Summer!

An amazing spring day yesterday with temperatures rising into the 70s and a few 80s over the state. Strong winds throughout the lower levels, combined with little moisture, allowed for good mixing and heating to allow those temperatures. The same thing should happen today, allowing highs in the mid 70s to lower 80s once again. A few showers or thunderstorms may occur in central and eastern Iowa today as a weak trough continues to progress to the east. The remainder of the weekend will see lows in the mid 40s to near 50 under partly cloudy skies for tonight. Sunday's highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s in response to gusty northwest winds, with the very warm temperatures not far off to the west. Sunday night lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s from northeast to southwest, with the potential for some showers in the western and central portions of the state. The best chance for isolated showers will be over northwestern Iowa; this chance seems conditional given the northwesterly flow and meager moisture over the state. Nonetheless, the forecast calls for at least a chance of some light showers over the state for Sunday night into Monday over the state.

TWISTEX Update: No action over the plains for the next several days as northwesterly flow and ridging is in place and looks to remain. By Tuesday and Wednesday, this ridge will push out onto the central US and a strong trough starts to dig in the mountain-west. This trough has been shown by the EMCWF and GFS with consistency for the past several runs now, and it quite encouraging to a severe weather episode over the plains. The latest news indicates that I as well as Chris Karstens from ISU will be taking ISU's Chevy Cobalt and hitting the road for this journey potentially as soon as Wednesday (maybe Tuesday?) for several days of chasing. With the forecast 144-200+ hours away, not to much for details on the magnitude of the threat and locations. Later updates this weekend and early next week will address more details as the blog will switch over the mainly chase forecasts instead of the general forecasts for Iowa.