The camera, as well as several weather measurement instruments, was mounted on top of the Westown Apartments building, 122 W. Main St.

“It’s exciting, it will be fun to see it on Channel 8,” said building owner Jim Clark.

KCCI meteorologist Kurtis Gertz also said he’s excited for the new, high-definition look at the Marshalltown skyline.

“I think it has a great view, along with the ability to see the downtown and the reconstruction there,” Gertz said. “I also look forward to the ability to look west and see incoming storms.”

T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS - The new weather camera mounted atop Westown Apartments will look over the downtown area.

He said he was grateful for Clark responding to his request for a good vantage point on which to mount the camera.

“I actually reached out on the air and said ‘If anybody has got a nice, high spot in Marshalltown with really good internet, please contact me,'” Gertz said.

Clark said the building manager got ahold of him after Gertz’s newscast.

“She was watching a weather report and said ‘We ought to do that,'” Clark said. “That’s how this started.”

Gertz said it helps when meteorologists have both a radar and a live camera to look at when studying weather patterns in an area. He said the camera in Marshalltown is one of a new set of high-definition devices, similar to the one put up at the Iowa State Fairgrounds recently.

Along with watching the weather, the camera will also have a perfect view of the ongoing reconstruction work in the downtown after the July 19 tornado.

“We’re very aware there’s so much to do,” Gertz said. “It just gives us another look at the downtown to be able to show folks the progression Marshalltown is making.”

While the camera was mounted Wednesday, he said there may still be a wait for software and some connections to get set up. Once it’s ready, Gertz said there will be a webpage with the camera’s view.

He said he’s noticed Marshalltown residents taking extra interest in the weather since the tornado hit. During his daily Facebook Live sessions, Gertz said a proportionally higher amount of people watch from Marshalltown than most other cities in the state.

The new camera may continue to feed that interest.

“This one really does seem like a gem,” Gertz said.

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Contact Adam Sodders at

641-753-6611 or

asodders@timesrepublican.com