textproduct: Des Moines

KEY MESSAGES

- Breezy winds and cold temperatures this afternoon and evening. Winds diminishing overnight, but still cold on Tuesday morning.

- Seasonal temperatures in the 30s on Tuesday with a few flurries possible in northeast Iowa through mid-day.

- Dusting of snow possible over north central into northeastern Iowa on Wednesday. Cold temperatures falling into the single digits Wednesday night into New Year's Day morning.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 157 PM CST Mon Dec 29 2025

Gusty winds from this morning continue to subside early this afternoon, albeit still breezy with gusts up to 35 mph. With diminishing winds, visibility reductions from blowing snow have also diminished. Surface observations now show all of the area with visibilities of 3 statute miles or greater. Road and plow cameras do still show snow crawlers drifting over roadways, at least in rural areas, but actual lofted/blowing snow has become far less prevalent. Very light falling snow continues to be reported, but visibility impacts are transient. With impacts diminishing today, the Winter Weather Advisory was allowed to expire at noon.

Winds will remain breezy through the afternoon but continue on their downward trend through the evening, becoming light by tomorrow. Temperatures are quite cold today with values only in the low to mid teens as of 1 PM and wind chills in the single digits below zero. Cold temperatures will persist through tonight, but wind chill values should either improve or remain steady as winds diminish overnight. Many will wake up to wind chills in the single digits Tuesday morning, but fortunately this will be more a product of the cold temperatures rather than the wind. Temperatures then begin to return to more normal values on Tuesday and Wednesday as surface flow flips to more westerly and southwesterly through the day. This will come in response to the first of multiple shortwaves that will pass to the north and east of the area through the week.

The mid-level wave responsible for our blizzard conditions yesterday will eventually merge into a large, psuedo-stationary trough parked over the northeastern CONUS through much of this week. Lobes of energy will propagate around this trough through the week, resulting in multiple clipper systems passing north and east of the area. The first of these will be tomorrow, resulting a few flurries of snow in far northern and northeastern Iowa. Another wave will then pass through on Wednesday, bringing a dusting of snow slightly farther south and west, but still generally over northwestern Iowa. This second system is the best chance for more accumulating snow this week, although amounts appear to be generally less than inch. Winds will generally be light to occasionally breezy with both of these waves, which should help to mitigate any additional blowing snow impacts. However, a brief dusting of snow could still make roads slick in north central into northeastern Iowa on New Years Eve.

The Wednesday wave will be trailed by a cooler airmass, dropping lows into the single digits the night of New Years Eve (Wednesday) and into New Years Morning (Thursday) followed by highs in the 20s to kick off the New Year. Conditions then generally remain dry Thursday and beyond, with one more wave passing through the area Sunday night into Monday.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 1124 AM CST Mon Dec 29 2025

Blowing snow impacts are diminishing as winds subside today, resulting in only brief periods of MVFR to IFR conditions. Breezy northwesterly winds will continue to diminish through the rest of today and tonight. Skies will also clear through the afternoon, resulting in VFR conditions through the remainder of the TAF period.

DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.