(Radio Iowa) – The National Weather Service says there’s a high risk of cropland fires in over 50 Iowa counties this (Monday) afternoon through sunrise tomorrow (Tuesday). A combine was destroyed and 12 acres of corn stalks burned in northwest Iowa yesterday (Sunday) before fire crews from Cherokee and Larrabee were able to stop a field fire. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says recent weather conditions have been difficult.

“Ninety degree temperatures, low humidities and 25, 30, 35 mile an hour wind gusts,” Naig said. “That’s a recipe for a field fire.” Safety experts recommend that farmers do frequent weather checks while harvesting and periodically use an air compressor or leaf blower when the machine is off and cooled down to remove dirt, dust, chaff and other accumulate plant residue. Naig says having a fire plan is important, too, because acting quickly is key when a spark ignites a field fire.

“What piece of equipment is already hooked on or what would you hook on? Who would you call?…Being aware of that machine and what smells hot, what looks wrong, where might you throw a spark? Those are just the types of things that you’ve got to be very, very mindful of,” Naig says.

Temperatures have been cooler today (Monday), though, and there’s a chance for sprinkles in parts of the state overnight, with a better chance for rain on Wednesday.

(Radio Iowa) – Thirty-seven tornadoes have been reported in Iowa so far this year after over 130 were confirmed in Iowa last year. Tornadoes can strike in any month, but the majority of tornadoes tend to strike Iowa from April through the end of July. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says one factor this year was it wasn’t particularly windy this summer.”We’ve been thankfully on a low point in severe weather, but we’ve gotten rainfall and I’ll take this as opposed to the severe weather season last year,” Glisan said.

A derecho formed in South Dakota on July 28th, then swept across northern and eastern Iowa. “If you go back to 2020, the August 10th derecho, we’ve had six since then,” Glisan says. “You’d have to go back to 2013 for another derecho.” Glisan made his comments during a recent appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

2025 tornado image Via the NWS; Photo credit: @adamorgler

One of the largest tornado outbreaks in Iowa occurred on August 31st, 2014. A year later, experts evaluating satellite pictures from that date were able to confirm 35 tornadoes had touched down and caused damage in farm fields.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa has ended a nine-week run where the U-S Drought map showed no color for dryness of any kind. The D-N-R’s Jessica Reese McIntyre says the northwest, southern and eastern areas of the state are back to abnormally dry, with a slice of moderate drought.  “It did have a small area, the equivalent of about one percent of the state, but still significant, along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa,” she says. McIntyre says the rainfall slowed after what was the second wettest July on record. “It just progressively got worse through September because both August and September were drier than normal after having that really wet July,” she says.

McIntyre says there’s not a clear signal right now if the dry conditions will continue. “We don’t have the potential to see above normal precipitation for the next three months according to the National Weather Service forecast seasonal forecast,” she says. There’s just no real indication if we’ll go one way or the other and just kind of stay above average. So we will have to just kind of wait and see how that all pans out, how that forecast pans out, but it doesn’t look favorable to get above normal.” She says October could be warmer than normal, which could indicate we’ll stay dry. “One thing to kind of remember is that warm air tends to hold moisture, so it kind of kind of grabs it, right? So it can make these conditions worse, these dry conditions worse with warmer temperatures,” she says.

She says the drier conditions have helped farmers move quickly with the harvest, but also caused problems with dust and the potential for field fires.

Today (Columbus Day): Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts to near 25 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy to cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers, mainly after midnight. A low around 51.
Tomorrow: Cloudy w/a 50% chance of showers. A high near 63. East wind around 10 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers & isolated thunderstorms. A low around 55.
Wednesday: Mo. Cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers through early afternoon. A high near 75.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy w/a slight chance of showers late. A low around 59.
Thursday: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 80.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 82. Our Low this morning was 53. Last year on this date (Oct. 13th), the High in Atlantic was 61 & the Low was 31. The Record High for Oct. 13th in Atlantic, was 88 in 1975. The Record Low was 15 in 1907. Sunrise: 7:29; Sunset:6:42.

