(prepared 3:47-a.m by the NWS in Des Moines)…

Today…Mostly sunny. Cooler. High in the mid 40s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Tonight…Mostly clear. Low in the lower 20s. North wind near 10 mph.

Friday…Sunny. High in the lower 50s. Southeast wind near 5 mph shifting to the south 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night…Mostly clear. Low in the lower 30s. South wind 5 to 15 mph.

Saturday…Sunny. High around 60. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Saturday Night Through Sunday Night…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Low around 40. High in the mid 50s.

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Harvey Freese, and Ric Hanson with the weather stats….

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333 AM CST WED MAR 7 2012 Here’s the forecast for Cass and area Counties in Iowa….

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN BEFORE NOON. LIGHT SHOWERS LIKELY EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING IN THE AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 60 PERCENT.

TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY UNTIL EARLY MORNING THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE EVENING…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW BEFORE MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. MUCH COLDER. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. COOLER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTH WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH IN THE AFTERNOON.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Missouri River reservoirs have begun the spring runoff season with slightly more space than the normal amount for flood control storage. The corps says that as of Thursday, the system storage had an extra 300,000 acre-feet of storage. Runoff is expected to be near normal this year. Corps officials say the reservoirs were at desired levels last spring, but a late buildup of snow in the Rockies and heavy rains in Montana and other upstream areas in May led to record runoff. The corps was forced to release massive amounts of water from the dams, causing record flooding downstream. The more than 2,300-mile-long river flows from Montana through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture says most of northwest Iowa is still short of soil moisture. Recent rain and snow have brought some moisture to the state, but the USDA said Monday that 86 percent of northwest Iowa remains short or extremely short of the moisture desired by farmers for their crops. According to The Des Moines Register, experts say soil moisture is adequate in most of the eastern half of Iowa. And statewide, topsoil moisture levels were rated as being 19 percent very short, 34 percent short, 46 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. A year ago, 99 percent of Iowa reported adequate or surplus moisture after three years of above-average rain and snow.

The National Weather Service says the Grassland Fire Danger Index will be in the “Extreme” category today across parts of southwest Iowa and southeast Nebraska. In our area, that includes Montgomery, Fremont and Page Counties.

Extreme Fire Danger means that fires can start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely. All fires are potentially serious. All outdoor burning should be avoided in areas with Extreme Fire Danger! South to southwest winds at 15- to 30-mph today, will also bring an “Elevated Fire Danger” risk to the rest of the listening area.

336 AM CST TUE MAR 6 2012 – Nat’l. Weather Service Forecast for Cass and area Counties….

…NEAR RECORD HIGHS TODAY...

TODAY…SUNNY…BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR UNTIL EARLY MORNING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY. SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY…COOLER. HIGH AROUND 60. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING IN THE AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SLEET THROUGH MIDNIGHT. MUCH COLDER. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S.

FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S.

Here’s the forecast for the KJAN listening area, and weather stats for Atlantic…

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340 AM CST MON MAR 5 2012 for Cass & area Counties in Iowa…

TODAY…SUNNY…BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLEAR. NOT AS COOL. LOW IN THE LOWER 40S. SOUTH WIND AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TUESDAY…SUNNY…BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. PATCHY DRIZZLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW AROUND 50. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. COOLER. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING IN THE AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 5 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. MUCH COLDER. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COOLER. HIGH IN THE MID 40S.