Is This Iowa?

RED OAK — An unusally mild winter continued last week as Thursday’s high temperatures set records throughout Iowa.

According to information recorded at the Red Oak airport, Thursday’s high hit a record 65 degrees, one of three consecutive days when the temperature exceeded 50 degrees.

The average high for Montgomery County in January is 34 degrees.

Accompanying the unusually high temperatures has been an according lack of snow. Aside from a light dusting that brought about an inch of snow to the area in mid-December, Montgomery County has avoided any significant accumulations.

This week’s forecast calls for slightly cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday, with highs only in the 20s before warming back up to nearly 40 degrees over the weekend.

No precipitation is expected.

Also last week, the State Climatologist for Iowa, Harry Hillaker, released a summary of the top weather stories from the year.  The State Climatologist’s office is within the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
 

“Preliminary analysis shows that in 2011 Iowa experienced an average temperature of 48.8 degrees or 0.7 degrees above normal and had a statewide average of 32 inches of precipitation or 3.27 inches less than normal,”  Hillaker said.  “The result is that 2011 ranks as the 50th warmest year and 68th driest among 139 years of state weather records.”

The top Iowa weather events in 2011 in chronological order are:

Blizzard - Jan. 31-Feb. 2 (mostly on Feb 1);

Tornados - April 9;

Hot and Cold May - May 3 and 10;

Wet Weather – June;

Western Iowa Flooding - May through September;

July Heat – July;

Derecho - July 11;

Heavy Rain Storms - July 26-27;

Record Hot Day - Aug. 2;

Drought - July-December;

Early Freeze - Sept. 15;

Warm December - Dec. 11-31.