KCRG radar shows eastern Iowa under a First Alert Day Thursday as storms are likely late Wednesday night and again after daybreak. The morning round could bring strong to severe storms, then another band after midnight Thursday night could turn heavy enough to trigger flash flooding.
Eastern Iowa Thursday storms
Quiet conditions are expected to hold into Wednesday evening, but the weather changes late tonight and more toward the hours after daybreak on Thursday. Forecasters say the severe-weather risk on Thursday looks a little lower than the risk seen on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, yet damaging winds cannot be ruled out as storms move through.
The atmosphere will be less unstable than it has been over the previous couple of days, which fits the lower severe-threat outlook. Even so, an organized complex of storms is possible Thursday morning, and some scattered showers and storms could linger later into Thursday in parts of the TV9 viewing area.
TV9 viewing area Thursday
Many areas are expected to dry out during the Thursday afternoon, but not the entire TV9 viewing area. High temperatures are likely to reach the 70s to around 80, leaving enough warmth in place for more storms to redevelop later. The brief break during the day does not clear the board for the rest of the night.
After midnight Thursday night, a renewed band of storms is likely to develop. In that round, the bigger concern shifts from wind to heavy rainfall, especially if storms repeatedly move over the same areas, a pattern that can produce flash flooding in places that already drain poorly.
Friday through next Wednesday
More showers and storms are possible at times on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but the chances of severe weather look lower from Friday onward. Temperatures are expected to stay cooler on Friday with highs in the 70s, rise to the mid 80s again on Saturday, and remain in the 80s on Sunday.
A dry stretch is expected early next week, followed by a slim chance of storms next Wednesday. For eastern Iowa, the immediate step is to plan around two separate rounds Thursday: one in the morning with a severe-storm risk, and another late at night with the heavier-rain threat.
