Storms that blew through parts of western and north central Iowa Wednesday night brought lots of wind, and widely scattered precipitation, with some areas receiving more than one-inch of rain, while others were left deprived…again. The National Weather Service says Carroll County bore the brunt of the wind damage at the onset, with winds gusting anywhere from 61-to as much as 75-miles per hour, between 7:30 and 8-p.m. The winds caused power lines to snap in Carroll and Lanesboro, brought down tree limbs, one of which fell on a porch and house in Carroll, causing damage, but no injuries.

Just north of Arcadia, the Weather Service says thunderstorm winds felled 3-foot diameter trees, and a 30-foot long camper attached to a truck was blown over. Several crops were damaged, as well. Winds gusted to near 60-miles per hour near Earlham, at around 8:30-p.m., Wednesday, according to law enforcement.

And, strong winds passing through Atlantic may have caused a tree limb to come into contact with a power line, causing a brief, small fire, in the 1400 block of Roosevelt Drive, at around 7:47-p.m. In addition, law enforcement reported a sign was down across the road along Highway 71, near Interstate 80. The sign has since been removed.

Trees were blown down in Clarinda, and there were scattered reports of power outages in Page, Adams and Montgomery Counties. Mid American Energy said 28 of its customers in Adams County, and seven customers in Montgomery County, were without power as of 5-a.m., but by 7-a.m., power had been restored to those same customers.

Some unofficial, reported rainfall amounts include: 1.28″ south of Malvern; 1.2″ in Shenandoah; 1.03″ in Clarinda; .92″ in Sidney; ;85 in Emerson; .8″ in Red Oak; .75″ in Villisca; .4″ in Carroll; .3″ in Massena, and .25″ in Lyman.  Atlantic remained dry during the passage of the storms. The last time we received more than one-inch of rain here in Atlantic, was over a month ago (June 23rd), when 1.23-inches made its way into the gauge outside the KJAN studios.

Thursday, July 26th 2012…

Today: Mostly sunny. Patchy fog through mid morning. High in the lower 90s. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low in the lower 60s. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday: Sunny. High in the mid 80s. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Low in the mid 60s. North wind near 10 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

Saturday: Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. High in the mid 80s. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Low in the upper 60s.

Sunday: Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. High around 90.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Low in the lower 70s.

(Updated to include Adams County and cancels a separate watch for parts of far western Iowa)

THE SEVERE STORMS PREDICATION CENTER IN NORMAN, OK, HAS ISSUED ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1-A.M. THURSDAY, AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA…

AUDUBON CARROLL AND CRAWFORD, CASS, ADAIR, ADAMS AND GUTHRIE.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10-P.M. FOR HARRISON MILLS POTTAWATTAMIE SHELBY AND MONONA COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT HOWEVER, FOR FREMONT, PAGE AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.

The Severe Storms Prediction Center in Norman, OK, has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the following counties in western and southwest Iowa: FREMONT…HARRISON…MILLS….MONONA…MONTGOMERY…PAGE…POTTAWATTAMIE… and  SHELBY. The Watch is in effect until Midnight.

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD…

534 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

…WILD FIRE DANGER ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA…

THE COMBINATION OF VERY DRY CONDITIONS…AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES FROM 95 TO 105 DEGREES…HUMIDITY FROM 20 TO 40 PERCENT AND SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS…WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR WILD FIRES ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA THIS AFTERNOON. THE SITUATION IS MOST DANGEROUS IN GRASSY AREAS AND RANGELAND.

THE HOT AND DRY WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH TODAY. DURING THIS TIME…REFRAIN FROM OUTDOOR BURNING AND BE VERY CAREFUL WITH SMOKING MATERIALS. SEVERAL COUNTIES HAVE BURN BANS IN EFFECT. PLEASE CHECK IN YOUR COUNTY BEFORE BURNING. ANY OPEN FIRE COULD SPREAD EASILY.

A COOL FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WILL PROVIDE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES AND COOLER TEMPERATURES HELPING TO DIMINISH THE FIRE THREAT.

Here’s the weather forecast (Podcast) for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area, from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Dan Hicks, and the weather stats for Atlantic, from KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 101. Our 22-hour low thru 5-a.m. today was 69. At 5-a.m. it was 80-degrees in Atlantic. Last year on this date, the High was 90, while the Low was 70. The All-time record High on this date in Atlantic was 110 in 1901. The Record Low was 42 in 1905. Sunrise is at 6:06, Sunset at 8:45.

Now, here’s the (podcast) forecast from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Harvey Freese…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (536.6KB)

Subscribe: RSS

356 AM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012

…EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT WEDNESDAY…

TODAY…SUNNY. VERY HOT. HIGH AROUND 100. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. HEAT INDEX READINGS 101 TO 106.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 102 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. VERY HOT. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH AROUND 102. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH. HEAT INDEX READINGS 103 TO 108.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY. LOW IN THE LOWER 70S. NORTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 60 PERCENT. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 102 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING. NOT AS WARM. HIGH IN THE UPPER 80S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 60S.

FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. LOW IN THE MID 60S.

338 AM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012

…AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR THE KJAN LISTENING AREA…

HIGHS IN THE UPPER 90’S  TO MID 100’S ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH HIGHS WEDNESDAY PERHAPS A DEGREE OR TWO COOLER. HEAT INDEX VALUES SHOULD PEAK NEAR OR A LITTLE ABOVE 105 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON AS WELL. THE COMBINATION OF PROLONGED HOT TEMPERATURES AND SOME HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY IF SIGNIFICANT PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT OBSERVED. THE PROLONGED NATURE OF THE HEAT…BOTH DAY AND NIGHT…WILL ACCUMULATE OVER TIME ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING. PROLONGED OUTDOOR ACTIVITY COULD CAUSE HEAT EXHAUSTION.

THE PROLONGED NATURE OF THIS HEAT WAVE MAKES IT ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR THOSE WHO WORK OUTDOORS OR DO NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING. IF YOU MUST WORK OUTSIDE…TAKE PLENTY OF WATER BREAKS IN THE SHADE AND IF POSSIBLE SCHEDULE MORE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES FOR MORNING OR IN THE EVENING.

COUNTIES: SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-

531 PM CDT MON JUL 23 2012

…WILD FIRE DANGER INCREASING ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA…

THE COMBINATION OF VERY DRY CONDITIONS…AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES FROM 95 TO 105 DEGREES…HUMIDITY FROM 20 TO 40 PERCENT AND A SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH HAVE COMBINED TO PRODUCE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR WILD FIRES ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE SITUATION IS MOST DANGEROUS IN GRASSY AREAS AND RANGELAND. THE HOT AND DRY WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH MIDWEEK. DURING THIS TIME…REFRAIN FROM OUTDOOR BURNING AND BE VERY CAREFUL WITH SMOKING MATERIALS. SEVERAL COUNTIES HAVE BURN BANS IN EFFECT. PLEASE CHECK IN YOUR COUNTY BEFORE BURNING.

ANY OPEN FIRE COULD SPREAD EASILY. A COOL FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WILL PROVIDE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES AND COOLER TEMPERATURES SHOULD SHOULD DIMINISH THE FIRE THREAT.