If it’s this cold in mid-autumn, many Iowans may be wondering how horrible it’ll be when winter actually arrives.
At least seven Iowa cities broke all-time cold records this morning, all in single digits just above and below zero.
The list includes: Ames, Clinton, Des Moines, Lamoni, Marshalltown, Mason City and Ottumwa. The Mason City record has stood since 1896. Here’s a partial list, from the National Weather Service:
Des Moines: -1F (prev. 4F, 1986)
Ottumwa: 2F (prev. 8F, 1986)
Lamoni: 0F (prev. 3F, 1911)
Ames: -7F (prev. 2F, 1911)
Marshalltown: -7F (prev. -1F, 1911)
Forecasters say highs tomorrow may be 15 degrees warmer, though there’s also the chance for more snow.
In a Radio Iowa interview in August, we heard from the managing editor of the Farmers’ Almanac, which predicts above-normal snowfall and below-normal temperatures, calling the winter ahead a “polarcoaster.”