Precipitation

State promotes awareness as winter creeps in (11/14/09)
Rake while you can, because shovel season is on its way. The National Weather Service is getting ready for the next season, and used Thursday as "Winter Awareness Day" in Iowa. "This time of year we start looking at winter precipitation becoming an issue," said Ben Moyer, senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Des Moines. ...

Wet harvest advancing, yields looking good (11/07/09)
With grain dryers running nonstop across the state, harvest proceeded in force this week as several dry days finally appeared. The most recent Iowa Crops and Weather report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service revealed corn harvest for grain had reached an 18 percent completion rating, which was 22 percent behind last year and five days behind the five-year average. ...

Corn crop looks robust as harvest nears (09/22/09)
Delayed planting in some areas of the Midwest caused some early season concern, but Chad Hart, Iowa State University grain marketing economist said a long growing season may allow crops in many areas to catch up. Paul Kassel, a field agronomist for ISU Extension noted progress in northwest Iowa and said an unusually cool summer should lead to a good corn crop locally...

Storm cited as factor in fatal crash (07/11/09)
The Clay County Sheriff's Department said Thursday's stormy weather may have contributed to a fatal, head-on collision one mile west of Ruthven near the Palo Alto County line. The crash claimed 77-year-old Opal Lucille Frerichs of Spencer. Deputies think she was traveling east in a 1991 Corsica. She drifted into the westbound lane and into the path of oncoming traffic along U.S. Highway 18 at 4:20 p.m. Frerichs was pronounced dead at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg...

Lightning science charged with danger, a few myths (06/27/09)
It's ringing phones, not thunder that John Jensenius hears this time of year. He's the lighting expert at the National Weather Service and helped launch Lightning Safety Awareness Week nine years ago. The 2009 campaign comes to a conclusion Saturday...

Westview Memorial Park master plan approved (06/11/09)
A master plan was approved for Spencer's only arboretum-style park by Spencer Park Board members this week. The plan for Westview Memorial Park, which was presented by local landscape architect Matt Matthiesen and Karl Van Cura of Midwest Design Group in Sioux City, carried a detailed phasing of the enhancements it proposes, as well as a rough $899,046 cost estimate tied to their realization...

Tornado warning issued for Clay County (05/06/09)
Areas west and south of Spencer had a brief, but rocky, patch of severe weather Wednesday night. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D. issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northwestern Clay County, southern Dickinson County and eastern Osceola County at 5:15 p.m. Meteorologists were concerned about quarter-size hail with the system. The cell was located near Ocheyedan when the warning was issued...

Severe Weather Awareness Week (04/08/09)
Todd Heitkamp knows northwest Iowans will venture out and look to the skies as a severe storm approaches. The warning coordination meteorologist and his colleagues at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, S.D., count on it...

Blizzard conditions possible for Spencer area (04/04/09)
The good news: The National Weather Service canceled a winter storm watch for the region at 4 p.m. Friday. The bad news: They put a blizzard watch in its place. The watch will become a warning barring changes late Friday. A mix of rain and snow were expected to develop late Saturday morning, then become all snow by Saturday evening. Snowfall amounts of 12 to 15 inches were possible, according to projections for Spencer at 6:15 p.m. Friday...

Westview neighbors like park the way it is (04/03/09)
Neighbors of Westview Memorial Park -- Spencer's only arboretum-style park -- firmly expressed that they like their park the way it currently is, they want to keep it a "passive" park, but they'd like to add to or enhance what it currently displays during a meeting held Thursday night...

National Weather Service eyes floods, snow (03/24/09)
Monday brought high winds and heavy rain. But the end of the week, the region could be dealing with an entirely different sort of animal. Rainfall through Tuesday was expected to lead to minor flooding across many area rivers, including the Little Sioux River near Spencer according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D...

ONE LAST SNOWMAN? (03/11/09)
Cheyenne Manwarren, 7, Spencer, holds the shovel Sunday afternoon as Brionna Sinback, 5, and Tanya Manwarren, 9, try to gather enough snow for a snowman near Fareway on East Eighth Street. Forecasters thought the girls would have enough material to work with earlier in the weekend. The city received only a dusting instead of the four inches expected Saturday night and Sunday...

Streak of no snow may come to end (02/26/09)
Hopefully you took one last look at the dry streets and brown landscape Wednesday. Winter is expected to make a curtain call Thursday, but Spencer may have caught a break as forecasters shifted the heart of a winter storm north. Earlier Wednesday, Spencer was under a winter storm watch; snow totals of about 4 inches were expected...

Spencer man claims $22,222 in scratch game (02/21/09)
A Spencer man won $22,222 on the "Snow Birds" scratch game. Seth Skalicky claimed his prize Wednesday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Storm Lake. He bought his winning ticket at Casey's on West 18th Street in Spencer. Snow Birds is a $2 scratch game that has four different scenes. ...

