CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A few strong to severe storms could produce hail after dark on Thursday.
Your First Alert: A break before more storms late
We’re in the midst of a break from shower and storm activity this afternoon. This will last several hours for most of us, and give us a chance to warm up a fairly decent amount. In fact, we’re still on track for highs well into the 60s, and most cases reaching into the 70s. Partly cloudy skies will still be with us this afternoon, as well as a good southeasterly breeze.
The storm Prediction Center has a Slight Risk for severe storms in eastern Iowa for later today into tonight. In central and western Iowa, a corridor of a higher Enhanced Risk is in place.
(KCRG)
The break this afternoon and evening will set up a somewhat unstable atmosphere by later today as our storm system begins to move through the region. As a frontal boundary enters the western portions of the state, new development of showers and storms is likely. These storms, still west of Interstate 35, have a good chance to turn severe after they develop.
These will move eastward into the late evening and nighttime hours, entering the western portions of the TV9 viewing areawinds after about 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. They continue their march to the east, reaching the Mississippi River around midnight or 1:00 a.m. After that, our threat for strong to severe storms will come to an end.
While these storms will likely be in a weakening phase, they still have a shot to pack a punch. Large hail would be the main threat, with a storm or two having the potential to produce up to golf ball-sized hail. A few wind gusts are possible, but the atmosphere we’ll have in place and the time of day will discourage widespread damaging winds. For similar reasons, the tornado threat is quite low in eastern Iowa tonight.
What to do when severe weather threatens
If a storm approaches your area, seek shelter indoors. If a warning is issued, get to the lowest floor of your home, away from windows. In the event of a tornado warning, put as many walls between you and the outside as possible, like in an interior closet or bathroom. A basement is best if you have one. Cover your head and neck with pillows or blankets, or a bike helmet if you have one. If you’re in a mobile home, abandon it for more substantial shelter. If caught outdoors, try to get to an indoor shelter. As a last resort, lay flat in a ditch while protecting your head and neck. Don’t seek shelter under bridges or overpasses.
It’s important to make sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings. A NOAA Weather Radio is a great tool in this case. Make sure it’s plugged in and turned on, ready to receive warnings, before you head to bed. We also recommend the KCRG-TV9 First Alert Weather App, which can give you customized alerts for your location. Of course, we’ll also provide updates on KCRG.com and KCRG-TV9 as conditions warrant.
A few showers or storms linger, but turning dry Friday
After that round of storms, a few showers or even a storm could linger into the morning hours of Friday. However, a cold front will be moving through, and this will generally bring those chances to an end. The focus for additional storm development by the afternoon and evening will shift to the southeast into Illinois and Missouri. If you have travel plans out there, severe storms are possible for those areas.
Instead, we stay mostly cloudy and blustery in eastern Iowa. Southerly winds early in some spots keep our highs in the 60s to around 70, but temperatures drop in the afternoon and evening. We’ll fall into the 40s or even upper 30s by Friday night as skies turn partly cloudy.
Your First Alert: Dry start, wet finish to Easter weekend
This weekend presents a bit of a mixed bag as far as weather conditions go. The start of it will be overall decent, with a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures that hang around seasonal normals. That translates to highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Those northerly winds will be a bit of a hindrance to an otherwise nicer day.
Sunday is a different matter, with another storm system moving into the region. At this time, the storm’s track will bring a widespread area of rain with some embedded areas of thunder to eastern Iowa. The arrival time of this precipitation appears to be mid- to late-morning from south to north, with several hours of wet weather to follow.
Rainfall amounts could easily reach 0.50″ to 1.00″ in the entire area, which would be a welcome sight after a relatively dry start to spring. The timing could put a damper on Easter plans, so it might be a good idea to move some of those egg hunts indoors.
Rain chances continue into Sunday night, but should begin to wind down from south to north. Lows will fall into the 30s or low 40s.
Generally warmer next week, occasional showers/storms
Overall, we’re expecting a relatively warm weather pattern to continue into next week, with highs going from the upper 50s to low 60s on Monday back to the 70s as soon as Tuesday. The rest of the 9-day forecast includes highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s, which would be several degrees above normal for late April.
An active weather pattern generally continues, too. A chance for some showers or storms is there on Tuesday, along with a few more showers by the end of the work and school week.
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