It’s one of those transitional weeks when Iowans go from wearing shorts and sandals to winter coats and snowboots, all within a few days. Mindy Albrecht, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, says the high temperatures in the 70s and 80s Iowans enjoyed on Monday are going, going, gone.
A strong low pressure system is over Nebraska and South Dakota that’ll move over Iowa tonight and into tomorrow, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures. Folks who were spoiled by this week’s unusually warm weather shouldn’t complain, as Albrecht says this is more "seasonal" weather for Iowa.
She says the average highs for this time of year in Iowa are in the 50s while the average lows are in the 30s, so we’ve been way above average for the past several days. The forecast calls for a "see-saw" of temperatures, as by Friday, highs will likely be lower than normal, in the 30s and lower 40s.
Even though Iowans were jogging, raking the leaves and washing their cars on Monday, Albrecht says it’s possible snow will be flying within another day or two. Cold weather will move in Thursday night with rain changing to light snow, expecially across northern and western Iowa, with a rain-snow mix to the east.
Since the ground is still warm, she says little snow accumulation is expected, perhaps two-tenths of an inch in the northwest. It’s right on target for the first snowfall in Iowa, Albrecht says, though last year, the flakes held off until just before Thanksgiving.