Des Moines, Iowa (Via KCCI and KCRG) — The National Weather Service in Des Moines has confirmed an EF-0 tornado that struck at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 near the town of Bloomfield. Damage was reported to the National Weather Service and it was determined that a tornado had touched down at 11 a.m. and lasted for around one minute with an overall path length of one-third of a mile. The cell associated with the storm was said to have no lightning. Tornadoes can occur any time of the year.

According to the Weather Service, since January 1st Iowa has broken the record for the most tornadoes touching down in the state in a year, with 122 having been confirmed- and the year isn’t over yet, of course. The previous record was set in 2004. Several different events have contributed to this year’s high number of tornadoes. A Weather Service meteorologist said four of the largest tornadoes occurred April 16th and 26th, and were followed-up by an active weather pattern, in May. Storms on the 21st and 24th of May produced between 18 to 23 tornadoes each.

In addition to a strong jet stream, meteorologists also noted several additional features that helped strengthen storms this year. Dr. Bill Gallus, a professor of Meteorology at ISU told KCRG, “In the spring, the southern part of the United States got very hot, record hot and the Gulf of Mexico warmed up quickly and became warmer than average, which also helps more humidity to enter the atmosphere and then the south winds that came up ahead of these storm systems could bring that higher humidity up to Iowa and that acts as the fuel as the instability for the thunderstorms.”

2024 isn’t the only year we’ve dealt with a high number of tornadoes. In the last 20 years, five years have had more than 100 tornadoes statewide. Scientists don’t think climate change is causing an increase in the number of tornadoes we see. However, experts are considering the possibility that climate change is causing more large scale severe weather events. Officials say learning from this year’s storms will help to prepare for twisters in the years to come.

As for the upcoming Winter months, the Climate Prediction Center – which specializes in long-range, seasonal forecasts – says developing La Niña conditions are expected through the winter. What does that mean for Iowa? The influence of La Niña is most impactful in northern and southern states and along the east coast. Towards the central US, La Niña has less of a signal making it difficult to draw conclusions about what to expect this year. Recent La Niña patterns have generally favored a warmer start to the winter season for our area, followed by colder and snowier conditions over the second half of winter with a later onset of spring.

Today: Sunny. High near 59. S/SE winds 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. S/SE winds 10-25 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 58. Winds south @ 15-30 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. S winds becoming W/NW @ 5-15 mph w/gusts to near 20.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.
Sun. Night: A slight chance of rain after midnight. Low around 34.
Monday: Rain & windy. High near 57.Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Mon. Night: Rain before midnight. Windy. Low around 41.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy & breezy, with a high near 49.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 54. Our Low this morning was 27. Last year on this date, the High was 69 and the Low was 30. The Record High in Atlantic on Nov.15th was 75 in 2001. The Record Low was -7 in 1940. Sunrise: 7:08. Sunset: 5:00.

Here are the rainfall totals for the 24-hour period ending 7-a.m. Nov. 14th, as reported to the National Weather Service:

Atlantic, KJAN (1.44 inches)

Atlantic, 7.1 miles N/NE, 1.35″

Anita, 1.02″

Audubon (near the airport), 2.5″

College Springs, .57″

Council Bluffs, .56″

Cromwell, .54″ (Union County)

Creston, .60″

Earling, 1.74″ (Shelby County)

Elk Horn, 1.71″

Massena, .86″

Missouri Valley (2.1 miles N/NE), .63″

New Market, .72″ (Taylor County)

Today: Partly sunny-to-sunny. High near 51. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable this afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 57. S/SE winds 5 to 15 mph, with gusts to near 20 mph.
Tom. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Saturday: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 58.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 54.
Monday: Showers developing, mainly after noon. High near 53.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 47. Our Low this morning was 35. We received 1.44″ of rain Wednesday, at KJAN, for a total of 1.52″.  Last year on this date, the High was 69 and the Low was 29. The Record High in Atlantic on Nov.14th was 72 in 1897, 1964, & 1990. The Record Low was -5 in 1940. Sunrise: 7:07. Sunset: 5:01.

