WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…

COUNTIES AFFECTED IN WESTERN IA: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY- FREMONT

…POTENTIAL WINTER STORM HEADED TOWARD REGION…

RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY…ENDING SATURDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR GREATER IS POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA.

THERE REMAINS UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM SYSTEM. IN ADDITION…THERE IS ALSO  UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHEN THE RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE SOONER RAIN CHANGES TO SNOW THE HIGHER THE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE. IF THE CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IS DELAYED…LOWER SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL BE EXPECTED.

ONCE THE RAIN DOES CHANGE TO SNOW ON FRIDAY NIGHT…TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT. DUE TO THE WET NATURE OF THE SNOW…ROAD SURFACES WILL BECOME SLUSHY MAKING DRIVING DIFFICULT. HEAVY SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE AT TIMES. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL ALSO LEAD TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic, and the rest of the KJAN listening area….

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A 120-year old record high temperature was eclipsed Tuesday, here in Atlantic. The old record of 58 degrees in 1892 was surpassed when we topped out at 59, Tuesday afternoon. It was the second consecutive day of record breaking temperatures in Atlantic. On Monday, we reached 65 degrees, which beat the 58 degree record set in 1988.  The weather service said this (Wednesday) morning, they were not aware of any other records being set in Iowa, Tuesday, although temperatures were much warmer than normal.

345 AM CST WED FEB 1 2012

TODAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. WEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 20S. WEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT BECOMING LIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. EAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 30S. EAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING…THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY…COLDER. HIGH IN THE MID 40S. EAST WIND 10 TO 25 MPH. CHANCE

OF RAIN 90 PERCENT.

FRIDAY NIGHT...LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN LIGHT SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. CHANCE OF

PRECIPITATION 90 PERCENT.

SATURDAY…LIGHT SNOW LIKELY IN THE MORNING…THEN LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S.

CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 60 PERCENT.

SATURDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. LOW IN THE MID 20S.

As of 12:55-p.m. today (Tuesday), Atlantic was 58-degrees. That ties a record high temperature for this date set 12o-years ago (1892)! There’s still a chance we could break the record this afternoon.

Many locations in Iowa and Nebraska broke record high temperatures Monday, including here in Atlantic. The temperature at the KJAN studios (The OFFICIAL National Weather Service reporting station for the community), reached 65-degrees, which shattered the old record of 58, set 24-years ago (1988). Other sites broke records dating back more than 80-years. Lincoln, NE., reached a high of 71, Monday. The old record was 60, in 1931.

In Omaha, the previous record of 60 in 1974, was beat by 9-degrees (69), Monday. Sioux City set a record high temperature for January 30th, when the thermometer reached 65-degrees, breaking the record of 57 set in 1964. And, Des Moines also reached 65, which surpassed the old record high of 57, set in 1988.

Brad Small, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says Ottumwa reached 65, breaking the old record of 59. Lamoni saw 63 degrees, knocking off the old record by three degrees. Webster City reached a high of 59, breaking the old record of 53 set in 1931. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says “it’s been a January for the ages.” That’s because Iowa has a 60-degree day in January about once every 10 years. There have been three so far this month, with a chance to hit 60 or higher somewhere in the state today.

The forecast temperature in Atlantic today, is 58. That would tie a record high set on this date, in 1892.  There’s the possibility of snow, by Friday.

We broke our old record high temperature for Monday, here in Atlantic…to find out more, and hear today’s forecast for the KJAN listening area, listen to this podcast forecast….

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TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

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

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 50S. SOUTH WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S.

FRIDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. COLDER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S.

FRIDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF RAIN THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

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

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336 AM CST MON JAN 30 2012 NWS/Des Moines

…NEAR RECORD HIGHS TODAY…

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. WARMER. HIGH AROUND 60. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TUESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 50. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY...PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S.