FROM THE CHILL TO THE WARMTH

Frost Advisories are creeping into the Upper Midwest this weekend with record-low temperatures possible Sunday morning including much of central and western Iowa, as well as central Illinois (circled locations). Enjoy the cool air while you can as temperatures will start to increase this week back to normal and warmer-than-normal conditions.

CYHAWK GAME HISTORY

It was a fantastic day for football weatherwise across the region (outcomes may be less than desired for some). Gameday temperature for the CyHawk game was just 66 in Ames, Iowa. This was the coolest gameday high since 2014. If you were curious, that was in Iowa City and also was a Cyclone victory.

Since the game was generally held in September since 1977, Iowa State and Iowa have split the top-10 coolest games. The 2001 game was rescheduled to November following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The Hawkeyes do have a bit of a commanding lead in the heat, however, winning seven of the top-10 warmest gameday CyHawk contests, including the top-three warmest (1983, 2021, 1984). So, perhaps, the cooler weather benefitted the Cyclones? Keep that in mind for next year.

HEATING UP

Following some cooler temperatures we will see a gradual warm up across the region. Wednesday highs will likely push back into the 80s with those low/mid 80s continuing to hold steady for the next week or more.

The European Ensemble shows that jump above normal (red line) for the Cedar Rapids metro area and that continuing through mid-September. That is a trend we have been hinting at for the last week and one that looks to firmly take over the region.

The pattern certainly screams warmth and dryness across the central US for mid-September with a strong ridge building in. Eastern Iowa and northern Illinois will likely be on the drier side of this pattern as well. For farmers prepping for harvest, this is a pretty goldilocks setup in a lot of ways to keep the fields dry!

Analogs are quite firm on the below-normal trend in precipitation across the central and eastern US as well with greater than 80% probabilities. Some wetter conditions in the Northern Plains also stands out with stronger southwesterly flow. Some early-autumn severe potential is a potential watch item out that way in the Sept. 11-14 time frame.

Long-story short, I hope you enjoyed the cooler temperatures as we are on the way up through the middle part of the month with mid-80s highs in the forecast with lots of sunshine.

-Meteorologist Nick Stewart