There will be a major temperature spread across the News 8 coverage area today. Places like Galena and Stockton, Illinois could remain in the 40s today while hometowns like Ft. Madison and Burlington rise near 80.
To the north of the front, a northeast wind will blow…right in off a very chilly Lake Michigan. Water temperatures are in the 30s these days. To the south of the front, a southerly wind will blow. That will be enough to boost temperatures into the 70s for much of our coverage area…mainly along and south of Interstate 80.
The Quad Cities will probably top out around 70 this afternoon.
The front will eventually be a focus for showers and thunderstorms, especially after noon today. A few strong thunderstorms are possible in Central Iowa, especially south of Des Moines. We will keep an eye on any storms this afternoon for Henry, Des Moines, and Lee County in Iowa. Those three have at least a slight chance of a few storms to produce some hail and gusty wind.
We’ll turn much cooler tonight with all of us dropping into the 40s. A few cold rain showers are possible on Saturday with a little wintry mix possible Saturday night into Sunday. Little/no accumulation is expected.
-Meteorologist Eric Sorensen