Weekly Iowa Weather Summary, November 4, 2018

Much of Iowa had slightly warmer than average temperatures from the end of October into early November; temperatures were around two degrees warmer than normal. The reporting period saw above average rainfall mainly in eastern Iowa with many locations between 0.40-0.80 inches above normal.

Light rain showers moved across eastern Iowa on Monday with only a handful of stations reporting measurable rainfall; Cedar Rapids (Linn County) reported 0.11 inches. Widespread and heavier rain fell on Tuesday as a cold front swept across Iowa. Afternoon thunderstorms quickly formed and moved into Illinois. Maquoketa (Jackson County) observed 1.67 inches, 1.58 inches above normal. Keokuk (Lee County) reported 0.50 inches as the front slowly moved southeast.

Wednesday was a quiet day with high pressure controlling the pattern. Conditions were partly to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 50s. A low pressure system gradually moved into northwest Iowa late Thursday into Friday bringing rain showers to portions of western Iowa. Showers redeveloped during late afternoon in southeastern Iowa.

A second low pressure system slowly moved through the region Saturday into Sunday, bringing widespread, measurable rainfall to much of Iowa. Total accumulations over this period ranged from a few tenths of an inch to well over an inch; Anamosa (Jones County) reported 1.48 inches.

Cloud cover kept daytime highs cooler than normal, ranging from the upper 40s to lower 50s and overnight lows warmer than average. Bloomfield (Davis County) reported the week’s high of 71 degrees on Monday, 12 degrees above average. The week’s coldest overnight low of 25 degrees was recorded in multiple counties in northwestern Iowa on Thursday, on average six degrees cooler than normal.

Source;  By Dr. Justin Glisan, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship