By: Matt Scher, [email protected]
KHBT – The National Weather Service (NWS) in Des Moines says another week of up and down weather is in store for our area with fire weather conditions in place for the majority of the state this afternoon and blizzard conditions possible midweek.
The NWS has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT today.
Southwest winds of 20 to 25 mph are forecast for the area with gusts up to 25 to 35 mph along with a low minimum relative humidity in the afternoon of 15 to 25 percent. The agency says any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and outdoor burning is not recommended.
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday with blizzard conditions forecast for the area. The NWS is calling for anywhere from two to eight inches of snow across the entire watch area, with the higher end of that range over west central and northern Iowa. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph, causing reduced visibility.
The first day of spring is Thursday, March 20.