Iowa homeowners who have tulips, daffodils, newly-planted trees and other tender plants poking up in their yards will need to get busy this (Friday) afternoon to save them. Meteorologist Craig Cogil, at the National Weather Service, says a Freeze Warning is posted for a wide portion of Iowa, roughly from Highway 20 south. “We’re going to see temperatures drop well below freezing overnight across the entire state,” Cogil says. “We are concerned about some of the trees and vegetation across the southern half to two-thirds of the state that have seen growth and are susceptible to freezing temperatures.”

Many areas of the state may see temperatures dip into the low-to-mid-20s tonight and into tomorrow morning. Homeowners will need to act to keep their plants from being nipped or possibly killed by the overnight cold snap. “Individuals in those situations, obviously, if you have smaller plants, cover them up, that helps out,” Cogil says. “People that have orchards will have mitigation techniques they use. The main thing is to get them covered up.”

We’re a couple of weeks into spring now but Cogil says this isn’t an unusual situation. “Some years, especially if you look back at 2012, had an extremely warm March, everything was ahead as far as growing was concerned,” Cogil says. “We saw that a little bit in March where temperatures were warm and things are maybe a little bit ahead of normal, but this is not entirely unusual.”

Some areas of northern Iowa are seeing flurries fly this morning and while it’ll be a cold weekend, Cogil predicts the sparse snow won’t accumulate.

(Radio Iowa)

Today: Partly Cloudy to Cloudy. High 54. NW @ 15-30.

Tonight: Mostly Clear. Low 22. Winds light & variable.

Tomorrow: *Freeze warning from 1-am until 9-a.m. Saturday*

P/Cldy. High 56. S @ 10-15.

Sunday: P/Cldy to Cldy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. High 68.

Monday: Mo. Cldy. High 54.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 54. The Low thru 7-a.m. today was 26. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 50 and the low was 41. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 89 in 1931. The Record Low was 16 in 1956.

Today: Sunny…breezy. High around 50. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 35 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Low in the mid 20s. North wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph becoming northeast up to 5 mph after midnight. **FREEZE WARNING in effect 1-a.m. Saturday until 9-a.m. Saturday**
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High in the lower 50s. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy through midnight…then mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms after midnight. Breezy. Not as cool. Low in the lower 40s. South wind 15 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Sunday: Cloudy with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Warmer. High in the upper 60s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Monday: Mostly sunny. Cooler. High in the mid 50s.

AREA COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-
PAGE…..334 AM CDT FRI APR 8 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY. THE FREEZE WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TEMPERATURE…TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 20S DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS…TENDER VEGETATION MAY BE KILLED OR DAMAGED BY THE COLD TEMPERATURES AND RESULTANT FREEZE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

Freeze Waring for all counties in purple Friday night & Sat. morning

SAC-CALHOUN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-CASS-ADAMS-TAYLOR-MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-ADAIR-MADISON-UNION-RINGGOLD COUNTIES IN IA…340 PM CDT THU APR 7 2016

A FREEZE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. LOW TEMPERATURES SATURDAY MORNING COULD REACH THE MID AND UPPER 20S FOR SEVERAL HOURS. A FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

AREA COUNTIES: GUTHRIE-DALLAS-ADAIR-MADISON-UNION-RINGGOLD-
1240 PM CDT THU APR 7 2016

…STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WITH SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON…

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST IOWA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE SHOWERS COULD BRING LOCALLY STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL. MOTORISTS AND THOSE OUTSIDE SHOULD BE ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AROUND THESE SHOWERS THROUGH THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS.

SAC-CALHOUN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-CASS-ADAMS-TAYLOR COUNTIES: A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE WIND ADVISORY WHICH WAS ISSUED EARLIER FOR HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT AND PAGE COUNTIES. IN THOSE COUNTIES, THE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10-AM UNTIL 6-PM TODAY.

NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE BLOWING FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH OVER THE FAR WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST COUNTIES.

HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES, AND UNSECURED OBJECTS MAY BLOW AROUND. STRONG WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER. ANY FIRES WHICH START COULD SPREAD RAPIDLY.

**Wind Advisory 10-am today until 6-pm for Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont & Page Counties**

Today: P/Cldy to Cldy & windy. High 56. NW @ 15-30 w/gusts to around 40.
Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 32. NW @ 15-30 diminishing to around 10mph after midnight.
Friday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 54. N @ 10-15 w/gusts to around 35.
Fri. Night: Mostly clear & blustery. Low around 23
Saturday: P/Cldy & breezy. High near 54. S/SE @ 5-15mph w/gusts to 25.
Sat. Night: Mo. Cldy w/a slight chance of showers & thunderstorms late. Low 43.
Sunday: Mo. Cldy w/a 30% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 70.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 53. The Low thru 7-a.m. today was 25. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 51 and the low was 40. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 83 in 1931. The Record Low was 15 in 1936.

HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE COUNTIES: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* TIMING…STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PICK UP BY MID TO LATE MORNING.

* WINDS…NORTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS 40 TO 50 MPH. A GRADUAL DECREASE IN WIND SPEEDS IS EXPECTED BY EARLY THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS…DRIVING MAY BECOME DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. BLOWING DUST MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES AT TIMES IN OPEN AREAS. TRASH CANS AND OTHER LOOSE OBJECTS COULD BE BLOWN ABOUT BY THE STRONG WINDS.

Wind Advisory for counties in brown

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 30 TO 39 MPH OR GUSTS BETWEEN 45 TO 57 MPH ARE EXPECTED. A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

Early this morning: Mostly cloudy. Low in the mid 30s. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Today: Mostly sunny. Very windy. High in the mid 50s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 35 mph increasing to 30 to 35 mph with gusts to around 45 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Breezy. Low in the lower 30s. Northwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40 mph decreasing to around 10 mph after midnight.
Friday: Sunny…breezy. High in the upper 40s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High in the upper 40s.
Sunday: Partly sunny with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Breezy. Much warmer. High around 70. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.