Iowa Environmental Mesonet Daily Feature

Held onto your mother?

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

Mother's Day was cool and blustery with peak wind gusts shown around 40 knots, which is nearly 50 mph. You definitely needed to hold onto your mother, otherwise she may have blown away! Temperatures will warm today ahead of the next weather system organizing to our west. The active weather pattern continues.

Wet Waterloo

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

It has been a wet past 12 months for Waterloo. The featured chart shows 10 of the past 12 months with above normal precipitation with August and April both breaking their respective monthly record. The 12 month total is only a few inches below the total for the year of 1993 (53.07 inches).

Between Highway 20 and 30

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

Our recent series of storms nicely confined its heaviest rainfall between US Highway 20 and 30 in Iowa. Our next chance of rain arrives in time for the weekend with the heaviest amounts expected to stay to the south of Iowa.

More rain

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

Heavy rain was once again observed in Iowa over night with many locations around an inch to isolated amounts in Hardin County over 6 inches! Some locations missed out, like the 0.03 inch report from Bondurant. The upcoming weather pattern looks a bit drier, but cool with highs only in the 60s.

Tilling up mud

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured map is of soil water content estimates from the Iowa Daily Erosion Project for a layer of soil just below the surface (4-8 inches). Values around 40mm (40% by volume) indicate saturation, which is when the soil has most of its air space filled up with water. This layer presents a difficult problem for Iowa farmers as the immediate top surface has dried out in the past few days thanks to warmer weather and dry air. This deeper layer just below the surface takes a bit longer to dry out and is where tillage equipment needs to work thru. Unfortunately, more rain is on the way today with chances of heavy rain extending into Thursday.

Spring recoveries

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

A chilly start on Sunday was quickly erased by bright sunshine and warm southwesterly winds. Temperatures recovered about 30 degrees, which is about what can be expected this time of year. The featured histogram is of observed difference between low and high temperature on 4 May including all sites in Iowa. The average is around 23 degrees. For Monday, we have a slighly warmer start with temperatures in the upper 40s, so adding 30 degrees to that will put us near 80!

Nearly 90

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

Very warm air pushed into the state Thursday with Southwest Iowa enjoying temperatures in the mid 80s. The rest of the state was stuck in the 60s and 70s on the other side of the warm front. The center of the large storm system remains just to our west this Friday morning with much colder air on the backside. Heavy snow is being reported Western Nebraska.

May Day Storms?

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The Storm Prediction Center has a moderate risk of severe weather forecasted just south of Iowa today with most of the state in a slight risk. The primary threat of large hail will arrive late this afternoon and evening, but tornados are possible with a very dynamic storm system developing to our west. The tornado threat on Friday looks to be a bit more significant for folks in Eastern Iowa as this slow moving storm system passes thru.

Warms up, then rains

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured chart is of is hourly temperatures and rainfall from Des Moines Airport since 9 April. Each time we have seen a warming trend (black line showing the trend), it rains and cools off! Wednesday will see temperatures warm into the 60s and then 70s on Thursday, but thunderstorms are expected and a cool down back into the 50s for the weekend.

Late April and sub-freezing

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

Temperatures dropped below freezing over much of the state this morning with clear skies and a cold high pressure system overhead. Record low temperatures for today are only a few colder in the mid to low 20s. Temperatures are expected to warm a bit this week before the next chance of rain arrives on Thursday.

Too much rain again

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured map is of IEM rainfall estimates for the past week showing portions of Northeast Iowa picking up 4-6 inches. Significant flooding continues in the area. The first part of this week looks mostly dry before our next rain chances on Thursday.

Southern Severe thus far

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured map is of all Storm Prediction Center issued convective watches this year. The red boxes are tornado watches and yellow boxes are severe thunderstorm watches. Only a few have been drawn over Iowa with most of the state yet to be included in a watch. The weather on Thursday and Friday may change this with severe weather expected over most of the state.

Soil is warming

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured chart is of 4 inch soil temperature and solar radiation from the Ames AgClimate site for the past 60 days. Soil temperatures have warmed to levels necessary for planting corn, but soil moisture remains high making tillage difficult. While today looks great for drying out the fields, more rain is on the way for Thursday with a couple rounds of thunderstorms forecasted.

More summer-like storms

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

NEXRAD composite this morning shows a complex of storms over Eastern Iowa producing some hail and heavy rain. This system will push east today with our next chance of thunderstorms arriving on Thursday.

Need more dry stretches

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured chart is of IEM estimated daily average statewide precipitation. The stretch of dry weather last week allowed some field work to get done before heavy rains fell on Thursday. This week does not look dry at all with rounds of thunderstorms forecasted most each day.

April rain

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

Rain showers will continue this fine Friday with storm totals already over an inch in Eastern Iowa. The featured map is of 24 hour rainfall totals this morning from the COOP network. Another inch or more is expected, which is trouble for many areas already experiencing flooding.

Ramping Up

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured chart is of recent high and low temperatures from the ISU AG site near Ames. The last 5 days have seen highs in the lower 30s to mid 70s on Wednesday. Our next stretch of weather will be unsettled with chances of rain, but at least no snow!

Gonna break 70 today?

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured table is yet another illustration about how long this winter has felt. The table shows a count of days above certain temperature thresholds between 1 Jan and 15 Apr for Ames. Like a number of other sites in Iowa, Ames has yet to experience the glorious 70s. Of recent years, 2008 has fewer warm days than even 2001 did! The forecast for today will place us close to 70, we can only hope!

Wind in April

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The NWS has issued a wind advisory today for forecasted southerly winds around 30 mph. The featured chart displays directional frequency of reported 30+ mph wind speeds during April from the Des Moines Airport. Southerly winds are not the most favored for high winds, since warming is generally occuring which leads to upward motion near the surface acting to keep the strongest winds aloft from reaching the surface. The situation is reverse with northwest winds, since there is often cooling and decending motion which acts to bring stronger winds to the surface and keep them there.

Winter less likely

akrherz@iastate.edu (Daryl Herzmann)

The featured graph displays the frequency of having a high temperature less than 40 and a high greater than 70. High temperatures on Saturday were in the 30s, which was extremely rare for this time of year. Having highs in the 70s are rare for this time of year as well, but the chances are increasing each day! The forecast was highs approaching 70 by mid week.