Iowa weather: Another frosty night followed by warmer Friday
Most of the state woke up to freezing temperatures to start off Thursday, but plenty of sunshine warmed us back to around 60. Another frosty night is on the way before a slight warm up, and a few rain chances.
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Temperatures fell into the low 30s and even 20s across the area this morning. Perry dipped all the way to 27 degrees, while Ankeny and Ames dropped to 30 degrees. Even areas south of I-80 fell to between 30 and 32 degrees, effectively ending the growing season for most of the state. Ample sunshine this afternoon helped to boost temperatures back to around 60 degrees with lighter winds, making for a nice fall afternoon.
Skies will remain clear this evening with light winds, meaning we will cool quickly. Temperatures will be back down into the 40s shortly after sunset, with overnight lows in the mid to lower 30s. The coldest tonight will be across eastern and northeastern Iowa where another freeze is expected. Clouds will roll in across southwest Iowa, holding overnight lows to around 40 degrees.
Friday should see plenty of sunshine in the morning, but a slow increase in clouds throughout the day. A light south breeze will help temperatures to warm a little quicker, with afternoon highs in the low to mid-60s, which is actually above average for this time of year.
The clouds will thicken up for Saturday, with a spotty shower or two possible by the afternoon. The best rain chances will likely be across southern and eastern Iowa. Although there will be a rain chance, any showers look to remain on the light side, largely seeing totals under a tenth of an inch. The clouds will keep highs in the mid to upper 50s, a little cooler than Friday. The clouds will stick around through at least the first half of Sunday, along with perhaps a few spotty showers.
Another storm system will bring more rain chances Monday night into Tuesday, with the better chances likely lining up for Tuesday. Once again, clouds and showers will act to keep temperatures cool, with highs on Tuesday potentially only reaching the low 50s. A little more sunshine returns by the second half of next week, but temperatures stay seasonably cool with highs generally in the mid to upper 50s.
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Iowa weather forecast:
Today: Sunny skies. High 60F. Winds NW around 5 mph.
Tonight: A few clouds. Low 35F. Winds light and variable.
Tomorrow: More clouds. Slim rain chance in far southern Iowa later Friday. High 63F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow Night: Considerable cloudiness. Low near 45F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.