Today: Partly cloudy. High 61. NW @ 10-20.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 30.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 65. NW @ 10-20.

Thursday: P/Cldy, windy & warmer. High 74.

Friday: P/Cldy. Cooler. High around 62.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 61. Our Low this morning (as of 5-a.m.) was 42.  Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 59 and the low was 32. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 80 in 1999 and 2006. The Record Low was -12 in 1991.

Early This Morning: Partly cloudy. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Today: Sunny. High around 60. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Clear…colder. Low around 30. North wind near 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny. High in the lower 60s. Southwest wind near 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny. High in the mid 60s. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
Veterans Day: Sunny. High in the upper 50s.
Friday Night: Mostly clear. Low around 30.

Iowans should not encounter any weather-related obstacles on their way to the polls this Election Day. National Weather Service Meteorologist Brad Small says plenty of sunshine is expected, along with typical temperatures for early November. “Highs will be just above normal, not as warm as we’ve seen recently, but still in the 50s…so it should be a great day to get out,” Small said.

Throughout history, there have been some unusual weather events in Iowa during a federal election. For instance, in 1938, eight inches of snow fell in parts of eastern Iowa on Election Day. Small notes, while significant snowfall in early November is rare, all kinds of severe weather can strike this time of year.

“Last year, we even had a tornado outbreak in the middle part of November,” Small said. “We can get a wide range of weather in Iowa in November, but snow is not really too common this early.” Ten tornadoes touched-down across Iowa on Veterans Day last November.

(Radio Iowa)

Despite some predictions of a colder, snowier winter ahead, 2016 is shaping up to be one of the warmest years on record for many parts of Iowa. Meteorologist Kurt Kotenberg, at the National Weather Service, says we’ve been seeing above-normal temperatures in recent weeks in central Iowa, with atypical highs some days in the 60s and 70s. “So far, we do have the warmest fall on record,” Kotenberg says. “From September 1st to November 5th, we have an average temperature of 65.1 degrees. Number 2, was 1938, 64.5 degrees.”

It’s exceptional, considering weather records have been kept consistently here since 1878. Kotenberg says it’s likely we’ll end the year in the top two for the warmest weather. “From January 1st to November 5th, we are at the second warmest year on record so far in Des Moines, 58.2 degrees,” Kotenberg says. “The warmest year on record was 2012 with 59.7 degrees. We have a little bit of room, actually, quite a bit of room to go there. We’ll need some very, very above-normal temperatures for the rest of the year to catch 2012.”

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is forecasting roughly equal chances for above- versus below-normal temperatures and precipitation in the winter ahead, according to Kotenberg. “In the long term — December, January, February — we might rebound and get closer to normal,” Kotenberg says, “but in the short term, certainly for November, it looks like we’ll be experiencing above-normal temperatures here in Iowa.”

The Climate Prediction Center recently issued a La Nina watch, predicting the weather pattern is likely to develop in late fall or early winter. La Nina favors drier, warmer winters in the southern U-S and wetter, cooler conditions in the northern U-S.

(Radio Iowa)

The National Weather Service along with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division have declared Thursday, November 10th as Winter Weather Awareness Day in Nebraska and Iowa.

Winter Weather Forecast Terms: The following are some of the winter weather forecast terms you will hear. Know what these terms mean and how you should prepare and respond to each situation…..

A WINTER STORM WATCH is an advance forecast notice that hazardous weather such as a blizzard, heavy snow, or an ice storm may develop. You should not become unduly alarmed, however be aware the threat exists and monitor forecasts and statements.

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING is the forecast of snowfall of 6 inches or more in 12 hours or 8 inches or more in 24 hours.

An ICE STORM WARNING is the forecast of life threatening and damaging accumulations of ice, when rain freezes on contact with surfaces. Driving and walking can be extremely hazardous.

Winter weather advisories are issued for less serious winter weather conditions that cause significant inconvenience and if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that might threaten lift or property. Winter weather advisories may be issued for such events as snow, blowing snow, freezing rain, and freezing drizzle.

Today: Cloudy w/showers this afternoon. High 63. SE @ 10-20.

Tonight: Cloudy to Partly Cloudy w/showers ending overnight. Low 43.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 61. NW @ 10-20.

Wednesday: Mo. Sunny. High 64.

Thursday: P/Cldy, windy & mild. High around 74.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 66. Our Low this morning was 37.  Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 56 and the low was 27. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 77 in 1915. The Record Low was -14 in 1991.

Early This Morning: Partly cloudy. Southeast wind near 5 mph.
Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered light showers in the afternoon. High in the lower 60s. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of showers 30 percent.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Scattered light showers through midnight. Low in the mid 40s. West wind near 5 mph shifting to the north after midnight. Chance of showers 30 percent.
Tuesday: Sunny. High in the upper 50s. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Colder. Low in the lower 30s. North wind near 10 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny. High around 60. Northwest wind near 5 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.
Thursday: Sunny. High in the mid 60s.

A state report concludes Iowa is heading into the winter months with a “predominantly good” level of moisture in reserve — at the groundwater level. In addition, river and stream flows at the surface are “above normal.”

“Most of the state is in really good shape,” according to Tim Hall, a hydrologist who works for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  “We’ve been doing these water summary updates snapshots here for more than four years now, just kind of tracking the conditions across the state,” Hall says. “Going into what is typically the stretch of the four driest months of the year, it’s still kind of wet across the northern half of the state from the rains that we received in August and September.”

But Hall says rainfall has been “pretty variable” and there’s a section of south central Iowa that is “stubbornly dry.”  He says “We’ve been watching that little part of the state since the early part of the summer. They just have not had the consistent rainfall that the rest of the state has had, but they’re still not rated as any kind of drought situation, but ‘abnormally dry.'”

According to Hall’s report, October was the first month since June for below normal rainfall. There were no “widespread excessive rain events” during October either, giving north central and northeast Iowa a chance to dry out a bit after massive rain in September.

A link to the full report can be found here: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Water Summary Update/20161103wsu.pdf?ver=2016-11-04-091819-780

(Radio Iowa)

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. South wind 5 to 13 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind 8 to 11 mph.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. South wind 6 to 8 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before midnight. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 44. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming north after midnight. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 7 to 11 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 61.

Skyscan Forecast  Saturday, November 5, 2016  Richard Garuckas

Today: Mix of sun and clouds. SSW @ 5-10. High 72.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. S @ 5. Low 43.

Sunday: Mix of sun and clouds. Slightly cooler. SSE @ 5-10, increasing to 10-15. High 68.

Sunday Night: Increasing clouds. Slight chance of showers. Low 41.

Monday: Partly sunny. Slight chance of showers. High 63.

Tuesday: Mix of sun and clouds. Cooler. High 59.

Wednesday: Mix of sun and clouds. High 56.

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