Skyscan Forecast  Saturday, April 14, 2018  Richard Garuckas

Today: Cloudy. Snow mixing with rain and freezing rain at times. High 37. NNE @ 20-25, gusting to 35.

Tonight: Cloudy. Snow early, then gradual clearing. Low 24. Windy.  N @ 15-25, gusting to 25. Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.

Sunday: Cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers in the morning. High 34. Breezy. NNW @ 15-25, gusting to 30.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Low 23.

Monday: Mostly sunny. High 45.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Warmer. High 57.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. High 49.

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High winds, unconfirmed tornadoes, hail and heavy rain wreaked havoc on parts of western and central Iowa, Friday. The National Weather Service says winds in excess of 60-miles per hour caused damage in parts of Cass County.

At around 4:25-p.m., thunderstorm wind damage was reported to outbuildings, 3-miles south/southwest of Marne, Five-minutes later, a 61-mile per hour wind was recorded by an automated weather system, two-miles west/northwest of Atlantic. At around 4:30-p.m., a camper was reported blown over 4-miles southeast of Brayton. There were also media reports of damage to outbuildings and a barn located between Highway 173 and 71, and substantial damage to 5^th wheel RV trailers just north of I-80 and the Olive Street exit.

Prior to the line of storms entering Cass County, they fired-up to our southwest. At around 3:15-p.m., one-half inch diameter (marble size) hail was reported near Shelby…nickel-size hail fell in Avoca at around 3:22-p.m….Walnut size (1.5” diameter) hail fell just southeast of Oakland at around 3:53-p.m.  Golf ball size hail (1.75” dia.) was reported near Henderson and Oakland at a little after 4-p.m., with egg-size hail reported to have fallen 5-miles east of Henderson. Some video footage seen on social media indicated there may have been weak tornadoes in parts of northern Cass County Friday afternoon, but that has not yet been confirmed by the Weather Service.

Quarter-size hail fell in Walnut at around 4:15-p.m. Golf ball size hail fell near Essex at around 6:40-p.m., and penny-size hail was reported near Villisca, about 5-minutes later. Nickel-size hail was reported at around 3:50-p.m., in Denison. Guthrie Center received quarter-size hail at around 6:25-p.m. Dime-to quarter-size hail was reported between Gravity and Sharpsburg, in Taylor County, from 7:40-to 7:55-p.m.

South of Creston, winds gusted to a little more than 50-miles per hour, as the storms were moving northeast and out of the listening area, at around 8:15-p.m. Across Iowa, a home was damaged in Hubbard, a semi was blown over on I-35 near Roland, power lines were down in Story City, hail covered the ground in Churdan, multiple buildings were damaged, and large campers were flipped over in Jefferson, and hail caused broken windows in/near Scranton.

Here are some pictures submitted to KJAN from our Facebook contributors following today’s severe storms. Thanks to all who sent in their submissions!

This is the area near the Atlantic School’s bus barn, where a grass fire was sparked from a broken power line Friday afternoon, at around 4-p.m. The power was restored within about 35-minutes. (Photo courtesy Kyle Hansen)

Emily Emealia Watts – Harlan

Joel Schlueter – Elk Horn

Amanda Marhloz -Walnut

Iowans have enjoyed weather conditions the past couple days that are more typical for mid-April, but a return to winter is right around the corner. Highs will be climbing into the 70s in some areas this afternoon, before rain and snow move in tonight. National Weather Meteorologist Todd Heitkamp says the heaviest snow, 4 to 8 inches, is expected over far northwest and north-central Iowa. A blizzard warning is posted for an area that includes Le Mars, Spencer, and Algona. “No matter how much snow falls across the area this weekend, the other thing we have to keep in minds is the winds,” Heitkamp says. “The winds are going to be gusting at 40 to 50 miles an hour and that’s going to cause all kinds of reduced visibilities, whiteout conditions, and blizzard conditions in many areas.”

Thunderstorms are possible across Iowa late this afternoon and evening. Some could be severe with large hail, damaging winds, and possibly tornadoes. The rain will transition to snow in many locations. Atlantic, Des Moines, Marshalltown, and Waterloo can expect one or two inches of snow. Heavier snowfall totals are forecast to the north with two to three inches in Carroll and Ames, three to four inches in Fort Dodge and Decorah, and four to six inches in Storm Lake and Mason City. Heitkamp say this likely WON’T be the last winter storm of the season. “We have another storm coming in at us again late next week,” Heitkamp says. “This is just a pattern that is not changing right now. You know, a lot of people are wanting the moisture, but it would be nice to have it in the form of rain instead of snow. Right now, Mother Nature is not cooperating…obviously with this storm this weekend and then the next storm that’s probably coming in probably next weekend.”

