DES MOINES, Iowa – Burning a cleaner fire in wood stoves or fireplaces over the winter months is helpful to the health of Iowans, and also to the state’s climate, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Alison Davis, a senior adviser in the EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, says a good way to burn the hottest and most efficient fire is to use only dry, seasoned wood.

“The reason this is important is that dry wood burns more completely, and that benefits you in two ways,” she explains. “One, you get more energy out of the firewood, because it burns more of the actual wood itself. And the other is, the fire then produces less smoke.”

It’s also suggested that to maintain proper airflow and efficiency, regularly remove the ashes from your wood burning stove or fireplace. Davis adds that wood smoke produces fine particle pollution, which can be harmful to human health.

“When you breathe in air that has fine particles in it, it can penetrate deep into the lungs where it can harm the heart, the blood vessels and the lungs,” she stresses. “Fine particles are linked to heart attacks, strokes.” In addition to particle pollution, there’s also the danger of smoke filled with toxins or harmful chemicals if certain materials end up in the fire.

So, the EPA advises never burning such items as plastics, foam and other garbage, or wood that’s been coated, painted, or pressure treated.

(Iowa News Service)

CARROLL-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-
411 AM CST MON JAN 5 2015

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 AM CST TUESDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 AM CST TUESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING…SNOW WILL BEGIN AFTER NOON AND INTENSIFY BY MID AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING AROUND MIDNIGHT. HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING HOURS WHICH WILL GREATLY IMPACT THE MID AFTERNOON TO EVENING COMMUTE.

* WINTER STORM WATCH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…5 TO 6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE WITH LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS POSSIBLE.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL BE LIGHT DURING THE SNOW MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING…HOWEVER VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED AT TIMES WITH HEAVY SNOW.

* IMPACTS…REDUCED VISIBILITY CAN BE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT DUE TO THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK…MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS.

CASS-ADAIR-AUDUBON-CRAWFORD-GUTHRIE COUNTIES:

411 AM CST MON JAN 5 2015 …WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 AM CST TUESDAY… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 AM CST TUESDAY.

* TIMING OR SHORT TERM TRENDS…SNOW WILL BEGIN BY MID AFTERNOON AND INTENSIFY BY EVENING. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE LATE EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING AROUND MIDNIGHT. HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO EVENING HOURS WHICH WILL GREATLY IMPACT THE EVENING COMMUTE.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS… TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 3 TO UP TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL BE LIGHT DURING THE SNOW MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING…HOWEVER VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED AT TIMES WITH HEAVY SNOW.

* IMPACTS…REDUCED VISIBILITY CAN BE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT DUE TO THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK…MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. ANY REPORTS OF SNOW…SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ACCUMULATIONS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED AND CAN BE RELAYED DIRECTLY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE USING TWITTER HANDLE NWS DES MOINES…HASHTAG NWSDMX OR POST TO THE NWS DES MOINES FACEBOOK PAGE.

Today – A slight chance of snow before noon, then a chance of snow between noon and 2pm, then snow likely with patchy blowing snow after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 14. Wind chill values as low as -15. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south southeast 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Tonight – Snow with patchy blowing snow before midnight, then scattered flurries between midnight and 1am, then patchy blowing snow after 1am. Low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -15. Windy, with a south wind 14 to 19 mph becoming north northwest 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Tuesday – Partly sunny and cold, with a steady temperature around 5. Wind chill values as low as -15. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tuesday Night – Patchy blowing snow. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around -9. Wind chill values as low as -30. Windy, with a north northwest wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Wednesday – Sunny and cold, with a high near -2. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Wednesday Night – Mostly clear, with a low around -11.
Thursday – Mostly sunny, with a high near 21. Windy.

The National Weather Service is warning snow will fall in much of Iowa this (Monday) afternoon and “dangerously cold conditions” will arrive by Tuesday morning. Meteorologist Jim Lee of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Des Moines posted a video online describing the forecast. “The storm will produce moderate to heavy snowfall accumulations, generally in the four to eight inch range, extending from northern through central and into eastern portions of Iowa,” Lee says. “The heavy snow will fall on Monday afternoon and evening, causing slick roads and travel difficulties during the afternoon commute in many areas.”

