Current weather · Sep 29, 4:25 PM CDT

40.8340, -91.2130

79°

Partly SunnyFeels like 79° · Humidity 47%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Quad Cities, IA/IL · grid 47,34
High
82°
Low
49°
Rain today
13%
Sunrise
7:00 AM
Sunset
6:50 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Tue 4 PM79°79°57°47%1%S9 mph16 mph60%—10 mi
Tue 5 PM77°77°59°54%1%S9 mph15 mph53%—10 mi
Tue 6 PM76°76°58°54%1%SSE8 mph14 mph57%—10 mi
Tue 7 PM73°73°59°62%2%SE7 mph15 mph66%2%—10 mi
Tue 8 PM70°70°58°66%4%SSE8 mph16 mph66%2%—10 mi
Tue 9 PM69°69°57°66%5%SSE8 mph17 mph90%2%—10 mi
Tue 10 PM69°69°56°63%8%S9 mph18 mph89%8%—10 mi
Tue 11 PM68°68°56°65%13%S8 mph17 mph87%8%—10 mi15,500 ft
Wed 12 AMSlight chance of light rain showers68°68°57°68%17%S8 mph17 mph94%8%—10 mi11,000 ft
Wed 1 AMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°57°70%26%0.04 inSSW8 mph16 mph95%15%—10 mi8,500 ft
Wed 2 AMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°59°78%36%0.04 inS8 mph16 mph99%15%—10 mi
Wed 3 AMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°60°81%47%0.04 inS8 mph16 mph100%15%—10 mi6,900 ft
Wed 4 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°61°87%61%0.04 inS8 mph17 mph100%18%—10 mi7,300 ft
Wed 5 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°62°90%76%0.04 inSSW8 mph17 mph99%18%——
Wed 6 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°63°93%79%0.04 inS9 mph18 mph100%18%——
Wed 7 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°64°97%92%0.05 inS10 mph18 mph100%18%——
Wed 8 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%88%0.05 inS10 mph20 mph100%18%——
Wed 9 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%85%0.05 inS10 mph20 mph100%18%——
Wed 10 AMModerate rain showers66°66°66°100%77%0.05 inS9 mph20 mph100%14%——
Wed 11 AMModerate rain showers66°66°66°100%75%0.05 inS9 mph18 mph100%14%——
Wed 12 PMModerate rain showers likely68°68°67°97%69%0.05 inS9 mph17 mph100%14%——
Wed 1 PMLight rain showers likely69°69°67°93%64%0.01 inS9 mph17 mph100%14%——
Wed 2 PMChance of light rain showers70°70°68°93%48%0.01 inS8 mph16 mph100%14%——
Wed 3 PMChance of light rain showers71°71°68°90%38%0.01 inS8 mph15 mph100%14%——
Wed 4 PMChance of light rain showers71°71°69°93%38%0.01 inS7 mph13 mph98%12%——
Wed 5 PMChance of light rain showers71°71°69°93%32%0.01 inSSE6 mph12 mph94%12%——
Wed 6 PMChance of light rain showers72°72°68°87%29%0.01 inSSE5 mph10 mph91%12%——
Wed 7 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms70°70°68°93%29%0.01 inSSE3 mph8 mph95%18%——
Wed 8 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms69°69°68°97%29%0.01 inS3 mph8 mph88%18%——
Wed 9 PM67°67°67°100%9%0.01 inSSE3 mph8 mph99%9%——
Wed 10 PMSlight chance of thunderstorms and slight chance of light rain showers67°67°67°100%19%0.01 inSSE3 mph8 mph95%19%——
Wed 11 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%29%0.01 inSSE3 mph8 mph90%19%——
Thu 12 AMChance of moderate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%50%0.01 inSSE3 mph7 mph86%19%——
Thu 1 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°66°97%62%0.05 inSSE2 mph7 mph68%24%——
Thu 2 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°66°97%62%0.05 inSSE2 mph7 mph60%24%——
Thu 3 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°66°97%62%0.05 inS3 mph7 mph60%24%——
Thu 4 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°66°97%62%0.05 inS3 mph7 mph66%21%——
Thu 5 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°66°97%62%0.05 inS3 mph8 mph88%21%——
Thu 6 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°66°97%62%0.05 inS3 mph8 mph94%21%——
