Forecast Discussion

This morning a cold front moved through the area changing the wind direction to the northwest. A gusty NW wind at 15-25 mph will make things feel a bit chilly like yesterday. If you can stay out of the wind and in the sunshine it will feel comfortable. The map to the right shows the position of the front early this morning. Below is a satellite picture of where the clouds were at 9:30 AM. There is just a narrow band of clouds moving through the state. This afternoon should be mostly sunny but again...windy.
High pressure will keep it dry with a mostly clear sky through much of Tuesday (first day of spring). As the high moves east the temperatures will warm and the dew points will rise as warmer and more humid air moves northward. The weather will become more active by mid week with showers and thunderstorms. The threat for showers and thunderstorms will continue through the weekend. The Hydrometeorological Prediction Center QPF output for Tuesday AM through Saturday AM shows the potential for some heavy rain. Parts of eastern Iowa could see 1-3" of rain. Take a look at Texas 5-7" of rain is possible there during the next 5 days. We will have to wait and see if the heaviest of the rain stays south. It is that time of year where thunderstorms are more likely to become severe thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center is outlining an area from Iowa to Texas with a slight risk for a few severe storms Wednesday. Stay tuned to see how this pans out.