When weather forecasts predict the possibility of a tornado in your area, it is imperative you and your family have a plan to respond to the threat. The National Weather Service, as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, offers these tips:

Before a Tornado Watch or Warning is issued…
Pick a tornado safe room in your home or place of business. Basements, storms cellars or an interior room with no windows on the lowest floor of a structure offers the best protection.
Make sure all members of your family know where to go.
Store emergency supplies such as a first-aid kit, and flashlights with extra batteries nearby.
Put together a family communications plan. Know where everyone is or will be in the event they are away from home.

During a Tornado Warning…

Immediately go to your Tornado Safe Room. If you are outside, seek shelter inside a sturdy building.
Mobile homes are NEVER safe during a tornado. If you are in a mobile home or a recreational vehicle, head for the nearest storm shelter.
If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter, you should immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt, and try to drive away from the threat to the nearest sturdy shelter.

After a Tornado…

If you are in an area that was damaged, be careful of debris that may include sharp or dangerous objects, and watch out for downed power lines and broken gas lines.
Use battery powered flashlights when examining buildings. DO NOT USE CANDLES, which can start a fire or cause an explosion.
If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly. After everyone is safe, call the gas company or local fire department.
Use your telephone only for emergency calls, so rescue operation lines are not tied-up.
Text your family and friends to let them know you are okay.
If you were outside the area damaged by a tornado, stay off the phone so that emergency calls can get through.
Use text messages and/or social media to let your family and friends know you are okay.
Stay away from areas that are damaged, so you do not hamper rescue operations.
Return to areas that were damaged ONLY when law enforcement gives the all-clear.

Counties: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD; 518 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2015

…LOCALIZED DENSE FOG THIS MORNING…

AREAS OF FOG CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING THROUGH 9 AM. THE FOG WILL BE LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING SOUTHEAST WILL ARRIVE BY MID MORNING AND BRING IMPROVED CONDITIONS.

A statewide Tornado Drill will take place this morning in Iowa and Nebraska. The drill is part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, and is designed to inform residents on what they should do if a tornado threatens your area.

Here is the schedule for today:

9:50 AM – The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) coordinates with Iowa/Nebraska National Weather Service (NWS) offices about a test tornado watch for Iowa and Nebraska.
10:00 AM – SPC issues Test Tornado Watch for Iowa and Nebraska.  Each Iowa/Nebraska NWS offices will issue test Watch Coordination Notification messages.  Test watch will be toned alerted on NOAA All Hazards Radio.
10:10 AM – NWS Sioux Falls and Omaha issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties.
10:15 AM – NWS Des Moines and Quad Cities issue test tornado warnings for their Iowa counties.
10:20 AM – NWS La Crosse issues test tornado warning for their Iowa counties.
10:30-10:35 AM – All Iowa NWS offices issues a Severe Weather Statement to terminate the test warnings.
11:00 AM – Test tornado watch expires.

330 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2015

…DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING.

* VISIBILITY…VISIBILITY WILL BE 1/4 MILE OR LESS IN MOST AREAS.

* IMPACTS…THE DENSE FOG WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS DUE TO LIMITED VISIBILITY THROUGH MID MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING…SLOW DOWN… USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS…AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

330 AM CDT WED MAR 25 2015

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. AREAS OF FOG. WEST WIND  AROUND 5 MPH.

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. AREAS OF FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. A  SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN THROUGH MID MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 30 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN CLEARING. LOW IN THE MID 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 10  TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S.

1044 AM CDT TUE MAR 24 2015

AT 1042 AM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LAWTON TO NEAR GRISWOLD… AND MOVING
EAST AT 25 MPH. AIR TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 32 TO 34 DEGREES…THUS
SOME ELEVATED SURFACES AND PROTECTED AREAS MAY BECOME SLICK OR ICE
COATED.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
HARLAN…OAKLAND…AVOCA…WALNUT…SHELBY…EARLING…UTE…IRWIN…
PERSIA…DEFIANCE…MAPLETON…DUNLAP…ELK HORN…PANAMA…
HANCOCK…PORTSMOUTH…SOLDIER…WESTPHALIA…TENNANT AND KIRKMAN.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS…
HIGHWAY 59 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 52 AND 89. INTERSTATE 80 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 31 AND 48.

AREA COUNTIES: SHELBY-HARRISON-POTTAWATTAMIE-MONONA
823 AM CDT TUE MAR 24 2015

…RAIN…FREEZING RAIN…RAIN MIXED WITH SNOW…

AT 819 AM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF SHOWERS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MODALE TO ELLIOTT…AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

TEMPERATURES VARY FROM 32 TO 34 DEGREES. THE RAIN WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THROUGH 10AM. MOST READINGS WILL BE ABOVE FREEZING…HOWEVER SOME LOCATIONS COULD HOVER AROUND FREEZING ACROSS
SHELBY COUNTY…ALSO SOME LIGHT SNOW COULD BE MIXED IN. VARIABLE
WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS AREA OF RAIN.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
HARLAN…AVOCA…WALNUT…EARLING…IRWIN…DEFIANCE…WOODBINE…
DUNLAP…ELK HORN…PANAMA…PORTSMOUTH…WESTPHALIA…TENNANT…
KIRKMAN…NISHNA BEND RECREATION AREA…ELK HORN CREEK RECREATION
AREA…SCHABEN PARK…MANTENO RECREATION AREA AND PRAIRIE ROSE STATE
PARK.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS…
HIGHWAY 59 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 64 AND 89. INTERSTATE 80 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 37 AND 48.

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-
CASS-ADAIR-MADISON;  721 AM CDT TUE MAR 24 2015

...BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE THIS MORNING…

FREEZING RAIN MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR A SHORT TIME THIS MORNING OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL IOWA AS A LARGE SHIELD OF PRECIPITATION MOVES OVERHEAD WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING. ANY FREEZING RAIN WOULD MAKE WALKING AND DRIVING SURFACES SLICK…ESPECIALLY SECONDARY ROADS. IF YOU DO ENCOUNTER FREEZING RAIN WHILE DRIVING…PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND LEAVE PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF YOU. THE FREEZING RAIN THREAT SHOULD END BY LATE MORNING AS TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING.

The Freese-Notis forecast for the KJAN listening area and weather info. for Atlantic.

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

Subscribe: RSS

345 AM CDT TUE MAR 24 2015

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

TODAY…WIDESPREAD RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. BREEZY. HIGH AROUND 40. EAST WIND 5 TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF  PRECIPITATION 90 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S.