31 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

31 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

A WEAK COOL FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TODAY...MAINLY SHIFTING THE WINDS AROUND TO THE WEST TO NORTHWEST. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT THURSDAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR NEAR RECORD TEMPERATURES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE STATE THURSDAY. A STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE STATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...BRINGING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO MUCH OF IOWA.

UNSEASONABLY WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER IOWA THROUGH THURSDAY. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE 70S TO LOWER 80S WITH LOWS IN THE 50S AND 60S. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM PLOWS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST. THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL DIVIDE HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S FROM HIGHS IN THE 50S AND WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER KANSAS, MISSOURI, AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA. ON SATURDAY THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL PASS BRINGING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. HIGHS OVER THE WEEKEND WILL BE COOLER AND MORE SEASONAL BUT STILL ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE 50S AND 60S WITH LOWS IN THE 30S AND 40S.

AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CARRY OVER INTO NEXT WEEK WITH ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE WEEK. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ABIT STRONGER THAN ONE THIS WEEKEND. A LOW WILL FORM ON THE STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN WRN NEB AND TRACK INTO WESTERN IOWA SUN NITE/EARLY MONDAY. MORE THAN A COUPLE SEVERE WEATHER INDICATORS ARE IN PLACE - THOSE INDICATORS, COUPLED WITH AN AFTERNOON POW COUNTY FRONTAL PASSAGE SPELLS BAD NEWS IN THE FORM OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR AREAS EAST OF I-35.

TODAY AND THURSDAY 31ST-APRIL 1ST - PARTLY CLOUDY WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS - TEMPS 75-80

FRI 2ND - SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP WEST TO EAST BY AFTERNOON - GUSTY SW WINDS - (STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING) - TEMP MID 70'S

SAT 3RD - RAIN SHOWERS/THUNDER ENDING BY AFTERNOON - TEMP MID 50'S

SUN 4TH - PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY - SHOWERS - TEMP LOW 60'S

MON THRU WED 5TH-7TH - CLOUDY - WINDY - DAILY SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDER (GOOD SHOT AT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY) - HIGH TEMP MID/HIGH 60'S

THURS AND FRI 8TH-9TH - PARTLY CLOUDY - TEMP HIGH 60'S - WINDY

SAT THRU WED 10TH-14TH - SHOWERS/THUNDER - WINDY

THURS AND FRI 15TH-16TH - PARTLY CLOUDY

SAT 17TH - SHOWERS