The (podcast) Freese-Notis forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area….

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

3:55 AM CDT WED JUL 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB ABOVE 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BRING AN INCREASED RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE TO THOSE WORKING OR PLAYING OUTDOORS AND FOR THE VERY YOUNG AND ELDERLY.  A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

While some parts of the state have been without rain for more than a week, there are currently no burn bans are in place in Iowa. Dubuque County will be under a burn ban starting Thursday morning. The head of the state fire marshal’s arson and explosives bureau says it’s important with the dry conditions to be especially careful celebrating the Fourth of July. Ron Humphrey says things could be worse. “It’s not quite as bad as it is in the spring or fall, when everything is all dried out, at least the grass and the crops are still green but keep in mind a small fire could spread quickly with the right conditions, and the right material,” Humphrey says.

“Use good safety precaution when using the fireworks we want to make sure that with the dry conditions that when you use sparklers or shooting off fireworks by permit the area is safe for both people and the surrounding environment,” according to Humphrey. The Dubuque County burn ban goes into effect at eight a-m Thursday. More counties could be added in the next few days without significant rain to improve the dry conditions.

(For a current chart of all counties included in a burn ban, go to: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/fm/main/burnbans/index.shtml)

(Radio Iowa)

…A HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES TO BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 7-AM CDT SATURDAY…

(for a County outline of the advisory area, go to: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/)

TODAY…SUNNY. HOT AND HUMID. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 102 TO 107 IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 102 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HOT AND HUMID. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HEAT INDEX READINGS 103 TO 108.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 103 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HEAT INDEX READINGS 102 TO 107.

FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 70S. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S.

SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 90S. LOW AROUND 70.

Motorists traveling in Iowa should be aware that the mercury might not be the only thing to rise during the sweltering summer heat. Pavement blowups occur when thermal expansion forces the pavement to buckle and shatter. A number of such incidents have been occurring this week.

Example of Pavement blow-up incident

In a typical year, Iowa DOT maintenance equipment operators spend 2,000 to 4,000 hours making temporary repairs of pavement blowups and another 6,000 hours replacing these pavement sections, costing an average of $400,000 annually. Many of the blowups only result in a small pothole or small chunks of concrete lying around the pavement joints, but they must still be repaired.

Unlike scheduled maintenance, pavement blowups occur spontaneously and motorists receive no advance warning. Once a blowup is reported, it takes time to erect a work zone and notify the public. The Iowa DOT urges motorists to pay special attention to pavement surfaces when driving during afternoons with 90-degree or hotter temperatures. Use caution and reduce your speed when approaching broken pavement areas.

Motorists who witness a pavement blowup are asked to contact the nearest law enforcement agency to ensure traffic is routed around the blowup until work zone signage and repair crews are on the scene.

The National Weather Service has issued a four-day-long “excessive heat advisory” for most of the state and parts of northern Iowa are under an “excessive heat warning.” The Advisory runs through 7-a.m. Saturday, for all but the far west and southwest counties, where a separate Heat Advisory is in effect from Noon today through 8-p.m.  That includes Monona, Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont and Page Counties. Heat indecies are expected to climb to around 105 degrees or higher this afternoon in those counties, and from 100-to 105 for the rest of the area. 

Meterologist Kevin Skow works in the National Weather Service office in Johnston. He says “This is an unusual situation where we’ve had a very persistent high pressure system over us that’s pumping up a lot of heat from the south.”  This prolonged period of super-high temperature readings during the day is happening because things cannot cool down overnight and Skow says it’s due to a “very moist” air mass hovering over the state. “It takes more energy for water vapor to cool off and since it’s so moist, the air just simply can’t cool off overnight as much as it could, say, in the springtime when we usually have drier air over us,” Skow says. Smoke from the Colorado wildfires has drifted over Iowa, but experts say it won’t cause health problems.

“The smoke is really high in the atmosphere,” he says. “It’s up at 20,000-30,000 feet and the only effects that Iowans will really see from it (are) generally some hazier skies and some redder sunrises and sunsets.” By eight o’clock this morning (Tuesday), heat index readings across the state indicated it already felt like it was 80 degrees in most locations. On Monday Nebraska’s governor declared a state of emergency in his state due to drought conditions there.

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

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Counties: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE–

326 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012 HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB TO 105 DEGREES OR ABOVE THIS AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BRING AN INCREASED RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE TO THOSE WORKING OR PLAYING OUTDOORS AND FOR THE VERY YOUNG AND ELDERLY.

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

321 AM CDT TUE JUL 3 2012

***HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM CDT SATURDAY FOR CASS, ADAIR, ADAMS, AUDUBON, CARROLL, CRAWFORD, GUTHRIE, MADISON, RINGGOLD, TAYLOR & UNION COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA***

(See http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/) (For Heat Safety tips & information: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/dmx/Preparedness/PDFs/HeatWebPDF.pdf)

TODAY…SUNNY…HOT. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

INDEPENDENCE DAY…SUNNY…HOT. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 104 IN THE AFTERNOON.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS AROUND 100 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 104 IN THE AFTERNOON.

THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 70S. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S.

COUNTIES: EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO- POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-SAC-CALHOUN- WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE- BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER- POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION– CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE- APPANOOSE-DAVIS-

HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM CDT SATURDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM CDT SATURDAY. *

A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 105 ARE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON…AS MAX TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S…COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO AROUND 70. HEAT INDICES WILL REMAIN AROUND 80 DEGREES OR HIGHER AT NIGHT.

DUE TO RECENT DRY CONDITIONS IN SOME AREAS ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA…THIS PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT WEATHER COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASED CONCERN FOR SMALL GRASSLAND FIRES.

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.