Thu 7 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%84%0.09 inS3 mph9 mph97%26%——
Thu 8 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms66°66°66°100%84%0.09 inS5 mph10 mph100%26%——
Thu 9 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%84%0.09 inS5 mph10 mph100%26%——
Thu 10 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms68°68°68°100%84%0.09 inS5 mph10 mph100%27%——
Thu 11 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms69°69°68°97%84%0.09 inSSW6 mph10 mph100%27%——
Thu 12 PMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms69°69°69°100%84%0.09 inSSW6 mph12 mph100%27%——
Thu 1 PMHeavy rain showers and chance of thunderstorms69°69°69°100%97%0.17 inSSW7 mph13 mph100%26%——
Thu 2 PMHeavy rain showers and chance of thunderstorms70°70°69°97%97%0.17 inWSW7 mph14 mph100%26%——
Thu 3 PMHeavy rain showers and chance of thunderstorms70°70°69°97%97%0.17 inWNW7 mph14 mph100%26%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 29, 2:41 PM CDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 11, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 2982°49°Partly Sunny13%wind 9 mph · gusts 18 mph
  2. WedSep 3073°66°Showers And Thunderstorms92%0.65 inwind 10 mph · gusts 20 mph
  3. ThuOct 171°58°Showers And Thunderstorms97%2.36 inwind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  4. FriOct 267°50°Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny84%0.32 inwind 13 mph · gusts 22 mph
  5. SatOct 367°51°Sunny4%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  6. SunOct 467°48°Sunny3%wind 6 mph
  7. MonOct 564°49°Sunny0%wind 5 mph
  8. TueOct 666°55°5%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  9. WedOct 770°57°National Blend7%wind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  10. ThuOct 869°55°National Blend7%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  11. FriOct 968°55°National Blend5%wind 7 mph
  12. SatOct 10~75°55°Model mean0.10 in
  13. SunOct 11~61°49°Model mean
  14. MonOct 12~60°42°Model mean0.21 in
  15. TueOct 13~62°44°Model mean
  16. WedOct 14~71°51°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like79°
  • WindS 9 mphgusts 16 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity47%
  • Dew point57°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility10 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset
  • Moonrise8:11 PMMoonset 10:30 AM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous90% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 29, 1:00 PM CDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 29—65°NWS grid 82° / 49°rain 90%thunder 19%wind 9 mph · gusts 18 mph
  2. WedSep 3073°66°NWS grid 73° / 66°rain 98%thunder 20%0.66 inwind 10 mph · gusts 20 mph
  3. ThuOct 171°58°NWS grid 71° / 58°rain 97%thunder 24%2.45 inwind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  4. FriOct 267°50°NWS grid 67° / 50°rain 57%0.22 inwind 13 mph · gusts 22 mph
  5. SatOct 367°51°NWS grid 67° / 51°rain 4%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  6. SunOct 467°48°NWS grid 67° / 48°rain 2%wind 6 mph
  7. MonOct 564°49°NWS grid 64° / 49°rain 0%wind 5 mph
  8. TueOct 666°55°NWS grid 66° / 55°rain 5%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  9. WedOct 770°57°Beyond the NWS gridrain 7%wind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  10. ThuOct 869°55°Beyond the NWS gridrain 7%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  11. FriOct 968°55°Beyond the NWS gridrain 5%wind 7 mph
41°64°86°WedThuFriSatSunMonTue

