IOWA — Monday will be a hazy, hot, and humid day for most of Central Iowa, but a cold front is approaching the state and will be the focusing mechanism for strong to severe storms later tonight and again on Tuesday.

Out ahead of the front, dew points will be in the 60s and will make for very humid conditions. Highs will rise to the upper 80s. Winds are light out of the south.

As the front hits this primed atmosphere to fuel storms and get air lifting, storms will begin to form in Nebraska and Minnesota first. They will push into northwest Iowa.

The storms will fall apart as they move farther south towards the Des Moines Metro through 9 PM. There may still be an isolated threat of severe elements, but it won’t be as strong.

The front will stall out across Iowa on Tuesday. This will lead to more storms forming in Central and Southern Iowa on Tuesday mid-afternoon. The threat of severe storms will persist in central and southern Iowa through the evening on Tuesday. A few storms may produce damaging winds and large hail. There is an isolated tornado threat.

Another round of steadier rain and less severe conditions is expected on Wednesday. These few days of rain and storms are expected to produce some heavy rainfall during the next few days. By late Wednesday night, as the rain comes to an end, we could have an additional 1 to 3″ totals in parts of the state.

For a full look at the forecast, go to our WHO Weather Page here.