We’ll wake up to bitter cold on Thursday, with more wintry precipitation on the way

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – We’re not overjoyed that there will be more snow or ice in the next few days.

Your first warning: subzero wind chills and a little more snow

Thanks to sufficiently clear skies this evening, temperatures have dropped into the low single digits on either side of zero. We should stay there most of the night, even if there are a few cloudy spots later.

Wind chills will be below zero Thursday until at least mid-morning. While winds won’t be nearly as strong as today, there will be enough northwest winds to keep wind chills in the single digits Thursday afternoon.

More clouds will build in later tonight before a fairly weak disturbance moves through the atmosphere. This brings a good chance of a band of light snow forming across southern Iowa, with communities along and south of Interstate 80 most likely to be affected by this activity.

The time frame for this will be from late morning to early afternoon. As snow falls, there may be slippery roads where snow falls. While most of us will miss out, there could be a narrow accumulation of up to an inch in our southern zone.

Be prepared for changing road conditions if you travel in the area on Thursday and allow extra time to arrive at your destination to assist.

Drier weather returns Thursday night into early Friday. Lows reached single digits above zero again, followed by temperatures in the 20s to 30s on Friday. Most of the day will be fairly cloudy as another storm system approaches.

Your initial warning: Wintry mix, including a risk of ice, Friday night into Saturday

A low pressure area will develop southeast of us and track northeast on Friday. It looks like it is following a path that takes it near the Iowa-Missouri border.

Ahead of this system, moisture will enter the region. This will ultimately lead to a development of precipitation from late Friday evening into Friday night. At the beginning there will likely be a wintry mix of snow and some freezing rain due to the temperature structure of the atmosphere.

At some point, this storm system will drag enough warm air into the state, and much of the area should experience pure rain on Saturday. The exact timing of this change will be crucial to how smooth things become, as there are current indications that many areas will experience above freezing temperatures during the afternoon hours.

As we know, any ice accumulation can cause travel problems in a hurry. While totals remain somewhat uncertain due to possible changes in timing and timing of this storm system, poor arrival is possible across a large portion of the TV9 broadcast area Friday evening into early Saturday.

If you have travel plans during this period, consider how you can change them to avoid this. An earlier departure on Friday or a later departure on Saturday may be recommended. Stay tuned for further updates as we get a little closer to this storm system.

Quieter end to the weekend

Sunday represents a short break from the possible rainy weather and brings with it good conditions overall. Skies will be mostly cloudy, but winds should be lighter.

We will also be on the warmer side of things, with lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s and highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s.

Your first warning: some squalls next week

This break will be short-lived and additional rainfall is possible next week.

The first of these two storm systems arrives on Monday. While exact precipitation amounts and location are still unclear, it is likely that temperatures in eastern Iowa will be warm enough to allow just rain. The daylight hours offer the best opportunity for this.

There will be a bit of a break on Tuesday as cooler air returns to the region. After starting the week in the 40s on Monday, highs will be back in the 30s and lows in the 20s for the remainder of the 9-day forecast.

Another storm system on Wednesday will work with that colder air and could bring snowfall across the Midwest. Since that is still a few days away, it is still a little too early to say how significant the impact of this system will be. It’s just another time frame to keep an eye on over the next few days of active weather.

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