Iowans are well aware that 2018 is starting out much colder than normal, with wind chills of 30-below and worse, but the final tallies on the last month of 2017 show a wide range of temperatures. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says December covered both extremes, starting out very mild. Hillaker says, “We had a few 70-degree readings early on and then a very, very cold last week or so of the month with the coldest weather coming on New Year’s Eve when it got down to 22-below zero at the Spencer airport.”

That ended up being the lowest temperature anywhere in the state for the calendar year. Here in Atlantic, the temperature at the KJAN Studios got down to -26 on Dec. 31st. That was the coldest day of the month and for the year. It was also a record Low for that date. December concluded just one-half of one-degree warmer than normal statewide, but in Atlantic, it was 3.1 degrees warmer than normal. A dry spell started in late October, carried through all of November, and continued well into December, until the snow began to fall.

“Roughly the last ten days or so in December, snowfall started to become more common,” Hillaker says. “It was about an every-other-day occurrance, at least some light snow in some parts of the state. It still didn’t amount to much as far as overall moisture. Statewide average, we had just 42/100ths of precipitation for the month.” That’s less than the norm and it ended up being Iowa’s 12th driest December in 145 years of records. In Atlantic, we received a total of 5.1 inches of snow, worth a little more than one-third of an inch (.36″) liquid value.

Snowfall statewide averaged 5.8 inches during the month, which was close to average. January is opening up very frigid and the forecast calls for a colder-than-normal month ahead. “It’s a very cold start to the month,” he says. “It’ll take quite a warm-up at some point in the month to get us back above normal.”  We recorded a record High in December of 64 on the 3rd.  on the More moderate temperatures may arrive by this weekend with slightly-above normal temps possible, though Hillaker says we’ll likely be back down into the very cold weather by next week. Precipitation for January, he says, will likely be below normal. In Atlantic, normal precip. for the month is .84″.  The average High is 29, and the average Low is 9.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN Weather records)

The weather pattern known as La Nina may get part of the blame for this bout of exceptionally cold weather. Observers are becoming more concerned with the current La Nina strengthening and what that could mean months from now. Doug Kluck, the climate services director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Kansas City, says they’re carefully watching precipitation trends. Kluck says, “It’s going to be an interesting winter and early spring to see if and when precipitation materializes and how much.”

A La Nina pattern occurs when Pacific Ocean surface temperatures drop below long-term normals. It can impact the climate across North America, bringing some areas more storms, and droughts elsewhere. Kluck says they’ve seen similar trends with past La Ninas. “It is sort of a worrisome pattern that we’ve been in up to this point,” Kluck says. “We’ve seen these dry and warm falls switch into or become dry springs and summers the next year, especially after a second La Nina and this is two years in a row.”

He notes there was a similar pattern in 2012, which resulted in a long drought for much of the Midwest and Northern Plains.

(Radio Iowa, w/thanks to Jerry Oster, WNAX, Yankton)

Today: P/Cldy w/flurries this morning. Low dropping to around 10 this morning, but rising to around 14 this afternoon. NW @ 15-30. WC as low as -15.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low -10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 10. E@ 10.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 15.

Saturday: Cldy w/light snow late in the day. High 25

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 21. The Low of -24 broke the old record for Jan. 2nd of -19 set in 1912, 2001 & 2010. Last year on this date our High was 22 and the Low was 4. The all-time record High in Atlantic on this date was 52 in 1933, and the Low was -30 in 2010.

Today: **Wind Chill Warning effect until Noon today.** P/Cldy. High 15. W @ 10-15. WC as low as -25.

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 0. NW @ 5-10. WC as low as -10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 15. NW @ 10-15. WC as low as -15.

Thursday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 10.

Friday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 13

Monday’s High in Atlantic was -2. The Low of -27 broke the old record for Jan. 1^st of -22 set in 2010. At 5-a.m. Today, in Atlantic, the temp. was -25. Last year on this date our High was 38 and the Low was 19. The all-time record High in Atlantic on this date was 59 in 1939, and the Low was -19 in 2001 & 2010.

Skyscan Forecast – Richard Garuckas, Monday, 1/1/18

Today: **Wind Chill Warning effect until Noon Tuesday.**

Mostly sunny. High -3. W/NW winds 5-10. Wind Chill as low as -35

Tonight: Mostly clear & cold. Low -20. W/SW @ 5.. WC as low as -35.

Tomorrow: Wind Chill Warning until Noon. Mo. Sunny. High 13. SW @ 10-15. WC as low as -35.

