DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Forecasters say a major winter storm is expected to power through northeast and eastern Iowa. The National Weather Service’s winter storm warning issued Friday morning calls for snow and sleet accumulations of up to 10 inches or more (25-plus centimeters) through Saturday afternoon as the system moves east. The service says winds running from 15 to 25 mph will reduce visibility, imperiling people on the roadways.

Today: Mostly cloudy w/light rain. High near 50. SE @ 10-20.
Tonight: Cloudy, w/rain. Low 36. E @ 10-20.
Tomorrow: Cldy w/rain in the morning & a chance of flurries. High late around 41. E/NE @ 15-25.
Sunday: P/Cloudy. High 50.
Monday: Cloudy w/a chance of rain. High 54.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 58. Our Low this morning was 36. Last year on this date our High was 74 and the Low was 44. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 86 in 1910. The Record Low was 4, in 1974.

Jason Wickizer, Operations Officer for the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, reports the Fire Danger index in Shelby County, will remain in the MODERATE Category through the weekend. He’s asking anyone planning to conduct an outdoor burn, to please call 712-755-2124, AND your local fire chief.

Today: Mostly cloudy w/scattered light rain this morning. High 52. SE @ 10-15.
Tonight: Mo. Cldy. Low 36.
Tomorrow: Mo. Cldy w/rain. High around 50. SE @ 15-25.
Saturday: Cloudy w/rain in the morning. High 44.
Sunday: P/Cldy to Cloudy. High near 50.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 52. Our Low this morning was 32. We received a Trace of rain overnight here at the KJAN studios. Last year on this date our High was 50 and the Low was 30. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 86 in 1910. The Record Low was -6, in 1912.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reports the City of Atlantic will begin weekly testing of outdoor warning sirens this Friday (March 23rd), at noon. Sirens serve to alert residents to take shelter indoors and seek more information. While the outdoor warning system can be an effective method of notifying those that are outdoors, to seek shelter indoors, it is only one part of a comprehensive emergency warning system.

To receive emergency information during severe weather or other hazardous event you should get a NOAA weather radio, sign up for local emergency notifications, and tune in to local media reports, from radio, television or social media.

Kennon says “We are going to discontinue an “all-clear” siren for Atlantic. So now, if you hear an outdoor siren, you will know that it is a warning. If a siren sounds multiple times, additional warnings have been issued or additional hazards have emerged.”

To report a faulty siren please call 254-1500 or email mkennon@casscoia.us. In your message please include location of the siren and a description of the issues you believe are occurring. A reminder also, next week (March 26-30) is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa. The Statewide Tornado Drill will be held 10-a.m. Wednesday, March 28th.

To register for the Cass County Emergency Notification System, go to links located on the Cass County homepage (http://www.casscountyiowa.us/) or the Cass County EMA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CassCoEMA). If you need assistance, please contact Mike Kennon, Cass County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator at 712-243-1500.

Today: Mostly cloudy sprinkles or snow flurries this morning; Partly cloudy this afternoon. High 45. N-W @ 10.
Tonight: Mo. Cldy. Low 32.
Tomorrow: Mo. Cldy w/scattered light rain. High 47. SE @ 10.
Friday: P/Cldy to Cloudy w/a chance of rain in the afternoon. High 50.
Saturday: Cloudy w/rain. High 46.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 39. Our Low this morning (as of 5-a.m.) was 33. We received .14” of melted snow/rain yesterday. Last year on this date our High was 48 and the Low was 29. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 88 in 1907. The Record Low was -7, in 1960.

Today: Cloudy with an 80% chance of rain or snow through mid-day, becoming all rain this afternoon. High 40. NE @ 5-10.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low 28. Light & variable wind.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 48. SW @ 5-10.

Tom. Night: Partly cloudy. Low 34.

Thursday: Mo. cldy w/a 20% chance of rain. High 57.

Friday: Cldy w/a 40% chance of showers. High 55.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 53. Our Low this morning (as of 5-a.m.) was 35. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 67 and the Low 41. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 80 in 1939. The Record Low was -7, in 1906.

Shelby County Emergency Management Officials say fire stations and participating Fire Danger program businesses should keep their Outdoor Fire Danger signs in the Moderate category, through Thursday…the next time an update on the burning conditions will be posted. If you are planning on doing a controlled burn, notify your local fire chief.

Today: Cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers. High 50. NE @ 15-25.
Tonight: A 40% chance of rain developing late, before changing to snow. Low around 32. N/NE @ 5-10 mph.
Tuesday: Mo. Cldy w/snow shwrs in the morning; rain in the afternoon. High 41. N @ 5-10.
Tue. Night: Cloudy. Low 27.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

Thursday: Mo. Cldy. High 56,

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 41. Our Low this morning was 34. Last year on this date our High was 76 and the Low was 41. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 79 in 1976. The Record Low was -14, in 1923.

Harry Hillaker, Iowa’s state climatologist for the past three decades, is stepping down this week. “March 22 will be my last day in the office and basically it’s been, gosh, almost 37 years I’ve been working in this office,” Hillaker said. The state climatologist monitors weather activity to compile monthly and annual reports about precipitation totals, shifts in temperatures, and other climate-related data. Iowa’s only other state climatologist, Paul Waite, hired Hillaker. “He hired me to do a little, three-month long research grant,” Hillaker said. “It’s almost 37 years later and I’m still here. That research grant led to one thing and then another, and then another, and I’ve been here all that time.”

Harry Hillaker

Waite was Iowa’s state climatologist from 1976 to 1988, when Hillaker took the job. Hillaker plans to do some traveling, but will keep Iowa as his home in retirement. He’s looking forward to digging deeper into the state’s historical weather data. “There is still a lot of work to be done with that,” Hillaker said. “There’s a lot of stuff I’d like to do that I never had time to do with the regular job, so I’m hoping to do some of that with retirement.”  The state climatologist’s office is part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture.

(Radio Iowa)