Cold and snowy weekend on the way in Eastern Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS - Spring is coming. Just not this weekend.

Arctic air that started descending Friday on the Upper Midwest threatened to break record lows by Saturday morning and bring several inches of snow before Monday's early commute.

'We`re certainly running out of ways to describe how incredible this stretch of weather is, and the strength of the cold outbreak in place, but this is remarkable,” the National Weather Service said in its forecast.

You wouldn't know it from being outside, but spring officially began March 20.

The weather service said that lows of 12 to 15 degrees should be common Saturday morning, with locations near rivers being colder. Wind chills were expected to be near - or below - zero, particularly north of the Corridor.

With sunshine expected Saturday, temperatures will climb into the 30s. But with some winds also forecast, wind chills will make it seem like it's in the 20s.

Snow should hold off until Sunday afternoon. Then it will come down slowly and somewhat steadily, although there may be breaks in it, the weather service said.

The snow is expected to continue into Monday, dropping an estimated 1 to 3 inches.

The weather service said to expect highs in the 50s and 60s by midweek, but then followed by the possibility of rain.

But hold out hope.

The weather service notes that the two systems - snow on Sunday and rain on Friday - may mark winter's 'last hurrah this season.”

We'll see.