Snow melt causes minor flood problems (02/12/09)
The warm temperatures that brought thunderstorms to the state earlier in the week left a reminder behind. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D., issued a flood warning for the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers near Spencer. The area saw unusually heavy snowfalls in December and unusually warm weather within the past week. It prompted the agency to issue flood warnings for:...

Tricky weather causes new hazards (01/24/09)
The treacherous roads and sub-zero wind chills are back. Arctic high pressure brought much colder air in for the weekend as temperatures fell into the single digits and teens below zero in the overnight hours leading into Saturday. Strong winds carried some snow across Clay County roads Friday afternoon and contributed to a single-car accident at 2:23 p.m. on county road B24, about halfway between Spencer and Dickens...

City completes EPA, billboard negotiations (01/20/09)
The city of Spencer cleared a major hurdle in negotiations to separate its storm water from the sewer system as part of Monday's Spencer City Council meeting. The vote to approve an Environmental Protection Agency administrative order to eliminate combined sewer overflows capped negotiations that began in late 2007...

Wednesday's temp may set recent low mark (01/15/09)
According to records kept by the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, S.D., Wednesday night's projected low in Spencer could tie the lowest mark in town since 1996. On Dec. 2, 1996, the temperature dropped to 27 degree below zero low to set the mark for the lowest recorded total in Spencer in the past 13 years; the same number which was forecast as Wednesday's low...

Blizzard conditions add to tough winter (01/13/09)
Monday morning was a trick. The temperatures were mild, the wind was calm and residents were moving about the city scooping snow. But, meteorologists and school superintendents knew better. The calm conditions that spilled over into the noon hour disappeared quickly and matched the predictions of Greg Harmon, the Meteorologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, S.D...

Let it snow… and snow… and snow… (12/19/08)
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D.: ---- Travel, especially to the north, will not be advised this weekend as northwest Iowa's on-again, off-again winter storm pattern continues...

Don't put the shovels away (12/17/08)
Those of you dreaming of a white Christmas: Feel free to wake up any time now. We're good. Tuesday started with little flakes, but the area got the full snow globe effect as classes dismissed early in the afternoon. Spencer was expected to get up to 5 inches as the system made its way north and east. It was enough for the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D., to issue a winter weather advisory for much of northwest Iowa...

Holiday Weekend Happenings (12/13/08)
Due to the weather and the cancellation of Grand Meander the ice sculptures were put on hold. The wonderful volunteers that were planning to carve the ice have all agreed to do the carving this Saturday. Today, the ice sculpture (left) will be done -- locations for the sculptures starting at 9 a.m. will be at Arts on Grand, Bogenrief's Studio, Toads Coffee and The Hen House...

Four inches expected Monday night (12/09/08)
The National Weather Service forecast had area residents bracing for a significant snowfall Monday night. Meteorologists expected about four inches of snow to greet Spencer commuters Tuesday morning. The area was under a winter weather advisory until noon Tuesday...

'Being obedient' brings new pastor to Spencer (11/20/08)
Rev. Kevin Grimes readily admits he doesn't care much for Iowa's cold weather or snow. But he's being obedient and attempting to "get used to it." The 43-year-old native of Hawaii and longtime California resident is the new pastor at DaySpring Assembly of God Church...

Many weather snow to honor veterans (11/12/08)
With inclement weather stretched across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, many scheduled Veterans Day ceremonies were cancelled. But with snow falling all around him, Brigadier General Allen J. Smith, retired Commander of the Iowa Air National Guard reminded those gathered at the Clay County Veterans Memorial, just north of Spencer Municipal Utilities on Grand Avenue, that those that were being honored Tuesday had endured far worse...

Spencer set for first snowfall (11/07/08)
The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has issued its first snow-related advisory for the 2008-09 winter season. Spencer was included in a portion of northwest Iowa placed under a winter weather advisory, for snow and blowing snow, from midnight to noon on Friday...

U of O Winter Games announced (11/06/08)
The dates for the 29th Annual University of Okoboji Winter Games are set for January 23-25, 2009. The Chairperson for this year's event is Molly Gildemeister and the Co-Chair is John Adams, Jr. The University of Okoboji Winter Games will be centered in the Smith's Bay area (weather permitting), with other events held throughout the Lakes Region. Local and regional teams will have the chance to participate on the ice in U of O Winter Games classics, such as Broomball, Softball and Hockey...

Did you cover your plants? (10/02/08)
Sensitive plants likely took their first hit Thursday morning in Spencer. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, S.D., was concerned enough about conditions to issue a frost advisory for portions of northwest Iowa including Spencer, Spirit Lake and Storm Lake...

Rainy night makes way for clear skies at fair (09/12/08)
As predicted, thunderstorms rolled through the area during the overnight hours between Wednesday's and Thursday's fair operating hours. About the time the gates opened, the rain slowed to a stop and, by mid-morning, the clouds were breaking and the sun was shining. ...

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