Slowly Warming

After high temperatures yesterday reached into the 60s and 70s for parts of the state, highs today are back below normal ranging from the lower 20s to near 30. Yesterday was a unique day, bringing a strong system overhead that allowed the large temperature spread over the state. This also allowed for substantial rain amounts before the change over to snow occurred during the early nighttime hours. Total snow accumulations ranged from 1 to 5 inches across the state, Coop Snow Plot. This snowfall typically fell within a time span of only a couple of hours as snowfall was quite heavy at times. In fact some areas, including Ames, experienced thundersnow last night with a few lightning bolts and rumbles of thunder.

Road conditions are improving today as the sun beats down on the roadways, the sun is beginning to become strong enough to melt the snow on its' own as it gets higher in the sky. Expect the sun to slowly help to melt the snow throughout the week, with little in the way of additional precip expected. Around Wednesday and then once again Thursday night there are two systems that may brush the state, currently if any snowfall does occur it should be light. As for those temperatures, expect highs to increase into the 30s tomorrow; ranging from mid 20s to mid 30s on Wed/Thur. Fridays' highs will be a bit cooler, lower 20s where snow cover may still exist in the northwest while lower 30s are likely in the southwest. This weekend however will really see the warm-up begin, Saturday highs in the upper 20s to lower 40s; Sundays' in the upper 30s to upper 40s.