Forecast Details for Ottumwa, IA

Recent Locations: Kearney, NE Danville, NH Ottumwa, IA

Today: A 10 percent chance of showers after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. East wind 3 to 5 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind 3 to 6 mph.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers between 10am and 4pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. East southeast wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday Night: A slight chance of thunderstorms before 7pm, then a chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Labor Day: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 77.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

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National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

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North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

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Weather Topic: What is Precipitation?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Precipitation

Next Topic: Rain

Precipitation can refer to many different forms of water that may fall from clouds. Precipitation occurs after a cloud has become saturated to the point where its water particles are more dense than the air below the cloud.

In most cases, precipitation will reach the ground, but it is not uncommon for precipitation to evaporate before it reaches the earth's surface. When precipitation evaporates before it contacts the ground it is called Virga. Graupel, hail, sleet, rain, drizzle, and snow are forms of precipitation, but fog and mist are not considered precipitation because the water vapor which constitutes them isn't dense enough to fall to the ground.

Next Topic: Rain

Weather Topic: What are Shelf Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Shelf Clouds

Shelf Clouds Next Topic: Sleet

A shelf cloud is similar to a wall cloud, but forms at the front of a storm cloud, instead of at the rear, where wall clouds form.

A shelf cloud is caused by a series of events set into motion by the advancing storm; first, cool air settles along the ground where precipitation has just fallen. As the cool air is brought in, the warmer air is displaced, and rises above it, because it is less dense. When the warmer air reaches the bottom of the storm cloud, it begins to cool again, and the resulting condensation is a visible shelf cloud.

Next Topic: Sleet