- May 29, 2021

MOVING ON FROM A LATE SEASON FROST....

Many woke up on May 29th to frost in the Midwest. An unwelcomed sight after what had been several weeks of warmth. I had to cover my garden with plants that were in full bloom (they did well!) and was amazed to see ice crystals covering my lawn this late in the year.

The National Weather Service doesn't have a lot of records on frost... it's hard to keep track of because it can happen at varying temperatures but you need the right conditions (clear skies, light winds, cool temperatures and some available moisture). However, the NWS in the Quad Cities says this is the latest Frost Advisory they've issued in the last 17 years (they have records for that going back to just 2004).

The temperatures didn't break records, but sure were chilly!

Ooof! Luckily temperatures rebounded in the afternoon under the sunshine back into the 60s... but we're still sitting around 10-15 degrees below normal for this time of year!

On top of the sunshine on Saturday it was the first day in 15 straight days that Cedar Rapids hadn't seen any rain! This streak is now the longest on record for consecutive days with precipitation.

Unfortunately there has not been much rain with this streak and many parts of Iowa are still in need of rain. There will be the chance for some light showers late Sunday evening:

Otherwise it will be cloudy and temperatures will get a little warmer than Saturday.

zMemorial Day won't be very summery, but it will be mostly dry if you're looking to spend time outdoors. There will be clouds in the sky with just a slim chance for some showers in the evening, mainly in southeast Iowa into Illinois and Missouri.

Temperatures will be nearing 70° in the afternoon even with some clouds and the chance for rain:

You can see in the map above where it may be a touch cooler due to the rain.

As we head through the rest of the week temperatures will be warming up! Check out the outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for June 4th to 8th: