Monthly Weather Report

Iowa Monthly Weather Summary – March 2026

General Summary

Statewide temperatures averaged 42.6 degrees or 6.2 degrees above normal while precipitation totaled 1.97 inches, 0.02 inch below normal. March 2026 ties 1921 as the 12th warmest in 154 years of records. It also ranks as the 67th wettest/88th driest March on record. A warmer and wetter March occurred last year, while 2023 was drier.

Temperatures

Unseasonable warmth blanketed Iowa through March with the warmest conditions across south-central Iowa; stations there reported positive departures approaching eight degrees. March’s statewide average maximum temperature was 55.6 degrees, 9.3 degrees above normal, while the average minimum temperature was 29.6 degrees, 3.1 degrees above normal. Little Sioux (Harrison County) reported the month’s high temperature of 97 degrees on the 21st, 46 degrees above normal. This reading sets the new March statewide record high temperature, which was set on March 25th, 1907, in Clarinda (Page County) and Massena (Cass County) and tied on March 29th, 1986, at Glenwood (Mills County). Spencer Municipal Airport (Clay County) recorded the month’s low temperature of -5 degrees on the 17th, 30 degrees below normal.

Heating Degree Days

Home heating requirements, estimated by heating degree day totals, averaged 1% more than last March and 22% less than normal. Heating degree day totals are running 2% less than last year at this time and 10% less than normal.

Precipitation

The western periphery, along with portions of southern and eastern Iowa, had precipitation deficits of over an inch. Much of the rest of Iowa saw near normal to slightly wetter conditions. Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 0.37 inch at a Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network gauge in Le Mars (Plymouth County) to 3.96 inches at a CoCoRaHS gauge in Corydon (Wayne County).

US Drought Monitor

The US Drought Monitor showed some improvement across portions of the state through March. Overall, Iowa experienced a 12% decrease in Abnormal Dryness (D0) along with a 9% decrease in D1 (Moderate Drought). D2 conditions expanded across northwestern Iowa by 5%. As of the first USDM map of April, the area designated as D0 covers 37% of the state. For drought categories, D1 covers about 13% while D2 covers 3.5%. According to the Iowa Drought Plan (IDP) trigger tables, Drought Region 1 is the only region classified as in a “Watch.” The remaining Drought Regions are classified as “Normal” with improving conditions.

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.