(IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH)-  An Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a bill Monday that would make it a crime to engage in any acts attempting to alter the weather. Senate Study Bill 3010 bans “geoengineering” activities for acts intending to “manipulate or alter the weather.” The legislation specifically points to activities like “cloud seeding,” “weather engineering” and “polluting atmospheric activity” — meaning the deliberate discharge of materials, including chemical substances, electromagnetic fields or pulses, sound waves or light pollution — with the intention to alter weather.

The measure would create a Class D criminal felony for people engaging in these activities, punishable by up to five years of incarceration and fines between $1,025 and $10,245. The bill states each day a person commits a violation of this ban counts as a separate offense. It also specifies that if an entity is suspected of committing “geoengineering” activities, the Iowa Department of Public Safety is directed to issue a cease and desist letter.

The measure is similar to a bill advanced through the Iowa House committee process during the 2025 session, House File 927. The two measures have slightly different language, with the House language prohibiting specifically “intentional emission of air contaminants into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight.” The House measure would not impose criminal penalties, but would have required the Environmental Protection Commission to adopt emergency rules related to air quality that would address these practices.

Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett, who introduced the Senate bill, said the measure was “the most compact version and the most reasonable version we could put together” to address some constituents’ concerns about cloud seeding and other alleged weather-altering methods. Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Fairfield, told senators at the subcommittee meeting he appreciated the measure being brought forward, and said he believed it was important for the state to establish rules on how these practices can take place.

Shipley said currently, “if I wanted to say, deploy a cloud seeding program over Van Buren County, there’s nothing in law, to my knowledge that’s currently preventing me from doing that, or any sort of regulation of oversight of that sort of activity.” He pointed to a 2025 law signed Florida as an example of what could be brought up in Iowa.

One of the main drivers of conversations on geoengineering and related practices is the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory, which posits some aircraft are spraying certain chemicals that impact weather patterns as well as people’s health and fertility. Advocates with groups like the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers spoke against the bill, saying the proposal is referencing and validating “pseudoscience” instead of addressing real environmental concerns.

One confirmed practice referenced in the bill is cloud seeding, where certain particles, like silver iodide crystals and salt, are added to existing clouds in order to cause rain or snow to fall that would not occur naturally. While there are not reports of the widespread use of cloud seeding in Iowa, this practice has been used in several western states to address drought or minimize hail damage.

Grayson Gee with the Rainmaker Technology Corporation, a U.S.-based cloud seeding startup, spoke in opposition to the inclusion of cloud seeding in the measure targeted at geoengineering practices. Gee said cloud seeding has been “researched, regulated and transparently conducted in the United States for over 70 years,” and that it does not change weather patterns outside of encouraging precipitation.

He said other proposed technologies related to geoengineering, like solar radiation modification or other stratospheric aerosol injection, are not well-studied or researched and have the potential to cause serious harm. Gee said it was important to distinguish between these ideas, which he called “conspiratorial and, frankly, somewhat concerning,” and existing practices like cloud seeding.

The measure was passed out of subcommittee unanimously. Sen. Izaah Knox, D-Des Moines, said he supported the bill moving forward as “there needs to be more conversation about this,” though he was not sure the current language is the correct approach. McClintock said there are still many steps before the bill would become law, but said he believed lawmakers are moving with “due diligence” to address Iowans’ concerns on the issue.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 20. Winds NW @ 10-15 mph w/gusts to near 30. Wind chill values as low as -5.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 5.
Tomorrow: Partly sunny, with a high near 27. Winds NW in the morning @ 5-10 mph. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tom Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 19.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -1.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 13.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -4.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 20.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 19.  The Low was -9.  Last year on this date (Jan. 27th), the High in Atlantic was 55 & the Low was 14. The Record High on this date was 61 in 1934. The Record Low was -31 in 1902. Sunrise: 7:37. Sunset: 5:29-p.m.

Today: Sunny & breezy. A high near 20. Winds W/SW @ 10-20 this morning gusting to near 30 this afternoon. Wind chill values as low as -20.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 9. SW winds @ 10-25 mph. Wind chill values as low as -5.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 21. NW @ 5-15 mph w/gusts to near 20. Wind chill values as low as -5.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 5.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 29.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 21.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 15.  The Low was -9.  Last year on this date (Jan. 26th), the High in Atlantic was 35 & the Low was 7. The Record High on this date was 67 in 2002. The Record Low was -24 in 1963. Sunrise: 7:37. Sunset: 5:28-p.m.

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 14. Winds NE-N @ 5-10 mph. Wind chill values as low as -10.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around -6. N/NW @ 5-10. Wind chill values as low as -20.
Monday: Sunny & breezy, with a high near 21. Winds W/NW @ 10-15 mph becoming S/SW & gusting to near 25 mph. Wind chill values as low as -20.
Monday Night: Mostly clear & breezy, with a low around 10. Wind chill values as low as zero.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 23. Winds NW @ 10-20 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 5.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 27.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 5.  Our Low this morning (as of 6-a.m.) -8.  Last year on this date (Jan. 25th), the High in Atlantic was 41 & the Low was 6. The Record High on this date was 65 in 1944. The Record Low was -28 in 1894. Sunrise: 7:38. Sunset: 5:27-p.m.

