Feels Like 9 Degrees | Iowa Weather

Good morning! I'm Aaron Jolly. And welcome to the Iowa Weather Podcast — it's Tuesday, February 24th. Step outside right now and you're at 20 degrees. Cold, gray, typical February. But here's the thing.. By this afternoon, parts of Iowa are jumping 30 degrees. Winter's losing its grip fast. Western Iowa gets the wildest ride. You're starting at 22 degrees around 5 A.M. By 2 P.M.? You hit 54 degrees. That's a 32 degree climb in nine hours. Winds flip south to southwest around 9 A.M., gusting to 15 miles an hour by 11 A.M. Those snowbanks are going to melt fast. Tonight drops back to 23 degrees, with a slight chance of light snow or rain after midnight. The Quad Cities see 45 degrees by 3 P.M., but southwest winds roar at 10 to 20 miles an hour, gusting to 35. That's the kind of breeze that'll rip the newspaper right out of your hands. Tonight falls to 22 degrees, then climbs slightly overnight. A narrow window for light snow opens Wednesday night, but nothing major. Central Iowa plays it cooler. Highs only reach 39 degrees by 4 P.M., with steady south winds around 8 miles an hour. The real action arrives tomorrow. A band of snow moves in Wednesday afternoon, dropping temperatures through the day. By Thursday morning, you could wake up to a fresh dusting. Eastern Iowa mirrors the center, but windier. Clouds hold highs to 40 degrees. Winds shift south to southwest around noon, gusting to 35 miles an hour. Strong enough to send loose branches tumbling. Wednesday night brings the best chance for snow. One to 2 inches possible south of Highway 30. North of there? Maybe a dusting. Here's your week ahead. Today's warmth vanishes Wednesday when that snow band sweeps through. Thursday rebounds to the 40s. Then Friday delivers a shock. Highs surge into the 50s and low 60s. Yes, 60s in February. The weekend crashes back to reality. Highs in the 30s with scattered light snow Saturday and Sunday. One thing to watch. With 5 inches of snow still on the ground, today's warmth creates slushy surfaces. Those puddles freeze overnight into black ice. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.