textproduct: Des Moines

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 THURSDAY/

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 /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 626 PM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

VFR conditions are forecast. Generally a south wind overnight and becoming northerly on Friday. The wind is expected to remain below 12 kts most of the period though KMCW could reach 12 kts Friday afternoon.

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.