Today: Sunny, with a high near 49. West southwest winds 8 to 11 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 24. West wind 3 to 7 mph.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 59. Light west wind becoming southwest @ 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Monday: Sunny & breezy, with a high near 72. Breezy, with a light southwest wind increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 37. The Low was 19. Last year on this date (March 8th), the High in Atlantic was 58 and the Low was 30. The Record High for March 8th was 78 in 2000. The Record Low was -11 in 1982. Sunrise: 6:45. Sunset: 6:17.

Today: Rain and snow likely before 1pm, then a chance of rain. A high near 38. East winds @ 15-30 mph shifting to the north this afternoon. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy early, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 19. Winds N  @ 10-20 becoming light and variable after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 47. W/SW winds 5-10.
Sat. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 55.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 38. The Low was 13. We received .07″ rain here at the KJAN studios overnight (as of 5-a.m. today). Last year on this date (3/7), the High in Atlantic was 60 and the Low was 17. The Record High was 76 in 2017 and the Record Low was -20 in 1960. Sunrise: 6:47; Sunset: 6:16.

(Radio Iowa) – Six employees at the National Weather Service office in the Quad Cities have been dismissed as part of the Trump administration’s overhaul of the agency, which has seen the recent firing of hundreds of workers nationwide. Ray Wolf, a retired meteorologist with the Quad Cities branch of the N-W-S, says staffing shortages have been a chronic issue.  Wolf says, “As the office starts to lose the number of forecasters they have, their ability to staff up during events like the derecho a couple of years ago becomes harder and harder.”’

The N-W-S provides weather forecasts and warnings, and employs roughly 12-thousand people across the country. Wolf says they’ve faced hiring shortages, and the hiring freeze and dismissals will affect numerous day-to-day operations. “To lose the probationary employees, some of whom were pushing years’ worth of experience, it takes time to spin people up in the job,” Wolf says. “So you had people who were ready to go and contribute, and those folks were eliminated.”

Illinois Congressman Eric Sorenson, who represents the Quad Cities, said in a statement the decision was reckless and will do irreparable harm. There is no confirmation about the extent of layoffs from the weather service office in metro Des Moines, or in Omaha, Sioux Falls and La Crosse, which also provide forecasts for parts of Iowa. Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say they’re not discussing internal personnel and management matters.

(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says the back and forth shifts from cold to warm are typical of the weather as we enter spring. He says the signs right now show a temporary move back to warmer temperatures. “So at least in the short term outlook getting into the middle of March, we do see a stronger signal for warmer than average temperatures. And then as we move into the third week of March, we are seeing an elevated signal for wetter conditions,” he says. Glisan says the weather is shifting out of a weak La Nina pattern and that will impact the rest of the spring.

“If you look at analog years, going back to 2000 of that transition from weak La Nina to neutral conditions in March, April, May, generally cooler temperatures, but also new normal to slightly wetter conditions west to east across the state,” Glisan says. Glisten says if the cooler trend happens it could mean we see less severe storms. “As you move through March, April, May, severe weather does ramp up, or the chances of severe weather does ramp up, but that cooler signal could suggest less instability in the atmosphere, temperature, moisture work hand in hand on instability and energy in the atmosphere to produce thunderstorms,” he says. Glisan says that would be a good thing if it holds true.

“It’s hard to tell what the severe weather season is going to look like, but at least on the temperature side, we’re not seeing a strong signal for warm temperatures right now, which could mitigate some severe weather,” he says. Wetter conditions would help with the dry conditions the state has experienced.

Today: Partly cloudy-to-cloudy w/a 40% chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. A high near 39. Calm wind becoming south southwest 5 to 10 mph this morning.
Tonight: Rain and snow likely, becoming all snow after 5am on Friday. A low around 29. Winds becoming easterly @ 10-25 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tomorrow: Snow likely, possibly mixed with rain, becoming all snow after noon. A high near 35. E/NE winds 15-30 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. North wind 10-20 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 42.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 50.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 63.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 26. Our Low this morning, 15. Last year on this date (3/6), the High in Atlantic was 59 and the Low was 16. The Record High was 74 in 1921 and the Record Low was -31 in 1960. Sunrise: 6:49; Sunset: 6:15.

Today: **BLIZZARD WARNING until 3-p.m./HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6-P.M**Snow likely, mainly before 10am. Widespread blowing snow, mainly before 10am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 30. N/NW winds 35-55 mph. Wind chill values as low as zero. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Patchy blowing snow before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 12. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 30 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Tomorrow: A slight chance of snow after noon, mixing with rain after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 39. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tom. Night: Rain before midnight, then rain and snow mixed.Low around 28.
Friday: Snow likely, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 43.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 49.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 56. Our Low this morning, 21. We received rain & 6-inches of snow from 7-a.m. Tuesday through 7-a.m. today. The rain/snow combined to leave us with .57″ liquid precipitation value. Last year on this date (3/5), the High in Atlantic was 47 and the Low was 23. The Record High was 78 in 1921 and the Record Low was -17 in 1978. Sunrise: 6:50; Sunset: 6:14.