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 29, 1:00 PM CDT · GFS Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT · GEFS Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT · ECMWF Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT · ECMWF AI Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

41°64°86°WedThuFriSatSunMonTue

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 2982° 49°79° 68°80° 55°0.02 in80° 55°0.02 in78° 53°0.02 in~76° 53°0.26 in
Wed Sep 3073° 66°0.65 in74° 64°0.63 in71° 62°0.40 in73° 65°0.67 in71° 63°1.00 in~71° 65°0.46 in
Thu Oct 171° 58°2.36 in73° 68°0.12 in68° 63°2.35 in69° 62°1.35 in70° 63°2.45 in~70° 66°1.56 in
Fri Oct 267° 50°0.32 in—65° 53°65° 53°0.03 in69° 56°~68° 56°0.02 in
Sat Oct 367° 51°—69° 47°68° 47°69° 50°~69° 49°
Sun Oct 467° 48°—67° 51°69° 52°0.03 in69° 53°~72° 51°
Mon Oct 564° 49°—62° 44°64° 47°~64° 47°~65° 46°
Tue Oct 666° 55°—65° 43°65° 44°~64° 48°~66° 47°
Wed Oct 7——72° 51°70° 51°0.04 in~69° 51°~76° 52°
Thu Oct 8——65° 49°70° 52°~74° 57°~77° 61°
Fri Oct 9——~64° 47°~55° 50°~72° 53°~72° 50°
Sat Oct 10——~70° 48°—~75° 56°~79° 60°0.31 in
Sun Oct 11——~57° 46°—~76° 57°~51° 45°
Mon Oct 12——~56° 38°—~70° 52°0.62 in~54° 36°
Tue Oct 13——~70° 47°—~60° 51°~57° 36°
Wed Oct 14——~71° 51°—~52° 44°~49° 49°

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Burlington (BRL) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Wed Oct 14, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and low

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 2972° / 50°93° (2006)28° (1974)no outlookno outlook
Oct 671° / 47°88° (2007)25° (1987)no outlookno outlook
Oct 1362° / 44°91° (2016)18° (1972)no outlookno outlook
Oct 2062° / 44°85° (1979)23° (1976)no outlookno outlook
Oct 2756° / 39°82° (2024)13° (1991)no outlookno outlook
Nov 355° / 38°78° (1999)2° (1991)no outlookno outlook
Nov 1047° / 30°77° (2022)4° (1986)no outlookno outlook
Nov 1750° / 32°76° (2016)6° (1970)no outlookno outlook
Nov 2446° / 28°70° (1965)-2° (1977)no outlookno outlook
Dec 143° / 27°71° (1970)-9° (1976)no outlookno outlook
Dec 836° / 22°68° (1991)-10° (1972)no outlookno outlook
Dec 1535° / 21°74° (2021)-18° (1983)no outlookno outlook
Dec 2233° / 17°67° (2021)-20° (1989)no outlookno outlook

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayGoodhot
  • HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GolftodayIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltodayIdealfine conditions
  • CampingtonightFairrain overnight
  • StargazingtonightPoormostly cloudy

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayVery goodlittle sun
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayIdealfine conditions
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayHighwarm
  • TickstodayModeratewarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayModeratewarm

