Current weather · Sep 29, 1:37 PM CDT

41.6110, -92.5630

75°

Mostly CloudyFeels like 75° · Humidity 58%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Des Moines, IA · grid 109,51
High
75°
Low
54°
Rain today
56%
Sunrise
7:05 AM
Sunset
6:55 PM
First issued 24 hours agoExpires in 2 days · 1:00 AM CDT

All alerts for this county, and its warning history

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 1 PM75°75°59°58%1%0.00 inSSE8 mph8 mph75%1%—10 mi8,500 ft
Tue 2 PM75°75°59°58%12%0.00 inSSE10 mph12 mph78%4%—10 mi9,500 ft
Tue 3 PMSlight chance of light rain showers75°75°59°58%22%0.00 inS10 mph13 mph87%4%—10 mi9,500 ft
Tue 4 PMChance of light rain showers73°73°60°64%33%0.00 inS8 mph8 mph82%8%—10 mi7,300 ft
Tue 5 PMChance of light rain showers71°71°61°71%41%0.00 inS6 mph6 mph86%8%—10 mi7,300 ft
Tue 6 PMChance of light rain showers70°70°61°73%48%0.00 inS6 mph6 mph82%8%—10 mi7,300 ft
Tue 7 PMLight rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms68°68°61°78%56%0.02 inS5 mph5 mph91%17%—6 mi7,300 ft
Tue 8 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°62°84%52%0.02 inS6 mph6 mph93%17%—10 mi7,300 ft
Tue 9 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°63°90%47%0.02 inS6 mph6 mph92%17%—10 mi7,300 ft
Tue 10 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°63°90%42%0.02 inS6 mph6 mph92%22%—10 mi5,800 ft
Tue 11 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°64°97%49%0.02 inS6 mph13 mph87%22%—7 mi5,800 ft
Wed 12 AMLight rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%56%0.02 inS6 mph13 mph83%22%—6 mi4,500 ft
Wed 1 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%63%0.08 inS6 mph13 mph90%22%—4 mi1,100 ft
Wed 2 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%73%0.08 inS6 mph13 mph86%22%—4 mi900 ft
Wed 3 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%84%0.08 inS6 mph13 mph89%22%—4 mi800 ft
Wed 4 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%94%0.08 inS7 mph13 mph90%17%—4 mi700 ft
Wed 5 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%90%0.08 inS7 mph14 mph90%17%—4 mi700 ft
Wed 6 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms64°64°64°100%86%0.08 inS7 mph13 mph91%17%—4 mi700 ft
Wed 7 AMModerate rain showers65°65°65°100%82%0.05 inS6 mph13 mph90%13%—2.9 mi600 ft
Wed 8 AMModerate rain showers66°66°66°100%79%0.05 inSSW7 mph13 mph88%13%—2.0 mi500 ft
Wed 9 AMModerate rain showers66°66°66°100%76%0.05 inSSW7 mph13 mph86%13%—1.1 mi300 ft
Wed 10 AMModerate rain showers likely68°68°68°100%74%0.05 inSSW7 mph14 mph91%11%—1.6 mi500 ft
Wed 11 AMModerate rain showers likely68°68°68°100%74%0.05 inSSW7 mph14 mph93%11%—1.6 mi500 ft
Wed 12 PMModerate rain showers68°68°68°100%75%0.05 inSSW7 mph14 mph91%11%—1.1 mi600 ft
Wed 1 PMModerate rain showers68°68°68°100%76%0.05 inSSW7 mph14 mph91%11%—1.1 mi600 ft
Wed 2 PMModerate rain showers68°68°68°100%79%0.05 inSSW6 mph13 mph92%11%—1.1 mi600 ft
Wed 3 PMModerate rain showers69°69°69°100%82%0.05 inSSW6 mph13 mph90%11%—1.1 mi700 ft
Wed 4 PMModerate rain showers69°69°69°100%85%0.05 inSSW5 mph12 mph87%14%—1.6 mi700 ft
Wed 5 PMModerate rain showers likely69°69°69°100%69%0.05 inS5 mph10 mph89%14%—2.0 mi700 ft
Wed 6 PMChance of light rain showers70°70°69°97%53%0.05 inS3 mph8 mph79%14%—7 mi700 ft
Wed 7 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms69°69°68°97%37%0.02 inS3 mph7 mph93%15%—7 mi700 ft
Wed 8 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms68°68°67°97%41%0.02 inS3 mph7 mph90%15%—7 mi800 ft
Wed 9 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%46%0.02 inS2 mph6 mph87%15%—7 mi800 ft
Wed 10 PMChance of light rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%50%0.02 inS2 mph6 mph86%20%—7 mi800 ft
Wed 11 PMLight rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms67°67°67°100%62%0.02 inS2 mph6 mph82%20%——1,300 ft
