Sheldon Finishing 2015 With Above Normal Precip

rain drops car hood_sxcSheldon, Iowa — Northwest Iowa is finishing 2015 with above normal precipitation levels for the year.

In Sheldon, the official precipitation total for 2015 is more than 37 inches.  In a normal, or average, year the precipitation total would be 27.61 inches, ending the year almost 10 inches above normal in the precipitation category.

2013 and 2014 were slightly above average, with 29.94 inches in 2013, and 28.23 inches in 2014.  However, that was not enough to make up the deficit caused by the relatively dry years of 2011 and 2012, when we got just over 20 inches each year.

During 2011 and 2012 lawns were in constant need of watering, and water levels in Sheldon’s shallow wells were running low.  In both years, though,the heaviest rains of the year came in late spring or early summer, giving the corn and soybean crops the moisture boost needed to garner good yields.

With the above average precipitation in 2015, Sheldon City Manager Scott Wynja tells us that the City has been able to begin bringing their shallow wells back online, providing softer water to Sheldon residents.  2015’s above average precip should lead to abundant ground water for next season’s crops.

In case you’re wondering where the “normal” precipitation and temperature numbers come from, they’re based on a 30-year average, and are re-calculated every 10 years.

Sheldon’s Official Weather Data is collected and recorded at KIWA for the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls.

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