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
TuesdayPoor8:21 PM to 5:29 AM0 of 9None87%9 mph
WednesdayPoor8:20 PM to 5:30 AM0 of 10None79%10 h3 mph
ThursdayPoor8:18 PM to 5:31 AM0 of 10None70%10 h12 mph
FridayGood8:16 PM to 5:32 AM10 of 103 h from 8:00 PM60%Poor9 h6 mph
SaturdayGood8:14 PM to 5:33 AM10 of 104 h from 8:00 PM49%Poor9 h2 mph
SundayGood8:13 PM to 5:35 AM10 of 105 h from 8:00 PM39%Poor8 h3 mph
MondayGood8:11 PM to 5:36 AM10 of 107 h from 8:00 PM29%Poor1 h3 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Tue6:32 AM to 6:43 AM6:43 AM to 7:36 AM6:14 PM to 7:07 PM7:07 PM to 7:17 PM
Wed6:33 AM to 6:44 AM6:44 AM to 7:37 AM6:12 PM to 7:05 PM7:05 PM to 7:16 PM
Thu6:34 AM to 6:45 AM6:45 AM to 7:38 AM6:10 PM to 7:03 PM7:03 PM to 7:14 PM
Fri6:35 AM to 6:46 AM6:46 AM to 7:39 AM6:09 PM to 7:02 PM7:02 PM to 7:12 PM
Sat6:36 AM to 6:47 AM6:47 AM to 7:40 AM6:07 PM to 7:00 PM7:00 PM to 7:11 PM
Sun6:37 AM to 6:48 AM6:48 AM to 7:41 AM6:05 PM to 6:58 PM6:58 PM to 7:09 PM
Mon6:38 AM to 6:49 AM6:49 AM to 7:42 AM6:04 PM to 6:57 PM6:57 PM to 7:07 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:00 AM, 93° E
  • SS Sunset 6:50 PM, 267° W
  • MR Moonrise 8:11 PM, 59° ENE
  • MS Moonset 10:30 AM, 298° WNW
  • Waning gibbous, 90% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (gusts near or over your limit). No stretch of two good hours in the next three days.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:30 AM to sunrise 7:00 AM, and sunset 6:50 PM to 7:20 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Tue6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Tue 4 PMCaution912191%10 mi79°gusts near or over your limit
Tue 5 PMGood912181%10 mi77°nothing against it
Tue 6 PMCaution810161%10 mi76°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Tue 7 PMCaution710182%10 mi73°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 8 PMCaution812204%10 mi70°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 9 PMCaution812215%10 mi69°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 10 PMCaution913238%10 mi69°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 11 PMCaution8122113%10 mi400 ft68°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 12 AMCaution8122117%10 mi400 ft68°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 1 AMCaution8122026%10 mi400 ft67°gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 2 AMCaution8122036%10 mi66°gusts near or over your limit, chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 3 AMCaution8122047%10 mi400 ft66°gusts near or over your limit, chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 4 AMNo-fly8122161%10 mi400 ft65°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 5 AMNo-fly8122176%65°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 6 AMNo-fly9132379%65°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 7 AMNo-fly10152392%65°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible, civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Wed 8 AMNo-fly10152488%65°gusts near or over your limit, chance of rain, thunderstorms possible
Wed 9 AMNo-fly10152485%65°gusts near or over your limit, chance of rain, thunderstorms possible
Wed 10 AMNo-fly9132477%66°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible
Wed 11 AMNo-fly9132375%66°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible
Wed 12 PMNo-fly9132169%68°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible
Wed 1 PMNo-fly9132164%69°chance of rain, gusts near or over your limit, thunderstorms possible
Wed 2 PMCaution8122048%70°gusts near or over your limit, chance of rain, thunderstorms possible
Wed 3 PMCaution8121938%71°gusts near or over your limit, chance of rain, thunderstorms possible

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Tue 5 PM to 8 PM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 6 PM to 8 PM 2 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 11 AM to 7 PM 8 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 11 AM to 8 PM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Mon 10 AM to 7 PM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 10 AM to 4 PM 6 hours, every hour within the rules
Tue6 PM
Wed12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Thu12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Fri12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
TuesdayDry2%0.00 in37%9 mph1 dGood
WednesdayWet88%0.65 in87%10 mph
ThursdayWet97%2.36 in97%8 mph
FridayWet8%0.32 in63%13 mph
SaturdayDry4%0.00 in63%6 mph4 d
SundayDry1%0.00 in63%6 mph3 d
MondayDry0%0.00 in56%5 mph2 d
TuesdayDry5%0.00 in63%8 mph1 d

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Tuesday, rated good.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Tue Good1:57 AM to 3:57 AM2:24 PM to 4:24 PM10:00 AM to 11:00 AM7:41 PM to 8:41 PM 90%7:00 AM, 6:50 PM
Wed Poor2:53 AM to 4:53 AM3:23 PM to 5:23 PM11:16 AM to 12:16 PM8:24 PM to 9:24 PM 82%7:01 AM, 6:48 PM
Thu Fair3:53 AM to 5:53 AM4:24 PM to 6:24 PM12:29 PM to 1:29 PM9:17 PM to 10:17 PM 73%7:02 AM, 6:47 PM
Fri Fair4:56 AM to 6:56 AM5:27 PM to 7:27 PM1:34 PM to 2:34 PM10:22 PM to 11:22 PM 64%7:03 AM, 6:45 PM
Sat Fair5:58 AM to 7:58 AM6:29 PM to 8:29 PM2:28 PM to 3:28 PM 53%7:04 AM, 6:43 PM
Sun Fair6:58 AM to 8:58 AM7:27 PM to 9:27 PM11:34 PM to 12:34 AM3:11 PM to 4:11 PM 43%7:05 AM, 6:42 PM
Mon Fair7:54 AM to 9:54 AM8:20 PM to 10:20 PM12:49 AM to 1:49 AM3:45 PM to 4:45 PM 32%7:06 AM, 6:40 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. This Afternoon82° · 1% · S 10 mph