Thu 12 AMModerate rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms66°66°66°100%73%0.02 inSSE2 mph6 mph81%20%——1,000 ft
Thu 1 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%85%0.11 inESE2 mph5 mph89%33%——800 ft
Thu 2 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%81%0.11 inE2 mph6 mph81%33%——900 ft
Thu 3 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms65°65°65°100%77%0.11 inE2 mph6 mph86%33%——1,100 ft
Thu 4 AMModerate rain showers likely and chance of thunderstorms64°64°64°100%73%0.11 inE3 mph7 mph82%26%——1,400 ft
Thu 5 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms64°64°64°100%77%0.11 inENE3 mph7 mph85%26%——
Thu 6 AMModerate rain showers and chance of thunderstorms63°63°63°100%84%0.11 inNE3 mph8 mph92%26%——
Thu 7 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms63°63°63°100%88%0.13 inNE3 mph9 mph88%16%——
Thu 8 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms62°62°62°100%88%0.13 inENE5 mph10 mph81%16%——
Thu 9 AMModerate rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms63°63°63°100%88%0.13 inNE6 mph12 mph87%16%——
Thu 10 AMModerate rain showers64°64°64°100%88%0.13 inNNE6 mph13 mph93%8%——
Thu 11 AMModerate rain showers64°64°64°100%88%0.13 inNNE7 mph14 mph93%8%——
Thu 12 PMModerate rain showers64°64°64°100%88%0.13 inNNE7 mph14 mph92%8%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 29, 1:27 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 2975°54°Chance Rain Showers56%0.10 inwind 10 mph
  2. WedSep 3071°61°Showers And Thunderstorms94%1.21 inwind 7 mph · gusts 14 mph
  3. ThuOct 166°53°Showers And Thunderstorms88%2.06 inwind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  4. FriOct 263°47°Sunny49%0.06 inwind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  5. SatOct 363°49°Sunny1%wind 5 mph
  6. SunOct 464°45°Sunny2%wind 6 mph
  7. MonOct 561°47°Sunny1%wind 3 mph
  8. TueOct 663°53°5%wind 10 mph · gusts 18 mph
  9. WedOct 768°55°National Blend8%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  10. ThuOct 867°52°National Blend6%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  11. FriOct 966°52°National Blend8%wind 6 mph · gusts 13 mph
  12. SatOct 10~68°49°Model mean0.10 in
  13. SunOct 11~56°44°Model mean
  14. MonOct 12~55°39°Model mean
  15. TueOct 13~57°39°Model mean
  16. WedOct 14~69°50°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like75°
  • WindSSE 8 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity58%
  • Dew point59°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility10 mi
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset
  • Moonrise8:14 PMMoonset 10:38 AM
  • Moon phaseWaning gibbous90% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 29, 7:00 AM 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 2975°63°NWS grid 75° / 54°rain 84%thunder 23%wind 9 mph · gusts 17 mph
  2. WedSep 3071°62°NWS grid 71° / 61°rain 97%thunder 29%1.38 inwind 8 mph · gusts 16 mph
  3. ThuOct 168°53°NWS grid 66° / 53°rain 98%thunder 29%2.03 inwind 9 mph · gusts 18 mph
  4. FriOct 264°47°NWS grid 63° / 47°rain 24%0.02 inwind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  5. SatOct 364°49°NWS grid 63° / 49°rain 5%wind 5 mph
  6. SunOct 464°46°NWS grid 64° / 45°rain 5%wind 5 mph · gusts 10 mph
  7. MonOct 563°48°NWS grid 61° / 47°rain 2%wind 5 mph
  8. TueOct 665°53°NWS grid 63° / 53°rain 4%wind 8 mph · gusts 15 mph
  9. WedOct 768°55°Beyond the NWS gridrain 8%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  10. ThuOct 867°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 6%wind 6 mph · gusts 12 mph
  11. FriOct 966°52°Beyond the NWS gridrain 8%wind 6 mph · gusts 13 mph
41°59°77°WedThuFriSatSunMonTue

