Expect a start and then a stormy finish on Thursday

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The second chance for rain and storms is already in place Thursday evening, and some of them could be severe.

Your first warning: Changing conditions in the next 24 to 36 hours

The sky will remain mostly clear overnight and the wind will be very light. This sets the stage for a fairly chilly start to the day on Thursday with lows falling into the 30s. There may be some frost at these temperatures. So keep in mind that you may still have plants outside.

A lot of sunshine can be expected in the first half of the day, but some clouds will develop towards the afternoon. The breezy southeasterly wind will reach speeds of 15 to 25 miles per hour, causing a slight increase in temperature. Highs will be in the mid to upper 60s, with dry weather expected for most of the day.

Showers and storms are likely in the eastern half of the state towards evening and night. This could happen as early as around 5:00 p.m., but should become significantly more numerous after dark. Storms can be a little more severe in their initial phase, and there may be isolated reports of hail in the first few hours. This chance would exist in the evening, albeit rather slim.

The more beneficial aspect of these showers and storms will be the rain they produce. Right now, those who see the activity have a good chance of at least 0.25 inches, with some more remote areas getting about an inch of rain total. This depends on where storms develop and whether there are multiple storms in certain areas.

The storms will continue into the early hours of the night but should be gone by the time most people wake up Friday morning. Instead, another day of blustery northwest winds, sunshine and temperatures in the 60s is likely.

Quiet weekend with decent autumnal conditions

We'll take a break from the active weather over the weekend, which is just right for some of the activities around Eastern Iowa. On both days the sky will be partly to mostly clear during the day and at night, with no precipitation expected.

Temperatures will actually be relatively close to normal, especially considering how much of fall has gone. Lows will be in the 30s and highs will be in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

Your first warning: temperature rise before another risk of rain

From Monday the winds will shift to a more southerly direction. Expect fairly windy conditions to prevail this day and into Tuesday, resulting in a fairly large rise in temperatures. Lows will be in the 40s on Monday and in the upper 50s to lower 60s on Tuesday. Daily highs will be in the low 70s Monday, with low 80s possible through Tuesday.

Some light cloudiness is possible the first two days of the week, but it looks like it will take a little longer in the middle for another storm system to arrive. As a result, our forecast for Tuesday now looks dry, with the chance of rain and storms shifting by about a day.

The initial development on Wednesday will bring the potential for a few storms, but as we move closer to the cool side of a low pressure system and associated fronts, significant rain will occur.

While dry spells will occur in the final three days of the 9-day forecast, we keep the chance high for the potential for some disturbances for additional shower activity. As we get closer we may be able to refine these odds a bit, so stay tuned.

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