    Partly sunny. High near 82, with temperatures falling to around 77 in the afternoon. South wind around 10 mph.

  2. Tonight65° · 76% · S 5–10 mph

    A slight chance of rain showers between midnight and 1am, then showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

  3. Wednesday73° · 92% · S 5–10 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. High near 73, with temperatures falling to around 71 in the afternoon. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

  4. Wednesday Night66° · 62% · S 0–5 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 9pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 11pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

  5. Thursday71° · 97% · SW 5 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

  6. Thursday Night58° · 97% · N 10 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

  7. Friday67° · 54% · N 10–15 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

  8. Friday Night50° · 1% · NE 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

  9. Saturday67° · 4% · E 5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 67.

  10. Saturday Night51° · 3% · N 0–5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

  11. Sunday67° · 3% · NW 0–5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 67.

  12. Sunday Night48° · 1% · N 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

  13. Monday64° · NE 0–5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 64.

  14. Monday Night49° · E 0–5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Quad Cities, IA/IL · issued Sep 29, 2:03 PM CDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

A prolonged period of wet weather will be seen through late week in the form of three rounds of heavy rain. In between each round, spotty showers and potentially drizzle will be seen.

Given the long duration of the rain, rises on area rivers will occur. The probability of a flood watch being needed at some point over the next 72 hours is around 30 percent.

A drier and cooler weather pattern will set up this weekend and into early next week.

Short Term · Through Wednesday

201 PM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

After a pleasantly warm fall day, rain showers will develop tonight and evolve into a widespread rain by sunrise Wednesday. The rain will taper off to more spotty showers and potentially drizzle for Wednesday afternoon.

Prime time for the first round of heavy rain looks to occur between midnight and noon Wednesday. Any thunderstorms will be isolated so rain rates look to be light to moderate with periods of heavy rain. HREF probabilities of exceeding 0.25 inches/hour are at 30-40%. The axis of this round of heavy rain looks to lie between Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities.

Long Term · Wednesday Night Through Monday

201 PM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

Wednesday night through Friday Assessment...very high (>90%) confidence of widespread heavy rain

Round 2 of heavy rain will occur Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The probabilities of heavy rain are the highest during this time frame as PWATS are just over 2 inches and the overall forcing will be enhanced with the passage of a weak surface low.

The axis of the heaviest rain looks to run from Cedar Rapids up to Dubuque; thus there will be some overlap between round 1 and 2. Like the previous night the probability of rainfall rates exceeding 0.25 inches/hour is 30-40 percent. Thus this will be another long period of light to moderate rainfall with periods of heavy rain. Thunderstorms will be possible but are still expected to remain isolated to low end scattered (20-30%).

Another period of spotty showers and drizzle looks to occur Thursday afternoon before round 3 begins late Thursday afternoon into Thursday night.

Unlike the previous two rounds of heavy rain, this round will be further to the south and east. Right now the rough axis looks to be from roughly Keokuk, IA to Peru, IL. Given the southward trend with the heavy rain, the possibility does exist that the axis of round 3 could be further to the south and east. Thunderstorms will be possible but will remain isolated to low end scattered (20-30%).

Like the previous two round of heavy rain, the probability of rainfall rates exceeding 0.25 inches/hour are 30-40%.

By late Thursday night and into Friday morning, rain will end from northwest to southeast. Friday afternoon looks to be cool with temperatures only in the 60s.

