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This is fresh off the press, and is the winter outlook from November 2026 thru Feb 2027. It factors in the strong El Ni...
10/17/2026

This is fresh off the press, and is the winter outlook from November 2026 thru Feb 2027. It factors in the strong El Nino.

So for our parts of the country, expect warmer, with more storms, and some of us may see more snow, while many see an average year.

There has also been a change to Blizzards this year, with PDS ( Potentially Dangerious Situation ) blizzards now added to the mix. Sure, blizzards are never good, but some are much worse than others.

The way too early Halloween Weather Preview.... Is it just me or does it seem like Halloween is usually always cold an...
10/17/2026

The way too early Halloween Weather Preview.... Is it just me or does it seem like Halloween is usually always cold and rainy here in the midwest?

Well, if weather models have their way, that history may repeat itself.

Now, this is no forecast, given that we are 2 weeks away...

But here it is...

The ECMWF model has a cold front moving thru our area, whereas just the day before highs were in the 60s and 70s. ( as seen in the graphic)
The GFS has the cold front hitting the day before. We won't get into all the logistics of it today, we will save that for our 10 day forecast...but there is a chance of rain as well! Cold, rainy night is possible...

Lets take a look at this again mid next week.

So why share this at all? We like to share model trend lines, so the trend here is, cooler temps going into halloween weekend, with a chance of rain.

🌰🌲 DID YOU KNOW PEOPLE IN THE MIDWEST ARE GETTING PAID TO COLLECT WALNUTS AND PINECONES?! 💰You might want to think twice...
10/15/2026

🌰🌲 DID YOU KNOW PEOPLE IN THE MIDWEST ARE GETTING PAID TO COLLECT WALNUTS AND PINECONES?! 💰

You might want to think twice before throwing those walnuts or pinecones out of your yard!

Believe it or not, people across the Midwest are actually making money collecting things that nature provides for FREE!

🌰 IOWA & MISSOURI: CASH FOR BLACK WALNUTS!

Hammons Black Walnuts has opened buying stations across the Midwest, including locations in Iowa and Missouri.

The company announced an opening price of $14 per 100 pounds of black walnuts after hulling for the 2026 harvest season!

People can gather freshly fallen black walnuts and bring them to participating hulling stations, where they're processed and weighed for payment.

🌲 MINNESOTA: GET PAID TO COLLECT PINECONES!

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is paying residents to collect certain types of pinecones and tree seeds!

And some of the prices might surprise you!

🌲 Red pine cones: $95 per bushel

🌲 White pine cones: $50 per bushel

🌲 Jack pine cones: $60 per bushel

🌲 Black spruce cones: $200 per bushel!

The Minnesota DNR uses these seeds to grow new trees and help reforest thousands of acres across the state.

There's a catch, though! The cones must meet specific quality requirements, collectors must register with the DNR, and not every location is accepting every species.

🍂 It's pretty remarkable when you think about it. Things many of us walk past every day could actually be worth money!

💬 NOW WE'RE CURIOUS!

Have you ever collected and sold black walnuts, pinecones, or anything else from nature?

And what's the MOST unusual way you've ever made extra money here in the Midwest?

👇 Tell us what state you're from, too!

The first major threat of cold air will hit many of us Friday night This is late Friday night... Today and Tomorrow ...
10/15/2026

The first major threat of cold air will hit many of us Friday night This is late Friday night... Today and Tomorrow are great times to protect those plants outside as next week will be right back into the 60s/70s for many areas.

ROLL CALL! WHERE'S EVERYONE FROM?It's been a while since we've done one of these, and our storm chasing family continues...
10/15/2026

ROLL CALL! WHERE'S EVERYONE FROM?

It's been a while since we've done one of these, and our storm chasing family continues to grow!

Whether you're right here in Iowa, somewhere across the Midwest, or following us from across the country, we want to hear from you!

👇 Drop your city and state in the comments!

We’re going to make a neat little map out of this, so let’s see how far the Cedar Valley Storm Chasers community reaches! 🌪️⛈️

One of the biggest things you can do, is share our page with friends, family and coworkers.. it means so much to us, as we race towards 30k followers!

ECMWF vs. NAM 3KM vs. HRRR: WHICH WEATHER MODEL WILL GET TOMORROW'S RAINFALL RIGHT?With rain expected across portions of...
10/15/2026

ECMWF vs. NAM 3KM vs. HRRR: WHICH WEATHER MODEL WILL GET TOMORROW'S RAINFALL RIGHT?

With rain expected across portions of the Midwest on Thursday, October 15, we're watching three major weather models closely. But which one should we trust?

🔵 ECMWF (European Model): Excellent at predicting larger weather systems, overall storm tracks, and widespread rainfall patterns. However, it can miss some of the smaller, localized pockets of heavy rain.

🟠 NAM 3KM: A high-resolution model capable of identifying narrow bands of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. It can provide impressive detail, but sometimes exaggerates localized rainfall totals.

🔴 HRRR: One of our favorites for short-term forecasting! It updates hourly and becomes especially valuable as storms approach, helping us pinpoint where the heaviest rainfall may develop.

🏆 OUR PICK?

For tomorrow's rainfall, we're leaning toward the HRRR for the placement of heavier rainfall bands, with the NAM 3KM providing additional guidance.

However, when it comes to predicting the most realistic rainfall totals across the entire region, we'll also be weighing the European model and the National Weather Service's blended forecasts.

⚠️ HERE'S THE CATCH: Higher resolution doesn't automatically mean higher accuracy. A model predicting 3 inches of rain isn't necessarily more accurate than one predicting 1 inch.

We'll be watching the latest model trends and radar observations closely as this system develops.

Next up, the storm for Friday and the cold winds and temperatures that arrive with it.

Prairie snailsPhoto by Chris Ryba
10/14/2026

Prairie snails

Photo by Chris Ryba

Precip is moving faster than expected thru the area.Here is current view
10/14/2026

Precip is moving faster than expected thru the area.

Here is current view

Latest model run showed a slight uptick in severe weather potential in northeast Iowa
10/13/2026

Latest model run showed a slight uptick in severe weather potential in northeast Iowa

Who else is looking forward to some cooler weather? It was too hot out the other day, 90's are terrible, I assume ever...
10/13/2026

Who else is looking forward to some cooler weather? It was too hot out the other day, 90's are terrible, I assume everyone is ready for the S word?
These temps, combined with a strong wind on Friday will knock down a lot of leaves from the trees and speed up the fall foliage.
The good news, is that we will be to the 60s and 70s next week.

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