Dangerous heat conditions will prevail today and Friday across the state. The National Weather Service says high heat with temperatures peaking in the 90’s and humidity will combine to create heat indices of 100 to 110 each day, with overnight temperatures not offering much relief with lows in the 70’s to near 80 degrees. Relief from the heat will begin to arrive on Saturday over northern Iowa, but the heat will persist over southern Iowa one more day. A cold front will pass through the state later Saturday with temperatures back into the 80s on Sunday.

An Excessive Heat Warning continues through 7-p.m. Saturday for the entire State of Iowa, with the exception of a majority of the northern two tiers of counties, where a Heat Advisory is in effect from 1-p.m. today through 7-p.m. Saturday. An Excessive Heat Warning means that a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a DANGEROUS SITUATION in which heat illnesses are likely. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives, neighbors and pets.

Today: **Excessive Heat Warning continues thru 7-p.m. Saturday (Heat Index as high as 108 today) Isolated showers & thunderstorms this morning; Becoming mostly sunny. High 96. SW @ 15-25.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 76. S @ 10.

Tomorrow: Mo. Sunny. High 97. SW @ 10-20.

Saturday: P/Cldy w/isolated thunderstorms. High 95.

Sunday: P/Cldy to Cldy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. High 85.

Unless you happened to be outside looking south, had a scanner or phone emergency alert app, you probably wouldn’t have known that funnel clouds and tornadoes were seen in southern Cass County, Tuesday afternoon. That’s because the National Weather Service’s Weather Radio transmitter located near Hancock, in Pottawattamie County, has been down due to ice and snow storm in December, 2018. The transmitter…KZZ-52…serves all of Pottawattamie, and parts of Cass, Montgomery, of Audubon, Shelby and Harrison Counties.

Funnel cloud in southern Cass County (Montgomery County EMA)

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon told KJAN News he first became aware of the severe weather phenomenon when the phone calls started coming in. He said they received numerous calls about a funnel cloud southeast of Atlantic at around 2:30-p.m. About a funnel seen near Highway 71 and Oxford Road (Between Lewis and Cumberland). As he drove south out of Atlantic, Kennon said you could “Clearly see a funnel cloud.” The funnel didn’t appear to be rotating much at first, but that all changed as Kennon got closer. He said he saw the funnel finger down and eventually rope out before dissipating altogther. Kennon said he observed the tornado for about 10-minutes. It’s not clear if it actually touched down.

The tornado was visible from as far away as Interstate 80, Atlantic, Marne and elsewhere in Cass County. There were reports of another funnel cloud/twister, but Kennon says it’s likely it was the same event visible from many different locations. There were no reports of damage or injuries, but Kennon said if anyone had damage, to call him at 712-254-1500.

There was no warning from the National Weather Service until about 20-minutes after the funnel cloud was first reported. Kennon said he’s received calls about why the warning didn’t go out sooner, and why the Weather Radio alert didn’t work. The issue boils down to the weather transmitter being off-line. Kennon says he’s complained to “Numerous entities about it.” He says the Weather Radio service has been worthless to Cass and surrounding counties since December. Paul Fajman, a Meterologist at the National Weather Service Office in Valley, Nebraska, told KJAN News they’re still on track to hopefully get the transmitter up and running sometime next month.

Getting the transmitter operational, he said, involves gathering the parts and personnel. He said they’re waiting for a part to arrive. After that a crew must test the integrity of the transmitter tower before the replacement equipment can be installed. Fajman says “We’re waiting for the Central region HQ in Kansas City, who make facility and equipment decisions like this. We’re waiting on them to get clarification on an analysis on the tower, which they hope to get yet this week. If that tests well, they’ll get the go ahead to set-up the antennae,” and become operational next month.

In the meantime, to be notified via cell- or landline- telephone, sign-up for Alert Iowa, which is available on most County Emergency Management websites. You can select how you want to receive your alert (cell/landline or both), for what cities in your county, and what types of alerts you want to receive. In Cass County, if you feel you need help in signing-up, or want to change/add-to the communities you want notifications for, call Mike Kennon at 712-249-1500 for assistance.

Today: Partly cloudy, warm & humid w/isolated showers possible, mainly north of I-80. Excessive Heat Warning in effect from 1-p.m. Today thru 7-pm Saturday. High today around 93. S @ 10-20.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 75. S @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 96. SW @ 10-20.

Friday: Mostly sunny. High 97.

Saturday: P/Cldy w/isolated showers & tstrms possible. High 95.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 88. Our Low was 69. We received .55” rain yesterday (for a total of 3.31”). Last year on this date our High was 80 and the Low was 60. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 109 in 1936. The Record Low was 45 in 1911.

The National Weather Service has expanded the list of counties included in an Excessive Heat Warning, to all counties along and south of Highway 30, including the entire KJAN listening area. The Excessive Heat Warning is in effect from 1-p.m. today through 7-p.m. Saturday. The Excessive Heat Watch is no longer in effect.

Excessive Heat Warning for counties in purple; Excessive Heat Watch for counties in red; Flash Flood Watch for counties in green.

* TEMPERATURE…The combination of temperatures in the 90s and dewpoints in the 70s will produce daytime heat index values of 100 to 110 degrees. Overnight lows will remain warm in the middle 70s to near 80.

