(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says forecasters are seeing a mixed bag of weather ahead in November and into the winter when it comes to the temperature and potential snowfall. “Temperature signal is still seeing warmer than average probabilities, but also a bull’s eye of above average potential on the precipitation side,” Glisan says. After a record dry September and below average rain in October, Glisan says things could turn around a bit. “Even with the short term outlooks trending slightly drier to near normal, getting into the middle of the month overall, it’s looking like a wetter potential as we move through November,” he says. Glisan says any rain we get could help replenish groundwater deficits.

“Definitely need it before we freeze up for in winter time get some moisture in the ground for the next growing season,” he says. Glisan says they are waiting on the formation of the La Nina weather pattern to see what happens.” If we look at the last three La Nina winters, which were three consecutive winters, 2020, through 2022, we trended on the dryer side,” Glisan says. “So we’ll just have to see once that La Nina forms. But overall, if we look at historical records, slightly more snow, but overall drier, trending drier in the wintertime.”

The projection right now is slightly more snowfall, four to six inches above our normal average for the state.