UPDATED at 4:20 PM

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, warm and muggy with areas of fog developing. Low: 60-63. Wind: S 5-10 mph.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, warm and windy with a 20% chance of storms late PM/eve. High: 79-82. Wind: S 15-25 mph.

Wednesday Night: Cloudy with a 50% chance of showers/storms. Low: 52-61. Wind: SW 10-20 mph.

Thursday: Cloudy and windy (NW 15-25 mph) with a 70% chance of showers/storms. High: steady temps in the 50s.

Friday: Mostly sunny and colder. High: mid 40s.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High: low-mid 40s.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. High: low-mid 40s.

Monday: Partly cloudy. High: mid 40s.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers. High: mid 40s.

It was a warmer than normal day with afternoon temperatures in the low 70s. It was also muggy with dewpoints in the low 60s. Not too far to our northwest, wind chill readings in southern Canada were in the teens and 20s (see map below) with light snow falling.

In the mean time, tonight will be warm and muggy like it was last night. Areas of fog will develop as the wind diminishes from the south at 5-10 mph. The wind will increase from the south Wednesday ahead of a low and front that will be in central Iowa. East of the front, high temperatures will be close to 80 degrees in most locations. We could be breaking some record highs. Here are the records in jeopardy:

Waterloo: 81 (1899)
Dubuque: 78 (1963)
Cedar Rapids: 82 (1899)
Iowa City: 82 (1899)

The low temperatures Wednesday night will be the high temperatures Thursday as they will remain in the 50s throughout the day. The wind will switch to the northwest Thursday morning. Showers/storms are likely Thursday morning with just showers Thursday afternoon. The rain will taper off early Thursday night. Here is the forecast surface map for Thursday morning.

The Storm Prediction Center has outlined a small area with a slight risk (see map below) of severe storms and it does include part of Iowa. The timing on this…IF storms would become severe…would be Wednesday evening to midnight.  

Another good soaking of rain is expected from this low. Here is the rain forecast from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening.

After the rain ends, high pressure is forecast to move south across the middle of the country. The high will stick around through the weekend. Dry and cool temperatures will prevail through Monday.  The high will not move much because it has to wait for, what is now Tropical Storm Sandy to move north. Here is the forecast surface map for Monday morning.

High School Football Forecast (Wednesday Evening)
Increasing clouds with a 20% chanec of showers/storms.
Kickoff temp: upper 70s
Wind: S 15-25 mph