KLEM-vehicle-snowThe three months commonly recognized as comprising Iowa’s “winter” have come to an end. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says December, January and February produced a record amount of precipitation — 6.57 inches.

“Which is just about double the normal precipitation and beat the old record of 6-inches even during the winter of 1914-15,” Hillaker said. “The record wet December more than made up for the slightly below normal precipitation in January and February.”

Heavy rains and snow combined for 5-inches of precipitation in December alone. Although there were some extremely cold days between December and February, the statewide average temperature was 4.7 degree warmer than normal over the three-month period.

“It was the 17th warmest winter on record,” Hillaker said. Over the just completed month of February, the warmest spot in Iowa was Sidney, with a temperature of 75 degrees posted last Friday (February 26). Cresco had Iowa’s lowest temperature of 17-below-zero on February 13.

(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)