Past Features
This page lists out the IEM Daily Features for a month at a time. Features have been posted on most days since February 2002. List all feature titles.
Mon Mar 03, 2025
Dry start to 2025
03 Mar 2025 05:30 AM
The first two months of 2025 have been on the dry side of average for Iowa, but these two months are also the driest months climatologically. The featured chart looks into how precipitation totals have come in below average for 2025. The long term archive for Des Moines is split into five daily precipitation bins that roughly yield 20% of the total precipitation totals each. The bars show the average number of days per year within each bin, with the labelled percentage values showing the percentage point departure for each bin. The chart shows the number of precipitation days within the lowest two bins are roughly half of average, which mostly explains the departure. A caveat for this type of analysis is that the largest two bins for precipitation have a sub one day frequency, so these events can significantly alter the overall precipitation total. Rewording, it would only take one or two big daily precipitation events to put a significant dent in the departure. So on cue, perhaps once such event will occur Tuesday into Wednesday as a classic late winter / early spring system dominates the weather over much of the US.
Voting: Good - 10 Bad - 0
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03 Mar 2025 05:30 AM
The first two months of 2025 have been on the dry side of average for Iowa, but these two months are also the driest months climatologically. The featured chart looks into how precipitation totals have come in below average for 2025. The long term archive for Des Moines is split into five daily precipitation bins that roughly yield 20% of the total precipitation totals each. The bars show the average number of days per year within each bin, with the labelled percentage values showing the percentage point departure for each bin. The chart shows the number of precipitation days within the lowest two bins are roughly half of average, which mostly explains the departure. A caveat for this type of analysis is that the largest two bins for precipitation have a sub one day frequency, so these events can significantly alter the overall precipitation total. Rewording, it would only take one or two big daily precipitation events to put a significant dent in the departure. So on cue, perhaps once such event will occur Tuesday into Wednesday as a classic late winter / early spring system dominates the weather over much of the US.
Voting: Good - 10 Bad - 0
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Tue Mar 04, 2025
Busy Morning
04 Mar 2025 05:39 AM
It is a busy morning for weather with a significant winter storm strengthening over the High Plains and about to plow eastward. The featured chart presents an IEM accounting of population currently under a given NWS alert headline. A good portion of Iowa is now under a Blizzard Warning for tonight into about noon tomorrow as extreme winds will likely blow around whatever snow that falls. Further to the south, an outbreak of severe weather is expected. If there is any good news, welcome moisture will fall over the state with plenty of rain before a transition to snow.
Voting: Good - 21 Bad - 1
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04 Mar 2025 05:39 AM
It is a busy morning for weather with a significant winter storm strengthening over the High Plains and about to plow eastward. The featured chart presents an IEM accounting of population currently under a given NWS alert headline. A good portion of Iowa is now under a Blizzard Warning for tonight into about noon tomorrow as extreme winds will likely blow around whatever snow that falls. Further to the south, an outbreak of severe weather is expected. If there is any good news, welcome moisture will fall over the state with plenty of rain before a transition to snow.
Voting: Good - 21 Bad - 1
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Wed Mar 05, 2025
March 5th Blizzard
05 Mar 2025 05:41 AM
Blizzard conditions are present over Iowa this Wednesday morning with strong winds and blowing snow. The featured map presents Iowa DOT / State Patrol reported winter road conditions valid at about 5 AM. A remarkable contrast is shown with conditions rapidly changing from normal to travel not advised. The falling snow continues to move off to the east this morning, so conditions will rapidly deteriorate over eastern Iowa as well.
Voting: Good - 18 Bad - 2
Tags: blizzard
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05 Mar 2025 05:41 AM
Blizzard conditions are present over Iowa this Wednesday morning with strong winds and blowing snow. The featured map presents Iowa DOT / State Patrol reported winter road conditions valid at about 5 AM. A remarkable contrast is shown with conditions rapidly changing from normal to travel not advised. The falling snow continues to move off to the east this morning, so conditions will rapidly deteriorate over eastern Iowa as well.
Voting: Good - 18 Bad - 2
Tags: blizzard
Generate This Chart on Website