* IMPACTS…Heat-related illnesses may occur due to the prolonged period of heat and humidity.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

An Excessive Heat Warning means that a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a DANGEROUS SITUATION in which heat illnesses are likely. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and
check up on relatives and neighbors.

The National Weather Service received several reports of confirmed funnel clouds and/or tornadoes across parts of southwest and central Iowa, Tuesday afternoon.

Funnel cloud in southern Cass County (Montgomery County EMA)

A funnel cloud was observed at 2:28-p.m. four miles north/northwest of Cumberland. The tornado was seen and photographed on the ground eight-miles southeast of Atlantic at 2:40-p.m., and at 3:40-p.m., between Griswold and Highway 71. There have been no reports of damage or injuries.

Photo courtesy Brian Lensch, of Atlantic

In central Iowa’s Story County, a funnel cloud was seen four-miles north/northwest of Nevada, at around 4:14-p.m. Separately, a little after 11-a.m. Tuesday, a 61-mile per hour thunderstorm wind gust was recorded at the Estherville airport, in Emmet County.

Between Lewis and Highway 71 sometime between 4-4:30-p.m. (shared photo submitted)

The day started off with heavy rain for parts of Cass and other area counties. We had received 3.3-inches of rain in Atlantic, during the showers that quickly evolved into downpours of wind, accompanied by strong winds that occurred between 6-and 7:30-a.m.

A large tree limb was stripped from the trunk of a tree at 3rd and Cedar Street during Tuesday morning’s storms.

Photo courtesy of Chad Fischer

A confirmed tornado was seen on the ground two-miles west of Cumberland, this (Tuesday) afternoon. A trained spotter saw the twister at around 2:40-p.m. about eight-miles southeast of Atlantic. Brian Lensch caught the phenomenon on camera.

Photo courtesy Brian Lensch, of Atlantic

The National Weather Service had issued a statement at around 2:30-p..m. indicating funnel clouds or tornadoes would be possible. Two minutes earlier, a funnel cloud was observed four-miles north/northwest of Cumberland.

Another tornado warning went out at around 3:40-p.m. for the southwest part of Cass County. It was a radar indicated threat. No confirmation was received as of 4-p.m.

Today: Partly cloudy to cloudy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms this morning; P/Cldy this afternoon. High near 90. S @ 10 mph.

Tonight: P/Cldy w/isolated showers/thunderstorms. Low 73.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy w/isolated morning shwrs & tstrms. High 93. SW @ 10-15. Excessive Heat Watch begins at 1-p..m. & continues thru 7-p.m. Saturday;

Thursday: P/Cldy. High 96.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 97.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 87. Our Low this morning, 70. Rainfall from 4:30-a.m. to 7-a.m. today at the KJAN studios amounted to 2.75″!  Heavy rain continued…Last year on this date our High was 87 and the Low was 64. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 109 in 1936. The Record Low was 45 in 1906.

Hotter temperatures and high humidity do not have to mean discomfort. Officials with Alliant Energy say you can stay cool, while managing your energy costs. Here are some tips:

Stay cool:

• Close the shades– Keep your living space cooler by keeping the sun’s heat out.
• Close the doors to unused rooms – Only cool the spaces you use.
• Use your oven less – It can cause your AC to work overtime. Slow cookers, microwaves, pressure cookers and toaster ovens create less heat.
• Use cold water– Take colder showers, wash clothes in cold water and check to make sure your water heater is set at 120 degrees.
• Use bathroom fans and kitchen fans – both pull the hot air that rises after you cook or take a steamy shower out of your home.

Stay in control of costs:

• Get a smart thermostat–Talk with your family about setting it to 78 degrees when you are home, as high as comfortable at night and off while you are away.
• Clean or change your AC air filters – Your air handler will not have to work hard pushing air through a clogged filter, and that saves energy. Your air quality will also improve.
• Get an AC tune-up– Have a professional contractor tune up your AC unit to keep it performing at its best.
• Replace old incandescent light bulbs – They waste most of their energy in the heat they emit. Use LED bulbs—they stay cool and use a fraction of the energy, so you’ll save money year round.
• Control gadget use– Electronics that are off but plugged in are still using power. Smart power strips can reduce your electric bill by shutting off power to devices that go into standby mode. Some of them also have a few “always on” outlets for things that need them, like an alarm system.

Keep in mind:

• Hotter temperatures mean air conditioners are working harder to keep our homes cool – the larger the gap between the outside temp and your desired in-home temp, the harder your AC needs to work.
• High humidity makes it feel even warmer than the given temperature.
• When major appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners and dehumidifiers are not functioning well, they can use substantial amounts of electricity.
• Pool pumps and heaters can use a lot of energy depending on how frequently they run.
• School’s out! More time may be spent at home during the summer months with appliances, electronics and lights being used throughout the day.

Today: Partly cloudy, warm & humid. High near 90. S @ 10-15 mph.

Tonight: P/Cldy w/isolated showers/thunderstorms. Low 73. S @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy w/isolated shwrs & tstrms possible. High around 90. Winds variable @ 10.

Wednesday: Isolated morning showers/tsrms possible, otherwise P/Cldy. High 92.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High near 95.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 91. Our Low was 66. Last year on this date our High was 89 and the Low was 67. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 110 in 1936. The Record Low was 42 in 1930.