CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – It’s another warm and breezy day to end the weekend, but some changes will be seen later this week.
Staying well above normal for a couple of more days
Skies are starting out today mostly clear, which will lead to another very sunny day overall. Expect only a few scattered clouds at most during the day, with breezy conditions contributing to a quick warm-up. Highs head to the upper 70s to low 80s by the afternoon.
These types of temperatures this late in the year aren‘t totally unprecedented, and we‘ll fall a few degrees short of records for this date on the calendar. However, it‘s worth noting that they’re quite rare: only four years since 2000 in Cedar Rapids have an 80 or higher in the last third of October (2003, 2004, 2022, and 2023). Only 12 years on record since 1893 have more than one in that time frame, with only two of those in the last 50 years (1979 and 2022 with two each). We are forecast to add to that total today and tomorrow.
With warm temperatures, relatively low humidity values, and continued drought conditions, the risk of fires spreading out of control outdoors is higher than usual. It‘s probably a good idea to avoid outdoor burning, especially in the many counties under burn bans right now. Take extra care if harvesting or working with other equipment outdoors to avoid sparking a fire, and don’t throw those cigarette butts on the ground.
Temperatures tonight fall but only toward the upper 40s to low 50s, staying above normal by more than 10 degrees. Monday should play out very similarly to Sunday, with another day in the upper 70s to low 80s for most of us. Winds will be from a more due southerly direction, but get breezy during the afternoon. The biggest difference will be a gradual increase in clouds throughout the day, though it won‘t be until late that they’ll be thick in any notable way.
Your First Alert: A little rain for a lucky few
These clouds are associated with a storm system that will move through the region Monday night into Tuesday, which is set to trigger some rain off to our west on Monday. This will be moving toward us on Monday night, but likely in a weakening phase. What’s left of these would arrive later Monday night or Tuesday morning, potentially lingering around for the early morning commute for a few spots.
Unfortunately, rainfall amounts here should be pretty light, only amounting to a few hundredths of an inch for those that see a shower. This will do little to alleviate drought conditions.
Temperatures will be a little cooler on Tuesday but not by much. Highs should still reach the low to mid 70s for most.
Modest cooldown, though staying warmer than normal
Another cold front moves through Tuesday night into early Wednesday, which will be the driver toward chillier weather for the second half of the work and school week. No additional rainfall will come with this front, but the wind shift behind it draws in a cooler air mass…