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT · GFS Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT · GEFS Sep 29, 7:00 AM CDT · ECMWF Sep 28, 7:00 PM 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 2975° 54°0.10 in74° 56°0.13 in74° 56°0.22 in74° 56°0.24 in78° 57°0.15 in~74° 56°0.68 in
Wed Sep 3071° 61°1.21 in71° 65°4.00 in68° 65°1.44 in68° 65°1.28 in74° 65°1.09 in~71° 67°0.78 in
Thu Oct 166° 53°2.06 in68° 68°0.28 in66° 57°1.18 in65° 59°1.65 in68° 63°1.71 in~68° 65°1.61 in
Fri Oct 263° 47°0.06 in—63° 46°63° 50°66° 54°~67° 51°
Sat Oct 363° 49°—65° 46°65° 46°67° 48°~68° 48°
Sun Oct 464° 45°—63° 49°66° 52°71° 51°~70° 52°
Mon Oct 561° 47°—60° 43°61° 46°~63° 48°~64° 43°
Tue Oct 663° 53°—62° 42°62° 44°~65° 48°~67° 48°
Wed Oct 7——71° 51°67° 51°0.04 in~73° 57°~77° 56°
Thu Oct 8——63° 47°67° 51°0.02 in~75° 56°0.06 in~76° 57°
Fri Oct 9——~63° 48°~53° 49°~66° 56°0.42 in~72° 47°
Sat Oct 10——~68° 49°—~62° 45°~73° 51°0.30 in
Sun Oct 11——~53° 45°—~65° 46°~50° 40°
Mon Oct 12——~54° 38°—~59° 48°~53° 32°
Tue Oct 13——~65° 46°—~50° 38°~57° 34°
Wed Oct 14——~69° 50°——~46° 46°

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 Grinnell (GGI) · 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.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature leanwarmer 33% · Oct 202633% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normalCPC near normal or equal chances

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 2971° / 45°93° (1953)21° (1984)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 669° / 41°95° (1963)17° (2012)near normal most likely · days 8 to 1440% chance below normal · days 8 to 14
Oct 1361° / 39°92° (1910)14° (1972)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2060° / 37°88° (1927)13° (1976)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2757° / 34°87° (1927)2° (1925)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Nov 351° / 32°80° (1915)-8° (1991)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 1046° / 26°78° (1999)-1° (1959)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 1746° / 25°75° (1930)-5° (1959)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 2442° / 20°69° (1914)-15° (1976)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 139° / 20°69° (1998)-17° (1976)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 835° / 15°62° (1965)-31° (1919)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 1532° / 13°60° (1976)-32° (1985)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 2228° / 10°58° (1965)-25° (1989)33% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec

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

  • RunningtodayGoodchance of rain
  • HikingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • BikingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • GolftodayGoodchance of rain
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltodayGoodchance of rain
  • CampingtonightFairrain overnight
  • StargazingtonightPoorovercast

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • GardeningtodayVery goodchance of rain
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayGoodchance of rain
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayPoorchance of rain
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayFairchance of rain
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayHighwarm
  • TickstodayHighwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
  • Outdoor peststodayHighwarm

