State Climatologist Justin Glisan.
State climatologist Justin Glisan says the month of August brought much-needed rain across the state.
He says we were an inch below average for rainfall in July and as August winds down, we are about six inches about normal. Glisan says that’s good for the state — especially in the southern areas that have been in drought conditions for some time. The temperature in August ended up around one-half degree above normal — though the highs and lows were not what we usually see in the eighth month.
“We typically expect 83 degrees for the high and 61 degrees for the low. Well, this month we’ve been above average for the high temperature at around 91 degrees. But the average low has been 51 degrees,” Glisan says. “So, when you take the average of the two, we are near normal.” The rain we did get came in large amounts and Fort Dodge got more than 15 inches of rain overall in August.
Glisan says the rainfall should be more gentle in September.
“We’re starting to get more frontal systems moving across the state. And these are the type of systems that bring gentler steady rains for a few hours, and it blankets the state” according to Glisan. “And that’s when we are typically building up water for the next year.” He says the forecast models are showing a mix of temperatures and rainfall through September and into November.
He says there will be above average temperatures, but equal chances for above or below average temperatures. Glisan says they are seeing a good chance for an Elnino pattern to develop, which would make it a warmer than normal winter.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)