AMES, Iowa – Oct. 16, 2023 – There’s an unmistakable chill in the air as fall slowly creeps into winter. Keeping roads in their best shape to ensure you get where you want to go, no matter the season is our goal at the Iowa Department of Transportation. As the weather changes, our focus is keeping the roads as clear as possible and giving you the information you need to make smarter, safer travel decisions.
What you can do to prepare for the months ahead
Winterize your vehicle – To minimize the possibility of a breakdown, get your vehicle tuned up. Check your vehicle’s wipers, hoses, battery, alternator, belts, tires, brakes, exhaust system, lights, and fluid levels. Make sure your vehicle’s heater and defroster are in good working order and you travel with plenty of gas in your tank. A breakdown is frustrating on a good day but can be dangerous during wintery weather.
Place a winter survival kit in your vehicle – This kit should contain items to help sustain your life and the lives of your passengers should your vehicle become stranded during inclement weather. These items can include booster cables; a flashlight with fresh batteries; extra blankets and warm clothes; nonperishable, high-calorie food items; candles, matches, and a can for melting snow for drinking water; and a snow shovel. Sufficient supplies should be in the kit for all persons traveling in the vehicle. Carrying a mobile phone and charger in your vehicle is also advised for use during an emergency.
Use technology to help make better travel decisions – The winter road conditions layer is now visible on www.511ia.org. This layer, along with layers that show images directly from the windshields of our snowplows and stationary cameras along the roadside, can help you determine whether it is safe to travel now or if you should postpone your trip.
Kick your winter driving skills into gear – The first snowfall and slick roads are a quick reminder that it’s time to re-evaluate and adjust your driving behaviors.
How the Iowa DOT has prepared
Our people and equipment – The department’s 101 maintenance garages employ 1,069 full-time equipment operators, mechanics, and supervisors, and are in the process of hiring up to 633 temporary employees this winter season, to keep the agency’s 902 trucks, 42 motor graders, 33 tow plows, and 10 heavy-duty, self-propelled snowblowers on the road during winter weather.
For those interested in temporary, part-time snowfighter positions, go to https://iowadot.gov/careers and click on the “seasonal/temp” tab.
The materials we use – The Iowa DOT has spent the warmer months stocking salt in our storage facilities for use during the winter. Buying during the spring and summer allows us to obtain better pricing because demand is low. On average, the Iowa DOT uses more than 136,000 tons of salt and nearly 32 million gallons of brine each year to help maintain safe travel on the primary highway system, consisting of interstate, U.S., and Iowa routes.
The Iowa DOT primarily uses salt brine, a simple solution of standard rock salt and water, to help with winter roadway maintenance. It can be used to pretreat roadways before a storm, thus preventing snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. Brine is also used to prewet salt before it leaves the truck, increasing its ability to melt snow and ice and helping keep it on the roadway surface.
You may wonder why Iowa DOT trucks sometimes spray brine on sunny days. Frost is a major safety factor this time of year. The Iowa DOT’s proactive approach of spraying brine on areas prone to frost prevents the formation of an icy layer, which typically occurs on cold, clear nights. Frost is hard to see on the road’s surface and most people don’t expect it. These unexpected encounters with a frost-covered bridge or roadway can be particularly treacherous when traveling at higher rates of speed, making it more difficult to maintain control of your vehicle.
For more information about winter preparedness and the Iowa DOT’s snow and ice control program, check the Iowa DOT’s winter safety website.
Early this morning: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 39. Breezy, with a north northwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Today: A 10 percent chance of showers before 7am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 37 by 10am. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind 8 to 10 mph. **FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT**
Saturday: A chance of snow before 1pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. North northeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow before 4am, then a chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 26. North wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of snow before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 35.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 39.
Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 71 The Low was 38. Rainfall in Atlantic amounted to .14″. Last year on this date (Oct. 27), the High in Atlantic was 59 and the Low was 28. The All-Time Record High was 87 in 1922. The Record Low was 9 in 1997. Sunrise is 7:46. Sunset is 6:22.
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
305 AM CDT Fri Oct 27 2023
…FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM CDT SATURDAY…
* WHAT…Sub-freezing temperatures from 27 to 31 degrees.
* WHERE…Much of Central and Southern Iowa.
* WHEN…From 11 PM this evening to 10 AM CDT Saturday.
Freeze Warning for counties shaded in purple.
* IMPACTS…Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…This will likely bring an end to the growing season for the rest of central Iowa.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
Today: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 69. South southwest wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Breezy, with a southwest wind 7 to 12 mph becoming northwest 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a temperature falling to around 39 by 5pm. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. North northeast wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: A slight chance of rain before 1pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: A chance of snow before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow between 10pm and 1am, then a chance of snow after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of snow before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Breezy.
Wednesday’s High temperature in Atlantic (The 24-hour high ending today at 7-a.m.) was 66. Rainfall in Atlantic amounted to .24″. Our Low this morning, 57. Last year on this date (Oct. 26), the High in Atlantic was 59 and the Low was 25. The All-Time Record High was 845 in 1956. The Record Low was 14 in 1980. Sunrise us 7:43. Sunset is 6:23.
