DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new report says damage estimates from a rare wind storm that slammed Iowa and some other parts of the Midwest in August are growing. The total is now $7.5 billion. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the Aug. 10 storm is currently the second-costliest U.S. disaster so far in 2020, although cost estimates for the widespread wildfires along the West Coast aren’t yet available.

The August storm hit Iowa hard but also caused damage in Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana. The most expensive disaster so far this year was Hurricane Laura, which caused $14 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast.

Early this morning: Snow. Low around 33. North wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Today: Snow likely, possibly mixing with rain after 8am, then gradually ending. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 46. North northwest wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Calm wind.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Calm wind becoming east southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. East wind 3 to 5 mph.
Tuesday: A slight chance of freezing rain before 8am, then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.

The first snow of the season fell overnight into early this (Sunday) morning. Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 67. Our Low this morning, 33. We received .1″ of snow overnight, and a total of .21″ precipitation (rain/melted snow). Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 75 and the Low was 50. The Record High on this date was 86, in 2003 and the Record Low was 17, in 1952.

Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Des Moines IA 405 AM CDT Sat Oct 17 2020

Sac-Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair-Madison-Adams-Union-Taylor-Ringgold Counties

…Gusty Winds and Elevated Fire Danger Today…

Winds will increase rapidly by mid morning across central and southeast Iowa with gusts of 40 mph or more expected before diminishing later this afternoon. Farther north and east wind
gusts of 20 to 30 mph will be common. These gusty winds will combine with warm temperatures, fairly low humidities, and drying grasses and crops to produce an elevated fire danger through this afternoon. Any fires that ignite could spread quickly under these conditions, especially across cropland. Burning is not recommended under these conditions. Burn bans are
in effect for multiple central Iowa counties.

Burn Bans continue until further notice, for: Adair-Audubon-Cass-Dallas-Guthrie-Harrison-Mills-Montgomery and Pottawattamie Counties.

Area Counties: Sac-Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Cass-Adair-Madison-Adams-Union-Taylor and Ringgold…

...Elevated Fire Danger Again Today…

Gusty west to northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with wind gusts in excess of 40 mph will develop later this morning and persist through this evening. Relative humidity values will fall into the
25 to 35 percent range by this afternoon. These weather conditions combined with curing grasses and the crop harvest across the state will lead to an elevated fire danger today. Any fires that ignite could spread quickly under these conditions especially in cropland. Burning is not recommended under these conditions.

(Radio Iowa) – The National Weather Service released its annual winter outlook this (Thursday) morning with defined outlooks for either warm and dry or cold and wet conditions going into the winter season. But Climate Prediction Center Deputy Director Mike Halpert says it gets a little bit more complicated when you look at the jetstream and its impact on Iowa.

“The Iowa, Wisconsin area oftentimes falls in between or becomes very uncertain as to whether they become drier as a drier signal as the jetstream shifts further north or becomes wetter as it doesn’t shift quite as far,” he says. “So the forecasts for Iowa are actually in the equal chance category so there’s an equal chance for wet or dry, warm or cold.”

Dave Miscus is a drought expert at the C-P-C. He says our temperatures over the next several months will likely dictate what we expect come spring as far as ongoing drought conditions go even if we do end up in a wetter than normal pattern. He says once the soil freezes in the wintertime the soil doesn’t get into the soil and then we have to wait until spring to get any soil moisture recharge.

Miscus says if the soil freezes soon before any more precipitation, we enter the winter waiting. “Not looking too good for removing that drought in especially western Iowa — which has been lingering for the last six to nine months here. We’ll have to wait and see what the spring brings,” Miscus says.

The outlook released Thursday has higher probabilities or colder and wetter conditions to our north along with drier and warmer conditions to the south, but nothing is definitive at this point, especially not knowing exactly how strong the developing La Nina pattern is going to be.