Today: A 20 percent chance of snow before 11am. Cloudy and cold, with a high near 6. Wind chill values as low as -10. Southeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of snow before 9pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around -3. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 15. Wind chill values as low as -5. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -5. North wind 5 to 7 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 20.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 10.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 27.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was -1.  The Low was -10. We received .2″ (two-tenths of an inch) of snow overnight at KJAN. Last year on this date (Jan. 24th), the High in Atlantic was 43 & the Low was 11. The Record High on this date was 66 in 1981. The Record Low was -24 in 1894. Sunrise: 7:39. Sunset: 5:25-p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – With wicked winter weather pushing wind chills as low as 40-below zero this (Friday) morning, Iowans are being warned if they don’t absolutely need to go out, to stay home. If you decide to brave the roads and your vehicle somehow slides into a ditch, Brian Ortner at Triple-A-Iowa, offers a few suggestions on staying safe in the extreme cold. “Stay in your car, keep it running, have that heat inside to keep you warm,” Ortner says. “Turn your hazard lights on to increase your visibility. Call for help, obviously with your phone, share your GPS location and even, hopefully before you leave, tell somebody where you’re going and let people know that you’re on your way.” While your life may depend on keeping the car warm, Ortner says it’s likely best if you don’t leave the engine running.

“Do run it sparingly. Don’t let it run continuously. Let it run for about 10 to 15 minutes. Crack a window for ventilation, and layer clothing,” Ortner says. “Have that emergency pack in your car. Make sure you have blankets and coats and most importantly, have a portable charger for your phone.” If your car won’t start in this morning’s frigid weather, your battery may have been taxed to the point it can no longer do its job. “Even in the cold, you can try to give it a jump start. That’s going to be your best bet to get the car up and rolling again,” Ortner says, “but more than likely, with the work your battery’s been doing in this weather, your battery may need a replacement.”

The motor club spokesman offers one other nugget of advice for motorists during this bitter cold spell: “Make sure if you do have to go out, that your gas tank is full,” Ortner says. “Don’t let that gas tank drop below a quarter of a tank, because if you do and you are stranded, having that full tank of gas will help keep your car running and keep you in that warmth for as long as possible until help arrives.”

Winter weather can be deadly. A report from the U.S. Department of Transportation says each year, an average of 1,300 people are killed and 116,000 are injured in crashes on snowy or icy pavement.

Today: Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 0. Winds N @ 10-to 25-mph. Wind chill values as low as -30.
Tonight: A 40% chance of snow, mainly after midnight. (Less than 1/2″ is expected) Low around -4. Winds NE @ 5-10 mph. Wind chill values as low as -15.
Saturday: A 30% chance of snow (new accumulation of less than 1/2″ expected). A high near 5. Winds E @ 5 mph. Wind chill values as low as -15.
Saturday Night: A 20% chance of snow. Low around -3.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 14.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -6.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 21.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 26.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 31.  Our Low this morning (as of 7-a.m. & the 24-hour Low) was -9. Last year on this date (Jan. 23rd), the High in Atlantic was 21 & the Low was -5. The Record High on this date was 60 in 1981. The Record Low was -24 in 1948. Sunrise: 7:40. Sunset: 5:24-p.m.

Today: Mostly cloudy w/a chance of flurries. High near 29. Winds W/SW @ 10-20 this morning becoming NW this afternoon & gusting to near 25 mph. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around -8. Winds N @ 15-25 mph. Wind chill values as low as -25. **EXTREME COLD WARNING in effect from midnight tonight until Noon on Friday**
Friday: **EXTREME COLD WARNING until Noon** Mostly cloudy & cold, with a high near 1. N/NE winds 10-to near 25 mph. Wind chill values as low as -30.  *Extreme Cold Watch in effect from Noon Friday until Noon until Saturday.*
Friday Night: A 50% chance of snow, mainly after midnight. A low around -7. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: A 40% chance of snow. A high near 6.
Saturday Night: A 20% chance of snow before midnight. A low around -3.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 14.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -5.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 23.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 43.  Our Low this morning was 3. Last year on this date (Jan. 22nd), the High in Atlantic was 36 & the Low was 3. The Record High on this date was 60 in 1967. The Record Low was -27 in 1930. Sunrise: 7:40. Sunset: 5:23-p.m.

Today: **WIND ADVISORY from 11-a.m. until 8-p.m.** Sunny-to-partly sunny w/a slight chance of snow or flurries late this morning & early afternoon. A high near 41. Winds W/SW @ 5-15 mph this morning will gust to near 40 mph this afternoon. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tonight: Mostly clear & windy, with a low around 12. NW winds 15-35 mph through midnight. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny & breezy. A high near 28. Winds W @ 5-15 w/gusts to near 20 mph. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tom. Night: EXTREME COLD WATCH IN EFFECT through Saturday. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -7. Winds N @ 10-20 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 2.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -8.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy w/a slight chance of snow. A high near 10.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -4.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 14.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 28.  The Low was -1. Last year on this date (Jan. 21st), the High in Atlantic was 21 & the Low was -13. The Record High on this date was 58 in 1933. The Record Low was -32 in 1976. Sunrise: 7:41. Sunset: 5:21-p.m.

Today: Increasing clouds. A high near 30. E/SE winds @ 5-10 becoming S/SE this morning. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tonight: Cloudy w/a 30% chance of snow before 9pm, then a chance of flurries. Gradually becoming partly cloudy. Low around 17. Winds S/SE @ 10-20 mph. Wind chill values as low as 5. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Wednesday: A 20% chance of afternoon snow showers after noon, otherwise mostly sunny. A high near 40. W/SW winds 10-20 mph in the morning gusting to near 35 in the afternoon. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Wed. Night: Partly cloudy & windy. Low around 12. NW winds @ 15-30 decreasing after midnight.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 29.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -7.
Friday: Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 3.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 18.  The Low was -1. Last year on this date (Jan. 20th), the High in Atlantic was 7 & the Low was -16. The Record High on this date was 64 in 1895. The Record Low was -26 in 1962. Sunrise: 7:41. Sunset: 5:20-p.m.