Snow was the dominant weather feature across Iowa in December, though overall conditions ended up close to average.
State Climatologist Justin Glisan says a broad swath of the state — stretching from southeastern Iowa to northwestern Iowa — recorded above-average snowfall, generally four to eight inches more than normal. In contrast, the northeast and southwest corners of the state saw below-average snowfall totals.
The snow cover helped keep temperatures slightly colder than usual. Glisan says statewide temperatures averaged about 1.7 degrees below normal, largely due to colder conditions and more persistent snowpack in eastern Iowa.
Precipitation totals were also a bit light. December brought around one inch of precipitation statewide, which is about four-tenths of an inch below average.
Even with pockets of heavier snowfall, Glisan says the month balanced out overall. Preliminary data show Iowa received about eight inches of snow in December, very close to the normal of 7.9 inches.
Glisan says December was largely unremarkable from a climatological standpoint, with no significant records set and fairly typical winter conditions across most of the state.