(Radio Iowa) – Some trick-or-treaters in Iowa -could- be crunching through new-fallen snow this Halloween, though the forecast is still a bit shaky for the weekend. Meteorologist Kristy Carter, at the National Weather Service, says some Iowa cities set record high temperatures just yesterday (Tuesday) in the low 80s, but a big cool-down will likely be arriving on Friday. “We’ll be looking at high temperatures in the 30s to 40s on Saturday and Sunday,” Carter says. “There are some precipitation chances this weekend as well, which could come in the form of the dreaded snow word.”
She says there’s at least a chance of falling flakes this weekend across much of Iowa’s northern half as a storm front arrives. “That would be Saturday night into Sunday at this point,” Carter says. “It’d be over northern areas but details are a little bit more uncertain at this point. We don’t have any amounts or anything. It’s just something we’re watching.” Winter doesn’t officially arrive until December 21st, a little under two months from now, but Carter says snowfall isn’t out of the question in October. “The normal amounts for roughly this time of year is actually point-one (inches) for say Des Moines,” Carter says, “so it’s certainly not uncommon to see a trace or so, a very light amount of snow this time of year.”
The long-range forecast says the cold weather is expected to stick around into early next week, before the next chance at a warm-up.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa could be in store for a warmer-than-normal winter ahead, according to the long-range forecast from the Climate Prediction Center. State climatologist Justin Glisan says the report calls for a warming trend for the upper Midwest during the climatological winter, which runs from December 1st through February 29th. “This goes hand in hand with being in a moderate-to-strong El Nino,” Glisan says. “Typically, El Nino winters are warmer than average and that can have an impact on the type of precipitation we get.” A warmer winter might make you think we’d have less snow, but he says that’s not always the case.
“If we look at snowfall patterns going back to 1950, with moderate-to-strong El Ninos, we typically see less snow but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we see less precipitation,” Glisan says, “however, if we look at the Climate Prediction Center’s precipitation outlook, no clear signal there.” Glisan says precipitation in Iowa varied from past winter seasons.
“If we look at the last few El Nino winters that we have had, 2010, 2016 and 2019, we’ve kind of been all over the board in terms of precipitation,” he says. “2010 was the 45th wettest, 2016 was the 31st wettest, but then you go to 2019, very wet conditions and the third wettest on record.” While the report predicts the winter ahead may be warmer for Iowa and the region, it shows above-average precipitation for much of the southeastern U-S, and below average precip across parts of the north.
Today: Cloudy w/a chance of showers late. High near 70. W/NW winds @ 5 to 10 mph becoming E/SE this afternoon.
Tonight: Cloudy & breezy, w/a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 62. S @ 10-25 mph.
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 70. S/SW @ 15-25.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 39.
Friday: Mostly cloudy & breezy, with a high near 46.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy w/a 40% chance of rain and snow showers after 1pm. High near 39.
Tuesday’s High temperature in Atlantic was 79. As of 5-a.m., rainfall in Atlantic amounted to .05″. Our Low this morning, 58. Last year on this date (Oct. 25), the High in Atlantic was 56 and the Low was 26. The All-Time Record High was 85 in 1891 & 1940. The Record Low was 14 in 1892. Sunrise us 7:42. Sunset is 6:24.
Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Windy, with a south southwest wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 7am and 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 72. West southwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming northeast in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 70. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Breezy.
(Radio Iowa) – There’s still hope that the remainder of the fall will bring heavier moisture than normal that can help cut back the ongoing drought in Iowa. D-N-R hydrologist Tim Hall says recent rains weren’t enough to make a big dent, but did erase the areas of D-4 or extreme drought. “Areas of Benton and Tama County that were previously in the D-4classification saw enough rain to improve to D-3. But improvement to D-3 is still D-3,” he says. The D-3 designation is extreme drought compared to the D-4 exceptional drought designation. There is only a small sliver of the state that has no drought. Hall says late fall has not been the best time to make up a moisture deficit, though there have been exceptions.
” By the time we get to November, we see less than two inches of rain over the entire month. However, a couple years ago, we saw a very wet October, we’ve seen very wet fall months before,” Hall says. “So there’s certainly the opportunity to see noticeable and really helpful rainfall.” He says warmer temperatures would help, as they keep the ground from freezing and shutting out water. “The first thing that happens when it rains is you get water into the soil matrix and you improve soil moisture. And after that, the water can move down into shallow groundwater. That all sort of comes to an end with the ground freeze up. You tend to get very rapid runoff in ground freeze up and not as much benefit,” Hall says.
The short term forecast has the potential for some rains in the coming week.”There could be widespread rain in the one to two inch rain across a lot of the state. So there’s there’s some optimism that between now and the end of the month we could see another inch plus of rain which would certainly be great,” he says. ” I mean at now, anything we get over about three quarters of an inch in a week is above normal. So we’d love to see that.”
Hall says any rain we get before the ground freezes is a bonus in helping build up of the groundwater that has been way behind for months.
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