The U.S.D.A. crop update says the lack of precipitation is causing some stress on crops. The U.S.D.A. says the crop stress is most notable in the northern third of the state -- which has the worst drought conditions. The overall condition of the corn crop was reported at 65% good to excellent. … [Read more...]
Riders face high heat as they leave Fort Dodge
A bike ride event that stretches across an entire state is daunting enough -- but when you add in scorching temperatures -- you have another major obstacle to clear. With heat indices expected to climb up to 105-110 today and tomorrow, riders in RAGBRAI are looking to beat the heat. Dave Morris … [Read more...]
Heat can pose problems for people with dementia
With high temperatures flirting with triple digits this week, practically everyone in Iowa is struggling to stay cool, but the heat wave can be particularly challenging for Iowans who are living with dementia. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, … [Read more...]
Next few weeks could be key in the direction of Iowa’s drought
Iowa's dry conditions held about the same in the last week with around 70% of Iowa in some form of drought -- and around 25% with severe drought conditions. DNR hydrologist, Tim Hall, says the overall picture is still better than we had one month ago. "The numbers are better from this time in … [Read more...]
Weather Service adding severe thunderstorms to cellphone alerts
With last year's derecho, Iowans learned the hard way that highly destructive weather events can be something other than tornadoes or floods. Technically, the derecho was a severe thunderstorm, the most destructive thunderstorm in U.S. history. National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Krull … [Read more...]
Congressman Feenstra raises concerns about 5G and weather reports
Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra suggests the expansion of 5G cellular communication could interfere with weather radar and the ability to get a decent forecast. Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, addressed the topic during this week's meeting of the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology … [Read more...]
Another heat wave is building during a critical time for corn crops
The forecast calls for hot -- and still hotter -- weather for Iowa this week and it's doing no favors for Iowa's top crops. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the USDA's Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says the average rainfall for late July doesn't bode well for the soil, which is already … [Read more...]
Iowa is soon to be under a La Nina Watch
The Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service is issuing a La Nina Watch for later this year. Cooler than normal Pacific Ocean surface temperatures lead to the formation of a La Nina, which can cause cooler, wetter conditions in Iowa and across much of North … [Read more...]
Old-timers will recall when it was ‘really’ hot in Iowa, the summer of 1936
It's been pretty hot in Iowa in recent weeks, but our grandparents or great-grandparents might recall another sweltering summer many decades ago that was much worse. National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says you'd have to go back 85 years to find when many Iowa communities had … [Read more...]
Wednesday tornado count climbs as crews survey damage
Officials now say Wednesday's tornado outbreak was the third-largest in Iowa history. The National Weather Service office in metro Des Moines, which covers western and central Iowa, initially put the total for its area at 12 tornadoes. That didn't include the parts of the state covered by Weather … [Read more...]