Today’s arrival of spring is especially welcome after what’s been a colder and wetter than normal winter in Iowa. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the winter was about five degrees colder than average.He says that makes it the coldest winter in 22 years and record amounts of snow made it the wettest winter in 86 years. Warmer temperatures are melting away the remnants of winter in some, but not all of the state.Parts of northwest Iowa like Sibley still have several inches of snow on the ground. They’ve had snow on the ground since November seventh, and could set a state record for measurable snowfall if it lasts through this week. Hillaker says the impact of this winter is probably heightened by the fact that the previous three winters were in the top 20 for warmest average temperatures. Hillaker says the snow and rain this winter are a bonus for dry areas of the state as the surface water supply has improved considerably over most of Iowa. Hillaker says the west central part of the state is still lacking in subsoil moisture.
