…BLIZZARD CONDITIONS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY MORNING…

A significant winter storm will impact parts of the Upper Midwest today into Monday morning. Widespread snow will fall across Iowa with higher amounts of 6+ inches possible north and east. Winds will gust 55-65+ mph, resulting in significant drifting of snow and visibility reductions. Travel will become very dangerous, if not impossible at times across parts of northern and eastern Iowa. Precipitation will begin as rain this morning and transition to a wintry mix, which may produce light ice accumulations, before transitioning fully to snow.

Area Counties: Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair-Madison-Adams-Union-Taylor-Ringgold…A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY…

* WHAT…Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 2 and 5 inches. Winds gusting as high as 55-65 mph.

Sac County: BLIZZARD WARNING from 7-a.m. today until 7-a.m. Monday

* IMPACTS…Travel could be very difficult. Plan on slippery road conditions. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. Very strong winds could cause tree damage and result in power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. For the latest travel conditions, check the Iowa 511 app, www.511ia.org, or dial 511.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for Harrison-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Page Counties from 7-AM Today until 9-p.m. and a COLD WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect on Monday from 1-a.m. until 10-a.m. 

* WHAT…Very strong winds with periods of snow will lead to greatly reduced visibility. Occasional whiteout conditions are possible with visibility below a quarter mile. Total snow accumulations up to two inches. Winds gusting to 65 mph.

* IMPACTS…Blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. bSlippery roads possible. Very strong winds may cause damage to trees and isolated to scattered power outages.

A HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect FOR: Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair-Madison-Adams-Union-Taylor-Ringgold Counties FROM 1-P.M. TODAY UNTIL 7-A.M. MONDAY, and from 7-a.m. today until 1-a.m. Monday for Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Monona-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont and Page Counties. 

Today: BLIZZARD WARNING from 1-p.m. until 7-a.m. on Monday; HIGH WIND WARNING from 1-p.m. until 4-a.m. on Monday**A chance of rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 1pm, then snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain between 1pm and 2pm, then snow after 2pm. Widespread blowing snow, mainly after 3pm. Temperature falling to around 26 by 5pm. Wind chill values as low as 10. Wind W @ 20-30 this morning w/gusts to around 55-mph this afternoon.Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Tonight: Snow likely, mainly before 11pm. Widespread blowing snow, mainly after 2am. A low around 3. N/NW wind 30-50 mph. Wind chill values as low as -15.  New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Monday: Areas of blowing snow. Sunny, with a high near 20. NW winds 20-40 mph. Wind chill values as low as -20.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4. NW winds 10-20 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of snow after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Breezy.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of snow before 10pm, then a slight chance of rain between 10pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 59. The Low was 32. Last year on this date (March 15th), the High in Atlantic was 38 & the Low was 22. The Record High was 79 in 2003, & the Record Low was 0 in 1944. Sunrise: 7:32; Sunset: 7:26.

Today: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 59. Winds SE @ 10-25 mph.
Tonight: A 40% chance of rain and thunderstorms after midnight. A low around 34. SE winds 15-25 mph.
Tomorrow: Rain likely before 11am, then snow. Patchy blowing snow after noon. Temperature falling to around 29 by 5pm. Very windy. N/NW winds 15-35 mph w/gusts to near 50 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. **Winter Storm Watch in effect beginning at 10-a.m. and continuing through 10-a.m. Monday**High Wind Watch from 1-p.m. today through 1-a.m, Monday**
Tom. Night: A 30% chance of snow before 1am. Widespread blowing snow, mainly before 7pm. A low around 4. NW winds 30-45 mph.  New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Monday: Patchy blowing snow. Sunny, with a high near 23. Windy.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of snow after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Breezy.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 48. The Low was 32. Last year on this date (March 14th), the High in Atlantic was 75 & the Low was 37. The Record High was 78 in 2012, & the Record Low was -12 in 1975.

Today: Sunny to partly sunny & windy, with a high near 47. NW winds 20-40 mph decreasing to 10-20 mph in the afternoon. **Wind Advisory until 7-a.m.**
Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/a 20% chance of snow after 11pm. A low around 30. Winds N @ 5-10 becoming easterly.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny with a high near 56. E/SE winds 10-25 mph.
Tom. Night: Rain likely, mainly after 1am. A low around 33. E/SE winds 15-25 mph.
Sunday: Rain before 1pm, then snow. Windy. High near 50. .
Sunday Night: Snow, mainly before 7pm. Windy & cold. Low around 5.
Monday: Sunny & windy, with a high near 21.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 62. The Low was 21. Last year on this date (March 13th), the High in Atlantic was 78 & the Low was 29. The Record High was 79 in 2012, & the Record Low was -11 in 1948 & 1975. Sunrise: 7:367; Sunset: 7:24.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI-TV] — Iowa saw its first tornadoes of 2026 Tuesday night. That’s according to National Weather Service damage surveys conducted Wednesday. NWS data shows two tornadoes formed from a severe storm in Lee County in far southeast Iowa. Both twisters have been rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

The first tornado touched down at 9:05 PM Tuesday just southwest of Donnellson. That’s about 10 miles west of Fort Madison. This tornado lasted just three minutes and traveled a mile and a half, damaging trees and some outbuildings, with peak winds estimated at 100 mph. The second tornado formed about 20 minutes later near a county park east of Donnellson. This tornado traveled two miles with winds of 90 mph. It mostly damaged trees and the exterior of a house.

