Forecast for Saturday 2/11/12

**A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect until 8:00 this morning for western Iowa**

Today: Sunny, with a high near 14. Wind chill values as low as -20. Northwest wind between 9 and 13 mph.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around -9. Wind chill values as low as -20. West wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Sunday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -20. West wind at 8 mph becoming south.

Sunday Night: Snow after midnight. Low around 18. Wind chill values as low as 5.

Monday: Snow. High near 32.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33.

348 PM CST FRI FEB 10 2012

…WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 AM CST SATURDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 AM CST SATURDAY.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…COLD TEMPERATURES ALREADY IN PLACE ARE EXPECTED TO SLIP FURTHER THIS EVENING. THE FAR NORTHWEST ALONG WITH SNOW COVERED AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL IOWA WILL SEE TEMPERATURES EVENTUALLY DIP TO ZERO OR BELOW.

* WINDS…A NORTH TO NORTHWEST WIND AT 2O TO 30 MPH WILL BE COMMON THIS EVENING. THE WIND WILL DIMINISH SOME OVERNIGHT BUT SHOULD REMAIN IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE.

* IMPACTS…WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES WILL SLIP TO NEAR ZERO THIS EVENING AND IS EXPECTED TO FALL TO BETWEEN -20 TO -25 AFTER MIDNIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND WIND WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS…MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

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

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337 AM CST FRI FEB 10 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. BREEZY…COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING IN THE AFTERNOON. NORTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. VERY COLD. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

SATURDAY…SUNNY. VERY COLD. HIGH AROUND 15. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW 5 TO 10 BELOW. WEST WIND AROUND 5 MPH.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN SNOW LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. NOT AS COLD. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. LOW 15 TO 20. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT.

MONDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S.

MONDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. LOW IN THE LOWER 20S.

Here’s the Freese-Notis forecast for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area from Meteorologist Dan Hicks, and the weather stats for Atlantic, from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

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The National Weather Service is changing how it measures the depths of Iowa’s waterways, which also means a change in how much water will be needed to prompt the issuing of flood warnings. Senior hydrologist Jeff Zogg says they’re shifting 44 of the 47 river forecast points across the state’s mid-section. “The reason we’re changing the flood stages and the flood categories across central Iowa is to give our flood warnings more meaning,” Zogg says. “We want to be sure that when we issue a river flood warning for a given location, that it actually means that something is going to occur.” The National Weather Service office in Johnston serves 51 counties in central Iowa. He says the changes will impact about 30 rivers and streams across that area. 

“Over the years, due to mitigation activities, locations that may have been affected at a given stage are no longer impacted,” Zogg says. “That requires us to raise the flood stage and the flood categories.” Almost all of the changes in river forecasting markers are being moved upward, meaning, a warning won’t be issued now until floodwaters reach a higher point.  “Many people have probably become used to us issuing river flood warnings for levels that don’t have much impact,” Zogg says. “Going forward, the flood warnings we do issue will definitely have more impact. They’re keyed in to impacts to life and property in the locations we do flood warnings for, so, they definitely need to pay attention to these flood warnings.” Zogg anticipates the changes will mean a 50-percent reduction in the number of flood warnings the office issues this next year, versus previous years. The National Weather Service is scheduled to release its annual flood forecast for Iowa next Thursday, February 16th. Learn more about the changes at www.weather.gov/dmx.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

340 AM CST THU FEB 9 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW 10 TO 15. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. COLDER. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 15. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW.

SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S.

Here’s the Freese-Notis 4-day forecast for the KJAN listening area, & the weather stats for Atlantic…

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335 AM CST WED FEB 8 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 20S. WEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE. WEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW AROUND 10. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW.

SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. HIGH AROUND 15. LOW NEAR ZERO.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 20S.

552 PM CST TUE FEB 7 2012

…ROADS MAY BRIEFLY BECOME ICY THIS EVENING…

LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION. PRECIPITATION WILL GENERALLY BE A MIX OF DRIZZLE AND LIGHT SNOW. WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING TO NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING THROUGHOUT THE EVENING…WET SURFACES MAY BECOME SLICK AT TIMES…INCLUDING SIDEWALKS AND ROADWAYS…ESPECIALLY ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING…WITH DETERIORATING DRIVING CONDITIONS AND SLICK ROADS.

Between 5:50- and 6:00pm, there were reports of 2 vehicle spinning off I-80 in Cass County. No injuries.