Thank a recent warm spell for heading off a record in Iowa weather. It was a long chilly spring for most Iowans, and nearly produced the coldest May on record. A week and a half ago we had a weeklong stretch that averaged ten degrees below normal. And two weeks ago, some parts of the state set new records for low temps and the state’s latest date for a freeze. Since the relatively snow-free winter left many areas dry, it was probably a good thing that May rains were above average — though again, it was no picnic when a wet spell in the second week set records for one-day downpours. But a summery spell that rolled in the last few days saved May from being the coldest in Iowa’s history.