Author: Meteorologist Maurer

(IowaStormCenter.com) — The December forecast is in at Iowa Storm Center with temperatures trending colder. A ridge of high pressure in the west will bring cold storm systems over top the ridge into the north/central plains supporting a clipper pattern for the first half of December. This will yield average to below average temperatures and precipitation. Then a pattern shift is increasingly likely the back half of the month. This will open the door for pacific systems to track west to east and thus an uptick in winter storm potential over the north/central plains and upper Midwest around the 20-30th…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Here is your Thanksgiving travel outlook for the sate of Iowa with a couple of rain/flurry chances. The main storm system will move south and east of Iowa tomorrow, but we will watch for isolated pockets of drizzle along and south interstate 80 Wednesday morning. This is followed by a couple of rain showers over far southeast Iowa in the afternoon with flurries across northern Iowa. Once Thanksgiving Day hits, scattered flurries will linger over far north/northeast Iowa before tapering off later in the morning, then becoming mostly cloudy with highs in the 20s to lower 30s. Then…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Snow showers and strong winds expected Wednesday through Thursday with the backside of our current storm system. Snow showers will work into northern Iowa 6-10am Wednesday morning and continue to move southeast through Wednesday night into early Thursday. While snow showers are hitting on Wednesday, strong northwest winds will gust 30-50 MPH with the highest over western Iowa. These showers will be pesky over the northeast half of the state with a risk for localized squalls Wednesday afternoon which will lead to reduced visibility at times and minor snow accumulation. A quick trace-2″ of snow is in the…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — A strong storm system will bring heavy rainfall to the entire forecast area Monday through Tuesday, then wind extending through Thursday. An upper-level low will bring a surge of warm air northward into Iowa on Monday with heavy rain increasing over southern Iowa 5-7am, then central Iowa around 7-10am. The rain will finally push into northern Iowa around 10am-12pm Monday with this activity tapering off from south to north late Monday night through early Tuesday morning. Additional wrap around moisture is anticipated during the day Wednesday with a quick shot of snow showers before the system exits. A…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — An active storm track will continue to fuel above average precipitation this month. The next storm system will hit Monday/Tuesday of next week with rain being the primary precipitation type given a strong surge of warm air. This will lead to heavy rainfall across the forecast area with a widespread 0.50-1.50″ of rain and locally higher amounts. Then temperatures will cool off toward the middle of the week leading to potential snow showers on the backside of the event before the system exits. We will continue to fine-tune the evolution of this system with the final forecast to…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — The next pacific storm system will bring another round of rain to the forecast area this weekend. Confidence is growing in our next storm system to deliver more rainfall to the forecast area Friday night through Sunday. The surface low will surge moisture into southern Iowa later Friday night with the activity continuing northward through central and northern Iowa overnight into Saturday morning. Rainfall totals will not be quite as impressive as the last couple of systems with 0.25-0.75″ of rain statewide and the potential for locally higher amounts. – Meteorologist Maurer

(IowaStormCenter.com) — A strong pacific storm system will hit later this evening, maximizing Sunday through Monday and tapering off later Tuesday. Showers and thunderstorms will work into south/southwest Iowa 2-4 PM today along an advancing warm front. This activity will gradually expand northeast into west/central Iowa by the evening and the rest of the forecast area overnight extending through Sunday night. The bulk of moisture tonight through Sunday night will hit the center of the forecast area with 1-2″ of rain and amounts decreasing west and east. A brief break will take place Sunday evening before the final round of…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — The November monthly forecast is in at Iowa Storm Center with big changes ahead. The first storm system of the month will hit this weekend through early next week within the active storm track leading to an increase in showers and thunderstorm chances. This system will once again have a corridor of heavy rainfall. A list of storm dates includes November 2-5, 8-10 and three additional systems between the middle and later half of the month. All these storm systems will draw in warm air with rain/thunderstorms being the primary precipitation type. Above normal temperatures will continue before…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Severe thunderstorm and tornado threat increasing this afternoon through the evening over central and southern Iowa. The main impulse of thunderstorms will build into western Iowa early this afternoon and gradually move east with additional development anticipated later in the afternoon. The focus will be along the southern extent of this line where deep moisture and low-level shear will coincide along the frontal zone. This will support a tornado risk over southwest/central Iowa around 4-5pm extending through the evening. Additional threats include hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall. The severe threat will diminish before midnight tonight. – Meteorologist…

(IowaStormCenter.com) — Strong winds today followed by severe thunderstorms Wednesday through Wednesday night. A strong pacific storm system will bring strong south/southwest surface winds today and gusts of 30-45 MPH in most areas. The highest gusts of 45-55 MPH will stretch from southwest Iowa through the center of the forecast area. This is wind advisory criteria with an isolated warning zone. Then the main impulse of heavy severe thunderstorms will hit Wednesday with development along the frontal zone early afternoon from southwest through central Iowa. This activity will shift into eastern Iowa during the late evening with threats of large…