Des Moines, Iowa – A broad warming trend is expected to expand across Iowa as February transitions into March, increasing the probability that winter’s most persistent Arctic air becomes less dominant statewide during the Feb. 28 through Mar. 13 timeframe.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, Iowa carries a 33% to 50% probability of above-normal temperatures in the Week 3-4 outlook. That warmer signal stretches from Interstate 29 in western Iowa through the Interstate 80 corridor and north along Interstate 35 toward Mason City and the Minnesota border.
This extended-range guidance favors more seasonable to slightly milder conditions compared to late-February averages. While brief cold snaps remain possible across northern and central Iowa, the broader atmospheric pattern suggests fewer sustained Arctic intrusions affecting major population centers including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Sioux City.
Precipitation probabilities during the same period lean near normal across the state. No dominant wet or dry anomaly stands out in the long-range outlook, meaning typical late-winter systems remain possible without a strong signal for excessive snowfall or prolonged dry stretches.
Communities along I-80, I-35 and I-29 fall within this gradual transition toward early-spring conditions. The Week 3-4 outlook reflects large-scale atmospheric trends rather than specific storm timing or day-to-day weather details.
Additional refinements are expected as the late-February to mid-March window approaches and shorter-range guidance becomes available.
