Iowans are warned to be on guard as forecasters say severe weather is possible this afternoon when a strong line of thunderstorms will move over Iowa.
Meteorologist Kurt Kotenberg, at the National Weather Service office in metro Des Moines, says to keep an ear out for tornado sirens.
“The greatest risk for severe weather is basically south-central Iowa, so, around Interstate 80 and to the south,” Kotenberg says. “The timing of this is afternoon-into-evening and maybe into the overnight hours of 10 P.M. to midnight.” The spring storm will bring the threat of severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and worse.
“The biggest threat with these storms will be hail,” Kotenberg says. “We could also see a slight chance of tornadoes, especially early on, in that 6 to 7 PM time frame, primarily in south-central to southwestern Iowa, from Indianola towards Creston, Mount Ayr and Lamoni.”
While parts of Iowa may see highs in the 60s and 70s today, the storm will bring with it much cooler air and high temperatures will plummet. “We’ll be back down into the 50s by Thursday but then the really cold air will hit us this weekend,” Kotenberg says. “In the Sunday-Monday timeframe, lows will be back down into the 30s but it’ll be short-lived. By next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, highs may be back in the 60s and 70s.” It’s possible some areas of the state will see snowflakes fly over the next few days before the more-seasonable weather returns next week.
Learn more at weather.gov.