Author: Meteorologist Maurer

(IowaStormCenter.com) — The March forecast will feature a major swing in temperatures with a highly active weather pattern for the Midwest. A ridge will develop over the Gulf of Alaska toward the end of February allowing cold air to filter back into the central United States through the first ten days of March including an increase in wintry threats across the Midwest. Then the jet stream will move northward toward the middle of the month to favor snow risks across the upper Midwest for places like South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota to as far south as northern Iowa. This…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — A high-impact winter storm is set to hit parts of the plains Tuesday morning through the evening. While we experience extreme cold, areas further south are gearing up for a major winter storm and since I have family in southwest Missouri, we will cover this event. A strong area of low pressure will sweep through Texas, then curve northeast to bring a high risk of heavy snow through the area on Tuesday/Day 2. Once Tuesday morning hits, an area of light to moderate snow will increase across southern Missouri as soon as 5-6 AM extending through the late…

Maximum Arctic Airmass for February 18-20, 2025 – An arctic high pressure will continue to dominate the area for most of the upcoming week yielding a risk for extreme cold to filter through the area. This will lead to a similar scenario from January with wind chill values around 20-40 below. This is a warning for those in the red shaded zone with the event maximizing Tuesday and again Thursday before sliding eastward around Friday. The plan was for this to be issued earlier, but I decided to wait, partially because days ago this was claimed to be a widespread…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Here is the final forecast for the snow risk ongoing through Saturday. A surface low located over Colorado this afternoon will gradually strengthen with the first round of snow ongoing and the second impulse to hit later tonight through Saturday. As the surface low moves into western Kansas this evening, forecast guidance is in good agreement on a swath of snow developing over northern Iowa as soon as 9-10 PM this evening. By the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning, a frontogenesis banding of snow capable of 0.5-1.0” per hour rates will setup extending from eastern Nebraska through far…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Another storm system will move through area around Valentine’s Day through Saturday morning bringing another round of accumulating snow. A surface low is forecast to move across Colorado and into the south central plains surrounding Friday/Day 2 through Saturday/Day 3 with ample gulf moisture surging northward out ahead of the system. This will set the stage for two quick rounds of snow accumulation with the first one Friday afternoon through the evening and round two overnight extending through Saturday morning. Forecast solutions vary some on exact placement of snow development for Friday afternoon, though this should take place…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — A low pressure system will curve northeast from New Mexico with snow to begin after midnight tonight, maximizing Wednesday afternoon and ending late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. Light snow will work into the state after midnight and gradually expand in coverage with widespread light to moderate snowfall surrounding the majority of Iowa once Wednesday morning hits. As the system peaks Wednesday afternoon, this will yield a window of 0.5-1.0″ per hour snowfall rates over the center of Iowa resulting in a total of 4-8″ of snow over the Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo,…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — A strong storm system will sweep through the area Wednesday leaving behind the first notable snowfall event and storm for the season. A low pressure center will dive into New Mexico on Tuesday before curving northeast to bring the snow risk directly through Iowa with the southeast portion being ground zero for a winter storm. The consensus as of this morning is snow will work into the state late Tuesday night before the main axis of moisture hits on Wednesday, then departing late Wednesday night. We will finalize this forecast in the next 24 hours with Master General…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Storm system to bring first pulse of snow to northwest Iowa today through the evening. A piece of energy from the northern stream will bring a swath of snow through the area today through tonight with the main axis of moisture to work into northwest Iowa around 10 AM- Noon today. The nearest I can calculate; the area will experience a frontogenesis snow band which is part of why I mentioned the higher amounts yesterday. This will extend from the highway 9 to highway 18 corridor over northwest Iowa where locally 4-5” of snow is not off the…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Confidence is growing for multiple storm systems to deliver accumulating snow during the upcoming week. System #1 – Feb. 10-11th: The first system will bring a weak piece of energy through the area Monday evening into Tuesday with minor snow accumulation possible statewide, but this is not the focus for the pattern. Storm #2 – Feb. 12-13th: Then a second system will develop next week before curving northeast to bring the snow risk through south/southeast Iowa Wednesday morning through Thursday with the potential for light to moderate snow accumulation. Storm #3 – Feb. 14-16th: An upper level trough…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Milder temperatures continue with the onset of our first storm system targeted for February. Above average temperatures will continue through the upcoming weekend with highs in the 40s and 50s as a ridge works east into the center of the country. Once next week hits, below average temperatures will set into the area with the onset of our first storm system surrounding February 5-7th. This would favor snow as the the primary precipitation type over the above average zone which hasn’t changed from the previous update. The nearest I can calculate this will not be a big event…