Davenport, Iowa – A stronger spring signal is emerging along the Iowa-Illinois border heading into early March, with confidence increasing that both temperatures and precipitation trend above seasonal averages during the Feb. 28 through Mar. 13 period.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, the Quad Cities region carries a 50% to 60% probability of above-normal temperatures in the Week 3-4 outlook. Precipitation probabilities also climb into the 50% to 60% range, indicating a higher likelihood of wetter-than-average conditions along both sides of the Mississippi River.
The warmer and wetter signal spans the Interstate 80 corridor through Davenport and Bettendorf, east into Rock Island and Moline along Interstate 74 and Interstate 280. This broader atmospheric setup favors fewer prolonged Arctic intrusions compared to typical late-February standards across eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
The elevated precipitation outlook suggests a more active storm track across the central Midwest and Upper Mississippi Valley. While long-range guidance does not specify exact storm timing or precipitation type, it does point toward a greater probability of systems crossing the region during the two-week window.
Communities including Davenport, Rock Island, Moline, East Moline and Clinton fall within both the warmer and wetter zones. The Week 3-4 outlook reflects large-scale atmospheric trends rather than specific day-to-day conditions.
Additional refinements are expected as the late-February to mid-March timeframe approaches and shorter-range guidance provides greater clarity on individual systems.
