Last month was much cooler and drier than the typical July in Iowa. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the month started with some significant heat, but turned unusually cool over the last week. “Overall, temperatures for the month averaged about 1.2 degrees below normal,” Hillaker says. “It ranks as the 30th coolest July in 141 years of records.”

Many locations posted daily record low temperatures between July 28th and 30th. Here in Atlantic, the coldest and record-setting low temperature occurred on July 27^th, when we bottomed out at 41-degrees. Average low for the month was 58, whereas the normal average low is 63. The coldest temperature recorded over the month occurred last weekend when Battle Creek, in northwest Iowa, hit 39 degrees. “That’s the first time we’ve reached the 30s anywhere in Iowa in July in almost 30 years,” Hillaker says.

The highest recorded temperature last month was 98 degrees in Keokuk on July 19th. “That 98 at Keokuk is the highest temperature so far in the summer months this year in Iowa,” Hillaker says. “Oddly enough, it’s not the highest temperature of the calendar year. Way back on May 14th, Sioux City reached 106 degrees.” The hottest day in Atlantic, was 92 on July 17^th. The average high for the month was 85, which is just one degree shy of normal. Iowa has not reached triple digit temperatures this entire summer.

The statewide average rainfall total for July was 1.76 inches, making it the 9th driest July in state history. Hillaker says sections of north-central and south-central Iowa actually received above average rainfall, but most of the state received very little precipitation. At least one town, Carroll, posted a record dry July with just 18-hundredths of an inch of rain.

Atlantic was also very short on rain last month. We received just 13-hundredths of an inch of rain in July, but that did not break the record set last year, when just a trace of rain fell over the entire month in Atlantic. Normally, Atlantic receives 4.62-inches of rain during the month of July. Year-to-date, we’ve received 18.81-inches of precipitation (Jan.-July, including melted snowfall).

Not a single tornado touched down in Iowa last month. There have been 15 confirmed tornadoes in Iowa this year. That compares to 16 in all of 2012, which was the lowest tornado total in Iowa since 1953.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN weather records)

AREA COUNTIES: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE…

TODAY AND TONIGHT…

CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY TODAY, WITH STORMS LIKELY TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT…WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE MAIN RISKS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED.

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

TODAY AND TONIGHT….

THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP IN WESTERN IOWA THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE ACROSS THE REST OF THE STATE TONIGHT. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING…WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS…MAINLY IN WESTERN IOWA. OVERNIGHT THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL END BUT STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (977.1KB)

Subscribe: RSS

344 AM CDT THU AUG 1 2013

EARLY THIS MORNING...MOSTLY CLEAR. PATCHY FOG. NORTHWEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TODAY...PARTLY SUNNY. PATCHY FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 50 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND AROUND 5 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 80 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTHEAST WIND AROUND 5 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 60S. HIGH AROUND 80. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S.

SUNDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S.

SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S.

MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A DENSE
FOG ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING.

* VISIBILITY...VISIBILITIES WILL REMAIN AT AROUND A QUARTER OF A
  MILE OR LESS INTO MID MORNING.

* IMPACTS...DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP. USE CAUTION
  AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES.

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.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Today: Areas of Dense Fog through 9-a.m.; Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Light and variable wind.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South southeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. East wind 3 to 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 80.

AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON 348 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013

…AREAS OF DENSE FOG ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA…

FOG HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA THIS MORNING. SOME OF THE FOG HAS BECOME DENSE…ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35. VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE QUARTER OF A MILES CAN BE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS THROUGH SUNRISE. IF TRAVELING…EXPECTED RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY. THE FOG WILL BEGIN TO BURN OFF AFTER SUNRISE AS TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO SLOWLY RISE.

COUNTIES: HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE

344 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013

…DENSE FOG ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING… VISIBILITIES WILL REMAIN AT A QUARTER OF A MILE OR LESS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP. USE CAUTION AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES.