textproduct: Des Moines

KEY MESSAGES

- Temperatures warm Sunday and then peak on Monday when highs reach the 50s to low 60s.

- Seasonally mild conditions in the 30s-40s this week. Weak embedded waves may bring light precipitation chances mid week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 229 PM CST Sat Feb 7 2026

The western US ridge slides east into the midwest this week with warm air advection pushing into southwest Iowa Sunday afternoon. Temperatures are maximized on Monday with a shortwave passing north of Iowa that will put Iowa firmly in the warm sector with good southwest flow into the state. With low dewpoints in the mid 30s expect deep mixing allowing temperatures to warm to the high side of the guidance envelope. Have blended towards the 75th percentile on temperatures to better account for warming potential. The Euro is further south with the northern shortwave and increased cloud cover in northern Iowa will prevent further warming. Will need to watch this closely and adjust temperatures accordingly depending on the track of that wave.

By Monday evening the trailing cool front from the northern wave drags across Iowa. This will moderate temperatures Tuesday and beyond, cooler than Monday but still mild for this time of year. Iowa remains on the northern edge of the thermal ridge through this week with weak embedded shortwaves passing across the area. Light precipitation is possible with these midweek, though impacts at this time appear low with light QPF. The next more impactful system may arrive next weekend but model guidance is split at this time. Details will be better determined in the next several days.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/

Issued at 533 AM CST Sun Feb 8 2026

VFR stratus over eastern Iowa will continue eastward through the morning and should be out of the area by mid-day. Occasional gusts around 20 kts are being observed at northern and eastern sites near this stratus, but expectation is for winds to diminish to around 10 to 12 kts by the afternoon. Prevailing direction will be out of the east today, before becoming more southerly this evening. Occasional mid-level clouds will drift overhead today, but VFR conditions persist through the current TAF period. A weak signal for fog is showing up in southeastern Iowa tomorrow morning, but no mention in the forecasts at this lead time.

CLIMATE

Issued at 227 AM CST Sun Feb 8 2026

Forecast and Record High Temperatures for Select Central Iowa Cities on Monday...

============================================= | Monday | Period | Forecast Record/ | of City | High Year | Record ============================================= Mason City 47 58/1976 1903- Waterloo 50 57/1976 1895- Des Moines 63 62/1976 1878- Ottumwa 60 68/1943 1923- Lamoni 65 60/1938 1897- =============================================

DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.