Hazy Monday leads into cold front’s arrival on Tuesday

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Things will stay relatively quiet the rest of today, but then turn a bit more active again on Tuesday.

A mix of sun and clouds can be expected this afternoon, as highs reach the mid to upper 80s for most. A very slim chance at a scattered shower or storm is present, but most areas stay dry.

Air quality will take a bit of a hit today, thanks to the presence of some wildfire smoke at the low levels of the atmosphere. You can notice it this morning with the hazy appearance of the air, generally. It looks like particulate matter measurements will likely place us into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category from the EPA’s Air Quality Index. This means that those with conditions that make them especially sensitive to particulate pollution should consider remaining indoors until the index returns to lower levels. Those without that sensitivity will likely be mostly fine, but it may be worthwhile to limit strenuous outdoor activities this morning into the afternoon.

A somewhat higher chance for scattered storms is present on Tuesday, as moisture increases a bit ahead of a cold front. This same front sends highs from the mid and upper 80s back toward the upper 70s and low 80s for Wednesday into Thursday.

A warm-up will follow this break from the heat, with a renewed shot at some showers and storms into this weekend.

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