Ames, Iowa Weather
Prairie lightning bugs rise. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Ames weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast——84°56°—
- ThursdayJun 4Heavy Rain43%1.5″84°63°0°
- FridayJun 5Thunderstorm74%0.04″85°66°+1°
- SaturdayJun 6Showers54%—85°68°0°
- SundayJun 7Showers33%0.03″85°67°0°
- MondayJun 8Showers51%0.01″78°69°-7°
- TuesdayJun 9Drizzle28%—86°69°+8°
Ozone at AQI 78 now. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). With UV 8.9 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 93 by mid-afternoon.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 78 now. With UV 8.9 peaking around 1 PM under clear skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 93 by mid-afternoon.
- Present
- AQI 78
- UV peak
- 8.9 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 93
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 4:14 AM
- Moonset
- 1:06 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Prairie lightning bugs rise
Ames at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 9°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: April 28 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 3, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Ames
SPC has placed Ames in the Slight Risk category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
- TOMORROWMRGLMarginal Risk
- DAY 3SLGTSlight Risk
Scattered severe storms possible. A few tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind gusts possible.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.