Skip to main content

Barometric Pressure Forecast for Harlan, Iowa

Barometric pressure forecast for Harlan, Iowa — in Shelby County on the West Nishnabotna River, east of the Loess Hills in the state's western tier. See current barometric pressure and what it means for weather-sensitive people.

Loading chart…

Download Pressure Pal to track barometric pressure and get migraine alerts for Harlan and your area.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Pressure and weather in Harlan

Harlan sits in the rolling farm country of western Iowa, on the West Nishnabotna a short drive east of the Loess Hills that rise above the Missouri River floodplain. This is about as continental as climate gets in North America: no ocean within a thousand miles in any direction, which leaves the area open to both Arctic air sweeping down from Canada and warm, moist air streaming north from the Gulf. The collisions between the two make western Iowa one of the more volatile places in the country for pressure. Spring, from April into June, is the peak severe season, when storms firing along a dryline to the west arrive here after dark as organized lines. Winter brings the other extreme, with strong lows crossing Nebraska producing blizzard conditions and pressure falls as deep as anything the region records. Midsummer is often dominated by a stubborn ridge, giving weeks of high heat, humidity and a flat barometer.

What this means for you

Continental extremes mean both the fastest falls and the strongest highs land here. If you track a weather migraine, western Iowa gives you a wide range of readings to learn from.