Forecast Details for Ames, IA

Recent Locations: Acme, WA Cuthbert, GA Ames, IA

Today: Showers and thunderstorms before 4pm, then a chance of showers. Patchy fog between 10am and 11am. High near 59. East wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 11 to 16 mph becoming north 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. High near 59. East wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then showers likely between 10pm and 1am. Low around 35. East wind 11 to 14 mph becoming west in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Windy, with a west wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Blustery.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Breezy.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Breezy.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Windy.

Want more detail? Get the Complete 7 Day and Night Detailed Forecast!

Current U.S. National Radar--Current

The Current National Weather Radar is shown below with a UTC Time (subtract 5 hours from UTC to get Eastern Time).

National Weather Forecast--Current

The Current National Weather Forecast and National Weather Map are shown below.

National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

Tomorrow National Weather Forecast and Tomorrow National Weather Map are show below.

North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

This map shows recent moisture content over North America. Bright and colored areas show high moisture (ie, clouds); brown indicates very little moisture present; black indicates no moisture.

Weather Topic: What are Stratus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Stratus Clouds

Next Topic: Wall Clouds

Stratus clouds are similar to altostratus clouds, but form at a lower altitude and are identified by their fog-like appearance, lacking the distinguishing features of most clouds.

Stratus clouds are wider than most clouds, and their base has a smooth, uniform look which is lighter in color than a nimbostratus cloud. The presence of a stratus cloud indicates the possibility of minor precipitation, such as drizzle, but heavier precipitation does not typically arrive in the form of a stratus cloud.

Next Topic: Wall Clouds

Weather Topic: What are Altocumulus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Altocumulus Clouds

Next Topic: Altostratus Clouds

Similar to cirrocumulus clouds, altocumulus clouds are characterized by cloud patches. They are distinguished by larger cloudlets than cirrocumulus clouds but are still smaller than stratocumulus clouds.

Altocumulus clouds most commonly form in middle altitudes (between 2 and 5 km) and may resemble, at times, the shape of a flying saucer. These uncommon formations, called altocumulus lenticularis, are created by uplift in the atmosphere and are most often seen in close proximity to mountains.

Next Topic: Altostratus Clouds