Iowa’s capital city has yet to reach a below-zero temperature this winter. National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Deitsch says it’s an unprecedented event over 134 years of record keeping.
“This is the latest in the season we’ve gone without Des Moines hitting zero degrees or lower,” Deitsch said. The old record for the latest day to reach zero or below was set in 1914, when Des Moines reached two-below-zero on February 6. Des Moines has received 14.7 inches of snow this winter, well below the normal amount of 22 inches for this point in the season.
“Typically to get real cold temperatures, you need a pretty good snow pack on the ground,” Deitsch said. “And since we haven’t had that for much of this winter, temperatures have been a bit warmer than usual.”
Last year at this time, Des Moines had received 31.5 inches of snow, more than twice as much as this year. Deitsch said temperatures could dip below zero in Des Moines this weekend.
“Right now, we have low temperatures (forecast) in the single digits for those days. If we’re able to get rid of some clouds overnight, we could creep below zero on either Friday or Saturday. So, that’s something to watch,” Deitsch said.
In Des Moines, the temperature climbed into the 60s on three days in January. The only other time that happened was in 2002. The National Weather service reports, in terms of average temperature, this has been the 3rd warmest winter ever recorded in Des Moines.
It’s the 8th warmest for Waterloo, 5th for Mason City and 6th warmest winter – thus far – in Ottumwa.
Average temperatures (Dec 1 – Jan 31)
DES MOINES
1. 1918-19 32.0 degrees
2. 1914-15 31.8 degrees
3. 2011-12 31.7 degreesWATERLOO
1. 2001-02 30.1 degrees
2. 1913-14 28.6 degrees
3. 1931-32 27.9 degrees
4. 1918-19 27.9 degrees
5. 1943-44 27.1 degrees
6. 1907-08 27.1 degrees
7. 1982-83 27.0 degrees
8. 2011-12 26.8 degreesMASON CITY
1. 1913-14 27.3 degrees
2. 2001-02 26.6 degrees
3. 1943-44 25.6 degrees
4. 1905-06 24.6 degrees
5. 2011-12 24.4 degreesOTTUMWA
1. 1931-32 33.4 degrees
2. 2001-02 32.5 degrees
3. 1988-89 32.2 degrees
4. 1946-47 31.4 degrees
5. 1938-39 31.4 degrees
6. 2011-12 31.2 degrees