Iowa Monthly Weather Summary – February 2025
General Summary
Temperatures averaged 20.9 degrees or 3.2 degrees below normal while precipitation totaled 0.40 inch, 0.78 inch below normal. February 2025 ties 1874/1886 as the 62nd coldest Feb. in 153 years of statewide records; it also ranks as the 17th driest. February 2021 was colder while 2024 was drier (4th driest).
Temperatures
Temperatures were below average across the state through February. The coldest conditions were found in western Iowa where departures approached seven degrees below normal. Pockets of eastern Iowa were one to two degrees below average.
February’s statewide average maximum temperature was 30.8 degrees, 2.3 degrees below normal while the average minimum temperature was 10.9 degrees, 4.3 degrees below normal. Red Oak (Montgomery County) reported the month’s high temperature of 67 degrees on the 24th, 25 degrees above normal. Fayette (Fayette County) and Pocohontas (Pocohontas County) reported the month’s low temperature of -23 degrees on the 18th, on average 33 degrees below normal.
Heating Degree Day Totals
Home heating requirements, as estimated by heating degree day totals, were 60% more than last February and 7% more than normal. Thus far this heating season, heating degree day totals are running 13% more than last year at this time and 6% less than normal.
Precipitation
Iowa’s National Weather Service (NWS) co-op stations reported below-normal precipitation with the driest conditions in eastern and southern Iowa; many stations reported deficits of at least 0.75 inch. Monthly precipitation totals ranged 0.10 inch at several stations to 1.72 inches in Parnell (Iowa County). The statewide average snowfall was 4.8 inches, 2.0 inches below normal. The highest snowfall total of 17.0 inches was observed at Little Sioux (Harrison County).
Winter Summary
Temperatures for the three winter months of December, January and February (DJF) averaged 22.6 degrees or 0.2 degree below normal while precipitation totaled 2.00 inches, 1.52 inches below normal. Winter 2024-2025 ties 1949 and 1966 as the 77th coldest and ranks as the 18th driest; 2019-2020 was colder while 2020-2021 was drier. The statewide average snowfall was 8.8 inches, 13.3 inches below normal, making it the 4th least snowy winter in 138 years of records.
US Drought Monitor
The US Drought Monitor remained static across much of Iowa through February. There was a pocket of degradation in central Iowa and smaller areas in the northeast and southeast. The area of northwest classified in D2 (Extreme Drought) held at steady at 1.2% while the areas of D1 (Moderate Drought) increased by nearly 11% to 71% coverage. As of the first week of March, 14% of the state was rated free from drought and dryness.
Justin M. Glisan, Ph.D.
State Climatologist of Iowa
Iowa Dept. of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Wallace State Office Bldg.
Des Moines, IA 50319
Telephone; (515) 281-8981
E-mail: Justin.Glisan@IowaAgriculture.gov
Weather by Districts
| TEMPERATURE (F) | HEATING DEGREE DAYS | PRECIPITATION (inches) | |||||||||
| SNOWFALL | |||||||||||
| February 2025 | February 2025 | Since Jul., 1, 2024 | February 2025 | Since Jan.1, 2025 | Feb 2025 | ||||||
| DISTRICT | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average |
| Northwest | 17.4 | -4.0 | 1333 | +113 | 5279 | -370 | 0.22 | -0.63 | 0.27 | -1.29 | 2.8 |
| North Central | 17.1 | -3.7 | 1341 | +102 | 5323 | -358 | 0.39 | -0.65 | 0.43 | -1.50 | 4.1 |
| Northeast | 18.6 | -2.9 | 1299 | +82 | 5244 | -325 | 0.36 | -0.87 | 0.43 | -1.94 | 4.9 |
| West Central | 20.4 | -3.9 | 1249 | +111 | 4899 | -341 | 0.40 | -0.57 | 0.59 | -1.15 | 5.9 |
| Central | 21.1 | -3.0 | 1229 | +83 | 4877 | -345 | 0.36 | -0.76 | 0.57 | -1.47 | 5.2 |
| East Central | 22.9 | -1.9 | 1179 | +54 | 4792 | -295 | 0.55 | -0.91 | 1.02 | -1.65 | 5.3 |
| Southwest | 22.5 | -4.8 | 1190 | +133 | 4602 | -243 | 0.38 | -0.73 | 0.54 | -1.40 | 6.7 |
| South Central | 24.4 | -2.9 | 1137 | +81 | 4533 | -279 | 0.40 | -0.94 | 1.22 | -1.10 | 5.4 |
| Southeast | 25.3 | -2.2 | 1112 | +61 | 4510 | -227 | 0.62 | -1.00 | 1.39 | -1.55 | 3.9 |
| STATE | 20.9 | -3.2 | 1224 | +82 | 4890 | -314 | 0.40 | -0.78 | 0.69 | -1.46 | 4.8 |
* Departures are computed from 1991-2020 normals.
The weather data in this report are based upon information collected by the U. S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA National Weather Service.
