United Group Insurance

KJAN Weather

Local Radar

Monthly Local Weather Information:
January May September
February June October
March July November
April August December

 

View Weather Announcements

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area: 7/18/19

Weather

July 18th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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.

Weather radio system still down for parts of western Iowa

News, Weather

July 17th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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.

Skyscan Forecast – Wednesday, July 17th , 2019

Weather

July 17th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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.

Skyscan Forecast – Tuesday, July 16th , 2019

Weather

July 16th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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.

Tips to beat the heat and save energy this week

News, Weather

July 15th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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.

Skyscan Forecast – Monday, July 15th , 2019

Weather

July 15th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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.

 

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area: 7/14/2019

Weather

July 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. South wind 6 to 9 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 90. South wind 8 to 13 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light after midnight.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 87. Our Low this morning, 65. Last year on this date our High was 87 and the Low was 66. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 112 in 1936. The Record Low was 41 in 1967.

Skyscan forecast: Saturday, 7/13/2019

Weather

July 13th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Today: Variably cloudy this morning w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. Partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 90. S @ 10-15 mph.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 70. S @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 91. S @ 10-15.

Monday: P/Cldy. High 92.

Tuesday: P/Cldy w/scattered shwrs & tstrms. High 92.

Skyscan Forecast Friday 07/12/2019

Podcasts, Weather

July 12th, 2019 by admin

Skyscan Forecast  Friday, July 12, 2019  Dan Hicks

Today: Mostly sunny. SW @ 10. High 88

Tonight: Partly cloudy. S @ 5-10. Low 67.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. A few isolated showers and thunderstorms. S @ 10-15. High 90.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 91.

Monday: Partly cloudy. High 92.

Play

Skyscan Forecast Thursday 07/11/2019

Podcasts, Weather

July 11th, 2019 by admin

Skyscan Forecast  Thursday, July 11, 2019  Dan Hicks

Today: Sunny and mild. N @ 10. High 84.

Tonight: Fair to partly cloudy. Light and variable winds. Low 60.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Warmer. SW @ 10. High 88.

Saturday: Partly cloudy to cloudy. A few isolated showers and thunderstorms. High 90.

Sunday: Partly cloudy to cloudy. A few isolated showers and thunderstorms. High 91.

Play