16 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST - WINTER RETURNS

A strong winter storm is expected to impact portions of IOWA beginning Friday night through Saturday night and Sunday. This storm system may bring moderate to heavy snow with accumulations of at least several inches. However, there is the potential for a band of at least 6+ inches of snow.

ARTIC AIR POISED TO PUSHED SOUTH BRINGING A COLD FRONT INTO IOWA FRI INTO SATURDAY - EXACTLY WHERE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SETS UP IS RATHER TRICKY AT THIS POINT BUT SIGNALS POINT TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A BAND OF HEAVY SNOWS OF AT LEAST 6 INCHES. THE WARM GROUND WILL BE ABLE TO MELT SOME OF THIS SNOW BUT A RAPID RATE
OF FALL WILL ACCUMULATE NO MATTER THE GROUND TEMPERATURE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE AT NIGHT. THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR A NARROW BAND OF VERY HEAVY SNOW IF HEAVY SHOWERY TYPE DEVELOPS........BUT MARCH IS KNOWN FOR EXTREMES. BASED ON THE CURRENT MODEL RUNS THE FAVORED AREA FOR THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST SNOWS WOULD BE ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN IA POSSIBLY AS FAR EAST AS ALONG THE MS RIVER. THIS IS A TYPICAL MARCH HEAVY WET SNOW SITUATION. I DON'T THINK A MARCH SNOW STORM REALLY SURPRISES ANY OF US - UNLESS YOU JUST MOVED HERE, OR HAVE LIVED UNDER A ROCK YOUR ENTIRE IOWA LIFE.

EVEN WITH THE UPCOMING WEATHER, WHETHER IT RAINS OR SNOWS. THE BIGGEST WEATHER NEWS STORY WILL BE THE FLOODING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS..... MAY JUST BE HISTORIC......

16 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

TODAY - RAINSHOWERS - HIGH TEMP 50

WED 17TH AND THURS 18TH - PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDS - HIGH 58-64

FRI 19TH - PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY - RAINSHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS (POSSIBLY STRONG STORMS) LATE IN DAY AND EVENING AND GUSTY SOUTH WINDS - HIGH 53

SAT 20TH - BY EARLY MORNING: RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW - A NARROW BAND OF MODERATE SNOW WILL DEVLEOP FROM THE NW AND MOVE SE ON A LINE WITH THE LEADING EDGE FROM LAMONI TO NEWTON TO WATERLOO - ALL RAIN SOUTH AND EAST OF THE LINE........POWESHIEK COUNTY: MORNING RAIN - SNOW MIXING WITH RAIN AROUND NOON - ALL SNOW BY MID AFTERNOON LASTING THRU EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.......(TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION 3PM SATURDAY TO 3AM SUNDAY: 4-6 INCHES)

SUN 21ST - SNOW SHOWERS THRU NOON THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY - HIGH TEMP 37

MON 22ND - PARTLY CLOUDY - HIGH TEMP 40

NEXT TIMEFRAME/WEATHER MAKER TO WATCH? 26TH THRU 28TH...............