CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Scattered showers will swirl in and out of eastern Iowa, but clouds will remain stubborn Thursday.

Your first warning: at least a few more hours of chance of rain

A storm system is tracking eastward through the region today, providing atmospheric elevation for showers to develop. These have been relatively scattered, providing light to moderate rain at times. The densest area of ​​these showers appeared near the center of the low pressure system, which is expected to move over eastern Iowa this evening.

Expect rain to continue for the remainder of the evening, beginning to decrease from west to east after midnight this evening. However, clouds will still be there and temperatures will stay within a fairly narrow range overnight. Lows don’t fall until the 40s.

Behind the system, expect a somewhat windy and cool day for Thursday. Good cloud cover should still be present, especially at the start of the day. In the afternoon, some clearings will attempt to form, but most of the reduction in cloud cover will occur in the evening and Thursday evening. Temperatures will slowly reach the upper 40s to the low 50s for highs.

A few pleasant days at the weekend

With the current storm system well out of TV9’s viewing area, Friday should be a truly winning weather day. Expect a cool start in the 30s with mostly clear skies, and we should retain at least some sunshine throughout the day. Afternoon temperatures reach the mid 50s, and when paired with lighter winds should be pleasant.

The weekend maintains mild weather, with lows in the 30s and 40s and highs in the 50s. Winds are expected to pick up a bit, however, especially Saturday, when speeds could reach the 20 to 30 range. mph. Be ready for these if you have plans that take you outside on Saturday.

Dry weather appears likely, however, with only a very light amount of rain Saturday evening.

Your first alert: a complex weather pattern next week

After a dry weekend, we will see a chance for rain to return by Monday. This is happening as a storm system developing in the Southern Plains moves northeast, heading toward eastern Iowa. This first burst of moisture gives us a good amount of moisture, providing much heavier precipitation than what we see this evening.

As this low pressure system moves through the region, a tropical system (likely now named Sara) will move near or over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and then into the Gulf of Mexico. Most indications are that this system will then track northeast and make landfall somewhere in the eastern Gulf.

As the tropical system moves along the east coast of the United States, it will tend to slow or stop the storm system, resulting in precipitation in the Midwest. As a result, several days of precipitation and windy conditions occur as this low swirls nearby.

However, it looks like we could see our first snowflakes of the season in parts of the state if things go well. Colder air will penetrate the back of the storm system in the Midwest, pushing temperatures in the atmosphere cold enough to facilitate some snow potential. However, they are also expected to stay warm enough (usually in the 30s during the day and night) that it will be difficult for snow to stick or accumulate in significant amounts.

Because of this complex pattern, there is a higher degree of uncertainty than usual about how things will develop, especially with several days remaining before different storm features develop. Details will be better defined over the coming days, giving us the opportunity to further refine timings and amounts of rain or rain/snow mix.

So consider this your first alert, but stick with us for additional updates in the near future.

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