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
TuesdayPoor8:28 PM to 5:34 AM0 of 10None87%9 h7 mph
WednesdayPoor8:26 PM to 5:35 AM0 of 10None79%10 h3 mph
ThursdayPoor8:24 PM to 5:36 AM0 of 10None70%7 h9 mph
FridayGood8:22 PM to 5:37 AM10 of 103 h from 8:00 PM60%Poor4 h3 mph
SaturdayGood8:21 PM to 5:38 AM5 of 104 h from 8:00 PM49%Poor9 h2 mph
SundayGood8:19 PM to 5:39 AM10 of 105 h from 8:00 PM39%Poor8 h2 mph
MondayGood8:17 PM to 5:40 AM10 of 107 h from 8:00 PM29%Poor1 h5 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
Tue6:37 AM to 6:48 AM6:48 AM to 7:42 AM6:18 PM to 7:12 PM7:12 PM to 7:23 PM
Wed6:38 AM to 6:49 AM6:49 AM to 7:43 AM6:17 PM to 7:10 PM7:10 PM to 7:21 PM
Thu6:40 AM to 6:50 AM6:50 AM to 7:44 AM6:15 PM to 7:09 PM7:09 PM to 7:19 PM
Fri6:41 AM to 6:51 AM6:51 AM to 7:45 AM6:13 PM to 7:07 PM7:07 PM to 7:18 PM
Sat6:42 AM to 6:52 AM6:52 AM to 7:46 AM6:12 PM to 7:05 PM7:05 PM to 7:16 PM
Sun6:43 AM to 6:53 AM6:53 AM to 7:47 AM6:10 PM to 7:04 PM7:04 PM to 7:14 PM
Mon6:44 AM to 6:54 AM6:54 AM to 7:49 AM6:08 PM to 7:02 PM7:02 PM to 7:13 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 7:05 AM, 93° E
  • SS Sunset 6:55 PM, 267° W
  • MR Moonrise 8:14 PM, 59° ENE
  • MS Moonset 10:38 AM, 299° 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: good to fly. Next good stretch: Tue 1 PM to 4 PM, 3 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:35 AM to sunrise 7:05 AM, and sunset 6:55 PM to 7:25 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 1 PMGood810101%10 mi400 ft75°nothing against it
Tue 2 PMGood10131412%10 mi400 ft75°nothing against it
Tue 3 PMGood10151722%10 mi400 ft75°nothing against it
Tue 4 PMCaution8121233%10 mi400 ft73°chance of rain
Tue 5 PMCaution68841%10 mi400 ft71°chance of rain
Tue 6 PMCaution68848%10 mi400 ft70°chance of rain, civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Tue 7 PMCaution57756%6 mi400 ft68°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 8 PMCaution68852%10 mi400 ft67°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 9 PMCaution68847%10 mi400 ft66°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 10 PMNo-fly68842%10 mi400 ft66°thunderstorms possible, chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Tue 11 PMNo-fly681549%7 mi400 ft65°thunderstorms possible, chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 12 AMNo-fly681556%6 mi400 ft65°thunderstorms possible, chance of rain, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 1 AMNo-fly681563%4.0 mi400 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 2 AMNo-fly681573%4.0 mi400 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 3 AMNo-fly681584%4.0 miup to 300 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 4 AMNo-fly7101694%4.0 miup to 200 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 5 AMNo-fly7101790%4.0 miup to 200 ft65°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 6 AMNo-fly7101686%4.0 miup to 200 ft64°chance of rain, thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51), night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Wed 7 AMNo-fly681582%2.9 miup to 100 ft65°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51), civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Wed 8 AMNo-fly7101679%2.0 miup to 0 ft66°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), thunderstorms possible
Wed 9 AMNo-fly7101676%1.1 miup to 0 ft66°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), thunderstorms possible
Wed 10 AMNo-fly7101774%1.6 miup to 0 ft68°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), thunderstorms possible
Wed 11 AMNo-fly7101774%1.6 miup to 0 ft68°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), low cloud limits height (107.51), thunderstorms possible
Wed 12 PMNo-fly7101775%1.1 miup to 100 ft68°chance of rain, visibility under 3 miles (107.51), thunderstorms possible, low cloud limits height (107.51)

