HOW BOUT THEM RAINDROPS!

You know the old saying, when it rains it pours. Well we couldn't buy a drop of rain mid-August through February with some places in eastern Iowa posting deficits up to 11inches. Then, as often happens, when the pattern breaks, it does so with a vengeance. Here's the rainfall deficits in Iowa from August 15th, 2025 through March 31st, 2006. Over 11 inches around Ottumwa in SE Iowa!

Then came April and so did the rains. These are rainfall departures since April 1st. Most of eastern Iowa has a surplus 2.5 to 5.5 inches, with the heavier amounts clustered around Waterloo.

Here's another perspective of rainfall the past 14 days.

Notice how most of Iowa, Wisconsin, and NW Illinois is has been in the heart of the storm track with rain amounts well above normal.

Below, you can see what's fallen the past 48 hours by way of Doppler rainfall estimates. Some real soakers. especially north of HWY 30 where some 4 inch totals are showing!

The rain has at times been accompanied by some severe weather. Several touchdowns were noted in Iowa Tuesday but in general they were small and short lived. One of the strongest (still unrated) hit near Onslow and Wyoming, Iowa. The Dubuque Airport measured 90 mph straight line winds and baseball sized hail was reported in Buchanan County.

By all accounts, any lingering rain departs the NE early Thursday with a weak high pressure building in long enough to keep things dry into at least Friday afternoon. Dew points will be noticeably lower Thursday in the low to mid 50s. With highs of 73 to 78 that should make for a fine spring day.

Friday, the final slug of energy rolls into the area late Friday afternoon and night. Ahead of a stout cold front strong warm advection is unleashed once again allowing highs to reach into the upper 70s to low 80s. The whole region will be sandwiched in the warm sector with dew points in the low to mid 60s. That drives a new round of instability that generates CAPE of 2500 to 3000 j/kg. Pretty juicy.

By mid-afternoon Friday, the HRRR by way of the water vapor product shows a short wave approaching the Quad Cities that should trigger another round of active showers and storms

You can also see some new helicity tracks Friday that indicate rotating supercells, the type we watch for severe thunderstorms.

To that point, SPC shows an enhanced level 3 risk for all modes of severe weather across my area Friday afternoon and evening.

Finally, as a cold front passes Friday night, it ends the week long cycle of daily rain chances, while leading to a dry but cool weekend ahead. Highs will drop sifnificantly into the range of 50-55 both Saturday and Sunday. Brisk NW winds will accompany the late season chill, esepcially Saturday when gusts should hit 30mph. Outside of an isolated shower or sprinkle, mainly in the north, dry conditions will prevail.

A HEALTH UPDATE

Friday brought me some positive news in that ny blood cultures were negative. If that is the case again Friday, I reach the benchmark to be released. However, it's with a hitch. That's the additiona of a PICC that will be inserted in my bicep. From there a catheter is incerted that is weaved through my upper arm and into my chest, not far from my heart. I will have daily infusions of antibiotics for 6 weeks to end the blood infection once and for all. If I recall, the cost of that medication is $900 dollars a week. While I have Medicare A and B, and G, as well as a suplemental health plan, I do not have the right Medicare D for medication and I have to pay for 100% of my medications and supplies, entirely out of my pocket. Over 6 weeks that's at least $5,600 bucks. A little detail with big implications. Like it or not, my life depends on that medication or I'm in serious trouble of surviving this infection. America, we can do better than that!

After two weeks, I will be evaluated by the surgical team back in Iowa City to see if I need open heart surgery to repair the Aortic valve that is leaking blood into my brain. That's already caused bleeding in my brain and a mild stroke. Suffice it to say, I need to get rid of the blood infection and get the valve back in pristine order. That's the latest and greatest from the 6th floor of the University of Iowa Hospital. Roll weather...TS