Today: Areas of fog & low clouds this morning; P/Cloudy. High 85. N @ 10-15.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 59. Winds light & variable.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 84. NE @ 10.

Saturday: Mo. Sunny. High around 85.

Sunday: P/Cldy. High 86.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 77. We received 1.7 inches of rain yesterday (for a storm total of 1.73”). Our Low this morning was 66. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 82 and the low was 62. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 105 in 1930. The Record Low for this date was 41 in 2013.

Parts of Atlantic were hit by an apparent microburst of rain and wind this (Wednesday) morning. Tree limbs were reported down in the vicinity of the Mid-Town Apartments located near 8^th and Plum Streets. Strong winds also damaged some windows in the area. The damage seemed to span from 10th and Cherry northeast through the 7th Street corridor, east of Plum Street. A cashier at the Casey’s east store told KJAN News the winds blew the businesses doors open, and rain flowed across the floor to near the soft serve treat area. The storm hit between 6 and 6:15-a.m.

The same area and areas to the west were hit by a micro-burst several years ago. No injuries have been were reported. A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts can cause extensive damage at the surface, and in some instances, can be life-threatening.

Graphic from the NWS

Today: **Flash Flood Watch in effect at 1-p.m.**

P/Cloudy to Cloudy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. High 85. S @ 10-20.

Tonight: Scattered showers & tstorms. Low 68. NW @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 85. N @ 10-15.

Friday& Saturday: P/Cldy. Highs around 85.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 85.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 93. Our Low this morning was 70. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 86 and the low was 58. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 109 in 1936. The Record Low for this date was 43 in 1962.

Today: Partly cloudy. High 91. S @ 10-20.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 74. S @ 10.

Tomorrow: Variably Cloudy w/scattered shwrs & tstrms. High 89. S @ 10-20.

Thursday: Scattered shwrs & tstrms in the morning; P/Cldy. High 89.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 85.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 86. Our 24-hour Low (ending today at 7-a.m.), will go down as 56 (Overnight we were right around 70) Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 87 and the low was 57. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 117 in 1936. That was also the ALL-TIME recorded High for Atlantic. The Record Low for this date, was 44 in 1894.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today (Monday) commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service.  The report is released weekly from April through October. Northey said “The hot and humid weather created stress for both crops and livestock last week, particularly in areas that have missed the recent rains.  South central Iowa in very dry, with over 90 percent of top soil short or very short of moisture.”

The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia.  The report summary follows here:

CROP REPORT: Above normal temperatures were accompanied by widely varying rainfall and some severe weather during the week ending July 23, 2017, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included hauling grain, applying herbicides and insecticides, cultivating, and haying.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 20 percent very short, 32 percent short, 45 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Over 90 percent of south central Iowa’s topsoil falls into the short to very short moisture level categories, while 99 percent of northeast Iowa’s topsoil falls into the adequate to surplus categories. Subsoil moisture levels rated 14 percent very short, 32 percent short, 52 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.

Seventy-four percent of Iowa’s corn crop has reached the silking stage, 4 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Corn conditions deteriorated slightly to 2 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Nearly three-quarters of the soybean crop was blooming, with 30 percent of soybeans setting pods, 1 day ahead of average. Soybean condition also dropped slightly with 62 percent rated good to excellent. Oats coloring reached 89 percent, one week behind last year. Forty-one percent of oats for grain or seed have been harvested, 4 days behind last year. Oat condition rated 71 percent good to excellent. Crops were described as suffering from heat stress and lack of moisture across much of the state.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 90 percent complete and third cutting reached 8 percent, 5 days behind average. Hay condition rated 61 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition continued to decline with just 41 percent good to excellent. High temperatures and humidity were reported to cause normal summer heat stress to livestock, with some reports of heat-related deaths. 

