Monthly Weather Report

Iowa Monthly Weather Summary – December 2025

General Summary

Temperatures averaged 23.6 degrees, 1.4 degrees below normal while precipitation totaled 0.92 inch or 0.45 inch below normal. December 2025 ranks as the 65th coldest in 153 years of statewide records. It also ranks as the 54th driest December on record. December 2022 was colder while 2021 was drier.

Temperatures

Monthly average temperatures varied over Iowa with below-normal conditions across the state’s northeastern half while slightly above-normal temperatures were reported along the Iowa-Nebraska border. December’s statewide average maximum temperature was 33.0 degrees, 0.2 degree below normal while the average minimum temperature was 14.1 degrees, 2.7 degrees below normal. Clarinda (Page County) reported the month’s high temperature of 62 degrees on the 23rd, 27 degrees above normal. Battle Creek (Ida County) and Pocahontas (Pocahontas County) reported the month’s low temperature of -20 degrees on the 14th, on average 34 degrees below normal. Pocahontas reported the same overnight low on the 15th as well.

Heating Degree Day Totals

Home heating requirements, as estimated by heating degree day totals, averaged 14% more than last December and 5% more than normal. Thus far this heating season, heating degree day totals are running 8% more than last year at this time and 10% more than normal.

Precipitation

Much of the northeast and southwest quadrants of Iowa reported precipitation deficits in the 0.50 to 1.00 inch range. Pockets of stations along a northwest to southeast swath of Iowa observed slightly above normal precipitation with the wettest conditions in the southeast; this swath is collocated with a band of above-normal snow accumulation. The statewide average snowfall was 8.0 inches, 0.1 inch above normal. Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 0.18 inch in Clarinda to 3.85 inches in Muscatine (Muscatine County). An observer in Fort Dodge (Webster County) observed the highest monthly snowfall of 21.0 inches.

US Drought Monitor

As of the first week of December, Moderate Drought (D1) conditions covered 21% of Iowa with D0 (Abnormally Dry) conditions over 44% of the state. Overall drought and dryness in Iowa improved through the month as several winter systems brought snow and rain.  A pocket of D1 was removed from northwest Iowa along with improvements in central to eastern Iowa. The first USDM map of 2026 showed the categorical breakdown as: D0 – 32% and D1 – 17%. According to the Iowa Drought Plan (IDP) trigger tables updated on January 8th, Drought Regions 3 and 5 are classified as in a “Drought Watch” while the remaining Drought Regions are classified as “Normal” with degrading conditions in Drought Region 2 and stable conditions in Drought Regions 1 and 4.

Justin 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

* Departures are computed from 1991-2020 normals. Due to the federal government shutdown, observations are still preliminary.
The weather data in this report are based upon information collected by the U. S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA National Weather Service.