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Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022

Weather

October 18th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny. High 44. N/NW winds @ 15-25 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 15.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 52. W @ 10-15.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 62.
Friday: P/Cldy. High near 72.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 46. Our Low this morning, 16. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 75 and the Low was 38. The Record High on this date was 86 in 2003. The Record Low was 17 in 1952.

Iowa DOT prepares for the whatever Winter has in-store

News, Weather

October 17th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 17, 2022 – There’s an unmistakable chill in the air as fall slowly creeps into winter. Keeping roads in their best shape to ensure you get where you want to go, no matter the season is the goal of employees with the Iowa Department of Transportation. As the weather changes, their focus is keeping the roads as clear as possible and giving you the information you need to make smarter, safer travel decisions.

What you can do to prepare for the months ahead:

Winterize your vehicle – To minimize the possibility of a breakdown, get your vehicle tuned up. Check your vehicle’s wipers, hoses, battery, alternator, belts, tires, brakes, exhaust system, lights, and fluid levels. Make sure your vehicle’s heater and defroster are in good working order and you travel with plenty of gas in your tank. A breakdown is frustrating on a good day but can be dangerous during wintry weather.

Place a winter survival kit in your vehicle – This kit should contain items to help sustain your life and the lives of your passengers should your vehicle become stranded during inclement weather. These items can include booster cables; a flashlight with fresh batteries; extra blankets and warm clothes; nonperishable, high-calorie food items; candles, matches, a can for melting snow for drinking water, and a snow shovel. Sufficient supplies should be in the kit for all persons traveling in the vehicle. Carrying a mobile phone and charger in your vehicle is also advised for use during an emergency.

DOT Snow plow cam on I-80 near Atlantic. (FILE PHOTO)

Use technology to help make better travel decisions – The winter road conditions layer is now visible on www.511ia.org. This layer, along with layers that show images directly from the windshields of our snowplows and stationary cameras along the roadside, can help you determine whether it is safe to travel now or if you should postpone your trip.

Kick your winter driving skills into gear – The first snowfall and slick roads are a quick reminder that it’s time to re-evaluate and adjust your driving behaviors.

  1. Wear your seat belt. Every trip, every time.
  2. Turn off the cruise control. Cruise control does not allow you to let off the accelerator if you hit a slick spot, making it more difficult to maintain control of your vehicle.
  3. Adjust your speed for conditions. Speed limits are set for ideal driving conditions. Winter weather can create hazards that require slower speeds. Remember these simple slogans, “Ice and Snow … Take It Slow” and “Don’t Crowd the Plow.”
  4. Take it easy. On slick pavements your driving maneuvers need to be gradual and smooth, so you do not skid or spin.  Change lanes or turn with graceful movements, begin braking sooner gently increasing pressure on the pedal, and give yourself more room around other cars to allow for everyone’s reduced ability to stop or maneuver.

How the Iowa DOT has prepared:

Our people and equipment – The department’s 101 maintenance garages employ 1,083 full-time equipment operators, mechanics, and supervisors, and are in the process of hiring up to 633 temporary employees this winter season, to keep the agency’s 902 trucks, 42 motor graders, 32 tow plows, and 10 heavy-duty, self-propelled snowblowers on the road during winter weather.

For those interested in temporary, part-time snowfighter positions, go to https://iowadot.gov/careers and click on the “seasonal/temp” tab.

The materials we use – The Iowa DOT has spent the warmer months stocking salt in our storage facilities for use during the winter. Buying during the spring and summer allows us to obtain better pricing because demand is low. On average, the Iowa DOT uses more than 144,00 tons of salt and nearly 33 million gallons of brine each year to help maintain safe travel on the primary highway system, consisting of interstate, U.S., and Iowa routes.

The Iowa DOT primarily uses salt brine, a simple solution of standard rock salt and water, to help with winter roadway maintenance. It can be used to pretreat roadways before a storm, thus preventing snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. Brine is also used to prewet salt before it leaves the truck, increasing its ability to melt snow and ice and helping keep it on the roadway surface.

You may wonder why Iowa DOT trucks sometimes spray brine on sunny days. Frost is a major safety factor this time of year. The Iowa DOT’s proactive approach of spraying brine on areas prone to frost prevents the formation of an icy layer, which typically occurs on cold, clear nights. Frost is hard to see on the road’s surface and most people don’t expect it. These unexpected encounters with a frost-covered bridge or roadway can be particularly treacherous when traveling at higher rates of speed, making it more difficult to maintain control of your vehicle.

For more information about winter preparedness and the Iowa DOT’s snow and ice control program, check the Iowa DOT’s winter safety website.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Monday, Oct. 17, 2022

Weather

October 17th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly cloudy. High 46. N/NW winds @ 15-25 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 18. N @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 44. N @ 10-15.
Wednesday: Mo. sunny. High 52.
Thursday: P/Cldy. High 62.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 58. Our Low this morning, 27. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 73 and the Low was 33. The Record High on this date was 87 in 1947 & 2016. The Record Low was 12 in 1976.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022

Weather

October 16th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a northwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. North northwest wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 43. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 42. North northwest wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 52.

