Thunderstorms & Snow!

A strong spring storm system is going to affect the state tonight and through tomorrow, with the potential for severe weather and heavy snowfalls for the state of Iowa. A low pressure system is likely to move into the extreme southern portion of the state during the early afternoon hours tomorrow. North of this low a large swath of precipitation is expected throughout the day tomorrow, mainly a cool rain for most of the state however in portions of northern Iowa it may be cold enough to see snowfall accumulations once again. Due to the potential for accumulating snowfall, Snow Advisories and Winter Weather Advisories have been issued. If you cross the border into southern Minnesota then you can see Heavy Snow Warnings once again issued as snowfall amounts could exceed a half foot! Those in the advisories are expected to see 2-5 inches of snow accumulation, with the potential for some sleet/freezing rain at some times. Expect the snowfall to end by evening, with melting to thankfully begin already by Tuesday.

Areas within a county or two of those advisories may see some snowfall as well in the afternoon, with some sleet/snow mixes making it well into central Iowa by Monday night if any precipitation is lingering. Little or no accumulation is expected in those counties however.

Thunderstorms are possible for the southern two-third of the state tonight and into tomorrow. These thunderstorms should continue for the southern half tomorrow afternoon, with the potential for a few severe storms even in the southeast quarter of the state. Significant amounts of rainfall may be possible across the state, 1-2 inches of accumulations are expected with higher amounts within thunderstorms. The severe thunderstorm threat should be confined to areas that are within the vicinity of a strong warm front that is expected to make it at least to the MO/IA border. Large hail will likely be the main threat with these storms in southeast Iowa, however depending on the rainfall that is already occurring and if some sun can occur to create instability we could see another threat. The threat of some tornadoes is possible, however it seems minimal at this time. People in southeastern Iowa and vicinity should stay alert to the weather throughout the morning and afternoon as the potential for severe weather will be there.

Temperatures for tonight through Monday night: Lows tonight ahead of the system in the 30s to 40s where the warm air will begin to fill into the southeast. Highs tomorrow will have quite the range, mid 30s in the northwest, 40s from southwest to northeast across the state, 50s and 60s expected in the southeast where the warm front should pass over bring some nice moisture with it as well. As the system passes through, temperatures expected to fall into the mid 20s to 30s from northwest to southeast. Highs may be below normal for Tuesday, but should rebound for mid-week.