341 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

TODAY…BECOMING PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 70 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 50 PERCENT.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S. NORTHWEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 50 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

FRIDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S.

310 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

AT 308 AM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS  TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF HARLAN…MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.  
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE  POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… HARLAN…ELK HORN…EARLING…IRWIN… PORTSMOUTH…PANAMA… WESTPHALIA…KIRKMAN AND TENNANT.  THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 59 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 73 AND 85.

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the just completed month of April helped push the state to a new weather record. “For the first third of the year temperature wise, running about seven-point-four degrees above normal ,for the first four months of 2012. Preliminarily that would be the warmest first third of the year on record — about three-tenths of a degree above 1878 — which had been the previous warmest January through April period in Iowa,” Hillaker explains.

April was the seventh straight month were we’ve seen the average temperature end above the norm.Hillaker says April averaged about three degrees above normal, which made it end up just under one degree above the average temperature in March. “So if it seems like this month was not much warmer than the previous (month), that would be correct, they are both very similar,” Hillaker says. There was some April fooling going on by Mother Nature when it came to the temperatures, as Hillaker says the month started warmer than it finished. 

“The first half of the month was averaging about six degrees warmer than usual. The second half of April was slightly cooler than normal, so overall not really much trend as we went through the month, usually you kind of expect things to be the other way around,” the climatologist says. Hillaker says April provided another possible record when you compare the temperatures from the eastern cities to the temperatures in March.

“One interesting little tidbit for what it’s worth, most of eastern Iowa actually averaged warmer temperatures for the month of March than it did for the month of April,” Hillaker says. “Places like Waterloo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, were slightly warmer in March than they were in April. Most likely that’s the first time that’s ever happened.” The numbers show April was wetter than average. Hillaker says the statewide average was three-point-nine-nine inches of precipitation in April, which is about one-half inch more than the average for April. He says that ranks it as the 31st wettest April in 140 years of records, and it is very similar to the April totals the last three years. Hillaker says the first third of the year saw about two-thirds of an inch more rainfall than we usually see, but he says it’s about what we’ve seen over the same period the last few years. It ranks as the 29th wettest first four months of the year on the state record books. There is a possibility that we also saw the first snowless April since 1890. Hillaker says there was a report of sleet on April 28th, which is technically considered snow.

In Atlantic, the average high for the month of April was 67.7-degrees. The average low was 40.2. Rainfall for the month amounted to 4.18-inches. The normal average high for the month is 62.6, while the normal monthly low is 37. Rainfall in April normally averages 3.01-inches.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa, & Ric Hanson/KJAN)

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch that had been extended until 4-a.m. for Cass and surrounding Counties has instead been cancelled. Storms passing through early this morning no longer fall under the level needed for a Watch status. Some storms may produce occasional, brief heavy rain and gusty winds, though.

120 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2012
 
 …A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR AUDUBON AND
 GUTHRIE COUNTIES UNTIL 145 AM CDT…
 
 AT 117 AM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND
 DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES
 EAST OF AUDUBON…OR 24 MILES NORTHEAST OF ATLANTIC…MOVING EAST AT
 40 MPH.
 
 LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
   GUTHRIE CENTER…PANORA…BAYARD…CASEY…BAGLEY…MENLO…YALE
   AND JAMAICA.
 
 PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
 
 PREPARE FOR LARGE HAIL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE
 OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A REINFORCED BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
 PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WINDS…FALLING TREES AND FLYING DEBRIS. MOVE
 INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME…GET
 OUT NOW…AND SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING.

The Severe Storms Predication Center in Norman, OK, has issued a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH (#224) until 1-a.m. CDT for the Following Counties in the KJAN listening area:

ADAIR-AUDUBON- CARROLL-CASS- CRAWFORD- FREMONT-GREENE-GUTHRIE- HARRISON-MILLS-MONONA-MONTGOMERY  POTTAWATTAMIE-SAC and SHELBY.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. A severe thunderstorm by definition is a thunderstorm that produces one inch hail or larger in diameter and/or winds equal or exceed 58 miles an hour.

During the watch, people should review severe thunderstorm safety rules and be prepared to move a place of safety if threatening weather approaches.

Here’s the (podcast) forecast for the KJAN listening area & the weather stats for Atlantic….

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349 AM CDT TUE MAY 1 2012 NWS/Des Moines

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. WARMER. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

WEDNESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 80S.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S.

SATURDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S.

Here’s the forecast for the KJAN listening area from Freese-Notis Meteorologist Dan Hicks, and the weather stat’s for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson…

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348 AM CDT MON APR 30 2012 NWS/Des Moines

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. WARMER. PATCHY FOG THROUGH MID MORNING. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. WARMER. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY…WARMER. HIGH AROUND 80. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 80S.