This is the first full day of spring and it’s also the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Meteorologist Kelsey Angle, with the National Weather Service, says each day through Friday, they’ll center on a different topic to help Iowans prepare for the stormy seasons ahead. Angle says today’s (Monday) focus will be on severe thunderstorms.

“Tuesday’s more about preparedness and developing a plan,” Angle says. “On Wednesday, it’s executing that plan with a test tornado drill. On Thursday, we’ll talk more about preparedness and then on Friday, we wrap the week up with flash flooding.” Snow, ice and blizzards should be behind us now, with the months ahead being punctuated by hail, high winds, flash flooding, thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Angle says, “This is the time to really think about in case severe weather strikes your area, and it will at some point during the spring or summer, to have a plan and know where you would go to seek shelter and remain safe.” Learn more at www.weather.gov.

(Radio Iowa)

Early This Morning: Mostly clear. South wind near 5 mph.
Today: Sunny…breezy…warmer. High in the lower 60s. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Breezy. Not as cool. Low in the mid 40s. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny. High around 70. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain after midnight. Low in the upper 40s. East wind 5 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning…then showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Breezy…cooler. High in the mid 50s. Northeast wind 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 43. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 27.
Monday: Sunny & windy, with a high near 60. S @ 10-20mph with gusts to near 30 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy & breezy, w/a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 63.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 41. We received .3” of snow yesterday at the KJAN studios, which melted into .07″ of liquid precipitation. The 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 24. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 66, and the low was 24. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 80 in 1938. The Record Low was -7 in 1906.

Early This Morning: Mostly cloudy. North wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.
Today: Partly sunny. High in the lower 40s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Low in the upper 20s. West wind near 5 mph shifting to the south after midnight.
Monday: Sunny…breezy…warmer. High around 60. South wind 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny. Warmer. High in the lower 70s. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. High in the lower 60s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Today: Cloudy & breezy, w/scattered snow showers thru about noon, then rain and snow showers are likely. High near 39. NW @ 10-20mph, gusting to around 25. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Cloudy w/a slight chance of rain & snow showers thru about 9-p.m, then gradually becoming partly cloudy. Low around 25. N/NW @ 10-15.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Monday: Sunny & breezy, with a high near 61. S @ 10-20mpg w/gusts to near 25.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 45. The 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 26. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 48, and the low was 27. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 79 in 1976. The Record Low was -14 in 1923.

346 AM CDT SAT MAR 19 2016

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY THROUGH MID MORNING THEN BECOMING CLOUDY. ISOLATED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH MID MORNING…THEN SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS AND LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE EVENING…THEN ISOLATED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS AND LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

MONDAY…SUNNY…BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

TUESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 70.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency is advising fire stations and businesses in the county with “Fire Danger” signs, to leave those signs in the “High” category. The National Weather Service says there is a 40-percent chance of light snow Saturday, but any accumulation will quickly melt away as highs reach the lower 40’s.

The lack of significant precipitation over the past few weeks has left vegetation in Shelby County very dry, which, combined with relatively low humidity, makes for dangerous fire conditions.

The Shelby County EMA says you should remember to call your controlled burns in to the EMA Communications center at (712) – 755-2124, and, contact your local Fire Chief before igniting any outdoor burns. The best time to do so, officials have said, is during the late evening or early morning hours.

The next Fire Danger update will be on Monday.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon is reminding the citizens of Atlantic that the Outdoor Warning System will be tested today (Friday) at Noon, in Atlantic. The sirens will sound today and every Friday at Noon during the severe weather season, unless there is an actual threat of severe weather.

Don’t forget, the sirens will be activated next Wednesday as well, as part of the Statewide Tornado Drill. The sirens will sound at 10:15-a.m., Wednesday.

Today: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 48. NW @ 15-25.
Tonight: P/Cldy to Cldy w/scattered light snow or flurries. Low 30 NW @ 10-15.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy to Cldy w/light snow or flurries ending. High 41. NW @ 15-25.
Sunday: P/Cldy. High 46.
Monday: P/Cldy. High near 60.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 59. The 24-hour Low ending at 7-a.m. today was 26. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 52, and the low was 32. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 81 in 2012. The Record Low was -1 in 1983.

EARLY THIS MORNING…PARTLY CLOUDY. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE DAY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN BEFORE NOON…THEN A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH INCREASING TO AROUND 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

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

MONDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S.