540 AM CDT FRI MAR 16 2012

Counties:  EMMET-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-SAC-CALHOUN-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-CASS-ADAMS-TAYLOR-  

DENSE FOG OVER PARTS OF WESTERN IOWA THIS MORNING:

FOG HAS DEVELOPED OVER MUCH OF WESTERN IOWA THIS MORNING AND IS
EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST 900 AM. THE FOG WILL BE DENSE IN SPOTS AS WELL WITH VISIBILITIES DOWN TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALLOW FOR EXTRA TRAVEL TIME EARLY THIS MORNING AND DRIVE CAUTIOUSLY WITH INCREASED DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES.

COUNTIES: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MONTGOMERY-PAGE.  524 AM CDT FRI MAR 16 2012
 
 …DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CDT THIS MORNING…
 
 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A DENSE  FOG ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CDT THIS MORNING.  EXPECT VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN MANY ACROSS ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. BE PREPARED FOR RAPID FLUCTUATIONS IN VISIBILITY IF
TRAVELING THIS MORNING AND ALLOW FOR EXTRA FOLLOWING ROOM IN BETWEEN VEHICLES. A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE
REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING…SLOW DOWN…USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS…AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area…

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402 AM CDT FRI MAR 16 2012/NWS Des Moines

…RECORD HIGHS TODAY…

…NEAR RECORD HIGHS SATURDAY...

EARLY THIS MORNING…PARTLY CLOUDY. WARMER. AREAS OF FOG. SOUTH WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. AREAS OF FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY AFTER MIDNIGHT. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW AROUND 60. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. LOW AROUND 60. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. LOW AROUND 60.

MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT…THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 70S. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 70 PERCENT.

The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service and other preparedness partners will conduct a Severe Weather Awareness Week to promote severe weather safety to citizens the week of March 19-23, 2012. The National Weather Service will promote weather safety by issuing informative daily Public Information Statements. Citizens can also get this information by following the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency on Facebook. Topics will include: Severe Weather Terminology, Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Tornado Drill, Lightning, Flooding and Social Media.

The annual TORNADO DRILL DAY will be Wednesday, March 21st. (In case of severe weather, the drill will be postponed to Thursday March 22nd) The drill sequence will begin at 10a.m. with sirens sounding at approximately 10:10a.m. The test warning will be valid for 20 minutes. All citizens, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and public facilities are encouraged to participate in this drill by practicing what you would do in a real tornado warning.

The County 911 Center will activate outdoor warning sirens for the communities of Avoca, Carson, Carter Lake, Council Bluffs, Crescent, Macedonia, McClelland, Neola, Oakland and Underwood. Citizens in other Pottawattamie County communities are encouraged to contact their City Hall or local Fire Department to see if sirens will sound during the drill.

The Emergency Management Agency would like to remind all citizens that outdoor warning sirens have limited to no effectiveness when you are in your home or traveling in your vehicle. Pottawattamie County residents and residents of our communities are strongly encouraged to sign up for the Code Red Emergency Notification System. The service is free of charge and you will receive a phone call (home and/or cell) when severe weather threatens.

This is a very important, potentially life-saving tool, especially where there are no sirens or you are in a place where sirens would be ineffective in warning you and your family. Residents should sign up for the service, free of charge at www.pottcounty.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Several Iowa cities have reported record high temperatures from the late-winter warm spell. In Atlantic, our high of 78 Wednesday, broke a record of 72 set in 1908. It was the second consecutive day of record high temperatures. Tuesday’s high of 79 in Atlantic broke a record set 2007.

Mason City’s high of 78 on Wednesday was 15 degrees higher than the March 14th record of 63 set in 1911. The 81-degree high in Des Moines broke the record of 75 set in 1977. Records say the average high for the date is 48.

Davenport reported a high of 78, beating the 1995 record of 77.  Record highs also were recorded in Waterloo and Ottumwa. Meteorologists expect daytime highs to remain in the 70s for most of Iowa through the weekend.

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Dan Hicks, and the weather stats for Atlantic (including yesterday’s record-setting High temperature), from News Director Ric Hanson….

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Today…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. High in the lower 80s. South wind near 10 mph.

Tonight…Partly cloudy. Warmer. Low in the mid 50s. South wind around 5 mph.

Friday…Mostly sunny. High in the upper 70s. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to around 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night…Partly cloudy through midnight then becoming mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Low in the lower 60s. South wind 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday…Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Breezy. High in the upper 70s. South wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Saturday Night…Mostly cloudy. Low around 60.

Sunday And Sunday Night…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Breezy. High in the mid 70s. Low in the upper 50s.

Monday…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. High in the lower 70s.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon says that the communities of Atlantic and Griswold will begin testing their Outdoor Warning Sirens (Tornado warning siren) every Friday at noon, beginning this Friday, March 16th.  Kennon says the siren tests will not occur on days where there is a threat of severe weather.

Here is the forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, and the weather stats for Atlantic…

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