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: 

It was a hot and humid week across Iowa with exceptionally variable rainfall. Major flooding occurred over parts of northeast Iowa where torrential rains fell Friday and Friday night (21st) while parts of the moderate drought area in south central Iowa received no rain at all. For the most part the heavier rains fell in what were already the wetter portions of the state. However, portions of the moderate drought area, roughly along U.S. Highway 30 from Crawford to Tama counties, saw some significant rain on Thursday (20th) night. Weekly rain totals varied from none at Murray, Osceola, Chariton and Allerton to 10.12 inches at Ionia in Chickasaw County. Rain totals thus far in July vary from only 0.16 inches at Sioux Rapids and Cherokee to 13.88 inches at Guttenberg. The Guttenberg July total is the highest for any month at that location among 86 years of record while the Cherokee and Sioux Rapids totals would be new record lows for July if no more rain were to fall before the end of the month. Some of the rain was accompanied by severe weather with the most damaging storms occurring across 15 north central and northeast counties, roughly north of an Estherville to Dubuque line, on Tuesday afternoon and evening with widespread high winds of 50 to 70 mph and a few tornadoes. Meanwhile hot weather prevailed with the temperature reaching 95 degrees somewhere in the state each day of the reporting week. The hottest weather was concentrated across southern Iowa with temperatures for the week averaging from two to three degrees above normal across the northeast one-third of the state and five to nine degrees above normal across the southwest. Highest temperatures were 101 degree readings at Ottumwa on Thursday (20th) and Des Moines on Friday (21st). These were the highest temperatures recorded in Iowa since September 9, 2013. The combination of heat and humidity produced a heat index (how hot the air ‘feels’) of 117 degrees at Clarinda on Thursday and at Harlan on Friday. Temperatures moderated over the weekend with Sheldon recording a morning low of 52 degrees on Sunday (24th). The statewide average temperature was 5.3 degrees above normal while rain averaged 1.42 inches compared to a normal of 0.99 inches for the week.

Today: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 84. Light and variable wind becoming east southeast around 6 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. South wind 8 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind around 9 mph.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 89. Our Low this morning (as of 5:20-a.m.) was 56. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 85 and the low was 59. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 110 in 1901. The Record Low was 42 in1905.

Today: Areas of dense fog this morning, w/less than 1/2 mile visibility at times; Otherwise sunny. High near 89. N/NW wind 5-15 w/gusts to 20 this afternoon.
Tonight: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 59. NE wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 85. Wind becoming E/SE @ 5.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East southeast wind around 5-10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: P/Cldy w/a 30% chance of showers & thunderstorms after midnight. Low around 73.
Wednesday: Mo. Cldy w/a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms.  High near 88.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 92. Our Low this morning, as of 6-a.m., was 69. Last year on this date, we topped at 89 for a High, and 70 was the Low. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 105 in 1901. The Record Low was 45 in 1904 & 1956.

Today: *EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING CONTINUES* P/Cldy w/isolated showers & thunderstorms this morning & late this afternoon. High 97. SW @ 10-20. Heat Index as high as 110.

Tonight: P/Cldy w/isolated shwrs & tstrms. Low 77. S @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. Isolated shwrs & tstrms. High 94. Heat Index 100. S-N @ 5-10.

Sunday: P/Cldy. High 89.

Monday: P/Cldy. High 84.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 95. Our 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today will be 76. We had a trace of rain as of 5-a.m. today. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 92 and the low was 77. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 107 in 1934. The Record Low was 44 in1894.

Today: EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING CONTINUES. P/Cldy, hot & humid. High 97. Heat Index as high as 110. SW @ 10-20

Tonight: P/Cldy. Low around 76. S @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 97. Heat Index as high as 107. SW @ 10-20.

Saturday: P/Cldy w/isolated showers & thunderstorms. High 94.

Sunday: P/Cldy w/a chance of scattered showers. High 89.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 94. Our 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 74. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 91 and the low was 74. The Record High in Atlantic on this date was 109 in 1934. The Record Low was 44 in1953.

MCGREGOR, Iowa (AP) — Thunderstorms have powered through northern and northeast Iowa, damaging homes, buildings and crop fields. The National Weather Service says wind gusts to 75 mph and heavy rain were reported Wednesday evening in several locations, and a tornado was reported 2 miles (3 kilometers) west-southwest of Fort Atkinson. No injuries have been reported. Residents and officials report trees and power lines have been knocked down, leaving hundreds of people without electricity. Officials say the city of McGregor has been hit hard, sustaining damage to City Hall and several other structures downtown. St. Mary’s Catholic Church has been pressed into duty as a shelter. Authorities say a semitrailer was blown over on Interstate 35 near Hanlontown.