Our next storm system will arrive this weekend with strong winds followed by showers and thunderstorms. Details below…
An upper-level low will develop across northeast Colorado Saturday and move northeast later Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, a tight pressure gradient from the low will lead to strong southeasterly surface winds developing across west and central Iowa on Saturday. The highest gusts of at least 50+ MPH will be over western Iowa. This risk will spread east into eastern Iowa later in the afternoon to evening. Then a more intense line of wind gusts will slide through western Iowa behind the main arm band of rain later Saturday night. The nearest I can calculate; this section will have the high potential for wind gusts to top 60 MPH for a brief time.
Regarding precipitation, a complex of showers and thunderstorms will work into western Iowa after 6 PM Saturday evening and continue east into central and eastern Iowa overnight into Sunday morning. This activity will quickly race off to the northeast with additional thunderstorm development anticipated later Sunday afternoon across the northern half of the forecast area. Rainfall numbers will be available in the final that will follow soon.
Stay tuned to Iowa Storm Center.com for further updates.
Forecaster: Maurer
