(Radio Iowa) – January is typically one of Iowa’s coldest months of the year, but forecasters say this January could be less frigid than in the past. State climatologist Justin Glisan says new computer models being released by the Climate Prediction Center indicate Iowa could be starting off 2023 a bit balmier than usual. “They’re suggesting warmer-than-average temperatures across the state,” Glisan says, “and for January, the statewide average is about 20 degrees, so still cold temperatures, of course, but we’re looking like it could be above average temperature-wise.” The weather pattern known as La Nina, which impacts conditions all across the continent, is lingering for a third straight year, which is exceptionally rare. Glisan says that pattern may bring Iowa more than its usual share of precipitation during January, and that’s much needed, given the long-running drought.
“A slightly elevated shot at wetter conditions in eastern Iowa, but no clear guidance on the rest of the state,” Glisan says. “So we’re still stuck in that La Nina pattern, which if we look at wintertime La Nina behavior, we are slated to see above-average snowpack across the state given the weakness of the La Nina.” Last year was a very dry year, with drought worsening across much of Iowa. December was one of only three months during 2022 where Iowa’s precipitation was above-average.
“So the statewide average was about 1.73 inches and that’s a little over four-tenths of an inch above average,” Glisan says, “and a lot of the moisture that we received on the front end of the month was actually able to infiltrate into the soil profiles, given that temperatures were above-average and the soil profiles were still not frozen.” Parts of northwestern Iowa got more than 13 inches of snow this week, but Glisan says it takes between eight and 12 inches of snow to equal just one inch of rainfall.
Today: Areas of fog this morning; Partly cloudy. High 36. E winds @ 5-10 mph.
Tonight: P/Cldy. Low around 15. N @ 5-10 mph.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy to cloudy w/scattered flurries. High 30. NE @ 10.
Sunday: P/Cldy. High 35.
Monday: P/Cldy. High near 42.
Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 31. Our Low this morning was 15. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 7 and the Low was -5. The Record High on this date was 56 in 1933. The Record Low was -24 in 1910.
(Radio Iowa) – Despite several rounds of heavy snow in recent weeks, it will take significantly more precipitation to break Iowa’s long-running drought. State climatologist Justin Glisan says much of the state is far behind on moisture levels. “We’re going to need several months, if not more than a year, of above-average precipitation in those drier parts of the central region and western Iowa,” Glisan says. “You look at Sioux City, around there, 47% of normal precipitation for the year, going back three years, 25 inches below-average-plus in certain parts of the state.”
Large portions of Iowa are in moderate to severe drought, and multiple northwest Iowa counties are in the D-3 category of extreme drought, but parts of Woodbury and Monona counties are in the worst category, D-4, for exceptional drought. Glisan says the soil needs to recharge in order to rebound.
“You really have to get a lot of water into the soil profile to replenish those stocks, but also wetter soils will get more runoff into the stream, so you’ll see a rebound in those stream flows as well,” Glisan says. “So we’re going to need, in those D-3 and D-4 regions, a lot of precipitation to put a dent in those longer-term deficits.” Glisan says it takes a lot of snow to melt down to usable precipitation. He says it’s anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snow that equate to one inch of rainfall. 
“So you’re not getting a lot of water out of that snowpack, number one,” Glisan says, “but if the drier soils are frozen deeper, it’s going to take a while for those profiles to thaw late winter/early spring, so even if you’re melting that snowpack, a lot of that’s not infiltrating, it’s running off.”
Much of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota has been in a significant drought for most of the last two years.
Today: Mostly cloudy this morning; P/Cloudy this afternoon. High 31. NW @ 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 15.
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 38. SE @ 10 mph.
Saturday: Mo. Cldy w/light snow or flurries. High 32.
Sunday: P/Cldy. High 35.
Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 29. Our Low this morning was 25. We received .3” of snow from 7am Wed. thru 5:30-a.m. today. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 14 and the Low was -3. The Record High on this date was 62 in 2012. The Record Low was -26 in 2010.
Skyscan Forecast – Wednesday, Jan. 04, 2023 – Dan Hicks
Today: Cloudy w/scattered flurries. High 29. NW @ 15-25 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/flurries ending. Low 22. NW @ 10-20.
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 31. NW @ 10-20 mph.
Friday: Partly cloudy. High 38.
Saturday: Mo. Cldy /flurries. High 33.
Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 37. Our Low this morning was 26. Rain/freezing rain/drizzle amounted to .04″, Tuesday. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 39 and the Low was 4. The Record High on this date was 59 in 1939. The Record Low was -29 in 2010.
Today: Cloudy w/rain or drizzle becoming mixed w/light freezing drizzle/light snow later this afternoon. High near 38. SE-NW @ 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Cloudy w/mixed light rain/freezing drizzle/light snow becoming all snow (.5”). Low 24. NW @ 10-20.
Tomorrow: Cldy w/rain/light snow or flurries (.5”). High 28. NW @ 15-25 mph.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 31.
Friday: P/Cloudy. High near 40.
Monday’s High in Atlantic was 38. Our Low was 33. Our 24-hour Rainfall (7-a.m. Monday to 7-a.m. today), was .78″. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 35 and the Low was 7. The Record High on this date was 52 in 1933. The Record Low was -30 in 2010.
Monday: Rain, mainly after 5pm. High near 38. East northeast wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 3am, then rain likely. Low around 31. Blustery, with an east northeast wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: A chance of rain before 3pm, then a slight chance of rain or freezing rain. Some thunder is also possible. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 32 by 5pm. East southeast wind 6 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 28.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 26.
Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 46. Our Low was 28. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 9 and the Low was -11. The Record High on this date was 59 in 1939. The Record Low was -24 in 2018.
(Atlantic, Iowa – KJAN) – The month of December, 2022 here in Atlantic was, on average, slightly cooler, and less wet than normal. The Average High in Dec. 2022 in Atlantic was 33.1 degrees (which is just above the normal 32.9). The Low averaged out to 12.1degrees, which is less than the norm of 13.4. And, precipitation-wise, we ended the month with 1.01 inches (That includes melted snow/ice & rain), which is one-tenth of an inch below the norm for the month. Snowfall amount to 1.9 inches.
Here’s what the weather stats for Atlantic normally are during the month of January:
New Year’s Day: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. East northeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Monday: Rain likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 41. East wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of rain and thunderstorms between midnight and 3am, then a chance of rain after 3am. Low around 30. East wind 6 to 13 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: A chance of rain, snow, and freezing rain before noon, then a slight chance of rain and snow between noon and 3pm, then a slight chance of snow after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 27.
Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 49. The Low was 25. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 4 and the Low was -10. The Record High for Jan. 1st in Atlantic, was 55 in 1939. The Record Low was -27, in 2018.
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