It’ll begin turning colder this evening. By Sunday, high temperatures will likely remain in the 30s across the entire state.

(Radio Iowa)

Today: Partly-to-Mostly cloudy w/showers & thunderstorms, mainly this afternoon and this evening. High 70. SE @ 15-30.
Tonight: Cloudy w/showers & thunderstorms. Low 43. E @ 15-25.
Tomorrow: Cldy w/rain becoming mixed w/wet snow. High around 43 early, w/temps falling into the 30’s. E/NE @ 15-30.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy w/light snow ending in the morning. High around 38.
Monday: P/Cldy. High around 52.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 70. Our Low was 40. Last year on this date our High was 79 and the Low was 48. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 88 in 2006. The Record Low was 11, in 1950.

Today: Partly cloudy. High 68. N winds becoming easterly at 5-10mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/showers possible late. Low 35. SE @ 10-20.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy to Cldy w/a chance of showers & isolated thunderstorms. High 70. S/SE  @ 15-25.

Saturday: Cloudy & windy w/a chance of rain. High 45.

Sunday: A chance of morning flurries. Becoming P/Cldy. High 43.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 71. Our Low this morning was 36. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 68 and the Low was 45. The All-time record High was 86 in 1916, and the record Low was 13 in 1957.

Today: Partly cloudy & windy. High 70. SW @ 15-25mph.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 43. Winds becoming N @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 68. E @ 5-10.

Friday: P/Cldy to Cloudy w/a chance of showers. High 70.

Saturday: Cldy & windy w/a chance of rain. High 43.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 61. Our Low was 21. Last year on this date our High was 64 and the Low was 30. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 91 in 1996. The Record Low was 18, in 1956 & 2004.

Today: Area of fog possible this morning; Mo. Sunny. High 54. SW @ 10-15.
Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 38. S @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 70. SW @ 15-25.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High 68.

Friday: P/Cldy to Cldy w/showers. High near 70.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 36. Our Low this morning (as of 5-a.m.), was 26. We received just a trace of drizzle and snow flurries Monday. Last year on this date our High was 59 and the Low was 29. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 94 in 1930. The Record Low was 17, in 1989.

It may be a rollercoaster week ahead where Iowans use both the heaters and air conditioners in their homes and cars. Meteorologist Kurt Kotenberg, at the National Weather Service office in metro Des Moines, says flurries were still flying this (Monday) morning after Sunday’s snowstorm that dropped between six and eight inches of snow in northern Iowa. “We even had a report from Clear Lake, just south of Mason City, that came in with nine inches of snowfall,” Kotenberg says. “It’s pretty widespread, six to seven to eight inches up in our north, all the way from Estherville to just north of the Waterloo area.”

While we’re 20 days into spring, it hasn’t felt like it in Iowa, with multiple snowfalls and temperatures some 30-degrees below normal. Kotenberg says spring-like weather will be arriving very soon, but it likely won’t last long. “We’re going to go from six to seven to eight inches of snowfall in northern Iowa on Sunday to 70s possible by Wednesday, 70s looking even more likely by Thursday and Friday,” Kotenberg says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if even 80s start creeping up in northern Missouri here.”

While many Iowans will welcome the warmth, the forecast calls for it to be gone by Saturday. “We’re dropping back down into the 30s and 40s and we cannot rule out another bit of snowfall for next weekend, especially for northern Iowa,” Kotenberg says. “There’s a lot of time between now and then, but we’re definitely going to be on a rollercoaster this week, in terms of weather.”

Thunderstorms and severe weather are possible on Friday, he says, as the arriving cold front collides with the warm air.

(Radio Iowa)

Today: Mostly cloudy w/areas of fog, light freezing drizzle or flurries this morning. High 50. N @ 10-15.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 25.

Tomorrow: Area of fog in the morning; P/Cldy. High 54. SW @ 10-15.

Wednesday: P/Cldy & windy. High around 70.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High 68.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 34. We received .1″ of snow pellets yesterday, and as of 5-a.m. today, a total of .05″ precipitation (including melted ice/pellets). Our low this morning was 31.  Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 81 and the Low 42. The All-time record High for Atlantic on April 9th was 85, in 1977, and the Record Low was 14, in 2016.