Iowa’s first tornadoes of 2025 also occurred in the first half of March. Last year began with a brief tornado east of Iowa City near the town of Wilton on March 14. A total of 32 tornadoes eventually struck Iowa in 2025, down significantly from 2024 and below average

Today: Mostly sunny & windy. A high near 61. S/SW winds 5-15 mph increasing to 20 mph this morning gusting to near 40 this afternoon. **RED FLAG WARNING from Noon until 9-p.m. for critical fire weather conditions. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy & windy w/a 20% chance of rain. Low around 32. S/SW winds @ 25-35 mph becoming NW overnight & gusting to near 50 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy & windy. A high near 48. NW winds 15-35 mph.
Tom. Night: A 30% chance of snow, mainly after midnight. Low around 30. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.
Sat. Night: A 70% chance of showers & possibly a thunderstorm. A low around 30.
Sunday: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 1pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. Windy. A High near 41.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy & windy, with a low around 6.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 43. The Low was 21. We received .2″ of snow over the past 24-hours (ending at 7-a.m. today). Last year on this date (March 12th), the High in Atlantic was 71 & the Low was 24. The Record High was 74 in 1938, & the Record Low was -21 in 1998. Sunrise: 7:37; Sunset: 7:23.

(Radio Iowa) – Many areas of the state got a quick taste of snow this (Wednesday) morning, and now the forecast is calling heavy winds to blow in. National Weather Service Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says the snow accumulations were around an inch in most areas. “The most remarkable thing really was how quickly it fell and then disappeared. We went through kind of a six hour period where we went from no snow to an inch of snow and back to no snow again,” she says.

Hagenhoff says whatever moisture we got from the snow is going to soon be blown away. “We’re looking at wind gusts between 35 to 45 mile per hour during the daytime on Thursday,” she says. “And we actually have a red flag warning out for those winds along with dry conditions. And so we’re worried about any burning that could happen tomorrow.” Hagenhoff says the winds will have some staying power Thursday.

As we move later in the day, we’re actually expecting winds to continue to increase and switch direction. And so overnight, they’ll transition to out of the northwest and increase. We’re expecting wind gusts from 50 to 60 mph possible late Thursday night through Friday morning,” Hagenhoff says. It might seem like the snow that came and melted would keep things from being dry, but she says the winds are going to take care of the moisture left behind.

“The wind as it starts to increase kind of through this evening and gradually increase into the day on Friday or on Thursday should be able to dry out those fuels pretty quickly,” she says. “We’re also looking at the relative humidity on Thursday is going to be between 20 to 30 So very low across the area, which will help to dry out fuels and create just dry air conditions.”

She says two areas of the state are at the greatest risk for fire issues. “Mainly western and southwestern Iowa are the largest concerns. We could certainly see those conditions start to creep towards central Iowa and further east, kind of across into southeast Iowa. But certainly western Iowa is going to see the driest conditions,” she says.

The red flag warning advises against any outside burning due to the dry, windy conditions.

Today: Rain and snow likely before 9am, then a chance of rain between 9am and 10am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 45. Winds N/NW @ 15-30 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 27.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny & windy, with a high near 62. S/SW winds 5-15 mph increasing 15-30 mph w/gusts to near 40.
Tom. Night: A slight chance of rain; Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. S/SW winds becoming W/NW @ 20-35 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny & breezy, with a high near 48.
Friday Night: A slight chance of snow. A low around 32.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 61. Our Low this morning was 33. Last year on this date (March 11th), the High in Atlantic was 58 & the Low was 24. The Record High was 74 in 2024, & the Record Low was -22 in 1948. Sunrise: 7:39; Sunset: 7:22.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy-to-cloudy w/a 30% chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Low around 34. N/NE winds 10-20 mph.
Tomorrow: A 30% chance of rain, possibly mixing with snow after 10am, then gradually ending & gradual clearing. A high near 50. Winds N @ 15-25 mph. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.
Thursday: Partly sunny & windy, with a high near 60.
Thu. Night: A slight chance of rain, otherwise mostly cloudy & breezy, with a low around 35.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.

Monday’s High in Atlantic of 76 tied the record for that date set in 1986. The Low was 36. Last year on this date (March 10th), the High in Atlantic was 78 & the Low was 25. The Record High was 78 in 2025, & the Record Low was -8 in 1948. Sunrise: 7:41; Sunset: 7:21.

(Iowa DNR Water Summary Update) – Drought watches have been issued for northwest and southeast Iowa following a winter marked by a lack of rain and snow, according to the latest Water Summary Update from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowa experienced a notably dry winter, with worsening drought conditions expanding across much of the state through February. This deterioration has resulted in the northwest and southeast drought regions of Iowa being placed under a drought watch. While seasonal streamflows currently remain within normal ranges, soil moisture levels continue to decline statewide.

Iowa’s preliminary statewide February precipitation totaled 0.38 inches, or 0.79 inches below normal. Monthly totals ranged from no accumulation at several southern and northwestern stations to 1.26 inches in New Hampton, with southeastern Iowa experiencing the driest conditions as precipitation measured between 0.75 and 1.75 inches. The preliminary statewide average temperature for February was 31.3 degrees, which is 7.2 degrees above normal.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) currently shows that most of Iowa is abnormally dry or experiencing drought conditions, with portions of southeast Iowa carrying a severe drought designation. According to Iowa’s Drought Plan, all drought regions saw conditions deteriorate in February as soil moisture remained critically dry due to growing moisture deficits and the resurgence of drought.

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s March outlook indicates above-average precipitation across the entire state, and an increased likelihood of above-average temperatures. The seasonal outlook suggests continued drought in far northwestern Iowa, and a drought-free or drought removal is likely for the remainder of the state.

“Following a winter of persistent moisture deficits, Drought Regions in northwest and southeastern Iowa are now under a drought watch. The lack of both precipitation and a significant snowpack has led to substantial soil drying across the state. While the seasonal outlook predicts drought will persist in far Northwest Iowa through May, the rest of the state shows a favorable trend for improvement,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist.

The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.