Weather
KCRG TV9 First Alert Forecast For Dubuque and the Tri-States
KCRG TV9 FIRST ALERT FORECAST FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
TODAY: PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. HIGH 78.
SOUTH WIND 5-10 MPH.
TONIGHT: PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF STORMS POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE.
LOW 64.
TOMORROW: PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED STORMS LIKELY. HIGH 76.
EXTENDED OUTLOOK THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY:
SHOWERS AND STORMS LIKELY THURSDAY, DRY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. HIGHS IN THE 80’S THURSDAY, THE 70’S FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. LOWS IN THE 50’S & 60’S.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER STAGE AT DUBUQUE: 11.2-FEET & FALLING
KCRG Weather Blog
The Saffir-Simpson Scale doesn’t tell the whole hurricane story
Hurricanes are assigned a category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale from 1 to 5. This scale takes into account the sustained wind speed and nothing else. Rainfall and flooding, storm surge, air pressure, or power outages are not factored into the scale and category number. Flooding is the number one cause of all hurricane-related deaths, not wind. The Saffir-Simpson Scale gives an incomplete picture of a hurricane’s impacts. Hurricane Katrina is one of the benchmarks of hurricane disasters in the United States. Did you know that it made landfall as "only" a category 3 and not a 5? The idea of a lower number translating to a lower threat is understandable. After all, a lower weight, blood pressure, or waist circumference typically means a lower risk of health problems. However, when it comes to hurricanes and even other types of weather, this mindset doesn’t apply. The full story and context matter. This is how local meteorologists can help you understand how big weather events will truly affect where you live.
Monday’s warmth falls short of September’s biggest heat waves
Cedar Rapids made it past the 90-degree mark on Monday, more than 15 degrees above the normal high. While it’s not strange to get to 90 in September, it’s more likely to happen early in the month than it is in the second half of the month. You may recall last September had a late-season heat wave – there were six days in the 90s! That was the most since 1960. The record for the most days hitting at least 90 degrees in September is 13, which happened in 1897. There have been many years without hitting 90 in September. In recent times, between 2001 and 2010, there was only one 90-degree day in September (in 2005). Dubuque’s record for 90 or warmer in September is nine days, which happened in 1895 and 1931. In Iowa City, the record is 14 days in 1897. Waterloo’s record matches the one in Cedar Rapids: 13 days in 1897.
Florence makes landfall near Wilmington; how often does that happen?
The Carolinas are no stranger to hurricanes or tropical storms. In fact, this is a very common area for them to affect. On average, a hurricane will hit North Carolina once every five years. Since 1950, the center of 24 tropical systems (tropical storms and hurricanes combined) have either directly hit Wilmington, North Carolina have come within 25 miles of Wilmington. Hurricane Florence is very unusual because the path of many hurricanes that hit that area is to generally go north after landfall. Florence is going southwest after landfall. If you’d like to generate your own map of hurricane tracks, head to this link.
Beyond the Weather: Find planets with the moon
Nighttime views have improved from last week because of the clearing in the sky. Take time some time over the next several nights to look beyond the weather as our sky remains mostly clear. For the past several days, the moon has been in a waxing crescent phase. As you continue to watch the moon over the coming days, it will become fuller and higher off the southwest horizon at dusk. The planet Jupiter appears near and just to the lower right of the moon during this time. As the week progresses, the moon will pair up with two other planets. Watch for Saturn to be near the moon in the southern sky on Monday. On Wednesday, the moon pairs with Mars, also in the southern sky. Happy stargazing!
Early September rains nearly erase drought in Iowa
The latest Drought Monitor update shows that much of the drought in the state is gone after the widespread rain earlier this month. Moderate to severe drought has been whittled down to a handful of counties in far southern Iowa. It includes parts of Wayne, Monroe, Appanoose, Wapello, and Davis Counties. That makes up a little more than two percent of Iowa. That’s the smallest drought coverage in the state since June 2017.