Major Weather Concerns Across Eastern Iowa Wednesday

It's not quite severe weather season. Yet for some parts of Eastern Iowa, Tuesday was a tough night. According to WQAD, there were multiple reports of funnel clouds and tornadoes across the Quad Cities between 6 pm and 6:40 pm, as well as pea size to ping pong ball size hail across the area during that time. While the severe storms might be over for this weather front, take strong caution as we head into Wednesday.

Behind this front is another big concern, as we're expecting to see high winds that will pick up throughout the night. A high wind warning goes into effect at 7 am and will continue until 8 pm Wednesday, with wind gusts projected as high as 60 mph at times, according to KGAN. The heaviest impacted areas will be along and North of the Highway 30 corridor, although gusts will still be 45-55 mph south of the area. With strong winds, travel can be extremely dangerous along North/South roads like I-380, especially for high profile vehicles. We encourage you to minimize travel through a good portion of the day tomorrow and to proceed with extreme caution, securing loose objects if you are traveling, and being observant of semis and other tall vehicles.

Other concerns with strong winds include damage to siding and roofs, as well as broken branches and potential power outages. In other words, make sure your phone is charged and there are batteries in your flashlight and radio. If tomorrow is your garbage collection day, the city warns you to expect delays and recommends you do not put out your recycling bin if you can avoid it. If the wind does tip your bin over, please collect any debris as quickly as possible.

The good news is, no severe weather is expected, and winds should rapidly decrease by sunset. However, 60 mph winds are something none of us should be taking lightly, especially as it will impact both commutes. Walking or driving, we hope everyone stays safe.