Today: Partly sunny & windy. A high near 81. Winds S/SE @ 15-to near 35 mph.
Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. A low around 53. South winds 10-20 becoming N after midnight.
Columbus Day: Mostly sunny w/only a 30% chance of showers, mainly between 10am and 1pm. A high near 68. N/NE winds 10-20 mph.
Monday Night: A 30% chance of showers after midnight. A low around 50.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy w/a 40% chance of showers. A high near 61. East wind around 10 mph.
Tue. Night: A slight chance of showers. Some late thunderstorms are possible. A low around 52.
Wednesday: A 30% chance of showers, otherwise mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 73. The Low was 42. Last year on this date (Oct. 12th), the High in Atlantic was 77 & the Low was 42. The Record High for Oct. 12th in Atlantic, was 90 in 1899. The Record Low was 17 in 1908. Sunrise: 7:28; Sunset:6:44.

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy & breezy, with a low around 57. S/SE winds 10-20 w/gusts to near 30mph.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy early; Gradually becoming sunny. Windy. A high near 81. Winds S @ 2-35 mph.

Sunday Night: A 30% chance of showers after midnight. A low around 53.

Columbus Day: A 30% chance of showers, mainly before 1pm; Becoming mostly sunny. High near 66. N/NE @ 10-20 mph.

Tuesday: A 30% chance of showers. A high near 60.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 78. The Low was 41. Last year on this date (Oct. 11th), the High in Atlantic was 87 & the Low was 53. The Record High for Oct. 11th in Atlantic, was 93 in 1893. The Record Low was 17 in 1987. Sunrise: 7:27; Sunset: 6:45.

Today: Partly sunny-to sunny. A high near 76. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north this afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. North northeast wind around 5 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 10 to 20 mph.
Tom. Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. SE winds 10-25 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 81.
Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms. A low around 52.
Columbus Day (Monday): A 20% chance of showers, otherwise mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 76. The Low was 54. We received .01″ overnight into early this morning. Last year on this date (Oct. 10th), the High in Atlantic was 87 & the Low was 40. The Record High for Oct. 10th in Atlantic, was 96 in 1893. The Record Low was 17 in 1906. Sunrise: 7:26; Sunset:6:47.

Today: Mostly cloudy early, then gradually becoming sunny. Breezy. A high near 72. Winds S @ 15-25 mph.

Tonight: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms, late. A low around 56.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. A high near 77. S/SW winds @ 5-10 mph becoming north in the afternoon.

Tom. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. East wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 67.

Sat. Night: Mostly cloudy & breezy, w/a slight chance of showers after midnight. A low around 55.

Sunday: Mostly sunny & windy w/a 30% chance of showers. A high near 79.

Monday (Columbus Day): Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 71. The Low was 40. Last year on this date (Oct. 9th), the High in Atlantic was 83 & the Low was 38. The Record High for Oct. 9th in Atlantic, was 87 in 1930, 1938 & 2020. The Record Low was 14 in 2000. Sunrise: 7:25; Sunset:6:49.

Today: Sunny, with a high near 67. Light and variable wind becoming S/SE @ 5 to 10 mph this afternoon.
Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 47. Southeast wind around 5-10 mph.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny & breezy. A high near 67. S/SE winds 10-20 mph, with gusts to near 25 mph.
Tom.night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy & breezy, with a low around 60.
Sunday: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 79.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 69. The Low this morning was 40. Last year on this date (Oct. 8th), the High in Atlantic was 78 & the Low was 34. The Record High for Oct. 8th in Atlantic, was 93 in 1893. The Record Low was 19 in 1908 & 2020. Sunrise: 7:24; Sunset:6:50.

Official National Weather Service spotter reports:

KJAN, .40″  (Storm total= 1.75″)

Atlantic, 7.1 miles N/NE, .18″

Creston, .54″

Earling, .11″

Elk Horn, .17″

Massena, .76″

New Market, .68″

Thurman, .64″

Unofficial reports from the public to area media:

Anita-.60

Elliott, .70′ (Storm total, 2.80″)

Stanton-.67