I'd go with that using one observation in recent years that weather swings from one extreme to the other.
***Official 2024 Weather Thread***
- Thread starter wxman1
- Start date
Not going below 32 in central Iowa until at least Sunday, that should help the snow melt slowly.
The rivers are so low I’m not sure it would even flood. The skunk in Ames looks almost completely dry.
Huge warmup next week... But watch out that 2nd/3rd week in Feb. Teleconnections are hinting that some cooler air potential out there in the Midwest.A negative AO points to a weaker polar jet which can often break down and pay us a visit. Not 100% slam dunk though.
Last edited:
I remember state wrestling being so warm around 2017 that we walked around in Tshirsts and ate on a patio, I believe Legends.
Once it gets past Valentines Day the countdown to KC is on.
That would be ideal, but explain a scenario to me in which the ground thaws out before the snow melts. A nuclear holocaust at the core of the earth?
When we got that 10" wet snowfall, there was not a lot of frost in the ground. 10" of snow acts as an insulator. The put the other snow on top of that yet, sure there are a few inchs but not like we have 2' of frost. NWS say around 7" in Des Moines and 3" west of Omaha in term of frost level.
Just funnin with you. Our best bet is for the predicted warmup to expose the soil and start to rot the frost so future precip can pernitrate, but that also opens us up to greater soil erosion possibilities. It's gonna do what its gonna do--lets just hope it works in our favor.
We pulled up our Christmas stuff right before first heavy snow and there was very little in the way of frost here in Urbandale. Ground was still spongy. So with that first heavy snow insulating it......unless it all melts and then we get an extended period of cold, things are going to soak in fairly well this season.
Not doubting you, but an urban micro climate may not be representative of agricultural/rural conditions
Fun little stat. How about near 100° swing in 19 days? Might be even warmer by the end of next week too.
No problem. Dad's farm 20 miles from city had very little as well before the snow. Drove the 8300 JD. around before the snow and it left some serious tracks. Usually you get 5 or more inches of frost it tends to minimize that. When young if the fall was really wet we would hope for an early hard freeze. Just takes a few nights of that with not snow on the ground to firm things up to go again.
Last edited:
