A Red Flag Warning is posted statewide today (Monday), for all but a few counties in northwest Iowa. The National Weather Service says the risk of wildfires is high due to strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation. Farmers need to be especially cautious as they harvest dry crops. Iowa State University Extension ag engineer Kris Kohl says a recent survey found strong winds are the most common cause of combine fires.

File photo (area field fire March 2014)

“Wind is the number-one factor, especially when you’re above 25 miles an hour, to having fires,” Kohl says. “If we are harvesting, be very careful about bearings and stuff sitting on it because if we get a fire going, it’ll really take off.” He says farmers might be wise to give their equipment frequent breaks to cool off and for clean up.

“Stop every two or three hours and take a leaf blower and blow all of the chaff off of things,” Kohl says. “Check bearings to make sure nothing is getting hot. Bearings and exhaust are the two things that are prevalent when we have fires from combines.”

Two years ago, there were two major combine fires in northwest Iowa, which prompted the survey. Last week’s windy conditions contributed to several large fires in North and South Dakota. Forecasters say there’s a chance for some showers in Iowa tomorrow (Tuesday) though some areas of the state haven’t had significant moisture in several weeks.

(Radio Iowa)

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency is asking local fire departments and businesses in the county who possess “Fire Danger” signs, to place those signs in the “Extreme” category. High wind, low humidity, and significant crop left in the field will make for extreme fire danger this week. Any fires that start will be difficult to control and could spread rapidly. No burning is allowed during this period.

The next update will be Thursday Morning.

Today: **RED FLAG WARNING**Partly cloudy, windy & warm. High near 82. South/southwest wind 15-30mph, with gusts to near 40.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 10-15 w/gusts to 25.
Tuesday: P/Cldy w/a slight chance of showers & thunderstorms through 1-pm. High near 75. South wind 10-15 w/gusts to around 20. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tue. Night: P/Cldy w/a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Low around 57. .
Wednesday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High near 70. W/SW wind @ 5-10mph becoming N/NW during the afternoon.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70.

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Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 69. Our 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 43.
Last year on this date, our High was 69, and the Low was 35.
The All-time Record High in Atlantic on Oct. 19th was 88 in 2003. The All-Time record low was 12 in 1972. Sunrise today is at 7:36, and sunset tonight will take place at 6:33.

Early This Morning: Partly cloudy. Warmer. South wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.
Today:RED FLAG WARNING from mid-morning through late this evening. Mostly sunny. Breezy. High in the upper 70s. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 35 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low in the mid 50s. South wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Tuesday: Partly sunny. A slight chance of showers through mid morning…then a slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the late morning and afternoon. High in the lower 70s. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms after midnight. Low in the upper 50s. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High in the lower 70s. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy. High in the mid 60s.

HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE COUNTIES…329 AM CDT MON OCT 19 2015

Shaded counties are under a Red Flag Warning today (10/19).

A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA ND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA, FROM 11-AM UNTIL 6-PM TODAY. THAT’S IN ADDITION TO THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR ADAIR-ADAMS-AUDUBON-CARROLL-CASS-CRAWFORD-DALLAS-GUTHRIE-MADISON-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD AND UNION COUNTIES, THAT’S IN EFFECT FROM 10-AM UNTIL 7-PM, TODAY.

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR AND RINGGOLD.

Counties shaded in pink are under a Red Flag Warning Monday

ISSUED 256 PM CDT SUN OCT 18 2015 …

RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM CDT MONDAY FOR EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS.

• TIMING…LATE MONDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY EVENING.
• WIND…SOUTH SOUTHWEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH GUSTING TO 40 MPH.
• RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 27 PERCENT.
• FUEL…DRY GRASSES AND CROPS INCLUDING CORN STUBBLE
• IMPACTS…THE COMBINATION OF DRY GRASSES AND CROPS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND VERY GUSTY WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR ANY FIELD FIRES TO EXHIBIT RAPID EXPANSION. SEVERAL BURN BANS ARE IN EFFECT AS WELL ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE STATE. ANY PLANS TO FOR BURNING SHOULD BE PUT ON HELD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CAUSE EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE-COUNTIES…. 743 AM CDT SAT OCT 17 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS CANCELLED THE FROST ADVISORY THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9-A.M.

Today: **Frost Advisory until 9-a.m.**
Becoming P/Sunny. High around 59. S @ 5-10.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. South southeast wind around 5-10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny & windy. High near 67. S @ 10-20 w/gusts to near 30.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear & breezy. Low around 49. S @ 15-30.
Monday: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 79.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Tuesday: P/Sunny w/a 30 percent chance of showers. High near 75.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 57. Our 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 29.
Last year on this date, our High was 63, and the Low was 34.
The All-time Record High in Atlantic on Oct. 17th was 87 in 1947. The All-Time record low was 12, in 1976. Sunrise today is at 7:33, and sunset tonight will take place at 6:36.

Early This Morning: **FROST ADVISORY until 9-a.m.** Mostly cloudy. Patchy frost. East wind near 5 mph.
Today: Mostly cloudy through mid morning then becoming mostly sunny. Patchy frost through mid morning. High in the upper 50s. South wind near 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Low in the upper 30s. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny…breezy. High in the upper 60s. South wind 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Breezy. Low in the upper 40s. South wind 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny. Breezy…warmer. High in the upper 70s. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Low in the mid 50s.
Tuesday: Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of showers. High in the mid 70s.

A Frost Advisory is currently in effect until 9-a.m. today (Saturday), for all of western and southwest Iowa. Areas of frost could damage or kill sensitive vegetation that is left unprotected.

Frost Advisory until 9-a.m.Sat. for counties shaded in light blue. Counties in purple are under a Freeze Warning until 9-a.m.