Officials with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers, Thursday, said the forecast for the flow of the Missouri River hasn’t changed all that much from last month, with much less water coming downstream due to dry conditions and below normal snowpack levels.

The Corps says only about 69% of the normal amount of water is expected to flow into the Missouri River this year, which would be the 22nd driest year in the upper basin since 1898. Two-years ago, historic flooding along the Missouri River ravaged parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – The weather experts say La Nina is gone. The weather pattern resulting from the cooling of the Pacific Ocean’s surface has an impact on the weather across North America, and it’s now completely faded away. Doug Kluck, regional climate service director for the National Weather Service, says even with this latest heat wave, temperatures normalized in Iowa and across the Midwest as La Nina disappeared.

“It is, for the most part gone,” Kluck says. “I think temperatures remain slightly cooler than normal but they’re trending toward what they are in our classification system — basically neutral — so, neither El Nino nor La Nina.” Historically, La Ninas have caused below-normal temperatures across much of the Northern Plains states. An El Nino can bring weather extremes, including severe drought or severe flooding. Kluck says La Nina may reappear later this year, but it will take a few months to sort that out.

“There are some indications from models that we could slip back into La Nina, which would not be unprecedented by any means,” Kluck says. “A couple years in a row of La Nina isn’t out of the question but it’s too early to call that now. In about two months, we should have a better handle on that.” Kluck says a swing toward El Nino, a warming of the surface temperatures, is not likely in the next year.

(Radio Iowa) – Eastern Iowa had frost warnings with low temperatures in the 30s just last week, but summer-like weather is settling in now, as forecasters say highs will climb into the 80s and 90s over the next few days. Today (Thursday) is Heat Awareness Day and meteorologist Jim Lee, at the National Weather Service in Johnston, says it’s a reminder of the hazards of hot weather. “Anytime we see high levels of heat and humidity here in the summer, which is fairly common especially as we get toward the dog days of summer,” Lee says, “anytime anybody’s working outside, they need to be aware that time in the sun and time of physical exertion can lead to heat stress syndrome.”

Parents and anyone who cares for kids also need to be reminded about the dangers of these quickly escalating temperatures.  “We see multiple times per year, children who die left unattended in vehicles,” Lee says. “It is very important to never leave your child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time and also to be aware of who’s in the back seat and, as they say, look before you lock.” It’s a coincidence this Heat Awareness Day arrives precisely as the forecast calls for a heat wave. “We are looking at the warmest weather of the season so far coming over the next multiple days and through the weekend,” Lee says. “It’s more important now than ever to make sure you take your heat health seriously. If you’re outside this weekend, drink plenty of fluids and take some breaks in the shade.”

Summer officially arrives on June 20th. Find more information about Heat Awareness Day at www.weather.gov/dmx.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say Iowa’s rollercoaster weather will see temperatures rocket back into the 80s and 90s this week after frosty lows dropped into the 30s just last week. The return to summery heat means more worries about drought as the recent rains weren’t enough to reverse months of dry weather. Adam Hartman, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center, says the ground remains very arid, despite several downpours. “When you have heavy rainfall in a very short period of time, it doesn’t allow the soils enough time to absorb that moisture,” Hartman says, “Instead you actually get more runoff than absorption.”

The drought started last summer and the latest U-S Drought Monitor map shows most of Iowa remains in the categories of abnormally dry, moderate drought or extreme drought. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says even with the May rains, there just isn’t enough moisture in the soil for plants to thrive. “We are at greater risk of having problems with crops and other plants as the season goes along,” Todey says, “because there’s not as much moisture available for the crops to be able to grow.”

It’s hard to say how long the drought will continue, as summer often brings localized thunderstorms which can be difficult to forecast. Todey says long-term drought could create problems for water quality in Iowa. The amount of water flowing in the Raccoon River, the main source of drinking water for Iowa’s largest city, dropped down about 90-percent from normal during May.

(reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

Today: Areas of fog this morning, otherwise partly cloudy. High 81. S @ 5-10.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 56. Winds light & variable.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 83. SW @ 5-10.
Friday: P/Cloudy. High around 86.
Saturday: P/Cldy. High 88.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 79. Our Low this morning, 50. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 92 and the Low was 68. The Record High on this date was 100 in 1934. The Record Low was 36 in 1907.

The month of May in Atlantic was cooler and drier than normal. Weather data compiled here at the KJAN Studios (The official National Weather Service reporting site), show the Average High last month (rounded-off) was 71 (70.8), compared to the normal average high of 73. Our Average Low in May was 48 (47.5), which was just one-degree cooler than normal. We broke the old record Low of 29 degrees on May 5th, when the thermometer bottomed-out at 28. The day before (May 4th) was the coldest day of the month, with a Low of 27, but it was not a record-breaker.

We received 2.65 inches of rain last month, which was nearly 1.7 inches (1.67″) below the normal 4.32 inches for May. Looking ahead to the month of June, here in Atlantic, we can expected an Average High of 82-degrees, an Average Low of 58, and rain typically amounting to 4.98-inches. We’ll let you know how the data compared to the norm,  July 1^st.

Today: Areas of dense fog this morning; Becoming Partly sunny. High around 76. S @ 5-10.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 52. Winds light & variable.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 79. S @ 5-10.
Thursday: P/Cloudy. High around 82.
Friday: P/Cldy. High 85.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 77. Our Low was 49. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 89 and the Low was 68. The Record High on this date was 99 in 1934. The Record Low was 36 in 1956.

Today: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 64. South wind 5 to 7 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 48. South southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Memorial Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 66. Our Low was 38. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 64 and the Low was 52. The Record High was 105 in 1934. The Record Low was 33, in 1930.