The National Weather Service predicts wind speeds of 15 to 20 miles per hour and perhaps even higher in some areas as the snow is falling. “As snow tapers off Monday night, very cold air will stream into Iowa resulting in wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero by Tuesday morning and even colder on the following days,” Lee said in the video. Snow fell across much of Iowa as Saturday night turned into Sunday morning.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reported roads in southeast Iowa were completely covered in snow by Sunday, with most of the rest of the state’s roads at least partially covered in snow. Dozens of Iowa churches cancelled services on Sunday morning as temperatures plummeted. By Sunday evening, roads in a chunk of northwest Iowa, including the Sioux City and Fort Dodge areas were still partially covered in snow.

Snow was also causing Sunday night travel problems north of Davenport and in a triangular section of southeast Iowa that stretched from Iowa City, down to Ottumwa and then over to Burlington.

(Radio Iowa)

338 AM CST MON JAN 5 2015

A CLIPPER SYSTEM DROPPING OUT OF THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR INDUCING SNOWFALL OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND WEST-CENTRAL IOWA LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE QUICK IN NATURE…THUS THE SNOW ACTIVITY SHOULD BE COMING TO A CLOSE BY EARLY THIS EVENING.

Winter Weather Advisory & Watch graphic (NWS/Des Moines). For more see www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTIES….WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION AND SUB-ZERO WIND CHILL INDICES…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING.

* TIMING…THE SNOW ACTIVITY SHOULD LAST THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE AFTERNOON HOURS. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY EVENTS END THIS EVENING. IN ADDITION…WIND CHILL INDICES AROUND 5 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED AS WELL THIS AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

PERIODS OF SNOW MAY CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

AREA COUNTIES: AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-MADISON–

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING…LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHWEST CANADA TONIGHT AND MOVE RAPIDLY TOWARD IOWA MONDAY AFTERNOON TO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.

* WINTER STORM WATCH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…4 TO 6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE. HEAVIER AMOUNTS WILL FALL NORTH OF THE AREA.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL BE LIGHT DURING THE SNOW MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING…HOWEVER VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED AT TIMES WITH HEAVY SNOW.

* IMPACTS...REDUCED VISIBILITY CAN BE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT DUE TO THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK…MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect until Noon today for: Audubon, Adair, Adams, Cass, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor & Union; Wind Chill Advisory in effect until 9-a.m. today for: Carroll, Crawford & Sac Counties; Wind Chill Advisory in effect until 11-a.m. today for: Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…SNOW IS COMING TO AN END EARLY THIS MORNING. TRAVEL CONTINUES MAY BE IMPACTED IN RURAL AREAS DUE TO STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW.

* WINDS…NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 30 MPH WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES/WIND CHILL VALUES…BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED FOR TODAY WITH WIND CHILL VALUES RANGING FROM 15 TO 20 BELOW DURING THE PERIOD.

* IMPACTS…VERY LOW VISIBILITY…STRONG WINDS…AND SLICK ROADS  WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE ALSO EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS TODAY OVER MUCH OF THE REGION. ACROSS THE NORTH DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.  IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS…MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

Winter Weather Advisory until 6-a.m. for Cass and area Counties north, east and south**Wind Chill Advisory for counties west/southwest of Cass County until 11-a.m.

Today – Areas of blowing snow before 8am. Mostly sunny and cold, with a steady temperature around 3. Wind chill values as low as -25. Windy, with a northwest wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph.
Tonight – Partly cloudy, with a low around -4. Wind chill values as low as -20. Northwest wind 6 to 13 mph.
Monday – A 40 percent chance of snow after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high near 14. Wind chill values as low as -15. Windy, with a west southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Monday Night – A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 9pm. Cloudy, with a low around 3. Wind chill values as low as -15. Windy, with a south wind 21 to 26 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tuesday – Partly sunny, with a high near 11. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Tuesday Night – Partly cloudy, with a low around -7. Blustery.
Wednesday – Sunny and cold, with a high near -2. Blustery.

AREA COUNTIES: SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE
434 AM CST SUN JAN 4 2015

…WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS MORNING…
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS CANCELLED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

* WINDS…NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL STEADILY DIMINISH TO 10 TO 20 MPH BY MID-MORNING.

* WIND CHILL VALUES…AROUND 15 BELOW TO 25 BELOW ZERO.

* IMPACTS…SOME AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING. THEREFATER THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE THE  DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILL VALUES. THESE SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH LATE MORNING.