The month of June has arrived and so far, this spring has not produced much severe weather. Harry Hillaker is the State Climatologist. He says May and June are usually, by far, the two busiest months in terms of severe weather in Iowa.
May showers usually bring about four inches of rainfall to the state in an average year. Hillaker says rainfall totals last month varied across the state. "Far northwest Iowa and also the west-central part of the state were quite a bit drier than usual. Some areas only (received) less than half the normal amount of rainfall," Hillaker said.
"But on the other hand, southeastern Iowa and in general far eastern parts of the state ran just a bit wetter than usual." Temperatures were also near normal during the month of May.
Hillaker says eastern Iowa was roughly one degree below normal, while western Iowa averaged one or two degrees above the long-term average. Iowans are hoping the uneventful spring continues, especially those that dealt with flooding and tornadoes in June of 2008. Hillaker predicts this month will be a bit cooler than usual.
"And it may be a little on the wetter side of normal as well," Hillaker said. Last year, between May 29th and June 12th, an average of nine inches of rain fell across Iowa. Hillaker says that’s likely a 15-day record for the state. The normal rainfall for the period is just under two-and-a-half inches.
See more weather info at the State Climatologist’s website .