(Radio Iowa) – Blizzard Warnings and High Wind Warnings are posted for much of western and central Iowa for tonight (Tuesday) through tomorrow afternoon, and forecasters say Iowans should anticipate a significant impact on roads. Meteorologist Jim Lee, at the National Weather Service, says the large and powerful storm system is approaching Iowa from the southwest.  “It’s already spread some thunderstorms into the state early this morning, and we’re going to see more widespread rain filling in this afternoon and evening,” Lee says. “Then tonight, very strong winds are going to surge in from the northwest and change the rain to snow, and then we’ll have blowing snow and blizzard conditions by Wednesday morning.”

Lee predicts wide sections of Iowa could get three to six inches of snow from this system. “It will vary across the area. However, whether a place gets two or four or six inches, when the winds hit, they’ll be so high that it will produce significant blowing snow effects,” Lee says. “So, regardless of the amounts, we expect, widespread travel problems.”

Radio Iowa file photo

Lee says winds may gust up to 65 miles an hour, and with the blowing snow, white-out conditions may be possible. Forecasters are watching another storm system develop which could bring more snow to Iowa Thursday night and into Friday.

(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says this winter is going to end up being in the top five in the weather record book for a lack of snow. “We had about five inches of snowfall on the ground in February, and that’s about two inches below average. But if you look at December, January, February, meteorological winter, only about nine inches of snowfall across the state. That’s about 13 inches below average,” Glisan says.

Glisten says the month of February will be in the record books for lack of snow or rain. “Precipitation for February below average, about three quarters of an inch below average. So near the top 20th driest February is in 153 years of records. Now, if we think back to last February, the warmest and second driest on record,” he says. Glisan says the lack of snow is good if you don’t like to shovel, but it could have some impact later in the spring. “We get a deeper frost depth, because you don’t have that insulation of the snow pack on the ground, and that can lead to some the potential for localized flooding, given this event that we’re going to see Tuesday into Wednesday, with rain fall and possible snowfall,” Glisan says.

State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

Glisan says February had some hot and cold spells that evened out. “About four degrees below normal, not anything record breaking. Of course, we warmed up at the end of the month. Actually pulled up the average slightly,” he says. Glisan says the warmth at the end of the month pulled February out of what had been a very cold run. “If you look at that seven day stretch in the middle of the month, we were running about 21 degrees below average, so very cold conditions,” he says. “February is a transition month, as we transition from winter cold season moving into the growing season in March, April, May. So we do see a lot more meridional activity or more waves and troughs in the jet stream.” He says those troughs give us the up and down temperatures.

“Between the middle of the month towards the end of the month, we had temperatures in the 50s and low 60s, a temperature swing of, you know, 40, 50, 60, degrees. You know, generally we see that type of behavior in the February March time frame,” he says. Glisan says we can expect to see that variability until we move out of spring.

Today: Showers & thunderstorms. Breezy. High near 56. SE winds 10-25 mph this morning becoming N/NE this afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight: **Blizzard & High Wind Warnings will be in effect beginning at 9-p.m & thru 3-p.m. Wed.**Rain and snow, becoming all snow after midnight. The snow could be heavy at times. Widespread blowing snow after 11pm. Low around 22. Wind chill values as low as 5. N/NW winds 20-to 40 mph w/gusts to near 60 mph. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow ending by around 9-a.m.; Widespread blowing snow, mainly before 10am. Cloudy to partly cloudy.. High near 33. Wind chill values as low as 5. NW winds 35-to 40 mph w/gusts to near 55 decreasing to around 20-30 mph in the afternoon. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear & blustery, with a low around 16. NW winds 15-30 mph.

Thursday: A chance of snow after noon, mixing with rain after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40.

Thursday Night: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after midnight. Low around 27.

Friday: A chance of snow before noon, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 60. Our Low was 38. We received .16″ rain early this morning at KJAN. Last year on this date (3/4), the High in Atlantic was 74 and the Low was 33. The Record High was 79 in 1983 and the Record Low was -11 in 2014. Sunrise: 6:53; Sunset: 6:12.

Atlantic, IA – The Cass County Emergency Management Agency will host a Storm Spotter Training Program Tuesday, March 11th at 6:30pm in the courtroom of the Cass County Courthouse. A meteorologist from the National Weather Service – Des Moines (NWS-DM) will provide participants with information for safely observing and reporting severe weather. This training is open to the general public, requires no registration and is FREE.

Each year, NWS-DM meteorologists travel to counties they serve to provide a comprehensive multi-media spotter training presentation. The course contains information about severe weather climatology, severe thunderstorm types, different severe weather threats and how to identify them, how to report severe weather, spotter safety and severe weather communications. Spotter training classes last between one and two hours, are open to the public and are free of charge.

Mike Kennon, Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator, says that Trained Spotters provide an invaluable service. Real-time observations of severe weather assist the NWS in their warning decisions to help protect life and property. Kennon adds that he expects a large turnout for this training after the devastating tornadoes in Minden and Greenfield last spring.

This Spotter Training class is sponsored by the Cass County Emergency Management Agency and questions concerning this training should be directed to the Cass County EMA Coordinator, Mike Kennon at 712-254-1500.