Warm Weather Gives Way To Cooler Temps

Crews took advantage of the weather to get some extra work in at the new skate park on Tuesday

Oskaloosa, Iowa – With what feels more like the end of March and April, Oskaloosa residents have made the most of the unseasonably warm weather by enjoying activities normally associated with spring and summer weather.

Temperatures will start to cool over the next few days with overnight lows expected in the teens, making it feel more like January.

Jeff Johnson, of the Des Moines National Weather Service helped me compare this winter to others. “I think we are in the top ten warmest.  As for precipitation, snow is below normal, but moisture is pretty close to normal.  We were over an inch above normal for December in Des Moines due to a couple of rain events.  January has been below normal thus far.”

With the lack of snowfall concerns have been raised over the possibility of drought conditions for spring planting. “Northern Iowa is dry, but central and southern Iowa has been relatively moist.  Here is the latest drought monitor and outlook: US Drought Monitor, US Seasonal Drought Outlook“, Johnson said while sending some links to help monitor drought conditions.

There always seems to be a phenomenon making this winter different from others. “We have been in a La Niña phase of the sea surface temperature anomalies in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. However, this phase is not a strong predictor of a mild winter in Iowa.  Our recent weather has more to do with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NCO) being in a positive phase which supports mild weather in the Eastern US.   What does this mean for the rest of the winter? There is a recent story we had on our website which should answer the question,” Johnson said of the mild winter so far.