(forecast prepared 3:45-a.m., NWS/Des Moines)

**Wind Advisory in effect until 6-p.m.**

Today…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of light rain and light snow before noon. Very windy. High in the upper 30s. West wind 25 to 35 mph with gusts to around 50 mph.

Tonight…Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Breezy. Low in the mid 20s. West wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph becoming southwest up to 5 mph after midnight.

Thursday…Sunny…warmer. High in the mid 50s. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Thursday Night…Partly cloudy through midnight then becoming mostly cloudy. Low around 30. North wind 5 to 15 mph.

Friday…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of light snow in the morning. Colder. High in the lower 40s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Friday Night Through Saturday Night…Mostly cloudy. Low in the mid 20s. High around 40.

Sunday And Sunday Night…Partly cloudy. High in the lower 40s. Low in the upper 20s.

The National Weather Service has issued Wind Advisories for the entire State of Iowa. In the KJAN listening area, the Wind Advisory is currently in effect until 6-p.m. Wednesday, for: Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair-Madison-Adams-Union-Taylor and Ringggold Counties, and until 4-p.m. today for: Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont and Page Counties.

The Weather Service says West-to-Northwest winds of 25-to 35-mph with gusts from 45-to 55-mph can be expected today.

* IMPACTS…LOOSE OBJECTS WILL BE BLOWN AROUND. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY DRIVING ESPECIALLY ON NORTH SOUTH ROADS AND INTERSTATES. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES OR TREE DAMAGE MAY OCCUR IF STRONGER WINDS DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

*PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH WIND GUSTS TO OVER 45 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION. MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE MAY ALSO OCCUR DUE TO UNSECURED OBJECTS BLOWING AROUND.

Can you tell the difference between a “scud” cloud, and a “wall” cloud? Do you know the difference between a “funnel cloud,” and a Tornado? Trained storm spotters know the difference, and serve as the local eyes for the National Weather Service when severe weather threatens. Each year, meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) travel to most of the 51 counties they serve to provide a comprehensive multi-media spotter training presentation. The classes are hosted by local emergency management officials, fire departments and a few amateur radio clubs. There are several opportunities for you to attend one of these classes free of charge. The classes typically last one-to two-hours.

The courses cover information about severe weather climatology, severe thunderstorm types, different weather threats and how to identify them, how to report severe weather, spotter safety and severe weather communications. If a class is not offered in your county, you are welcome to attend a class in a nearby county.

In the KJAN listening area, classes are being offered in March at the following locations and times….

March 8th     at the Prescott Fire Station in Adams County, beginning at 7-p.m.

March 14th   at the Lewis Fire Station in Cass County, starting at 7-p.m.

March 15th  at Southwestern Community College in Creston Room 180, at 7-p.m. (Union County)

March 21st  at the Mt. Ayr Courthouse Assembly Room, at 7-p.m. (Ringgold County)

March 26th at the Carroll Fire Station, beginning at 6:30-p.m. (Carroll County)

March 27th at the Farmers and Merchants State Bank in Winterset, at 7-p.m. (Madision County)

And, in April….

on the 4th, at the Audubon Courthouse, beginning at 6:30-p.m. (Audubon County), and on the 18th, at the Menlo Community Center in Menlo (Guthrie County), beginning at 7-p.m.

For other locations, dates and times, check out http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/?n=spotterinfo

338 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2012

…VERY STRONG WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY…

A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. AS THE STORM TRACKS THROUGH THE REGION WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS 45 TO 55 MPH. THE STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP NEAR SUNRISE OVER WESTERN IOWA AND INCREASE OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION BY LATE MORNING.

A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FAR WEST & SOUTHWEST COUNTIES IN OUR LISTENING AREA (MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE) FROM 7-A.M. WEDNESDAY UNTIL 4-P.M., AND FROM 6-AM UNTIL 6-P.M FOR CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR AND RINGGOLD COUNTIES.

* TIMING...STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP BY 6 AM WEST OF HIGHWAY 71 BY SUNRISE AND INCREASE TO NEAR INTERSTATE 35 BY 9 AM CST. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. A CORRIDOR BETWEEN HIGHWAY 30 AND HIGHWAY 34 IS EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE THE HIGHEST WINDS WITH GUSTS TO OVER 50 MPH AT TIMES.

* WINDS…WINDS WILL REACH 30 TO 35 MPH FOR MUCH OF THE DAY WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH BY LATE MORNING THROUGH MID AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…LOOSE OBJECTS WILL BE BLOWN AROUND. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY DRIVING ESPECIALLY ON NORTH SOUTH ROADS AND INTERSTATES. SNOW DEVELOPING OVER FAR NORTHERN IOWA BY MID MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WILL RESULT IN A PERIOD OF LOWER VISIBILITY AND POSSIBLY DIFFICULT TRAVEL FOR SEVERAL HOURS. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES OR TREE DAMAGE MAY OCCUR IF STRONGER WINDS DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH WIND GUSTS TO OVER 45 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION. MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE MAY ALSO OCCUR DUE TO UNSECURED OBJECTS BLOWING AROUND.

COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON- GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…SAC CITY…DENISON…CARROLL…AUDUBON…GUTHRIE CENTER…ADEL…ATLANTIC…GREENFIELD…WINTERSET…

 630 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012
 
 …A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING…
 
 A BAND OF PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING.
 THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE A MIXTURE OF RAIN…FREEZING RAIN AND
 SLEET. A QUICK GLAZING OF ICE IS POSSIBLE ON UNTREATED SURFACES
 THROUGH 8 AM AND DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. ROAD SURFACE
 TEMPERATURES ARE MAINLY BELOW FREEZING NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND
 THIS IS THE REGION WITH THE GREATEST THREAT FOR MINOR ICING. EXTRA
 CAUTION SHOULD BE USED THROUGH MID MORNING FOR ICY CONDITIONS.
 TEMPERATURES WILL RISE ABOVE FREEZING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH
 THROUGHOUT THE MORNING WITH THE PRECIPITATION TRANSITIONING TO ALL
 RAIN.

(Nat’l. Weather Service/Des Moines) — A strong storm system will push through the region today into Wednesday with the surface low tracking from NE Nebraska northeastward toward Minneapolis and into central Wisconsin by Wednesday. This system will bring a mix of winter precipitation to much of northern Iowa today, and spread rain showers and thunderstorms across central and southern Iowa mainly this afternoon into tonight. There is a slight risk of severe weather across portions of southwest Iowa with large hail the main severe threat. Strong west to northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph are possible during the day Wednesday as the system lifts northeast of Iowa.

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Harvey Freese….

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352 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012

TODAY…BREEZY. RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN LIKELY THROUGH MID MORNING…THEN RAIN IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. NO ICE ACCUMULATION. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION NEAR 100 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY UNTIL EARLY MORNING THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE MID 30S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 80 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY THROUGH MID MORNING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. WINDY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. WEST WIND 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. WEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH BECOMING SOUTHWEST UP TO 5 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. WARMER. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. COLDER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

Here’s the Freese-Notis forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area….

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356 AM CST MON FEB 27 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE MORNING.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LIGHT SNOW AND LIGHT SLEET LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION JUST UNDER A HALF INCH EXPECTED. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 70 PERCENT.

TUESDAY…BREEZY. FREEZING RAIN THROUGH MID MORNING. RAIN IN THE MORNING…THEN RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. NO ICE ACCUMULATION. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. SOUTHEAST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 80 PERCENT.

TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 80 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. WEST WIND 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 20S.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S.