4 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

4 MARCH EXTENDED FORECAST

HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE IOWA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS................

A COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN IS IN THE OFFING OVER THE NEXT WEEK TO 10 DAYS. 3 SYSTEMS (2 ON SATELLITE IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC RIGHT NOW, AND ONE DEVELOPING IN THE TX PANHANDLE) WILL AFFECT US OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS. A TYPICAL SPRING TIME UPPER LEVEL PATTERN HAS EMERGED. THE NORTHERN (NRN) AND SOUTHERN (SRN) JET STREAMS ARE TRYING TO SHARE THE LOWER 48 - WITH THE NRN ENTERING THE U.S. IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, AND THE SRN PUSHING UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST. TYPICALLY THE TWO JETS MERGE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S., AND THE DOMINATE JET WINS OUT TAKING OVER THE DRIVING FORCE OF WHATEVER SYSTEMS THEY ARE SUPPORTING. IN THIS CASE, THE DOMINATE JET STREAM IS THE SRN BRANCH. THIS WILL TEND TO FORCE ANY SURFACE FEATURES ON A SOUTHERLY TRACK FROM WHEREVER THEY DEVELOP. ONCE THE TRACKS ARE ESTABLISHED - TEMPERATURES TAKEOVER TO DETERMINE PRECIP TYPES.........50 TO 75 MILES NORTH OR SOUTH OF A STORM TRACK WILL PLAY A HUGE ROLE OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS IN PRECIP TYPE.

I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN THE SRN BRANCH JET STREAM REMAINING THE DOMINATE FORCE. IT'S ALSO THE THE WARMEST OF THE TWO. HOWEVER, WINTER IS NOT OVER. I BELIEVE AVERAGE TEMPS WILL REMAIN AT OR BELOW NORMAL OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. DO NOT LET THOSE 50 DEGREE TEMPS YOU ARE SEEING ON TV WEATHER FOOL YOU - IT WILL HAPPEN - JUST DON'T GET USED TO IT...............WE WILL NOT SEE A FULL-BLOWN SPRING UNTIL APRIL.

SYSTEM 1: 6th-7th....Low Developed in TX Panhandle and move NE - Weaken over Iowa......
SYSTEM 2: 8th-10th....Low will Develop in Western KS and move East across MO - putting Iowa on NRN edge......
SYSTEM 3: 12th-14th....STRONG Low will Develop over Northern WY - Track SE into Western NE - then move thru NE KS/SW IOWA and into Northern MO......


TODAY: MORNING FOG - PARTLY CLOUDY - HIGH TEMP 35
FRIDAY 5TH: MORNING FOG - MOSTLY CLOUDY - HIGH TEMP 40 - LOW TEMP 22

SATURDAY 6TH: MORNING FRZING DRIZZLE/FOG - RAIN AFTERNOON - HIGH 42
SUNDAY 7TH: MORNING LT RAIN AND FOG - THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY - HIGH 43 (PRECIP/RAIN 1/4 - 1/2 INCH)

MONDAY 8TH - LT RAIN - WINDY - PERIODS OF MODERATE RAIN IN AFTERNOON AND EVENING - HIGH 45
TUESDAY 9TH - MORNING RAIN AND SNOW MIX - AFTERNOON LT RAIN - CHANGING TO SNOW LATE - WINDY
(PRECIP/RAIN, 8TH AND 9TH 1/2 INCH)
WED 10TH - EARLY MORN LT SNOW - THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY (1+ INCH)
THURS 11TH - PARTLY CLOUDY

12TH/13th/14th - WINTER WEATHER - RAIN - TO MIX - SNOW