Today: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 9am. High near 46. Breezy, with an east northeast wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight: Rain and sleet before midnight, then rain and snow likely between midnight and 2am, then a chance of snow after 2am. Some thunder is also possible. Low around 30. Windy, with a northwest wind 15 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday: A slight chance of rain or freezing rain before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Windy, with a northwest wind 23 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. Windy, with a northwest wind 16 to 21 mph becoming light west northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54. South wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.

(Forecast update: 3:56-a.m. 4/2/2014)

Today: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Breezy, with an east wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 10pm and 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 40. Breezy, with an east northeast wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 46. East northeast wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Rain likely before 4am, then snow likely. Some thunder is also possible. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Windy, with a northwest wind 14 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Friday: Snow likely, possibly mixing with rain after 10am, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Windy, with a northwest wind 24 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25. Blustery.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

Officials with the Atlantic Fire Department put out a plea on their social media website, asking residents not to do any open burning “Of any type, or discard of any smoking material. This includes burning trash!!”  Recent and continuing high, sustained winds and dry conditions have contributed to many fires across southwest Iowa. The AFVD says they hope that by spreading the word on open burning and being safe in discarding smoking materials, and will voluntary compliance, authorities will not have to issue a Burn Ban.

The Freese-Notis weather forecast and weather information for Atlantic.

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A carelessly discarded cigarette from a passing vehicle is being blamed for a large grass fire that occurred Monday afternoon north of Interstate 80, in Adair County. Adair Fire Chief Jordan Smith told KJAN News the fire started about two-miles east of the Adair Exit (77.5-mile marker) and was first paged out just before 3-pm, Monday. Smith said with the way the wind was blowing, the fire burned east-northeast along and north of the Interstate for about 2-miles. Firefighters managed to get the flames knocked down before they reached the westbound rest area, but not before the fire jumped 2 gravels roads as it raged eastward.

After the flames jumped one gravel road, and destroyed large, round hay bales.  He said 50-to 60 bales were lost. Smith said hay bale fires are almost impossible to extinguish unless you spread them out and hose them down, which is dangerous and time consuming. A neighboring farmer who has construction equipment used his excavator and dug a big hole to dump the bales in and cover them up, allow the fire to be snuffed out.

Three firefighters from Adair suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze. Smith says two had smoke inhalation, with another had minor burns to his face. The thick curtain of smoke created problems for motorists along Interstate 80. Visibility along the interstate was down to zero at time. Several law enforcement agencies were requested for traffic control. The eye-catching fire also attracted “rubber-neckers,” who Smith says can be a real hindrance to fire fighting efforts, and endanger lives.

Smith says firefighters from Adair, Casey, Stuart, Menlo, Anita, Wiota, Greenfield, Bridgewater, and Fontanelle were on the scene for about 5-hours, finally wrapping things up at around 8-pm, Monday.

The Fire Danger signs throughout Shelby County will remain in the HIGH category this week. Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says although the County experienced some precipitation (.30”) in the last 24 hours, the placards will remain in the HIGH category due to predicted winds, and lower Relative Humidity today.

Seivert says until we get more green grasses growing, the fine dead fuels will continue to pose a HIGH fire danger with wind, and low humidity. Officials are asking residents to postpone burning until at least Thursday.

If you must burn, contact your local Fire Chief to make sure that are made aware, and provides authorization for the burn. If a burn is allowed to occur we ask the Chief to call 712-755-2124 and advise the Communications Center that a burn will take place.

The Freese-Notis weather forecast and weather information for Atlantic.

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AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD
415 AM CDT MON MAR 31 2014

STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH…WITH GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH
AT TIMES…WILL DEVELOP BY NOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE
AFTERNOON.

IN ADDITION…RATHER DRY AIR IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY FALLING TO AROUND 25 TO 35
PERCENT AT TIMES FROM 1 PM THROUGH EARLY EVENING. THIS WILL LEAD
TO AN ENHANCED FIRE DANGER…WITH ANY FIRES THAT START EXPECTED TO
SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING OF ANY KIND IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED
    TODAY INTO THE EARLY EVENING.

AREA COUNTIES: POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE

A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 4 PM TODAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA.  THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

* WINDS…SOUTHWEST 25 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 15 T0 25 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS…VEGETATION IS VERY DRY ACROSS THE AREA. WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…GUSTY WINDS…AND DRY FUELS…FIRES CAN IGNITE AND SPREAD QUICKLY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

(Update 3:57-a.m.)

Today: Wind Advisory in effect from Noon until 7-pm.  A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Windy, with a south wind 22 to 29 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. Wind chill values as low as 10. Windy, with a west wind 23 to 31 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 6 to 11 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

Tue.Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 33. Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.

Wednesday: Showers likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Breezy, with an east northeast wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wed. Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 35. Breezy. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 47. Breezy.