Friday night through Tuesday Assessment...medium to high confidence (50-70%) of dry and cool conditions

Starting this weekend and continuing into the first half of next week cool fall-like temperatures are expected. The global models have been advertising this scenario for over a week but have slowly shifted the brunt of the coolest air to the eastern Great Lakes and New England.

Aviation · 18Z TAFs Through 18Z Wednesday

1214 PM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

VFR conditions through 06z/30 as moisture from the next system slowly arrives and lowers CIGS. We cannot fully rule out some 20-40% coverage for SHRA 21z/29 through 06z/30 but the incoming moisture needs to overcome the initially dry air. After 06z/30 conditions will slowly deteriorate to MVFR/IFR across eastern Iowa as the first round of moisture arrives. Although not included in the 18z TAFs, an isolated rumble of thunder cannot be ruled out after 09z/30.

DVN Watches / Warnings / Advisories

IA...None. IL...None. MO...None.

Hazardous weather outlook Sep 29, 3:39 AM CDT

The office’s own seven-day heads-up for spotters and emergency managers.

FLUS43 KDVN 290839
HWODVN

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
339 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-300845-
Buchanan-Delaware-Dubuque-Benton-Linn-Jones-Jackson-Iowa-Johnson-
Cedar-Clinton-Muscatine-Scott-Keokuk-Washington-Louisa-Jefferson-
Henry IA-Des Moines-Van Buren-Lee-Jo Daviess-Stephenson-Carroll-
Whiteside-Rock Island-Henry IL-Bureau-Putnam-Mercer-Henderson-
Warren-Hancock-McDonough-Scotland-Clark-
339 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northwest Illinois...west central Illinois...east
central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Iowa and northeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

Widespread rain is expected Wednesday through Thursday night,
which could be locally heavy at times. Total rainfall amounts
over 2 inches are possible which could lead to minor flooding in 
low-lying and poor drainage areas, and to rises on tributary 
rivers.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.

$$

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Reading the outlooks…

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Burlington 2S

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around April 18 and the first fall freeze around October 20: a growing season of about 185 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by October 6; one spring in ten still has one after May 3.

Climate of 40.83, -91.21: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 25 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementTueWedThuFriSatSunMonTue
HeatRisk max1 · Minor1 · Minor1 · Minor0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little0 · Little
Wet bulb globe temperature max71°70°70°64°64°65°61°62°
Heat index max81°72°70°
Wind chill min48°48°48°
Chance of thunder max8%19%27%11%2%2%0%5%
Cloud ceiling min15,500 ft6,900 ft
Visibility min10 mi10 mi
Mixing height max2,800 ft1,100 ft1,200 ft3,600 ft3,300 ft3,800 ft4,000 ft3,000 ft
Transport wind max15 mph14 mph14 mph16 mph10 mph13 mph12 mph13 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Burlington (BRL) · 6.2 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Tue Sep 2982° / 49°72° / 49°88° (2002)30° (1984)
Wed Sep 3073° / 66°74° / 50°90° (1994)33° (1984)
Thu Oct 171° / 58°74° / 51°91° (2023)33° (1985)
Fri Oct 267° / 50°72° / 50°91° (2006)28° (1974)
Sat Oct 367° / 51°72° / 51°93° (2006)31° (1987)
Sun Oct 467° / 48°71° / 50°89° (2018)32° (1968)
Mon Oct 564° / 49°69° / 49°87° (1967)32° (1976)
Tue Oct 666° / 55°69° / 49°87° (2007)30° (2012)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Tue6:32 AM7:00 AM6:50 PM7:17 PM11 h 50 min Waning gibbous · 90% lit
Wed6:33 AM7:01 AM6:48 PM7:16 PM11 h 47 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:34 AM7:02 AM6:47 PM7:14 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:35 AM7:03 AM6:45 PM7:12 PM11 h 42 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat6:36 AM7:04 AM6:43 PM7:11 PM11 h 39 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun6:37 AM7:05 AM6:42 PM7:09 PM11 h 37 min Last quarter · 43% lit
Mon6:38 AM7:06 AM6:40 PM7:07 PM11 h 34 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue6:39 AM7:07 AM6:38 PM7:06 PM11 h 31 min Waning crescent · 23% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from