasts were saying how the temperatures may be able to rise into the 50s, this may be possible, but it will take significant melting of the snow to where some bare ground is present to warm. For the most part we may see warmer temperatures, along with some dense fog throughout the hours of the day as the snow continues to melt. This warm-up won't last for long either, as another very strong system is going to move in for early next week. This system looks like it could be a major weather producer across the nation, currently working into the western states causing significant winter weather, along with very wet and windy conditions.

As for your weekend forecast, expect lows tonight in the teens across the state with clear skies. Those clear skies will continue tomorrow as temperatures warm into the lower to upper 30s across the state from northeast to southwest. Lows for Friday night will be in the lower 20s to near 30 from northwest to southeast as warmer air surges from the south. Highs on Saturday will be some of the warmest in areas of northern and western Iowa, reaching into the upper 30s to mid 40s across the state. The cold air begins to move into the state by Saturday night, with lows in the 20s in the western third of the state; 30s for lows across the remainder of the state with dense fog likely. The front continues to sag across the state on Sunday, highs in the 30s over northwest Iowa; lower to mid 40s across the remainder of the state. Sunday lows once again in wide variation over the state, mid 20s to upper 30s from northwest to southeast.

The precipitation may begin as early as Saturday night, but a majority of it should hold off until Monday of next week. Do expect the cloud cover to increase during the day on Sunday as the system nears. More information on this will likely be posted in the next update late this weekend...