Tom. Night: P/Cldy. Low 4.

Wednsday: P/Cldy. High 11.

Thursday: P/Cldy. High 7.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic, was -4. Our 24-hour Low through 7-a.m. today, was -26, which breaks the old record of -18 set in 1976 (the 24-hour period runs from 7-a.m. to 7-a.m., so the record Low applies to Sunday, Dec. 31st). The record low for Jan. 1st was -22 in 2010…we are set to tie or surpass that, if the temp reaches that at or after 7-a.m. today. Last year on this date (Jan. 1st), the High in Atlantic was 37 and the Low was 19. The All-Time record High in Atlantic for Jan. 1st was 55 in 1939, and the Record (as mentioned above), was -22 in 2010. At 7-a.m. today, we had tied that temp/date)

356 AM CST Mon Jan 1 2018

…WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TUESDAY...

* WHAT…Dangerously cold wind chills expected. The dangerously cold wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to exposed skin. Expect wind chills to range from 20 below zero to 40 below zero though much of the period.

* WHERE…Much of Iowa.

* WHEN…Now to noon Tuesday.

For the far west & southwest counties (Monona, Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont and Page), a WIND CHILL WARNING is in effect until Noon today (Monday), and a Wind Chill Advisory is in effect from 7-p.m. today until 11-a.m. Tuesday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Chill Warning means the combination of very cold air and the wind will create dangerously low wind chill values. Frost bite can occur quickly and even hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bone-chilling cold gripped the middle of the U.S. as 2018 began, breaking low temperature records, icing some New Year’s celebrations and leading to at least two deaths attributed to exposure to the elements.

The National Weather Service issued wind chill advisories for Monday covering a vast area from South Texas all the way to Canada and from Montana and Wyoming in the west through New England in the east.

Dangerously low temperatures enveloped eight Midwest states including parts of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska along with nearly all of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.

The weather service said Omaha’s temperature low of 15 below zero (-9 Celsius) before midnight broke a record that had stood since 1884.

Today:** WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 6-A.M.; WIND CHILL WARNING 6-A.M. TODAY (12/31) UNTIL NOON TUESDAY (1/2/18). Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near -5. N/NW wind @ 5-15mph. Wind chill values as low as -30.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around -24. N/NW wind around 5-10 mph.Wind chill values as low as -40.
New Year’s Day: Sunny and cold, with a high near -4. W/NW wind @ 5-10. Wind chill values as low as -40.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around -19. W/SW wind 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 13.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 4.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 11.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 2 degrees above zero. Our Low this morning was -19. We received 1″ of snow overnight Saturday into early this morning, here at the KJAN studios. That melted into .04″ of liquid value. Last year on this date, the High was 34 and the Low was 14. The All-time record High for this date in Atlantic, was 60, in 1891. The record Low for Dec. 31st in Atlantic was -18 in 1976. We are expected to surpass that during the 24-hour period from 7-a.m. today to 7-a.m. Monday.

355 AM CST Sun Dec 31 2017 – FOR ALL OF IOWA

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM TODAY (SUNDAY)…
A WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TODAY UNTIL NOON CST TUESDAY.

* WHAT…Dangerously cold wind chills expected. The dangerously cold wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to exposed skin. Expect wind chills to range from 20 below zero to 35 below zero.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Wind Chill Warning means the combination of very cold air and the wind will create dangerously low wind chill values. Frost bite can occur quickly and even hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

Today: **Wind Chill Advisory in effect until 6-a.m. Sunday.**

Cloudy w/light snow developing late. Daytime High around -1. N @ 10-15. Wind Chill as low as -20.

Tonight: Cloudy w/light snow. Low -12. N @5-10. WC as low as -25.

Tomorrow: **Wind Chill Warning in effect from 6-a.m. Until Noon Tuesday**

Mostly sunny. High of -5. N/NW @ 10-15. Wind chil as low as -30.

Sunday Night: Mo. Clear. Low -23. WC as low as -30.

Monday (New Year’s Day): Mo. Sunny. High -3.

Tuesday: Mo. Sunny. High 11.

Wednesday: P/Cldy. High 10.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 16. Our Low this morning (as of 5-a.m.) was 1. We received a trace of freezing drizzle and a light coat of powdery snow. Last year on this date our High was 47 and the Low was 18. The all-time record High in Atlantic on this date was 64 in 2004, and the Low was -22 in 1917.