A Summer to Remember

Date posted - September 21, 2012

Sheldon, Iowa — Welcome to Autumn.  Yes, finally our long hot summer is over.  Definitely a year to remember.  It all started early in the year…actually in January.  According to temperatures recorded at KIWA Radio for the National Weather in Sioux Falls,  the month of January was six degrees above normal. February followed  with five degrees above normal and March a whopping sixteen degrees hotter than normal.  It moderated a little in May at three degrees above normal and June two degrees above normal but strong winds nearly every day created a drying effect despite over six inches of rain in May, nearly double the normal amount.

That was the last significant rainfall Sheldon would experience for sometime.  In June about half an inch of rain fell, far below the normal 3.93.  July produced .86 inches, compared to a normal of 3.46.

August delivered more hot days, mostly in the nineties, but  this was offset by cooler nights, resulting in an overall average temperature for the month.  August rains of over two inches were still far below average.

Now, what can we expect from this fall?  Well, September is already four degrees above normal and our rainfall totals about a half an inch compared to a normal of three inches and winds of thirty to forty miles per hour on many days adding to the drying effect. When will this spell be broken? Predictions vary, but we’ll just have to wait and see what the next few months have to offer.