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Weather alerts in Iowa today: does anything affect me?
National Weather Service
Official Freeze Warning in effect for Iowa.
What it means
- Freeze or cold: protect sensitive plants, pets and outdoor pipes. In extreme cold, dress in layers, limit time outdoors and use space heaters and generators safely.
Always follow your local National Weather Service office and local officials. Details below.
Official weather alerts for Iowa
Freeze Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:00PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
Lyon; Sioux; Plymouth; Woodbury; Lincoln; Lyon; Murray; Pipestone; Rock; Dixon; Dakota; Kingsbury; Brookings; Miner; Lake; Moody; Hanson; McCook; Minnehaha; Hutchinson; Turner; Lincoln; Bon Homme; Yankton; Clay; Union
Full text from the National Weather Service
FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 expected. * WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, and east central and southeast South Dakota. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS Sioux Falls SD
Freeze Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:00PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD
Osceola; Dickinson; O'Brien; Clay; Cherokee; Buena Vista; Ida; Cottonwood; Nobles; Jackson
Full text from the National Weather Service
FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 29 expected. * WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Iowa and southwest Minnesota. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS Sioux Falls SD
Freeze Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 8:43PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Buchanan; Delaware; Dubuque; Benton; Linn; Jones; Jackson; Iowa; Johnson; Cedar; Clinton; Muscatine; Scott; Keokuk; Washington; Jefferson; Jo Daviess; Stephenson; Carroll; Whiteside; Rock Island
Full text from the National Weather Service
FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 expected. * WHERE...Portions of northwest Illinois and east central, northeast, and southeast Iowa. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Freeze Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 2:53PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Emmet; Kossuth; Winnebago; Worth; Palo Alto; Hancock; Cerro Gordo; Pocahontas; Humboldt; Wright; Franklin; Butler; Bremer; Sac; Calhoun; Webster; Hamilton; Hardin; Grundy; Black Hawk; Crawford; Carroll; Greene; Boone; Story; Marshall; Tama; Audubon; Guthrie; Dallas; Polk; Jasper; Poweshiek; Cass; Adair; Madison; Warren; Marion; Mahaska; Adams; Union; Clarke; Lucas; Monroe; Wapello; Taylor; Ringgold; Decatur; Wayne; Appanoose
Full text from the National Weather Service
FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 29-32 expected and widespread frost. * WHERE...Much of central Iowa. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS Des Moines IA
Freeze Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 10:51AM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
Mitchell; Howard; Winneshiek; Allamakee; Floyd; Chickasaw; Fayette; Clayton; Wabasha; Dodge; Olmsted; Winona; Mower; Fillmore; Houston; Taylor; Clark; Buffalo; Trempealeau; Jackson; La Crosse; Monroe; Juneau; Adams; Vernon; Crawford; Richland; Grant
Full text from the National Weather Service
FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures ranging from the mid-20s to lower 30s. * WHERE...Portions of north central and northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and central, north central, southwest, and west central Wisconsin. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS La Crosse WI
Freeze Warning until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 10:01AM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Monona; Harrison; Shelby; Pottawattamie; Mills; Montgomery; Fremont; Page; Knox; Cedar; Thurston; Antelope; Pierce; Wayne; Boone; Madison; Stanton; Cuming; Burt; Platte; Colfax; Dodge; Washington; Butler; Saunders; Douglas; Sarpy; Seward; Lancaster; Cass; Otoe; Saline; Jefferson; Gage; Johnson; Nemaha; Pawnee; Richardson
Full text from the National Weather Service
FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 28 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Iowa and east central, northeast, and southeast Nebraska. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly.
Official NWS page · NWS Omaha/Valley NE
2 advisories and statements
Frost Advisory until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Frost Advisory issued October 16 at 8:43PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Louisa; Henry; Des Moines; Van Buren; Lee; Henry; Bureau; Putnam; Mercer; Henderson; Warren; Hancock; McDonough; Scotland; Clark
Full text from the National Weather Service
FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Temperatures as low as 32 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of north central, northwest, and west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Frost Advisory until Sat, Oct 17, 9:00 AM CDT
Frost Advisory issued October 16 at 2:53PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Davis
Full text from the National Weather Service
FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY
* WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 and widespread frost. * WHERE...Davis County. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.
Instructions: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
Official NWS page · NWS Des Moines IA
Storm Prediction Center · today's severe-storm outlook · issued 1 h ago
None of these cities are inside today's thunderstorm or severe-storm areas.
Official SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook (NOAA), valid until Sat, Oct 17, 7:00 AM CDT. It shows the chance of severe storms in the area, not a warning for your street. SPC outlook
U.S. Drought Monitor · map of October 13
No drought, but 1.4% of Iowa is abnormally dry.
Share of the state's area. Updated every Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA and NOAA). Drought builds over weeks and months: one rainy day rarely ends it.
Weather in Iowa now
What is normal in October in Iowa
changing season Fall: usually calmer, with occasional severe storms along autumn cold fronts. The first freeze and snow arrive by November.
El Niño is under way, and NOAA expects it to be strong (NOAA, October 8, 2026).
In the Midwest it tends to bring a milder winter with less snow, especially in the north.
These are general tendencies: every year is different, and your local forecast comes first.
Typical climate per NOAA and regional weather services. It describes the season, not the forecast for a given day.
Where will it rain most? Forecast by city
Total rain each day, in inches. Wettest cities first.
| City | Tomorrow | Sunday | Monday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedar Rapids | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davenport | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sioux City | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa City | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dubuque | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Automatic forecast from a computer model (MET Norway, data CC BY 4.0). Not an official alert: for watches and warnings, follow National Weather Service.
What do the inches mean?
As a rough guide: under a quarter inch in a day is light rain; 1 to 2 inches is a heavy downpour; more than 2 inches in a day is very heavy rain that can flood low-lying areas and roads.
Several rainy days in a row saturate the ground: even a modest storm can then cause flash flooding and rising rivers.
Cities in Iowa
Official sources for Iowa
Emergency: 911