New statistics released today confirm what most Iowans already know – it’s been a wet year in Iowa. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says the statewide average total precipitation stands at 43.19 inches. He says that’s about 9 inches greater than normal and ranks as the fourth highest precipitation total for the state in 135 years of record keeping.
Only 1993 (48.22 inches), 1881, and 1902 have been wetter than this year. "It’s definitely been an unusually wet year," Hillaker says, "thanks in large part to a record wet August, and we also had unusually wet months of March, April, May, October and December."
Prior to today’s snowfall, this month stood as the 6th wettest December in Iowa history. Hillaker says we’ve had a statewide average of 2.45 inches of precipitation this month, or about twice as much than normal. Depending on the outcome of today’s snow totals, this December could bump up to second on the state’s all-time precipitation list.
The wettest December on record was in 1982, with 3.43 inches of precipitation. Hillaker says the average temperature this year in Iowa was 48.9 degrees, about 1.1 degree higher than normal. The hottest temperature recorded this year occurred on August 15th in Keokuk at 103 degrees. The coldest temperature was 27-below zero on January 16th in Cherokee.