What in the Weather?

• 12/3/25 - Bundle Up! Plus Fall Recap, and Snowfall Totals from Thanksgiving

  Weather Forecast & Outlook: Alberta Clipper brings nose dive in temperatures with wind chills in negative teens to negative 20s Quiet storm track ahead with possible flurries Saturday night December outlook: below normal temperatures for entire state, slightly below normal precipitation for southern/western Iowa Recent Weather Highlights: Recent snowstorm (8.5" statewide average) makes November rank as 5th snowiest on record  Fort Dodge recorded up to 16.5 inches of snow November and fall 2025 both ran about 3-4°F above average 7th warmest fall in 153 years of record Specialty Crop Impacts: Managing overwintered greens in high tunnels during frigid temperatures - use supplemental heat, and internal covers When growing greens for overwintering in warm fall weather, aggressively vent tunnel warmth to slow crop growth. Strawberry mulching timing and techniques - wait for dormancy (several nights around 20°F) before applying straw or row cover This Day in Weather History: December 2-3, 1990: Major snowstorm dropped 6-15" across Iowa with blizzard conditions Winds gusted to 69 mph at Cresco University of Iowa bubble dome collapsed under heavy snow, causing $2 million in damage Other Topics: Iowa corn and soybean yields hit record highs (215 bu/acre corn, 65 bu/acre soybeans) Discussion of July cloudiness and potential impacts on melon yields in southeast Iowa

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• 11/6/25 - Killing Frost this weekend...then warmer again

  Weather Forecast: Big winter cooldown coming this weekend with lows in the teens and highs in the upper 20s-low 30s Potential snowfall of 1-5 inches across northern Iowa Saturday into Sunday Temperatures warming back to the 50s early next week Leaning warmer and slightly wetter pattern continues in 8-14 day outlook (Nov 13-19) Historical Weather: Looking back at the November 6, 1990 snowstorm that brought up to 8.5 inches of snow and a record low of -1°F Recent Conditions: Six consecutive weeks of above-average temperatures ended with near-normal conditions at the end of October Western Iowa received a quarter of its monthly precipitation in just two days Fall foliage peaked with recent windy conditions Specialty Crop Impacts: Urgent: Harvest root crops (carrots, beets, radishes) before weekend freeze Protect lettuce with low tunnels; spinach and garlic can withstand cold Venting strategies for high and low tunnels to prevent moisture buildup and acclimate crops to cold Plant garlic now if you haven't already Tips on heating high tunnels for winter production Looking Ahead: The podcast moves to a monthly schedule for the winter with the next episode on Wednesday, December 3rd.

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• 10/23/25 - So...about that frost that just happened

  Historical Weather: On October 23, 1908, southwestern Iowa received significant early snowfall—up to 11 inches in Clarinda Current Frost Event: 57 of 160-200 weather stations recorded temperatures at or below 32°F this week, though not considered meteorologically "widespread" Weather Forecast: Stable pattern for next few days, then rain chances Sunday night through Tuesday (0.5-1+ inches expected across most of the state) Temperature Outlook: Warmer than normal for late October/early November; synoptic-scale flow patterns emerging Climate Prediction Center: Slight warm signal and near-normal precipitation for Oct 30-Nov 5; Iowa is in climatologically driest time of year Frost Timing Discussion: Average first 32°F freeze occurs early October in northern Iowa, mid-October in central Iowa, and late October in southern Iowa—this year's frost came slightly later than average Crop Updates: Time to harvest sweet potatoes after frost damage; garlic planting research shows August 30 plantings can yield better than traditional Halloween planting Winter Outlook: La Niña conditions suggest increased variability with potential for polar vortex outbreaks, especially in second half of January and February; Minnesota may see patterns similar to 2013-2014 winter Snowfall Predictions: Team made guesses for first 1-inch snowfall at Des Moines airport (average date: Nov 26-Dec 3) summary generated using claude.ai

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• 10/16/25 - Widespread frost not likely until November

  Weather History & Current Conditions Historical note: In 1950, Des Moines saw a 14° temperature spike in 5 minutes during a thunderstorm, reaching 87° due to prefrontal warming Current forecast: Cold front Friday with showers/thunderstorms, then cooler temps - returning to seasonal averages (mid-60s highs, upper-40s lows) Frost Watch Only 5 Iowa stations have hit freezing so far (Elkader, Sioux Center at 31°, Stanley, Spencer and Mason City at 32°) No widespread frost or freeze expected through end of October Growers advised to protect tender crops like basil during low-40s temperatures Precipitation & Long-Range Outlook Southwestern Iowa received 3 inches of rain (nearly a month's worth) Winter outlook shows classic La Niña pattern: leaning cold in northwest Iowa, wet in eastern Iowa for December-February Warmth persisting through end of October with near-normal precipitation Specialty Crop Updates Root crop harvest underway Spinach showing Cladosporium (fungal disease) in high tunnels—venting recommended Resources shared: eGRO water testing guide, corn earworm management in cut flowers Upcoming Events Albert Lea Seed cover crop show next Friday in Ames High tunnel short course November 12th at Iowa Arboretum featuring Becca Rudebusch, Dan Sheild, Brian Krug, and Natalie Hoidal summary generted using claude.ai

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• 10/9/25 - Maybe no frost 'til last week of October?

  This Day in Iowa Weather History: 1970 early season snowstorm brought 5.1 inches to Sioux City - their earliest 1+ inch accumulation on record Current Weather Forecast: Slight warm-up through the weekend with above-average temperatures Isolated chance of showers/thunderstorms overnight and late Saturday into Sunday No widespread frost expected through at least October 24th Climate Outlook: 8-14 day outlook: leaning warmer and slightly wetter October outlook: warmer with equal chances for precipitation La Niña Advisory issued - conditions present and expected to persist through December 2025-February 2026 La Niña typically means drier/warmer falls and potential for more winter cold air outbreaks Recent Weather Notes: Past week saw summer-like temperatures 12-16°F above normal Statewide average of 72°F (14.7°F above normal) Cold front October 5th brought localized heavy rain (1.5-2.5 inches in diagonal band from southwest to northeast Iowa) Specialty Crop Impacts: Fall warmth accelerating fall crop growth (lettuce, etc.) Extended season benefiting delayed summer plantings Discussion of rice growing in Minnesota and overwintering onion planting strategies Tips on managing fall-planted flowers to avoid early flowering Upcoming Events: High Tunnel Short Course - November 12th at Iowa Arboretum, Madrid, IA (registration now open) Topics: high tunnel peach production, transplant watering strategies, high tunnel soil health management Impact Squared Virtual Visioning Activity - November 6th, 6-7:30 PM Help inform climate tool development for small-scale and specialty crop farmers $100 Amazon gift card for participants Bonus Weather Fact: First EF5 tornado in over 12 years confirmed in North Dakota (June 2025) - last one was Moore, Oklahoma in May 2013 podcast summary generated using Claude.ai

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