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

  • Fri 1 PM to 10 PM 9 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 12 PM to 6 PM 6 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sun 12 PM to 7 PM 7 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Mon 12 PM to 3 PM 3 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
TuesdayShowers possible56%0.10 in53%10 mph
WednesdayWet85%1.21 in97%7 mph
ThursdayWet88%2.06 in93%9 mph
FridayShowers possible0%0.06 in60%9 mph
SaturdayDry1%0.00 in67%5 mph4 d
SundayDry2%0.00 in65%6 mph3 d
MondayDry1%0.00 in64%3 mph2 d
TuesdayDry5%0.00 in72%10 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 Good2:02 AM to 4:02 AM2:30 PM to 4:30 PM10:08 AM to 11:08 AM7:44 PM to 8:44 PM 90%7:05 AM, 6:55 PM
Wed Poor2:59 AM to 4:59 AM3:28 PM to 5:28 PM11:25 AM to 12:25 PM8:26 PM to 9:26 PM 82%7:06 AM, 6:53 PM
Thu Fair3:59 AM to 5:59 AM4:30 PM to 6:30 PM12:38 PM to 1:38 PM9:20 PM to 10:20 PM 73%7:07 AM, 6:52 PM
Fri Fair5:01 AM to 7:01 AM5:33 PM to 7:33 PM1:43 PM to 2:43 PM10:24 PM to 11:24 PM 64%7:08 AM, 6:50 PM
Sat Fair6:04 AM to 8:04 AM6:34 PM to 8:34 PM2:37 PM to 3:37 PM 53%7:09 AM, 6:48 PM
Sun Fair7:04 AM to 9:04 AM7:32 PM to 9:32 PM11:37 PM to 12:37 AM3:19 PM to 4:19 PM 43%7:10 AM, 6:47 PM
Mon Fair8:00 AM to 10:00 AM8:26 PM to 10:26 PM12:53 AM to 1:53 AM3:53 PM to 4:53 PM 32%7:11 AM, 6:45 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 Afternoon75° · 41% · S 6–10 mph

    A chance of rain showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy. High near 75, with temperatures falling to around 71 in the afternoon. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

  2. Tonight63° · 94% · S 7 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. Low around 63, with temperatures rising to around 65 overnight. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

  3. Wednesday71° · 86% · SSW 7 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy. High near 71, with temperatures falling to around 69 in the afternoon. South southwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

  4. Wednesday Night61° · 85% · SE 3 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Low around 61, with temperatures rising to around 64 overnight. Southeast wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

  5. Thursday66° · 88% · NE 3–9 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 3 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

  6. Thursday Night53° · 69% · N 9 mph

    Rain showers likely before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

  7. Friday63° · 14% · NNE 6–9 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 63.

  8. Friday Night47° · 1% · NE 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

  9. Saturday63° · 1% · SE 5 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 63.

  10. Saturday Night49° · 2% · SW 2 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 49.

  11. Sunday64° · 2% · NNW 2–6 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 64.

  12. Sunday Night45° · N 3 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

  13. Monday61° · 1% · ENE 3 mph

    Sunny, with a high near 61.

  14. Monday Night47° · 1% · SE 5 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Des Moines, IA · issued Sep 29, 12:32 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

Showers and thunderstorms passing from west to east through the day today, followed by a brief lull in the afternoon and early evening.

Widespread, prolonged period of rainfall expected over Iowa from tonight through Wednesday and Thursday. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches likely, with higher amounts possible in areas that see less breaks from the rain. Flooding and flash flooding will be possible.

Rainfall chances ending north and northwest on Thursday, ending in the south Friday morning. Cooler and drier conditions into the weekend.

Update

949 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

The Flood Watch has been updated to now include Wapello, Appanoose and Davis counties.

Short Term · Through Wednesday Night

336 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

After finally getting to see some sunshine across Iowa today, cloud cover is already increasing from the west. These clouds are foreshadowing what will be a wet couple of days for Iowa. A slow moving 500 mb trough and remnants from tropical activity in the Pacific will bring a steady surge of moisture up into Iowa today through Thursday. Visible satellite and water vapor imagery highlight this broad mid and upper level moisture plume well, stretching up from Hurricane Polo in Baja California, up through New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Minnesota. Through the day today, a northern stream 500 mb shortwave will push this moisture plume eastward into Iowa, while also providing weak synoptic ascent. The result will be rain chances beginning as soon as 9 to 10 am today in western Iowa, spreading across the area throughout the day.

A small amount of instability will accompany this activity, but instability values generally under 1000 J/kg, poor lapse rates, and minimal shear should keep any thunderstorm activity below severe limits. Warm cloud processes and increasing layer moisture/precipitable water values will promote efficient rainfall with activity today, and really through the entirety of the event. Storms during the day today should generally be progressive enough to mitigate flash flood concerns, barring a poorly placed downpour over an urban area. However, with rainfall generally expected to continue into the overnight hours and beyond, flooding concerns will be increasing tonight through Wednesday.