KJAN/Atlantic, .08″

Atlantic (7.1 miles N/NE), .08

.6 mile S of Anita, .07″

College Springs, .28 (as of 8-a.m.)

1.5 miles E of Council Bluffs, .69″

Near Elk Horn (IA), .07″

Logan, .91″

Missouri Valley, .68″

Mondamin, .78″

New Market, .03″

Pacific Junction, .76″

(Radio Iowa) – Rainfall normally drops off as we head into November, but that hasn’t been the case as we approach the midway mark of the month. National Weather Service meteorologist, Dillon Dodson, says we should see more rain this morning (Wednesday), starting on the western side of the state. “And then moving east through the state, through the morning hours and into the afternoon,” he says. “Rainfall amounts probably be the highest over the western portion of the state. As you get further east, you get into a little more dry air and slightly lower rainfall amounts.”

Western Iowa is forecast to see between one quarter to three quarters of an inch of rain, with one tenth to half an inch in the east. Dodson doesn’t anticipate any severe weather with the rain. “You can’t rule out maybe an isolated rumble of thunder, but for the most part, it’s going to be going to be just a soaking rain. You know that typical fall rainfall that we see, no severe weather or anything like that,” Dodson says. Dodson says rainfall amounts vary across the state and many places like Des Moines are running well ahead of normal. “We’re actually at one-point-one inches over normal at the moment (in Des Moines),” he says.

The temperatures are expected to warm up through this week. “This weekend, we might get kind of creeping more above normal. I think our typical high for this time of year is right around, 50 degrees in Des Moines, you know, a little cooler for the North, little warmer for the South. So we’ll be above normal, maybe five to ten degrees above normal through the weekend, and then back to right around normal through next week,” Dodson says. Dodson says the ground isn’t yet frozen, so a lot of that rain we get should soak into what has been dry soil.

Today: Showers. High near 48. S/SE winds 5-15 mph becoming NW this afternoon & gusting as high as 25 mph. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Tonight: A 40% chance of showers, mainly before 8pm. Gradually becoming partly cloudy. Low around 37. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 53. NW wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 58.
Saturday: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 61.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 56. The Low was 34. 24-hour rainfall in Atlantic (as of 7-a.m.) was .08″.   Last year on this date, the High was 67 and the Low was 24. The Record High in Atlantic on Nov.13th was 83 in 1999. The Record Low was -5 in 1940. Sunrise: 7:06. Sunset: 5:02.

Today: Sunny & breezy. High near 53. SE winds 10-20 mph, w/gusts to near 25.

Tonight: Cloudy & breezy w/a 40% chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Low around 41.

Tomorrow: Showers, mainly before noon. High near 50. S/SE winds 10-25 mph shifting to the W/NW in the afternoon.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 54. NW @ 5-10 shifting to the SW in the afternoon.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 52. The Low was 30. Last year on this date, the High was 66 and the Low was 24. The Record High in Atlantic on Nov.12th was 73 in 2005. The Record Low was -4 in 1968 & 2019. Sunrise: 7:05. Sunset: 5:03.

Veterans Day (Today): Sunny, with a high near 51. N winds 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. NE-SE winds 5-10.
Tomorrow: Sunny & breezy. High near 54. SE winds @ 10-25 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers after midnight. Low around 40. S/SE winds @ 15-25 mph.
Wednesday: A 50% chance of showers, otherwise partly sunny. High near 54.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 57.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 57. We had a Trace of precipitation (Drizzle/mist, Sunday morning after 7-a.m.). Our Low this morning was 32. Last year on this date, the High was 53 and the Low was 35. The Record High in Atlantic on Nov.11th was 73 in 1964 & 2005. The Record Low was -10 in 1986.