COUNTIES IN IOWA: POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE  330 AM CDT WED OCT 24 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING. GENERALLY VISIBILITIES WILL RANGE FROM A QUARTER TO A HALF MILE, BUT AT TIMES COULD BE DOWN TO A FEW HUNDRED FEET.

THE FOG WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND USE LOWER SPEEDS. IN ADDITION THE FOG WILL MAKE PEDESTRIANS DIFFICULT TO SEE. IF DRIVING…SLOW DOWN… USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS…AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 9-A.M. WED., FOR CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON AND GUTHRIE COUNTIES. 

The Freese-Notis (podcast) forecast for the KJAN listening area, and weather data for Atlantic….

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (926.9KB)

Subscribe: RSS

Despite recent rains, reservoirs on the Missouri River are dropping as drought persists and low water levels will translate to higher electric rates for some Iowans. The Western Area Power Administration is responsible for selling power from hydroelectric dams on the river and WAPA spokesman Randy Wilkerson says they’re watching water levels carefully. “Right now, we know that water levels in the reservoirs are low and we’re anticipating less than normal generation over the winter and into the coming year,” Wilkerson says.

The agency delivers power to several rural electric co-ops and municipalities in Iowa and in 14 other states. Wilkerson says WAPA easily met its power projections during last year’s historic flooding on the Missouri. “Everybody had more than enough water and we had excess generation that we could actually sell on the open market,” he says. “This year, if we have less than normal generation, we’ll have to be out on the open market purchasing some power in order to make up our contracts.”

Wilkerson says while WAPA will meet its power contract obligations, they will likely come at an added cost. “It gets built into the rates somewhere along the line,” he says. “We do have a drought adder that periodically takes a look at the rates and identifies how much costs are due to drought or low water levels, so absolutely, yes, ultimately, it gets built into the rates.”

Last year, WAPA delivered more than 42-billion kilowatt hours of electricity to its service areas.

(Radio Iowa)

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON THEN BECOMING MOSTLY SUNNY. AREAS OF FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTH WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY. LOW IN THE UPPER 40S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 70 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING…THEN PARTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. MUCH COOLER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SHOWERS 70 PERCENT.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S.

FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S.

Fire stations and other entities in Shelby County can change their Fire Danger placards to “Low,”from now through Thursday. Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says with recent rain and the moist conditions,  and the likelihood of more rain this week, the danger of grassland and field fires is low.

24-hour rainfall in Atlantic (ending at 7-a.m. today), was .21″ at the KJAN studios, the official National Weather Service reporting site for Atlantic. The rain began early this morning, and ended just after 6:30-a.m. Other, unofficial rainfall totals include: 1″ near Oakland; .94″ Villisca; .75″ in Emerson; and, .50″ near Essex. Other locations received anywhere between two- and three-tenths of an inch of rain.

The Freese-Notis (podcast) weather forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, along with weather data for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

An expert with Iowa State University Extension is warning that this year’s drought is so severe, recovery may be years away. Cathann Kress is calling the drought a “super slow-motion disaster.” Kress says Iowa crops pulled what little moisture there was out of the ground this year and that moisture won’t come back anytime soon. “It takes so long for the subsoil moisture to rebuild, so if we look at the other droughts like this – there’s been three others in this century…they all took three years to fully recover from,” Kress said.

As much as 18 inches of precipitation is needed to fully recharge Iowa subsoils, according to Kress. That’s not likely to before next Spring. “The average (precipitation) between October and April is about 12 inches, so even if we hit average – which most models show we won’t – but even if we hit average, we’d be below what it is we’re predicting that we need,” Kress said.

Kress was at the statehouse last week and warned lawmakers it’s hard to estimate the economic impact of the drought, as well as the effects on state tax receipts.

(Radio Iowa)

352 AM CDT MON OCT 22 2012/Nat’l. Weather Service – Des Moines

EARLY THIS MORNING…PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS. WARMER. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS NEAR 100 PERCENT.

TODAY…CLOUDY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 20 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

TUESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPS POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 50S.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. MUCH COOLER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S.

SKYSCAN FORECAST           SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2012     CHRIS PARKS

Today: Patchy Fog Early.  Mostly Sunny.  Calm becoming S@ 5-10.  H 62.

Tonight: Partly Cloudy.  SSE @ 5-10.   L 46

Sunday: Mostly Sunny. S @ 10-15.  H 78.

Monday: Chance Showers and T’storms. Mostly Cloudy.  Light ESE.  H 71.

Tuesday: Mostly Sunny. H 74.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (573.4KB)

Subscribe: RSS