Davenport, Iowa – The last of the growing warmth vanished under a crystal-clear sky early Thursday as frost painted lawns across the Mississippi Valley. From Muscatine to Moline, the chill feels like a turning page — Iowa and Illinois now step into the heart of late fall with a Freeze Warning in effect.
According to the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities, temperatures are expected to fall between 28°F and 32°F late Thursday night into Friday morning. The Freeze Warning covers much of eastern Iowa and west-central Illinois, including Davenport, Muscatine, Rock Island, Macomb, and Burlington. Sensitive outdoor plants and unprotected pipes are most at risk as sub-freezing air settles in just before sunrise Friday.
Thursday brings sunny but deceivingly cool conditions, with highs in the upper 50s to near 60°F. As the sun drops, calm winds and dry air will let heat escape quickly, setting up another frosty start Friday. Roads should remain clear, but drivers along I-80 and U.S. 61 may notice slick patches in rural valleys where frost thickens.
By Saturday, mild air edges back in, pushing highs near 60°F under partly sunny skies. Clouds build later in the weekend ahead of a weak system that could bring light rain by Monday. Beyond that, long-range models hint at the Midwest’s next temperature plunge, with chatter growing around the region’s first shot at snowflakes before Halloween — especially north toward Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
For now, it’s a crisp and quiet stretch — perfect for late-fall yardwork, a jacketed walk by the river, or bringing in those last porch plants before the freeze finishes the season.
Five-Day Forecast for Davenport, IA:
Thu: 57/33 – Clear and cool; frost early, sunny afternoon.
Fri: 59/31 – Hard freeze early; bright and calm later.
Sat: 61/41 – Mostly sunny; gradual late-day warmup.
Sun: 62/47 – Partly cloudy; mild breeze from the south.
Mon: 60/45 – Cloudy; spotty showers possible late day.
