Justin Glisan, the Iowa state climatologist since 2018, said Friday that he is preparing to help National Weather Service employees by taking some of their climate work if the federal government shuts down next week.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service are warning Eastern Iowans that triple-digit heat indexes are coming this weekend.
More than 70 million Americans sweated through the muggiest first two months of summer on record as climate change has noticeably dialed up the Eastern United States' humidity in recent decades, an Associated Press data analysis shows.
Five years ago, destructive prolonged wind gusts of up to 140 mph blew through Iowa, felling trees, flattening crops, ripping down power lines and tearing away building walls and roofs. It was the most costly thunderstorm in U.S. history. Derechos aren’t uncommon. What made this one so destructive? And how are derecho forecasts improving?
Several rounds of expected storms beginning Saturday evening through Monday morning are expected to drop widespread 3 to 5 inch rain totals, The National Weather Service predicts.
The National Weather Service is warning Iowans of “dangerously hot and humid conditions” coming to the region this week, forecasting the heat index could reach 110 degrees Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
At least nine tornadoes touched down in Iowa last week — including three in Linn County.
Iowa has recorded just seven confirmed tornadoes in the first six months of 2025, partly due to jet streams from the Gulf hitting neighboring states.
The National Weather Service, which is responsible for tracking storms and warning the public about them, has lost hundreds of employees to federal cuts and voluntary resignations. Five former NWS heads released a letter last month outlining their concerns regarding the cuts.
The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued an extreme heat watch, in effect from Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening for much of Iowa, as well as portions of surrounding states. It warns of “dangerously hot conditions.”
The National Weather Service on Sunday afternoon downgraded the risk of severe storms in Eastern Iowa on Monday, but the higher risk remains for much of the northern third of the state.
The northern lights, which can appear green, pink and blue, are the result of geomagnetic storms. The more severe the storm, the more likely you are to be able to see the lights in Iowa. So long as skies aren’t cloudy.
The line of storms will be moving quickly, could bring damaging winds
A line of storms is expected to move through Eastern Iowa Friday. Despite that, experts say dry soil and lower water levels in the state’s rivers and streams should mitigate any flood risks and runoff.
The potential for flooding events in the region has decreased even more in the past two weeks, the National Weather Service’s Quad Cities Bureau says
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