RED FLAG WARNING in effect south of I-80, from Noon until 6-p.m.**Wind Advisory in effect from 9-a.m. to 6-p.m., north of I-80**

Today: Partly cloudy & windy. High 52. NW @ 20-25 w/higher gusts.

Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 25. Diminishing NW winds.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 50. S @ 10.

Saturday: Mo. Sunny. High 68.

Sunday: P/Cldy. High 68.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 59. Our Low was 26. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 24 and the Low was -6. The record High for March 5th in Atlantic, was 74 in 1921. The Record Low was -31 in 1960.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Director Doug Reed, Wednesday afternoon, said an open burning ban was placed into effect for Pottawattamie County, effective at 3-p.m.  The ban prohibits all open and controlled burning in
Pottawattamie County, including all incorporated city limits within the county. The ban will remain in place until environmental conditions improve.

The current dry conditions throughout the region have prompted the National Weather Service to issue Red Flag Warnings. The conditions have also spurred an increase in fire responses throughout the county due to controlled fires quickly becoming uncontrollable. Under the current dry conditions, dead and drying vegetation is the perfect fuel to spread fires rapidly.

Reed said “Pottawattamie County has seen the devastating effects of fire in extreme conditions and we want to do everything we can to help mitigate incidents like that from occurring.” Reed said also, during these dry conditions, citizens are reminded to not throw out cigarettes from moving vehicles and to discontinue burning yard waste, piled tree debris, grass/agricultural ground and set-asides or other items during the ban.

Small recreational camp fires are permitted only if they are conducted in a fire place of brick,
metal or heavy one-inch wire mesh. Any camp fire not in an outdoor fire place is prohibited.
Violation of a burn ban can subject a person to citation or arrest for reckless use of fire or
disobeying a burn ban.

For updated information on burn bans and the law you can find further information on the Pott. County social media and web pages.

Today: Partly cloudy. High 55. NW @ 10-15 mph this morning, becoming SW this afternoon.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 36. SW @ 10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 48. NW @ 15-25.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 50.

Saturday: P/Cldy, windy & mild. High 66.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 57. Our Low this morning, 26. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 16 and the Low was -12. The Record High for March 4th in Atlantic, was 78 in 1921. The Record Low was -17 in 1978.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN records) — Rain and snow were much more scarce than usual in Iowa over the past month. State climatologist Justin Glisan says it was a far cry from what we usually see during February. “Typically, we expect about an inch of precipitation across the state. What we had on statewide average was about four-tenths of an inch, so six-tenths of an inch below average,” Glisan says. “The driest part of the state is across the southern part, anywhere from an inch to an inch-and-a-half below normal.”

Here in Atlantic, we received just under two-tenths of an inch of precipitation (rain/melted snow). When it comes to snowfall, this February was way off base with less than four inches statewide. That’s especially paltry when compared to all the snow a year ago. “Typically, we, across the state, have about seven inches of snow for February, we had about half that,” Glisan says. “Last February, the statewide average was about 26-inches of snow. That was the snowiest February in 133 years of records.”

Snowfall in Atlantic amounted to one-half inch for the month. Snowfall so far this winter in Atlantic, amounts to 13.2 inches. Temperatures across Iowa were very near normal for February. The average temp is 24-degrees and the statewide average came in at 24-point-three. Early indications are the winter overall will produce warmer-than-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation in Iowa. “We are seeing a higher probability of being warmer than average,” Glisan says. “If we look at the month of March, in general, the outlooks do also show us with higher probabilities of being warmer than average and not a really clear signal precipitation-wise.”

In Atlantic, our Average High for Feb. 2020 was 39.5-degrees (the norm is 35.4). The Average Low was 15 (right on par for the average of 15.2 degrees).  Spring arrives March 19th.

Today: Partly cloudy. High 52. NW @ 10-20 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low 34. W @ 10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy to Cldy. High near 50. NW winds becoming SW @ 10-15.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High 48.

Friday: P/Cldy. High around 50.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 48. Our Low was 32. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 8 and the Low was -6. The record High for March 3^rd in Atlantic, was 79 in 1983. The Record Low was -11 in 2014.

Early this morning: Partly cloudy, with a chance of scattered flurries & a nearly steady temperature around 31. North northwest wind around 10 mph.
Today: Partly cloudy to cloudy. High around 45. NW wind 10-20.
Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 28. NW @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 48. NW @ 10-15.
Wednesday: P/Cldy. High near 50.
Thursday: P/Cldy. High again near 50.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 61. Our Low this morning, 26. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 20 and the Low was -2. The record High for March 2^nd in Atlantic, was 76 in 1992. The Record Low was -12 in 2014.

The just concluded month of February was warmer and drier than normal. Weather data compiled here at the KJAN Studios (Your OFFICIAL National Weather Service reporting site for Atlantic), show the Average High for Feb. 2020 was 39.5-degrees (the norm is 35.4). The Average Low was 15 (right on par for the average of 15.2 degrees). Precipitation for the month was well below average, at just .19″ of an inch. That includes rain and melted snow. Normally, we would have received just under one-inch of precip. during the month.  We had just one-half inch of snow, altogether.

During the month of March, the average High in Atlantic is typically around 48 (48.3), and the average Low is 26 (26.2). Precipitation (rain and/or melted snow) normally amounts to 2.38 inches. Check back in early April for the actual weather stats.

Today: Partly sunny. High near 59. South/southwest wind at 5-15 mph becoming northerly this afternoon.

Tonight: Increasing clouds. Low around 29. N @ 10-20 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny. High near 45. N/NW @ 5-10 in the morning; W @ 5-10 in the afternoon.

Monday Night: Mostly clear. Low around 31. S/SW @ 5-10 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny & breezy. High near 54. W/NW @ 10-20 mph gusting to near 25.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 58. Our Low 24. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 31 and the Low was 8. The record High for March 1st in Atlantic, was 77 in 1992. The Record Low was -32 in 1962.

Skyscan Forecast Saturday, February 29, 2020  Chris Parks

Today: Patchy fog early, then mostly sunny. Windy and warmer. SW @ 15-30. High 60

Tonight: Fair to partly cloudy. SW @ 10. Low 34.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. SW @ 10-20, shifting to the NW later in the day. High 60.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. N @ 10-15. Low 29.

Monday: Mostly cloudy. Cooler. High 40.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. High 40.

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(Radio Iowa) — The risk of spring flooding along the Missouri River in western Iowa remains above normal, according to the National Weather Service’s second spring flood outlook, released Thursday. The next few weeks look generally dry. Mike Gillisipie, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, says snow has been melting at a steady, ideal rate, and that could continue. Gillispie says, “The longer we can keep this up, the less chance there is of that real significant flooding, barring any real big, heavy future precipitation.”

Very wet soil and the large volume of water flowing down the Missouri are the two things contributing to the above-normal flood risk along the river. If the snow continues to melt steadily rather than rapidly, Gillispie says it would be better for the Missouri River and its tributaries, kind of like turning a sink on and off.  “If you turn it up, if you have a real rapid snowmelt, all that water comes off at once,” he says. “If you have temperatures getting up into the 40s during the day, dropping back below freezing at night, it’s like turning the faucet on just a little bit and then shutting it off.”

The Missouri River from below Sioux City to Omaha has an increased chance of getting to flood stage this spring. Northwest Iowa tributaries, including the Big and Little Sioux Rivers, are expected to rise to major flood levels. The National Weather Service will release a third spring flood outlook on March 12th.

(Reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)