While today's initial push of rain will generally be associated with the passing northern shortwave, the pattern quickly transitions to a broad theta-e advection/overrunning setup as Hurricane Polo lifts northward into the plains tonight and parks itself over Kansas on Wednesday. The coincident moisture from the hurricane remnants will overrun a cooler air mass over Iowa, keeping persistent rainfall over Iowa through Wednesday. The combination of anomalously high PWATs for this time of year (2"+), storm motions roughly parallel to the boundary, warm cloud processes, and persistent lift will result in a prolonged, widespread moderate to heavy rainfall over Iowa tonight through Wednesday night and potentially Thursday.

It appears likely we will see one or multiple areas of 2 to 4 inch rainfall amounts falling from tonight through Wednesday night. Embedded within this band, locally higher amounts closer to 5 inches will be possible, especially in areas where convective processes drive up rain rates, or where breaks in the rain are minimal. That said, exactly where the axis of heaviest rainfall will occur is still somewhat up for debate as models continue to waver on QPF placement. On previous shifts, the heaviest band looked to setup from western into north central Iowa. On this shift, the QPF band has seemed to shift southward slightly, albeit not completely removed from northern Iowa. More on that in a second. Recent deterministic guidance, namely the GFS, ECMWF, and RRFS, are showing the highest QPF footprint roughly from southwest into central Iowa. This southerly trend is being picked up by the NBM as well, with the highest probabilities for exceeding 4" of rainfall (~40 to 50%) now from the southwest corner of Iowa up through Atlantic and Creston to roughly Ames and Des Moines. However, while the heaviest band is trending southward, the AI GFS and GFS output still show a second band along that Fort Dodge to Mason City line in north central Iowa. This band is in addition to the southern band, resulting from a northward push of the rainfall overnight Wednesday, before rain/storm activity is shunted back south and east again. That all to say, there is considerable uncertainty with the evolution of the rainfall and where the heaviest rain will fall. What is certain is that prolonged, widespread rainfall will be ongoing from tonight through Wednesday, and will likely lead to flooding and flash flooding concerns as water is added to the system. The Flood Watch remains in effect from this evening through Thursday evening, although have expanded it southeastward to account for the southeastward trend in the QPF. For more on flood concerns, see the hydro discussion below.

Instability through Wednesday remains fairly low (under 1000 J/kg), which should help to negate severe weather concerns. However, will be watching how the pattern evolves Wednesday, as some better instability will be in place to our south and west in the warm sector of the low. It seems unlikely this will get too far up into Iowa, but a few stronger storms could certainly scrape southern Iowa if this pushes farther north Wednesday evening. At this time, the storm prediction center just has general thunder over the area, which is valid given the environment in our current guidance.

Long Term · Thursday Through Monday

336 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

Moving into Thursday and Friday, the longwave trough deamplifies and largely shears out as an approaching northern stream wave aids in pushing this system away from the area. For sensible weather, this will mean the rain ending from early Thursday or perhaps as soon as Wednesday night over northwestern Iowa and our northwest forecast area. This drying trend moves slowly southeastward ending the rain in our southeastern forecast area by Friday morning.The approaching northern stream wave will move through Saturday and will bring a return of some clouds and atmospheric moisture return, but showers seem more limited and would certainly be progressive. Behind this system, northwesterly flow looks to take over and with a zone of high pressure moving in, this may spell a change as we continue into October with some drier conditions.

Aviation · 18Z TAFs Through 18Z Wednesday

1225 PM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

Showers are moving across much of central Iowa with this TAF issuance. Showers will continue to work across the area through the afternoon and into overnight; however, northern terminals (KFOD and KMCW) will see a break in showers through the overnight but KALO, KDSM and KOTM will remain under persistent shower activity through the rest of the TAF window. While terminals are presently VFR, showers and low CIGS/VSBY will bring category reduction this afternoon and continuing through the remainder of the TAF period. Categorical low-end MVFR to IFR can be expected. Lastly, winds are forecast to mainly southerly with a swing to the southwest Wednesday morning.

DMX Watches / Warnings / Advisories

Flood Watch from 7 PM CDT this evening through late Thursday night for IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062- 070>075-081>086-092>097.

