Rain is ending tonight in Eastern Iowa, but the weather will not settle down with it. A strong cold front will sweep through after the showers, and northwest winds are expected to strengthen to gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.
That is the change people are looking for now because the mild, wet stretch is ending on a hard edge. Rain has kept Eastern Iowa near 60 degrees this evening, but Friday will turn cooler and stay windy, with highs in the low to mid-50s and only a slight chance of a passing shower.
The wind will matter most right after the front moves through. Gusts up to 45 miles per hour can make travel feel more difficult and can turn a cool day into one that feels raw, especially in open areas. The strongest gusts will be tied to the back side of the front, not the rain itself, so the shift from wet to windy is the bigger change tonight.
Then the pattern flips again. Clearing skies and lighter winds Friday night will let temperatures tumble into the low 30s, and the season’s first widespread frost is expected. That is the sharpest swing in the forecast: near 60 during the rain, low 50s Friday, then freezing-adjacent cold by night.
The part that keeps the forecast from feeling settled is what follows. After the frost, a warming trend takes over through the weekend and into early next week, with highs rising back into the 60s and eventually near 70 degrees. So the cold shot will be brief, but it will be enough to mark the season change before the area heads back toward milder weather.
