337 AM CST FRI JAN 20 2012 Nat’l Weather Service/Des Moines

TODAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH 15 TO 20. SOUTHEAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 40 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. VERY COLD. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTH WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. NOT AS COLD. LOW IN THE LOWER 20S. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY RISING AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW. WARMER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE MID 20S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

MONDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S.

Frigid temperatures statewide and an impending snowstorm for northern Iowa reinforce the need for motorists to prepare for winter travel challenges. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is advising motorists who must travel in these conditions to take extra precautions, including making sure to have a fully charged cell phone, adequate fuel in your vehicle’s tank and a survival kit in the vehicle.

A basic survival kit can be a live-saver in the event of a mechanical breakdown in the dangerous temperatures or if you are stranded during a winter storm. The kit should contain a blanket or sleeping bag; high energy, nonperishable food; water; flashlight and extra batteries; matches or a lighter; candles; warm gloves; small first aid kit; hat or stocking cap; insulated footwear; and winter coat. The kit should contain enough supplies for the number of passengers in the vehicle. Other winter travel supplies should include a snow shovel; scraper and snow brush; sand or strips of carpet for traction; flares/reflectors; tool kit; jumper cables; and a good spare tire, lug wrench and jack. Learn more about how to prepare your winter survival travel kit by visiting the Iowa DOT’s YouTube website at: http://www.youtube.com/iowadot.

Motorists are urged to monitor weather and road conditions before traveling – stay informed and plan ahead – road condition information is available from the resources listed below. 

• Web: Visit the 511 Iowa website at www.511ia.org.
• Twitter: County and metro area Twitter feeds are available. Sign up at 511ia.org.
• Phone: When in Iowa call 511, or 800-288-1047 from outside of Iowa.
• Rest areas: Free Wi-Fi service is available at the Iowa DOT interstate rest areas so you can view the www.511ia.org website on your computer from the convenience of your vehicle; or step indoors to view the website and radar images on the easy-to-operate kiosk.
• Dynamic message boards: National Weather Service warnings are posted on the message boards displayed over highways at key locations throughout the state. When necessary, interstate closure information is also made available on these signs.
• Mobile communication device: The www.511ia.org road condition map and text route reports are available for viewing on your mobile communication device. Cell phones and other mobile communication devices should only be used when parked and off the traveled portion of the roadway.
• E-mail: Receive winter travel advisories and periodic updates directly in your inbox. Visit www.news.iowadot.gov to subscribe.

Just eight days ago, some Iowans enjoyed record high temperatures in the low 60s. Today, it’s a much different story. Meteorologist Jim Lee, at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says an arctic air mass is bringing bitter cold into the Hawkeye State and portions of northern Iowa are under a Wind Chill Advisory. “We have fairly modest-to-brisk northwest breezes and very cold temperatures combining for wind chills of 20 to 30-below across northern Iowa,” Lee says. More snow is on the way, too. Lee says several Winter Storm Warnings, Watches and Advisories will be going into effect soon for much of Iowa’s northern half. “We’re expecting to see snow spreading in from northwestern Iowa after midnight tonight, continuing through Friday,” Lee says. “Accumulations across parts of northern Iowa will be close to five to seven inches, down around the Missouri border, virtually none, so there’ll be a pretty sharp gradient somewhere across central Iowa.” More super-cold air will be arriving in Iowa this weekend with another chance of snow by Sunday.

(Pat Powers/Radio Iowa)

(delayed posting due to server maintenance)

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

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351 AM CST THU JAN 19 2012 Nat’l. Weather Service/Des Moines…

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. VERY COLD. HIGH AROUND 10. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. WIND CHILL READINGS AROUND 15 BELOW.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF SNOW EARLY IN THE MORNING. LOW ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY RISING AFTER MIDNIGHT. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 50 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGH 15 TO 20. EAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. EAST WIND AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. NOT AS COLD. LOW 15 TO 20.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW. WARMER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA/ 356 PM CST WED JAN 18 2012

Counties: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS…

…BIG CHANGES HEADED FOR IOWA TONIGHT AND THURSDAY…

A WEATHER SYSTEM WILL PASS ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND PRODUCE A BAND OF LIGHT SNOW BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY 20 AND INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDORS. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE AN INCH OR LESS BETWEEN HIGHWAY 30 AND INTERSTATE 80. THE BIGGER STORY WILL BE THE COLD AIR SURGING INTO THE STATE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. LOWS WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS WITH SOME VERY COLD WIND CHILLS. PEOPLE WAKING UP THURSDAY MORNING WILL BE IN FOR A SURPRISE WITH A NORTH WIND AT 15 TO 25 MPH…AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AND TEMPERATURES ABOUT 20 DEGREES COLDER THAN TODAY.

Counties…ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR–

AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS THAT SOUTHERN IOWA WILL SEE FLURRIES TO A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH. THE BIGGER STORY WILL BE THE COLD AIR SURGING INTO THE STATE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. LOWS WILL FALL INTO THE 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO RANGE WITH SOME VERY COLD WIND CHILLS. PEOPLE WAKING UP THURSDAY MORNING WILL BE IN FOR A SURPRISE WITH A NORTH WIND AT 15 TO 25 MPH…FLURRIES IN THE AIR AND TEMPERATURES ABOUT 20 DEGREES COLDER THAN TODAY.

Here’s the forecast for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area, and the weather stats for Atlantic….

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351 AM CST WED JAN 18 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. VERY COLD. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. OCCASIONAL FLURRIES. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE. WEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH AROUND 15. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. WARMER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 40 PERCENT.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW AROUND 10.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S.

AMES, Iowa – Jan. 17, 2012 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is advising motorists that sustained wind speeds of up to 25 mph are expected across a majority of the state today. Drivers on Iowa roadways should be alert to the effects of these winds on high-profile vehicles and vehicles towing trailers. For road weather information in Iowa, visit Iowa DOT’s website http://weatherview.iowadot.gov/. WeatherView offers helpful information to travelers, including current wind speed, direction and gusts. Information is collected from road and aviation weather observation reporting sites throughout the state.

If you are driving:

• Keep a firm grip on the wheel and be prepared to slow down.
• Tune in to local weather forecasts and bulletins issued by the National Weather Service on local radio stations.
• Watch for objects blowing across the roadway and into your path.
• Keep a safe distance from vehicles in adjacent lanes as strong gusts can push a vehicle or trailer outside its lane of travel.
• Take extra care if driving a high-profile vehicle, such as a truck, van, SUV or recreational vehicle or when towing a trailer, as these vehicles are more prone to be pushed or even flipped by high wind gusts.
• If winds are severe enough to prevent safe driving, move your vehicle onto the shoulder of the road and stop, making sure you are away from trees or other tall objects that could fall onto your vehicle. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the hazard lights until the wind subsides.
• Never cross a downed power line.
• Approach all intersections with caution. If there is a power outage, the traffic signals may not be operating properly. Remember, nonfunctioning traffic signals are to be treated as a four-way stop.
• Check the latest weather conditions by accessing the information kiosks located at any of the interstate rest areas.

Here’s the forecast for the KJAN listening area, and the weather stats for Atlantic….

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