The 53rd edition of the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa will get a hot start.
The weeklong ride begins Sunday, July 19, in Onawa, and as riders labor for the first two days through the scenic but steep Loess Hills of far western Iowa, they’ll face temperatures as high as 100 degrees.
“Make sure you’re taking plenty of cool breaks, drinking plenty of liquids and staying up-to-date on the forecast,” said Andrew Ansorge, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Des Moines.
The outlook turns more positive in the latter half of the week, with much more moderate temperatures and possible rain showers as the ride makes its way to its Saturday, July 25, destination, Dubuque.
Here’s what the forecast looks like for RAGBRAI.
Day 1, Sunday, July 19: Onawa to Harlan
The start of the ride is going to be sweltering. Onawa is forecast to reach a high near 100 degrees on Sunday, July 19, according to the National Weather Service. It’s not going to get much better as riders make their way to Harlan, where the high will be near 97 degrees.
“It’ll probably just be hot,” Ansorge said. “Whether we have any headlines (for extreme heat), that’ll be something that we’ll be coordinating in the coming days.”
Bikers also will be riding against a south-southeast wind, currently projected to blow from 3-7 mph.
Once riders reach Harlan, Sunday night will bring a bit of relief, with a low around 75 degrees.
Day 2, Monday, July 20: Harlan to Guthrie Center
As the sun rises in Harlan on Monday, bikers will still be fighting the heat as temperatures reach a high near 95 degrees. But a 5-9 mph northwest wind in the afternoon should help.
There won’t be much of a temperature change as riders approach Guthrie Center, which will have a high near 96 degrees. The night will be a bit cooler, though — the low is forecast to dip to around 70 degrees.
Heat indices will push above 100 degrees when factoring in humidity.
“Hydration breaks would definitely be needed,” Ansorge said.
There also is a storm chance from Sunday night into Monday morning.
Day 3, Tuesday, July 21: Guthrie Center to Boone
Temperatures will slowly taper for the rest of the ride. As riders make their way out of Guthrie Center, Tuesday will bring a high near 89 degrees. As a reward for making it through the heat, a north-northwest 9 mph tailwind will buoy riders toward the next stop.
Entering Boone, the high will drop ever so slightly to 87 degrees. But the night will get cooler, dropping to a low of 64 degrees.
Day 4, Wednesday, July 22: Boone to Marshalltown
The ride from Boone to Marshalltown will be mostly sunny, reaching a high of 84 degrees. Nightly temperatures will continue to drop, reaching 61 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
Tempering the good news: An easterly headwind is expected to blow at 9 mph on Wednesday.
Day 5, Thursday, July 23: Marshalltown to Independence
Hang in there. While temperatures are expected to drop slightly, with a high of 80 degrees, riders will see occasional showers on Thursday, according to Accuweather. A 6 mph southeast headwind will be blowing. As riders approach Independence, the wind will shift to blow at 5 mph from the south.
Day 6, Friday, July 24: Independence to Dyersville
Friday morning will start with heavy rainfall possible in Independence and an east-southeast 10 mph headwind. The high will reach 81 degrees. The rain will taper in the afternoon as riders reach Dyersville. Wind gusts can reach up to 22 mph on Friday, per AccuWeather.
But it’s a little early for confidence in that forecast.
“It’s hard to have predictability with storms a week out,” Ansorge said.
Day 7, Saturday, July 25: Dyersville to Dubuque
After a blistering start, RAGBRAI 2026 could end with intense humidity. Temperatures will be in the upper 70s on the way out of Dyersville, but it might feel more like 88 degrees. The heat and humidity will only intensify as riders approach the tire dip site in Dubuque, where the high is forecast at 87 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RAGBRAI riders face 100-degree heat before cooler, possibly rainy days
Reporting by Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
