Iowa January Weather and Ag Conditions Summary Feb 6

After several years of above normal snowfall, this mostly dry and mild winter  has  been  a  major  topic  of  conversation  around  the  State.  Although both humans and animals have been enjoying the warmer than normal weather,  concerns  about moisture  levels  heading  into  planting season remain.

As January came  to a close, snow cover  ranged  from 0  inches  in west central, southwest, south central and southeast Iowa to 3 inches in north central, northeast, and east central Iowa.   Although  the State saw snow in the month of January, recent above average temperatures have caused most to melt away.  Topsoil moisture levels rated 21 percent very short, 36 percent short, 42 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.  The driest area of the State was northwest with 87 percent short to very short.

Although moving grain  is easier  this year with  little  interference  from snow or  ice,  less grain  is moving  than January 2011.  Grain movement rated  38 percent  none,  38  percent  light,  21  percent  moderate  and 3 percent heavy.  

Availablity  of  hay  and  roughage  supplies  was  23  percent  short, 70 percent  adequate and 7 percent  surplus with only 11 percent of  the supply  in  poor  condition.   The warm winter  has  helped  livestock  and kept  hay  supplies mostly  adequate.    Some  cows  are  still  reported  on corn  stalks.    Hog  and  pig  losses  in  January  were  unchanged  from December at 51 percent  light, 49 percent average and 0 percent heavy.  Cattle  and  calf  losses  were  similar  with  57  percent  light,  43  percent average and 0 percent heavy.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

General Summary.  
Temperatures averaged 26.0 degrees or 6.6 degrees above normal while precipitation totaled 0.63 inch or 0.29 inch less than normal.   This ranks as the 17th warmest and 34th driest January among 140 years of  records.     This was  the warmest  January  since 2006  and driest since 2003.

Temperatures.    
Mild weather was  the  rule  for most  of  the month  as below normal  temperatures were confined  to only nine days  (2nd, 12th-14th  and  17th-21st).      Daily  maximum  temperatures  of  59  degrees  or higher  (5th,  6th,  10th,  16th,  30th  and  31st)  were  equally  frequent  as minimum  temperatures  below  zero  (13th,  14th, 18th-21st).     Daily  high maximum  temperature  records were  equaled or  exceeded on  six  dates (4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th and 30th).   The month’s highest temperatures    were 68 degrees readings at Sioux City on the 5th and at Shenandoah on the 30th.   The frequent high temperatures were in major contrast to last January when  no  location  in  the  state  exceeded  45 degrees  during  the month.     The persistent warmth  resulted  in  dangerously  thin  ice cover on  lakes  and  ponds with  at  least  three  drownings  from  people  falling through  the  ice  reported  late  in  the  month.    On  the  other  extreme Elkader  and Spencer  reported  low  temperatures of  -21 degrees on  the morning of the 21st.   Estherville reported the lowest wind chill value at -30 degrees on the morning of the 19th.

Heating Degree Days.    
Home  heating  requirements,  as  estimated  by heating degree day totals, averaged 23 percent less than last January and 15  percent  less  than  normal.     Degree  day  totals  thus  far  this  heating season (since July 1, 2011) have averaged 16 percent less than one year ago and 14 percent less than normal.

Precipitation.   
January 2012’s monthly statewide average precipitation total  was  the  lowest  for  any  calendar  month  since  November  2007.   Only  a  few  northern  Iowa  locations  exceeded  normal  for  the month.   Preliminary totals varied from 0.10 inch at Guthrie Center and Osceola to 1.59 inches at Lansing.   Snow was more substantial than in previous months  this  winter,  but  still  less  than  normal  in  most  areas.      The exception  was  in  northeastern  Iowa  where  some  locations  received nearly  double  the  usual  January  snow  amounts  with  Guttenberg reporting  the most with 17.5  inches.     However,  totals were  far below normal  in  the southwest where Logan recorded only 0.6  inch of snow.   The largest snow event of the month came on the 20th when amounts of four  to  seven  inches  fell over most of  the northeast one-half of  Iowa.   Much of the eastern one-third of the state also saw 3 to 5 inches of snow on the 11th-12th.   A statewide average of 6.6 inches of snow fell during the month which  is 1.1  inches  less  than normal  and  ranks 56th  lowest total  among  125  years  of  records.     At month’s  end  snow  cover was restricted to northeast and extreme northern Iowa.

Winter  Season.     
This  winter  season  has  been  exceptionally  mild  in comparison  to  recent  years, having  followed  five  consecutive  snowier than usual winters and four consecutive colder than normal ones.   The statewide average  snow  fall  total  through  the end of  January has been 10.0  inches or 9.1  inches  less  than normal  for  this point  in  the season.   This  ranks  as  the 19th  lowest  season-to-date  total  among 125 years of records (lowest total in 9 years).   Temperatures since December 1 have averaged 27.9 degrees or 6.7 degrees above normal.   This ranks as the 8th  warmest  December-January  period  among  139  years  of  records (warmest in 10 years).