LOOK FOR PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE THIS MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL TO EASTERN IOWA BEFORE SLOWLY TAPERING OFF BY MIDDAY. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS IOWA. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL TO WESTERN IOWA THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION WITH A STRONG TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE DIGGING INTO THE REGION LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. RAIN CHANCES EXIST MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH VERY STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING COLDER TEMPERATURES AND THE CHANCE OF A RAIN SNOW MIX NORTH OF I-80.


23 OCT 2010 EXTENDED FORECAST

Today and Sunday 23rd/24th - Isolated Tshowers - High Temps 72/70.

Monday and Tues 25th/26th - Tshowers/WINDY - High Temps 70/60.

Wed and Thurs 27th/28th - POSSIBLE RAIN/SNOW MIX LATE WED INTO THURSDAY MORNING NORTH OF I-80 - Very Windy - High Temps 55/50 LOWS MID 30'S.

Friday and Saturday 29th/30th - Dry then Showers Saturday - High Temps Mid 50's.

BIG COOLDOWN ON THE WAY!!!!!

This is a great time of year to be a meteorologist. The northern latitudes are rapidly growing colder which ultimately brings bigger storms, faster winds and, of course, SNOW!

Currently, a mild weather pattern exists across most of the United States, and that will persist through the weekend. Next week, however, there will be a big transition to colder weather which will be felt the most through the central part of the country. In Minneapolis, for instance, it will reach the 60s this weekend, but next Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures will not leave the 40s. That's not a bitter blast by any means, but the drop in temperature will be quite noticeable.

Next week's change to colder will be a hybrid of North Pacific and Canadian air, so this will not be record setter. Major cold waves occur only when Arctic air becomes the primary contributor.

However, it's not too early for an early bout of winter weather, especially in the West. Last year during the end of October, Denver had more than a foot of snow with a high temperature of 26 degrees.

Boiling our long-range forecast down, the northern tier of the country will experience most of the rigors of winter this year while the South has very little winter at all. Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.