(Radio Iowa) – Some forecasters are raising the possibility of heavy snowfall in Iowa next week, with an especially strong winter wallop for northern Iowa, potentially impacting Thanksgiving travel, but other forecasters are holding off on making a call until later. Meteorologist Dylan Dodson, at the National Weather Service, says Thanksgiving is still a bit too far away to make an accurate prediction.

“Our forecast only goes out seven days,” Dodson says. “Generally, beyond seven days, it gets a little bit more difficult to forecast, because the further you get from the current time, those possibilities start to expand. It’s kind of like that butterfly effect. As you get out further, those chances start to become less certain.” Computer forecasting models from the National Weather Service are -not- projecting anything that would make snowfall for Iowa likely in the six-to-ten day forecast.

“At least through the beginning of next week, we’re looking at above-normal temperatures — normal for this time of year is right around the upper 40s to 50 degrees for the Des Moines area — and then kind of cooler in the north, warmer in the south,” Dodson says, “so, leaning above-normal for temperatures and then also leaning slightly above-normal for precipitation.” With the agency’s eight to 14-day forecast, he says temperatures are trending to near-normal with slightly above-normal precipitation. But is a ten-inch snowfall before Thanksgiving likely?

“I wouldn’t say it’s unlikely at this point. I wouldn’t say it’s likely either,” Dodson says. “It’s just difficult to gauge that at the moment. We’ll be watching the forecast once it starts to get into the seven-day especially. We’ll definitely be starting to look at where the patterns are, but at the moment, there’s too much uncertainty to really hang your hat on anything.”

According to National Weather Service data from 1981 to 2010, the normal date for the first one-inch snowfall in northwest Iowa is between November 10th and 17th, with the first inch of snow typically falling much later in southeastern Iowa, between December 12th and the 19th.

Official NWS spotter reports:

Atlantic (KJAN), .10″

Atlantic (7.1 miles N/NE), .19″

Council Bluffs, .36″

Creston (8.3 miles W/NW of town), .08″

Earling, .35″

Hastings, .01″

Massena, .12″

Missouri Valley, .19″

Mondamin,  .14″

New Market, .01″

Pacific Junction, .04″

Persia, .42″

Stuart (.5″ W/SW), .28″

Thurman, TR (Trace)

Other reports from area media and/or from the public:

Kirkman, .18″

Marne, .25″

Shenandoah, .02″

N. of Neola, .20″

Villisca, .15″

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Cloudy, with a low around 37.
Tomorrow: Cloudy in the morning; Gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 54. Winds S/SW @ 5-10.
Tom. Night: Partly cloudy. A low around 38.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.
Thursday Night: A 30% chance of rain, mainly after midnight. A low around 35.
Friday: A 40% chance of rain. A high near 46.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 58. Our Low this morning was 33. We received .10″ rain overnight. Last year on this date (Nov. 18th), the High in Atlantic was 62 and the Low was 44. The Record High in Atlantic on 11/18 was 72 in 1999, while the Record Low was 0 in 1891. Sunrise today: 7:121; Sunset is at 4:58.

Today: Increasing clouds; Breezy, w/a 20% chance of rain. A high near 55. Winds SE @ 15-30 mph.
Tonight: A 40% chance of showers & thunderstorms. Low around 39. East winds 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
Wednesday Night: A 30% chance of rain, mainly after midnight, and a low around 41.
Thursday: A 30% chance of rain, w/thunderstorms after noon. A high near 58.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 55. The Low was 28. Last year on this date (Nov. 17th), the High in Atlantic was 54 and the Low was 35. The Record High in Atlantic on 11/17 was 73 in 1941, while the Record Low was -2 in 1959. Sunrise today: 7:11; Sunset is at 4:59.

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Light and variable wind becoming northeast around 5 mph this afternoon.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Partly cloudy-to-cloudy & breezy, w/a slight chance of rain after 3pm. A high near 54. Winds SE @ 10-15 mph w/gusts  to near 30 mph.
Monday Night: A 40% chance of rain & a  low around 40. SE winds @ 15-25 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northeast in the afternoon.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 55.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy w/a 30 % chance of rain & a high near 55.

Saturday’s High of 74 in Atlantic was 69. Our Low this morning, was 27. Last year on this date (Nov. 16th), the High in Atlantic was 61 and the Low was 35. The Record High in Atlantic on 11/16 was 73 in 2001, while the Record Low was 1 in 1955. Sunrise today: 7:09; Sunset is at 4:59.

Today: Partly sunny-to-sunny. A high near 67. West winds @ 5-10 becoming north & gusting to near 25 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Winds becoming E/NE @ around 5-10 in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny w/a 30% chance of rain in the afternoon. A high near 54.
Monday Night: A 40% chance of rain, mainly before midnight, & a low around 36.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Friday’s High of 74 in Atlantic broke a 128-year-old record for Nov. 14th. The old record of 72, was set in 1897, 1964 & 1990. Our (24-hour) Low ending at 7-a.m. today is 33. Last year on this date (Nov. 15th), the High in Atlantic was 65 and the Low was 27. The Record High in Atlantic on 11/15 was 75 in 2001, while the Record Low was -7 in 1940. Sunrise today: 7:08; Sunset is at 5-p.m.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 73. South southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts to near 20 mph.
Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 51. Winds S/SW @ 10-20 mph.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy early. Gradually becoming sunny. A high near 67. Winds W @ 10-20 shifting to the North.
Sat. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Monday: Mostly cloudy w/a 40% chance of rain, mainly during the afternoon. A high near 49.
Monday Night: A 50% chance of rain before midnight. A low around 30.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 70. The Low was 29. Last year on this date (Nov. 14th), the High in Atlantic was 54 & the Low was 27. The Record High for Nov. 14th in Atlantic, was 72 in 1897, 1964 & 1990. The Record Low was -5 in 1940. Sunrise: 7:07; Sunset: 5:01.

Today: Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 66. South wind 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Tomorrow: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny & a high near 68. Afternoon winds S @ 10-20 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. SW winds @ 10-20 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 56.
Monday: Mostly cloudy w/a 50% chance of rain. A high near 52.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 62. The Low was 24. Last year on this date (Nov. 13th), the High in Atlantic was 47 & the Low was 35. The Record High for Nov. 13th in Atlantic, was 83 in 1999. The Record Low was -5 in 1940. Sunrise: 7:06; Sunset: 5:02.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 60. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny, with a high near 62. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as to near 20 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 68.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 63. Our Low this morning was 25. Last year on this date (Nov. 12th), the High in Atlantic was 56 & the Low was 34. The Record High for Nov. 12th in Atlantic, was 73 in 2005. The Record Low was -4 in 1968 & 2019. Sunrise: 7:05; Sunset: 5:03.

Today (Veterans Day): Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 56. Breezy, with SW winds 10-20 mph this morning becoming W/NW this afternoon & gusting to near 30 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 33.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tom. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 36. The Low was 16. Last year on this date (Nov. 11th), the High in Atlantic was 52 & the Low was 30. The Record High for Nov. 11th in Atlantic, was 73 in 1964 & 2005. The Record Low was -10 in 1986. Sunrise: 7:03; Sunset: 5:04.