Yesterday’s high was 70 and the low was 29. This day last year the high was 64 and the low was 33. The all-time record high was 87 set in 1921. The record low was 20 in 1976 & 1977. Sunrise is at 7:33 a.m. and sunset will be at 6:38 p.m.

Skyscan Forecast Saturday 10/15/2022

Weather

October 15th, 2022 by admin

Skyscan Forecast  Saturday, October 15, 2022 Dan Hicks

Today: Partly cloudy. W @ 10-20. High 65.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. NW @ 5-10. Low 34.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. W @ 10-20. High 65.

Sunday Night: Clear. NNW @ 5-10. Low 27.

Monday: Partly cloudy. NNW @ 5-15. High 50.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High near 50.

Yesterday’s high was 58 and the low was 23. This day last year the high was 66 and the low was 36. The all-time record high was 89 set in 1892. The record low was 17 in 1952. Sunrise is at 7:31 a.m. and sunset will be at 6:39 a.m.

Field Fires keep firefighters busy Thursday afternoon

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

October 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Western Iowa) – Crews in western and southwest Iowa kept busy Thursday afternoon, battling the wind and flames that spurred two separate large field fires. The fires occurred within a couple of hours of one another. One of the incidents involved a soybean field in northwestern Audubon County. Firefighters from Manning, Manilla, Irwin, Defiance, Kirkman, and Audubon responded to the scene. Shelby County Emergency Management noted on their social media page, that “It was fast moving,” and that crews “did a GREAT job stopping it from getting to the next field of standing corn!!!!”

Click on the images to enlarge

Photos via Shelby County EMA Facebook page

Henderson, Emerson, Hastings, Stanton firefighters were paged out Thursday, to the area of Highway 34 and A Avenue in Montgomery County, where a large corn field fire was occurring. Some equipment was burning in that incident as well. Crews battled the flames for at least three hours before they were brought under control. 

No injuries were reported from either incident.

Drought conditions worsen in Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

October 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The latest U-S Drought Monitor report shows conditions worsening across Iowa. The report, issued Thursday, said 100% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, marking the first time since August 2013 that all of the state has had some sort of drought designation. 57% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought, an increase from 52% just a week ago, while 27% of Iowa is dealing with severe drought. 7% of Iowa has extreme drought. Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista and Pocahontas Counties, along with parts of seven other counties in northwest Iowa, are included in the Extreme Drought conditions.

Cass and Adair Counties are in a moderate drought, as is much of Madison County and most of Pottawattamie County. Half of the counties to our south are Moderately or Abnormally Dry. Most of the counties adjacent to Cass and to the north of I-80 are also Abnormally Dry.  There were two separate, large field fires Thursday afternoon in southwest/western Iowa.

 As was the case in August 2022, much of the Des Moines metro is experiencing moderate drought, while cities like Albia, Centerville, Chariton, Grinnell, Indianola, Newton, Osceola, Oskaloosa and Ottumwa are dealing with severe drought.

Ongoing drought, low relative humidity, and strong winds are contributing to heightened fire danger across the state. The long-term weather pattern does not favor any sort of drought-busting weather, as there are only limited rain chances in the extended forecast.  Meaningful rainfall would be beneficial before winter arrives, otherwise much of Iowa will enter spring planting season with significant drought concerns.

New reports are issued by the U.S. Drought Monitor each Thursday. The updates account for any rain that has fallen through the Tuesday prior to each report’s release.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

Weather

October 14th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly cloudy. High 62. W/NW winds @ 10-20 mph.
Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 30. NW @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 64. W @ 10-15.
Sunday: P/Cldy. High near 60.
Monday: P/Cldy. High 55.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 56. Our Low was 30. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 66 and the Low was 40. The Record High on this date was 88 in 1897. The Record Low was 16 in 1937.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022

Weather

October 13th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Today: **Red Flag Warning this afternoon**Partly cloudy. High 59. W/NW winds @ 15-30 mph+.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 32. NW @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 62. W @ 10-20.
Saturday: P/Cldy. High 64.
Sunday: P/Cldy. High 62.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 68. Our Low this morning, 43. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 71 and the Low was 42. The Record High on this date was 88 in 1975. The Record Low was 15 in 1907.

UPDATE: Red Flag Warning for some western counties until 7-p.m. today (10/12)

Weather

October 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Fremont-Washington-Douglas-
Sarpy-Lancaster-Cass-Otoe-Saline-Jefferson-Gage-Johnson-Nemaha-
Pawnee-Richardson-
1033 AM CDT Wed Oct 12 2022

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR EASTERN NEBRASKA AND FAR
WESTERN IOWA...
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR
EASTERN NEBRASKA AND FAR WESTERN IOWA...

The National Weather Service in Omaha/Valley has issued a Red
Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in
effect until 7 PM CDT this evening.

* Affected Area...In Iowa, Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie,
  Mills and Fremont. In Nebraska, Washington, Douglas, Sarpy,
  Lancaster, Cass, Otoe, Saline, Jefferson, Gage, Johnson,
  Nemaha, Pawnee and Richardson.

* Winds...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

* Relative Humidity...As low as 21 percent.

* Impacts...Any fires that ignite may spread rapidly and exhibit
  extreme fire behavior. Use extreme caution if engaging in any
  activities that could start a fire. Outdoor burning is not
  advisable.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions
are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible
Red Flag Warnings.