10:39-p.m.     56 mph wind gust 3 miles W. of Silver City (Public report)

10:45-p.m.     59 mph gust 2 miles N. of Tabor  (Public report)

10:52-p.m.     67 mph gust 8 miles W/SW of Sidney (DOT instrumentation report)

10:57-p.m.     1″ diameter tree limbs down 3 mile NW of Glenwood (Public)

11:09-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 55 mph at Red Oak Airport (AWOS)

11:10-p.m.     Montgomery County EMA reports multiple trees, branches and power lines are down in Red Oak

11:11-p.m.     3″ diameter tree limbs broken in Essex. (Public)

11:15-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 61 mph 5 miles NW of Shenandoah (AWOS)

11:39-p.m.     Thunderstorm wind gust 58 mph at the Clarinda Airport. (AWOS)

11:41-p.m.     60 mph gust in Breda (MesoNet)

12:07-a.m.     (10/12) – 50 mph gust recorded in Adel.

12:08-a.m.     Cass County Communications reports power outage in Cumberland (Outages also reported in Massena & Lewis)

12:10-a.m.     61 mph gusts in Bedford (MesoNet)

Today (Columbus Day): Mostly cloudy w/a chance of scattered showers this morning; P/Cldy this afternoon. High 68. NW @ 20-35.
Tonight: Fair to P/Cldy. Low 40. Wind light & variable.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High near 70. SW-NW @ 10-20.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 76.
Thursday: P/Cldy. High58.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 85. Our Low this morning, 51. We received .24″ rain Sunday night into early this morning. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 58 and Low 28. The Record High on this date was 90 in 1899, and the Record Low was 17 in 1908.

The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency early this morning reports multiple trees, branches, power lines and other damage is being reported from strong winds that occurred Sunday night into early Monday morning. Officials advise you to “please use caution if you’re out driving and if you have damage on your property, ensure there is no power lines down amongst the tree damage.” In addition, the Iowa DOT reports IA Highway 48 NB/SB: Road blocked due to downed power lines from County Road J28 to County Road J20 (near Essex).

Photos via the Montgomery County EMA Facebook page

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Windy, with a south wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 48. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 20 mph becoming north northwest in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Columbus Day (Monday): Sunny, with a high near 69. West northwest wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 47. South southwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Northwest wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 81, our Low was 52. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 40 and the Low was 28. The Record High for Oct. 11th was 93 in 1893 & the Record Low was 17 in 1987.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Crop loss estimates from a rare wind storm that slammed Iowa in August have increased by more than 50%. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday that the number of crop acres that Iowa farmers are unable to harvest has grown to 850,000 from estimates last month that 550,000 acres were lost because of the storm, known as a derecho.

FILE – In this Aug. 20, 2020 file photo, a cornfield damaged in the derecho earlier this month is seen on the Rod Pierce farm near Woodward, Iowa. Crop loss estimates from a rare wind storm that slammed Iowa in August have increased by more than 50%, a new report shows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday, Oct. 10 that the number of crop acres that Iowa farmers are unable to harvest has grown to 850,000 from estimates last month that 550,000 acres were lost because of the storm, known as a derecho. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

The Des Moines Register reports that the damage caused by winds of up to 140 mph was compounded in late summer with a drought that, at its peak, encompassed much of the state. The drought is again expanding after some September rainfall.

Skyscan Forecast Saturday, October 10, 2020 Dan Hicks

Today: Mostly sunny. NE @ 10. High 80.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. SE @ 5-10. Low 56.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. S @ 10-20. High 85.

Sunday Night: Chance of showers and thunderstorms. S @ 10-15. Low 48.

Monday: A few showers early. Partly cloudy. High 68.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High 72.

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(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Drought Monitor out today (Thursday) shows around 47 percent of the state in moderate drought — and more than two-thirds of the state is still abnormally dry. Iowa D-N-R hydrologist, Tim Hall, says there’s also a surplus of moisture in parts of the state. “It’s kind of a mixed bag in the state. Northeast Iowa has a surplus of water and west-central and southwest Iowa has a deficit of water. On average it’s not too bad. But you really can’t look at averages this year,” Hall says.

He says central Iowa is doing okay for water — but things change as you move west. “In Audubon, Guthrie, Carroll, Greene, and Shelby counties — driest April to September on record for that part of the state. So those folks in some of those places they are more than 15 inches behind where they should be on rainfall for that time period,” according to Hall. The end of September brought the end of the growing season and concern about the crops having enough water. Hall says the focus now shifts to other water needs.

“We’re looking ahead towards the next growing season certainly, and we are also looking ahead to the point where the ground freezes up and we have less ability to move water into the soil,” Hall says. “And any water that gets into the soil and eventually into the groundwater typically will end up not just being a source of water for plants, but a lot of communities pump groundwater out and use that for their drinking water supplies,” Hall says rainfall usually slows down this time of year — but any rainfall in the dry areas can help.

“We come out of a dry summer, if we go into a dry fall and the ground freezes up and sort of cuts off the ability of moisture to get down into the soil — folks is those parts of the state who have been really suffering this summer from dryness are going to find themselves in the same dryness hole next spring and it’s going to be hard to get out of,” Halls says. The counties now in extreme drought include Palo Alto, Clay, Dickinson, Osceola, O’Brien, Lyon, Sioux, Plymouth, and Cherokee.

(Radio Iowa) – More than 200 researchers and faculty from 37 colleges and universities in the state have co-signed a statement, suggesting this year’s pandemic, drought and derecho illustrate the importance of having science guide public policy. University of Iowa professor Eric Tate is a lead author on this year’s Iowa Climate Statement. He says the most vulnerable people tend to suffer disproportionately during disasters, so emergency planners should pay attention to how those groups fare during this year’s pandemic. “These are lessons that I think can be directly applied to climate change hazards,” he says.

Tate and the other scientists argue it’s critical for communities to draw up plans in advance to protect lives and property during natural disasters in a changing climate.  “Resilient communities and households have a greater ability to withstand disruption and absorb impacts from climate hazards as well as adapt to change,” Tate says.  The scientists warn political polarization that has de-legitimized science has made the pandemic worse and it’s important for leaders to promote expert guidance when lives and property are in peril.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Amy Mayer)

Today: Mostly sunny. High 79. E/SE @ 10.

Tonight: Fair to partly cloudy. Low 58. SE @ 5-10.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 87. SW @ 15-25.

Saturday: P/Cldy. High around 80.

Sunday: P/Cldy. High 82.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 84. Our Low this morning, 41. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 71 and Low 48. The Record High on this date was 93 in 1893, and the Record Low was 19 in 1908 & 2000.