DES MOINES, Iowa — The winds were strong as forecast today, gusting in excess of 50 mph in spots. Windblown dust reduced visibility at times. Peak gusts recorded so far are below. A wind advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. for parts of Iowa.

It’s been a little cooler today as winds brought colder air into Iowa. Your weather timeline walks you into another windy day on Friday.

Lows tonight will stay mild, but temperatures will begin cooling even more on Friday as two cold fronts cross the state during the day. Wind gusts Friday afternoon will be almost as strong as today’s.

I wouldn’t rule out a few showers during the morning and evening hours in central Iowa as an area of low pressure moves north of us. Conditions Saturday and Sunday will improve, however.

As shown in the slideshow below, our next and best chance of rain will come Monday through Wednesday in central Iowa. Early indications are that some spots will receive in excess of 2″ of rain during that timeframe.

Highs for the next six days and a cooling trend can be seen above and in your WHO 13 7-day forecasts below. Don’t blow away!