Iowa Monthly Weather Summary – May 2025
General Summary
Temperatures averaged 59.7degrees or 0.2 degrees below normal while precipitation totaled 2.59 inches or 2.25 inches below normal. May 2025 ties 1960 and 1993 as the 72nd coldest and ties 1963 as the 64th driest May in 153 years of statewide records. A colder May occurred in 2021 while a drier May occurred in 2023.
Spring Summary
Temperatures for the three spring months of March, April and May averaged 50.8 degrees, 2.5 degrees above normal. This ranks as the 23rd warmest spring on record. Precipitation totaled 8.55 inches or 1.95 inches below normal, tying 1963 as the 64th driest in 153 years of observations; Spring 2024 was warmer while 2023 was drier.
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 | |||||||||||
| May 2025 | May 2025 | Since Jul., 1, 2024 | May 2025 | Since Jan.1, 2025 | May 2025 | ||||||
| DISTRICT | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average | Departure* | Average |
| Northwest | 59.1 | +0.3 | 231 | -13 | 6779 | -625 | 2.10 | -2.17 | 7.55 | -3.18 | 0.0 |
| North Central | 58.9 | +0.4 | 234 | -14 | 6855 | -608 | 2.51 | -2.37 | 10.82 | -1.69 | 0.0 |
| Northeast | 58.4 | 0.0 | 241 | -6 | 6791 | -539 | 2.37 | -2.35 | 10.34 | -2.68 | 0.0 |
| West Central | 59.8 | -0.2 | 211 | -2 | 6280 | -540 | 2.28 | -2.44 | 8.53 | -3.18 | 0.0 |
| Central | 60.0 | -0.1 | 207 | -4 | 6230 | -576 | 3.12 | -1.84 | 10.42 | -2.37 | 0.0 |
| East Central | 60.2 | -0.4 | 201 | +2 | 6098 | -530 | 3.35 | -1.27 | 10.13 | -3.15 | 0.0 |
| Southwest | 60.4 | -0.9 | 195 | +12 | 5832 | -430 | 2.08 | -3.20 | 7.14 | -5.57 | 0.0 |
| South Central | 60.4 | -0.7 | 194 | +7 | 5751 | -487 | 2.72 | -2.50 | 8.79 | -4.74 | 0.0 |
| Southeast | 60.6 | -1.1 | 191 | +16 | 5729 | -409 | 2.81 | -2.31 | 9.39 | -4.71 | 0.0 |
| STATE | 59.7 | -0.2 | 210 | -1 | 6250 | -538 | 2.59 | -2.25 | 9.28 | -3.37 | 0.0 |
* 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.
