Statewide Iowa — October wrapped up as one of Iowa’s 20 driest Octobers in 150 years of record keeping. State climatologist Justin Glisan says the northwest and central regions of the state were as much as two-and-a-half inches below normal for rainfall for the month.
Temperatures were widely varied for the month, with some days in the 90s for highs and some nights falling well below freezing and into the teens. November is starting off warm but the short-term forecasts indicate that won’t last but another day or so.
Glisan says it appears the weather pattern known as La Niña will continue into the winter ahead for a third straight year, which is unusual.
La Niña happens when cold sea surface temperatures in the Pacific impact where the storm track sets up across the country. With the wide temperature swings during October, Glisan says it all balanced out as the average temperature for the month was less than one degree below normal.
