(Iowa News Service) IOWA CITY, Iowa — More than 4,000 medical professionals from across the country are demanding policy action on climate change. The coalition includes more than a dozen doctors and nurses from Iowa, who say the effects are visible in the patients they serve. They have signed a letter asking their patients to get behind political candidates willing to consider the issue. John Macatee, a retired doctor from Iowa City who practiced family medicine, said there are concerns within the medical community about climate change resulting in poorer health outcomes. In Iowa, he said, there’s a ripple effect within agriculture. “There’s ever increasing severity of weather changes causing flooding, which is decreasing crop yields, and depression and suicide,” he said.
In a 2019 report from the Iowa Policy Project, the authors predicted that the Midwest will see the biggest spike in premature deaths related to rising temperatures linked to climate change. While polls show more people, including younger conservatives, acknowledging the impact of a warming climate. many candidates still express support for the oil industry. In asking patients to seek out politicians who support action on climate change, Macatee said it isn’t about partisanship. He called this a “human” issue. “Just like COVID, it’s affecting us all,” he said, “whether we’re Republicans or Democrats or Independents.”
One of the groups in the coalition is the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. Some of the key demands include leaders who prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels, and those who pay close attention to the science and medical communities. The letter is online at medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org, and the Iowa climate report is at iowapolicyproject.org.
Even with the recent rain and snow, much of Iowa’s still far short of precipitation for the year and we’re heading into the drier, colder seasons with little chance of replenishing soil moisture levels before spring. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, who heads the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says wide areas of the state are still recovering from long-running drought conditions.
The snow and rain that fell in the past week helps to bring some short-term drought relief, but he says much more precipitation will be needed to recharge depleted soil moisture levels.
Todey says the expected weather patterns don’t look promising for significant rainfall or snowfall, noting, August of 2020 was the driest in Iowa in 148 years.
The latest drought monitor shows very dry conditions over all but extreme eastern Iowa.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Many residents in Nebraska and Iowa are breaking out the shovels and snow blowers following a significant snowfall — including some record snow — over the weekend. The National Weather Service says Norfolk in northeastern Nebraska set a record for snowfall Sunday with 4 inches. That topped the previous Oct. 25 record of 2.7 inches set in 1997. In Sioux City, Iowa, about 3 inches of snow fell, breaking the previous record for the day of 0.7 inches more than a century ago in 1918.
The service says higher totals were seen in other communities Sunday, including 8 inches recorded in Valentine, Bassett and Anselmo in northern Nebraska. Ocheyendan in northern Iowa saw more than 6 inches
Roads in the area are slick this morning from Sunday and overnight snowfall! Be prepared to take it slow on your morning commute. For the latest road conditions in your area check with the Iowa DOT at 511ia.org or download the 511 mobile app.
Map updated 6:50 a,m
(Update 3:55-a.m.) Harrison County……A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM. Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Fremont Counties…A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM
An additional one to two inches of snowfall can be expected. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
(Updated 3:40-p.m.):
Tonight: Snow. Low around 22. North wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of snow before 7am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 28. North wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. North wind 3 to 7 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 47.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44.
Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 38. Our Low was 31. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 55 and Low 22. The Record High on this date was 85 in 1891 & 1940, and the Record Low was 14 in 1892.
A Winter Weather Advisory issued Saturday morning, has been expanded. The Advisory now includes: Audubon-Guthrie-Monona-Sac-Crawford-Carroll-Harrison-Shelby-and Pottawattamie Counties.
Timing & other details:
Sac County….WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM SUNDAY TO 1 AM CDT MONDAY…Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches.
Crawford-Carroll…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM SUNDAY TO 1 AM CDT MONDAY…Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches.
Monona-Harrison…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM SUNDAY TO
7 AM CDT MONDAY...Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches.
Shelby-Pottawattamie… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 10 AM CDT MONDAY...Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.
Audubon-Guthrie…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY…Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for Monona-Harrison-Shelby & Pottawattamie Counties, from 4-AM Sunday until 7-AM Monday.
* WHAT…Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches.
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…There could be some damage to trees that have not dropped leaves due to a heavy snow load.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
A FREEZE WARNING continues until 10-a.m. today for Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont and Page Counties.
(Radio Iowa) – Don’t plan on putting away the heavy coat anytime soon. National Weather Service Meteorologist Brad Small says the cold temperatures are going to get worse. “There’ll be some snow first. The weekend will start off dry — but snow will move into much of Iowa sometime on Sunday from northwest to southeast, Sunday to Sunday evening,” Small says.
He says they are predicting accumulations of one inch from central Iowa to the south — and then larger amounts moving to the north. “We could see amounts of three to four inches — something of that nature from Fort Doge north and west,” Small says. “A good chunk of the state will see some snow. It won’t be a heavy snow at any particular time — it’ll be light to moderate for an extended period. Still enough to get some snow on the ground — especially on the grass.
There could be some melting during the day, Sunday, however by Sunday night we’ll see snow in most locations.” The cold temperatures will follow. “After the snow ends we’re expecting near-record cold and even some records possible in some spots Monday and Tuesday,” Small says. “The coldest morning is Tuesday morning when we’ll see lows in the teens and single digits from Des Moines north and west, and low 20s towards Ottumwa.”
Small says it’s just a matter of the cold weather pattern being stuck over the state.
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