Hazardous weather outlook Sep 29, 9:52 AM CDT

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

FLUS43 KDMX 291452
HWODMX

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
952 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

IAZ004>007-015>017-023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-
081>086-092>097-301200-
Emmet-Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Palo Alto-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-
Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Franklin-Butler-Bremer-Sac-Calhoun-
Webster-Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Black Hawk-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-
Boone-Story-Marshall-Tama-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-
Poweshiek-Cass-Adair-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-
Clarke-Lucas-Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-
Appanoose-Davis-
952 AM CDT Tue Sep 29 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight

A flood watch is in effect for the area tonight. Please refer to
the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for
further details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

A flood watch continues through Thursday night. Please refer to 
the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for 
further details.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

&&

NWS Des Moines will discontinue the Hazardous Weather Outlook
product (HWO) on September 30th, 2026. Weather hazards and
outlooks will continue to be provided through the standard
forecast channels, including weather briefing packets, forecast
discussions, weather story graphics, the experimental graphical
hazardous weather outlook, and updated hazard messaging. All
local products and visual tools are accessible directly at
weather.gov/desmoines.

$$

VORST

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.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Tue Sep 29General Thunderstorms Risk
  2. Day 2 · Wed Sep 30General Thunderstorms Risk
  3. Day 3 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Sat Oct 3No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Sun Oct 4No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Mon Oct 5No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Tue Oct 6No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Tue Sep 291.75 in
  2. Day 2 · Wed Sep 301.75 in
  3. Day 3 · Thu Oct 10.10 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Oct 2–Oct 3Under 0.01 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 4–Oct 5Under 0.01 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Flash flood risk

  1. Day 1 · Tue Sep 29Marginal
  2. Day 2 · Wed Sep 30Slight
  3. Day 3 · Thu Oct 1Slight
  4. Day 4 · Fri Oct 2Below marginal
  5. Day 5 · Sat Oct 3Below marginal

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · TemperatureNear normal most likelyOct 4–Oct 8
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 4–Oct 8
  3. Days 8–14 · TemperatureNear normal most likelyOct 6–Oct 12
  4. Days 8–14 · Precipitation40% chance below normalOct 6–Oct 12

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Grinnell 3 Sw

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 3 and the first fall freeze around October 6: a growing season of about 155 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 22; one spring in ten still has one after May 17.

Climate of 41.61, -92.56: 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°66°60°61°62°58°61°
Heat index max75°70°
Wind chill min46°49°46°46°
Chance of thunder max22%22%33%3%1%2%1%5%
Cloud ceiling min5,800 ft300 ft800 ft
Visibility min6 mi1.1 mi
Mixing height max1,700 ft1,400 ft1,500 ft3,400 ft3,200 ft4,100 ft3,900 ft2,700 ft
Transport wind max16 mph15 mph15 mph16 mph12 mph14 mph10 mph16 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Grinnell (GGI) · 11 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 2975° / 54°69° / 43°90° (1953)21° (1984)
Wed Sep 3071° / 61°71° / 44°91° (1952)22° (1984)
Thu Oct 166° / 53°73° / 45°91° (2023)25° (1984)
Fri Oct 263° / 47°71° / 45°93° (1953)21° (1974)
Sat Oct 363° / 49°69° / 44°88° (2023)21° (1974)
Sun Oct 464° / 45°69° / 44°91° (1997)25° (1950)
Mon Oct 561° / 47°66° / 42°89° (1922)23° (1988)
Tue Oct 663° / 53°67° / 42°95° (1963)23° (1988)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Tue6:37 AM7:05 AM6:55 PM7:23 PM11 h 50 min Waning gibbous · 90% lit
Wed6:38 AM7:06 AM6:53 PM7:21 PM11 h 47 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:40 AM7:07 AM6:52 PM7:19 PM11 h 45 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:41 AM7:08 AM6:50 PM7:18 PM11 h 42 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat6:42 AM7:09 AM6:48 PM7:16 PM11 h 39 min Last quarter · 53% lit
Sun6:43 AM7:10 AM6:47 PM7:14 PM11 h 37 min Last quarter · 43% lit
Mon6:44 AM7:11 AM6:45 PM7:13 PM11 h 34 min Waning crescent · 32% lit
Tue6:45 AM7:13 AM6:43 PM7:11 PM11 h 30 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