Ag Weather Forum

Iowa Offers a Good Example of Snow Drought This Winter

Bryce Anderson
By  Bryce Anderson , Ag Meteorologist Emeritus
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Iowa, along with many other central U.S. states, has no snow cover in late January. Winter snowfall totals are more than 80% below average at some stations. (NOAA graphic)

Weather news headlines in this last half of January have prominently focused on unseasonable, record snow and cold in the southern and southeastern U.S. Meanwhile, much of the primary crop areas of the central U.S. have been largely devoid of snowfall.

Iowa's lack of snow is a clear example of this snow shortage. A look at National Weather Service locations in Iowa that have detailed snowfall information shows limited snow during the 2024-25 meteorological winter months of December and January (through Monday, Jan. 27).

The total December-January snowfall in Des Moines is 4.7 inches, 11.2 inches or 70% below the 1991-2020 average. Waterloo's December-January snow total of 4.1 inches is 14.6 inches or 78% below average. The Dubuque December-January snow total of 5.6 inches is 13.8 inches or 71% below average. Mason City, with just 2.8 inches of snow in December-January, is 16.4 inches or 84% below average. Sioux City's December-January snowfall total of 8.9 inches is 6.8 inches or 43% below average.

January has been particularly dry when it comes to snow. Sioux City's January snowfall is 42% below average, but the other sites in this summary are all at least 80% below average for January snowfall. Mason City has had zero snow so far this month compared with its average 9.8 inches. This snow deficit is especially stark compared to January last year, which featured snow totals of as much as 24 to 27 inches just for the month.

Snowfall deficits suggest dry soils along with greater penetration of freezing into the soil profile. That's how Iowa agriculture department climatologist Justin Glisan views this lack of snow. "We are substantially below normal in terms of snowpack for the season," Glisan said in an email to DTN. "Of course, this impacts the amount of moisture on the landscape when we think about melting snowpack infiltration as we thaw. We also are seeing a deeper frost depth (12-20 inches) since there isn't snowpack on the ground to insulate the sub-surface."

Glisan noted that a lack of snow does not automatically translate to a dry growing season. "I wouldn't draw any conclusions from a dry winter and upcoming growing season conditions," he said. "Last February was the warmest and second driest on record, winter was second warmest and 47th wettest. We had a very active storm track early in the growing season and busted a four-year drought after the fifth driest 48 months on record."

Looking ahead, the February forecast indicates more chances for late-winter snowfall in Iowa along with the rest of the Midwest. But the 2024-25 winter months appear likely to finish with a snow drought. The average February snow totals for Des Moines, Waterloo, Mason City, Dubuque and Sioux City are around 9 to 10 inches. But even if those amounts were to occur, the total meteorological winter snow would still be from 28% to 55% below the three-month averages.

DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick offers more details on the upcoming February weather pattern here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Bryce Anderson can be reached at bryce.anderson@dtn.com

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