Is This Iowa’s Least Snowy Winter on Record?

A phrase that we've all become familiar with here in the Hawkeye State is; if you don't like the weather in Iowa, just wait five minutes.

While Eastern Iowa sees incredibly cold winters, the summers can be absolutely brutal and suffocating.

However, 2025 seems to be off to a strange start weather-wise.

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At the end of 2024, the Farmers Almanac predicted that this season would be a milder winter than in previous years.

“While there will still be plenty of chilly temperatures and snow for most slopes, the high heating costs associated with the season shouldn’t hit so hard. We’re predicting a temperate, uneventful winter—potentially a welcome reprieve from the extremes of recent years," according to the editor-in-chief of the Farmers' Almanac.

States like Iowa, Missouri, eastern Kansas, and Nebraska will reportedly experience warmer temperatures than usual during the 2024-2025 winter season.

Record Breaking Conditions to Start Off 2025 in Eastern Iowa

At the end of January, temperatures were unseasonably warm here in Eastern Iowa.

Record highs were set for Waterloo and Dubuque last week, according to our weather partners at KCRG-TV. 

Meteorologist Justin Roberts confirmed that while it is rare to get temperatures this warm in January, it has happened before.

To put it into perspective, Iowa saw brutally cold conditions during this time in 2019. Many parts of our listenership and beyond were seeing temps at 20-30 below zero.

What About Snow In Eastern Iowa? It Seems Like We Haven't Gotten Much

Usually by this time in the season, we're constantly dealing with snowfall that derails our travel plans. This season has been relatively calm with little snowfall in Eastern Iowa.

I was curious, "is this the least snowy year on record for Iowa?" It has to be, right?

Well, according to Roberts, this isn't necessarily a record-breaking lack of snowfall. It is well below normal though!

In Eastern Iowa, we usually see approximately 8.7 inches of snow by the end of January and 8.6 inches for February.

Cedar Rapids only saw about 3.3 inches of snow during the month of January.

"There’s still plenty of Winter yet to go so hard to say if the snow machine is shut off," the KCRG meteorologist went on to say.

Snow in the Forecast for Iowa In February?

From the looks of things, Eastern Iowa might be seeing a little rain or snow on Wednesday (February 5th) and next Thursday (February 13th).

However, that doesn't mean snow won't be coming through to Eastern Iowa at all! We'll keep you updated as the season continues on any major weather events.

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