DES MOINES — Both statewide precipitation and temperatures were above average in January, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
"January 2020 was another wetter than normal month, making the last 24 months the wettest on record in Iowa," said Tim Hall, DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources.
Iowa had 1.27 inches of precipitation in January, above the normal level of 0.92 inches. Temperatures averaged 23 degrees, 3.6 degrees above normal. Bloomfield noted the highest temperature of the month at 63 degrees on Jan. 9, while Logan recorded the lowest at -16 on Jan. 21.
Above average snowfall also blanketed much of the state, with an average snowfall of 11.2 inches, 3.5 inches above average. This ties 1905 and 2018 as the 20th snowiest January, based on 133 years of records.
Streamflow conditions in the state have decreased slightly from last month, and are now rated as above normal in most places. Nearly the entire Mississippi River and Missouri River basins are currently free from drought and dryness.
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.