Altoona, Iowa 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

962
FXUS63 KDMX 191743
AFDDMX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
1243 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

 ...Updated for the 18z Aviation Discussion...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Warm temperatures through Saturday. Highs reaching the 80s in the south and west.

- Elevated fire weather conditions Friday and especially Saturday.

- Continued above average temperatures after a brief cooldown Sunday and Monday.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
Issued at 1231 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

Surface high pressure has kept winds at bay today, and temperatures
have continued to rise. Des Moines will make a run at 70 degrees
this afternoon and areas to the southwest will reach the low to mid
70s. Areas previously under snowpack are also overachievers today as
they will reach the mid to upper 50s. What helped was the lack of
stratus that was previously anticipated. Given the past two days
have  on temperatures, went ahead and boosted highs for Friday
even more above NBM guidance. Record highs will be challenged on
Friday and approached Saturday. Please see the climate section
below for statistics.

High pressure off the Texas coast is blocking low-level moisture,
and the troughing over the eastern CONUS is redirecting moisture
into the Mid South and Ohio River Valley. As waves approach along
the northwest flow, the southwest flow they generate will continue
to be dry. RHs will lower into the 30s in the southwest on Friday
and in the 20s on Saturday, leading to elevated fire weather
conditions on both days. The slowed trend of the front this weekend
has resulted in a downtrend in winds Saturday afternoon, thus
lowering confidence in conditions meeting Red Flag Warning criteria.
Still, fires can easily spread in dry conditions and even light
amounts of wind. Burning is discouraged!

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 1231 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

As hinted at above, the frontal passage has trended slower and may
make for a nondiurnal temperature swing on Sunday. The front looks
to pass before noon Sunday with a cooldown occurring briefly that
afternoon and Monday. Zonal upper-level flow will recover to
northwest flow once the ridge builds in again. A dry boundary
passage occurs on Tuesday. The aforementioned high pressure on
the Gulf coast starts to move east, eventually allowing for
moisture to be transported in to the Plains. In response, the
system late Wednesday into Thursday has trended wetter for
southeast Iowa. Another brief cooldown looks to follow this
front.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 1231 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

VFR conditions to prevail. A wind shift will occur this
afternoon with northerly or northeasterly winds will become
southerly with time. They`ll gradually become northerly, then
northwesterly overnight and tomorrow morning. Winds will remain
under 12kts.

&&

.CLIMATE...
Issued at 1231 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

...Forecast and Record Highs for Select Central Iowa Cities...

====================================================================
            |        Friday        |       Saturday       |  Period
            |  Forecast   Record/  |  Forecast   Record/  |    of
City        |    High      Year    |    High      Year    |  Record
====================================================================
Des Moines        76      79/1938        83      86/1938      1878-
Mason City        63      73/1934        76      81/1938      1903-
Ottumwa           74      78/1938        82      86/1938      1923-
Waterloo          67      75/1918        75      83/1938      1895-
====================================================================

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Jimenez
LONG TERM...Jimenez
AVIATION...Jimenez
CLIMATE...Jimenez