2024 Preliminary Annual Summary
Statewide annual temperatures averaged 51.5 degrees or 3.1 degrees above normal, ranking as the 5th warmest year on record. Annual precipitation averaged 36.95 inches or 1.40 inches more than normal, ranking as the 29th wettest year on record. A warmer year last occurred in 2012 (4th warmest) while a wetter year last occurred in 2019 (12th wettest).
Winter 2023-2024
Temperatures for the three winter months of December, January and February (DJF) averaged 30.7 degrees or 7.8 degrees above normal while precipitation totaled 3.83 inches, 0.32 inch above normal. Winter 2023-2024 ranks as the 2nd warmest and ties 1997 as the 47th wettest; 1877 was warmer while 2022 was wetter (3rd wettest). The statewide average snowfall was 20.1 inches, 2.00 inches below normal, making it the 71st least snowy winter in 137 years of records with 2020-2021 experiencing less snow
Spring
Temperatures for the three spring months of March, April and May averaged 51.1 degrees, 2.8 degrees above normal. This ties Spring 1878 and 1894 as the 16th warmest on record. Precipitation totaled 14.22 inches or 3.73 inches above normal. This spring ranks as the 6th wettest in 152 years of observations; Spring 2013 was wetter (wettest on record) while 2012 was warmer (warmest on record).
Summer
Temperatures for the three summer months of June, July and August averaged 71.8 degrees, which is 0.4 degree above normal. Precipitation totaled 13.48 inches or 0.08 inch below normal. This ties 1898, 1910, 1966 and 1989 as the 86th warmest summer on record. It also ranks as the 52nd driest summer in 152 years of records. Summer 2023 was warmer while 2018 was wetter and the 8th wettest on record.
Fall
Temperatures over the three autumn months (September-October-November) averaged 54.8 degrees or 4.3 degrees above normal while precipitation totaled 5.62 inches, 2.37 inches below normal. Fall 2024 ties 1953 as the 5th warmest fall among the period of record; it also tied 1949 as the 35th driest fall on record. Fall 2016 was warmer (3rd warmest) while 2022 was drier.
December Final Summary
Temperatures averaged 28.2 degrees or 3.2 degrees above normal, while precipitation averaged 1.24 inches or 0.13 inch below normal. December 2024 ties 1940 and 2003 as the 37th warmest in 152 years of statewide records; it ties 1881 as the 86th driest. A warmer December occurred just last year (3rd warmest) while a drier one was last recorded in 2021.
Justin Glisan, Ph.D.
State Climatologist of Iowa
