The Statewide Tornado Watch issued at 10-a.m. was allowed to expire at 11-a.m.. The Watch was issued as part of the Tornado Drill, during Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa.

THE TEST TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED.  REPEAT…THE TEST TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED.  THIS CONCLUDES THE WARNING PHASE OF THE 2012  TORNADO DRILL.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

For information on how you can stay safe during a Tornado Warning, go to: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/dmx/Preparedness/PDFs/Tornadoes.pdf

The National Weather Service has issued a TEST TORNADO WARNING for all counties in Iowa until 10:30-a.m.   The Test Tornado Warning is part of the Statewide Tornado Drill taking place as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa.

If this had been an actual Tornado Warning, broadcasters would have instructed you to take cover immediately. Now is the time to practice what you would do in the event a tornado threatens in your county, including where you would go to find safe shelter in your home, school or place of business, and your family’s plan on keeping in touch if you are separated by a disaster. It’s also a time for local governments to put into effect their plan for emergency response during and following a Tornado Warning.

For information on tornado safety, go to: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/dmx/Preparedness/PDFs/Tornadoes.pdf

Stay tuned to broadcast outlets and/or NOAA Weather Radio for additional weather statements.

The National Weather Service has issued a TEST TORNADO WATCH for all counties in Iowa until 11-a.m.   This is only a test as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa.

Here’s the (Podcast) weather forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, & weather stats for Atlantic….

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307 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012 National Weather Svc./Des Moines

TODAY…CLOUDY. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. EAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE MID 40S. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH DECREASING TO UP TO 10 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGH AROUND 60. EAST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…SUNNY…BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 60S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. WARMER. LOW AROUND 50. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

SATURDAY…CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S.

EASTER SUNDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 60S.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The National Weather Service says the lack of winter weather and some record high temperatures helped make March the warmest on record in Iowa. The service says there were several date records and entire weeks of record warmth.

Some examples:  The high of 84 in Des Moines on March 16 broke the 1930 record of 77. The high of 82 in Waterloo on March 17 broke the 2003 record of 78; The average temperature of 66.6 degrees in Waterloo from March 16 through March 22 was nearly 30 degrees above normal for that span; For the month in Des Moines, the average temperature of 55.7 broke the 1910 record of 51.5; For the month in Dubuque, the average temperature of 50.2 degrees broke the 1910 record of 47.7 degrees.

In Atlantic, the average High for March 2012 was 67-degrees, or 22-degrees above the normal average High of 45. The average Low last month was 39, which was 14-degrees warmer than normal.  Rainfall for the month was 1.91-inches, which was nearly four-tenths of an inch below normal.

The month of April started out with a near record high in Atlantic. On Sunday, we topped out at 86 degrees, which was just 1 degree shy of tying the record for that date. On Monday, we broke our record high of 85 set in 1981, when we hit 88-degrees.

A new record high was set in Atlantic on Monday. For the details, and today’s (Podcast) forecast for the KJAN listening area, click on the player below….

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328 AM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. MUCH COOLER. HIGH IN THE MID 60S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOW IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGH AROUND60. NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOW IN THE MID 40S. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE UPPER 40S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A quick federal analysis blames most of the record warm March weather that gripped two-thirds of the country on freak chance, a nice southerly wind and only a tiny part man-made global warming. For much of March, record temperatures hit as high as 35 degrees above normal and averaged about 18 degrees warmer than usual. 

In Atlantic, the average High for March 2012 was 67-degrees, or 22-degrees above the normal average High of 45. The average Low last month was 39, which was 14-degrees warmer than normal.  Rainfall for the month was 1.91-inches, which was nearly four-tenths of an inch below normal.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration analyzed the causes and chances of what it nicknamed “meteorological March madness.”  Meteorologist Martin Hoerling (HURL-ing) said the main cause was a persistent warm wind sending toasty air north from the Gulf of Mexico. He said blame for a version of this heat wave is about five parts randomness to one part global warming. Climate change alone can only account for about 2 degrees of the added heat.