What in the Weather?

It's Swass season, y'all. 00:00:49 – This Day in Iowa Weather History: the 1984 temperature swing from 35°F frost at Elkader to 100°F at Shenandoah in 24 hours 01:19 – Weekly trivia question introduced: what's Iowa's record 24-hour precipitation total? 03:15 – Weather forecast headline: slight severe storm risk overnight, hot and mostly dry week ahead with highs in the low-to-mid 90s 04:12 – Exten...

Resources: VDIFN Tool Ari's tutorial on YouTube for visual aids VDIFN User's Manual Crop Risk Tool [00:00:08] Dan introduces the episode, recorded in advance while he's away, featuring guest Ari Abbrescia, Organic and Sustainable Agricultural Outreach Specialist with UW-Madison Extension. [00:00:48] Ari provides an overview of the VDIFN (Vegetable Disease and Insect Forecasting Network) , includin...

Welcome & Iowa Weather History: The 1952 F4 Tornado and the Train that raced to outrun it [00:00:07] 7-Day Weather Forecast: Quieter Pattern, QPF Totals, and Warming Trend [00:01:15] Ring of Fire & Ridge Riders: How the Setup Affects Iowa Rain Chances [00:02:13] 8–14 Day & Monthly Climate Outlooks: Warm Signal, Near-Normal Precip, and El Niño Influence [00:02:39] 8–14 Day Hazards: Slight Risk for...

Episode Summary 00:00:32 – Iowa weather history: a severe 1978 thunderstorm with softball-sized hail and damaging winds from Sioux City to Webster City 00:01:09 – Follow-up on the latest recorded frost in Iowa history (June 22, 1902, in Columbus Junction) and the cooler global climate trends of that era 00:02:21 – Weekly forecast: continued active weather, more rain Saturday night into Sunday, nea...

[00:00:42] This day in Iowa weather history: a late freeze in 1928 brought 32°F lows to Decorah and frost across the state [00:01:22] Weekend forecast: a break from the heat is coming, but severe weather is likely — enhanced risk (3 of 5) for much of Iowa, with 3–5 inches of rain possible in the southern third of the state [00:03:15] Climate outlook 6–10 days (June 15–19): 60–70% chance of below-n...

[00:00:30] This day in Iowa weather history: the devastating 1860 tornado outbreak across central and eastern Iowa that killed at least 134 people and left 2,500 homeless [00:02:44] Weekly weather forecast: rain chances Thursday and Friday, ¾"–1.5" possible; highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s [00:03:35] 8–14 day outlook (June 10–16): above-normal temperatures, slightly wetter conditions; slight ris...

[00:00:52] On this day in Iowa weather history: 6.5 inches of rain fell in 2½ hours in Wesley, Kossuth County on May 25–26, 1991, damaging 80% of homes [00:01:22] Week-ahead forecast: Sunny skies, temperatures in the 80s, quiet storm track — little to no precipitation expected [00:02:01] 8-to-14-day outlook (valid June 2–8): Below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures likely across Io...

00:00:35 Iowa weather history: May 1892 flooding and rare late-season snow/sleet event 00:01:17 Weekly forecast: Cooler with rain chances Thu–Fri, warming into Memorial Day weekend 00:01:40 Rainfall outlook: Light to moderate precipitation, heaviest in southwest Iowa 00:02:03 Frost update: No widespread frost, but isolated 32°F readings reported 00:02:20 8–14 day outlook: Strong signal for above-n...

[00:00:38] This day in Iowa weather history — a rare late-season snowfall in Des Moines on May 13th, 1918 [00:01:24] Short-term forecast — warm and active week ahead, with storm chances building through days 4–6 and 1.5–2" of rainfall possible for much of the state [00:02:58] Temperature outlook — 60s early in the week rising to the upper 80s by Friday through Sunday [00:04:06] Long-term temperatu...

[00:00:26] On this day in Iowa weather history: 7 tornadoes touched down in Iowa on May 7, 1964, causing significant damage and injuries in northeastern Iowa [00:00:59] 7-day forecast: Quiet, seasonal stretch ahead with temps in the 60s–70s; minimal rainfall statewide (up to 1/4" in southeast Iowa Saturday night) [00:01:39] Field work update: Central Iowa behind due to wet spring; northwest Iowa d...

[00:00:41] This day in Iowa weather history: The cold and snowy spring of 1907, linked to the eruption of the Ksudach volcano in eastern Russia [00:01:45] This week's forecast: A welcome break from active weather with temperatures reaching the 60s and 70s, mostly sunny skies, and high pressure taking hold [00:02:33] Frost advisory alert: Chances of frost Thursday and Friday nights, with lows near...

00:00:33 Madelynn returns from maternity leave—baby Lucille (Lucy) born Jan 21 (9 days late), quick hospital stay, family support, travel to 4 states; transitioning to part-time (30 hrs/wk, 3 office days, reachable Thu/Fri). 00:02:48 On this day in Iowa history: 1870 Estherville Vindicator first used "blizzard" for weather (earliest known); etymology from 19th-century US (violent blow/gunshot to s...

What in the Weather: Iowa Weather and Specialty Crops Update - April 16, 2026 00:00:13 - Intro and This Day in Iowa Weather History : Iowa weather history from April 16, 1967, including an F3 tornado, large hail, fatalities, and historic dust storms the next day. 00:02:10 - Short-Term Forecast : Discussion of severe weather risks through Friday, followed by cooler weekend temps with freeze potenti...

  What in the Weather | Episode Summary — April 9, 2026   [00:00:28] On this day in Iowa weather history: the 2007 Easter freeze cold wave event (April 3–10) and its impacts on winter wheat, blooming fruits, and emerging corn across the Central Plains and Midwest. [00:02:44] Seven-day weather forecast for Iowa: an active, warm, and wet pattern with multiple storm systems, a 15% chance of severe th...

Episode Summary: "What in the Weather" — April 2, 2026 00:27  –  Iowa Weather History (1982):  A dramatic cold front brought an 84–85°F high, then a 40°F temperature drop within an hour, followed by snow and blizzard conditions. 01:28  –  This Week's Forecast:  Two rounds of potential severe weather Thursday and Friday; rainfall 1–2½"+; followed by a weekend cool-down with frost and freeze potenti...

Episode Summary 00:00:08 – 1907 Iowa weather history: record 92°F March heat, followed by volcanic eruption–driven spring cooling 00:01:31 – New March 2026 heat record: Little Sioux hits 97°F, breaking the all‑time Iowa March temperature record and surpassing previous 92°F marks from 1907 and 1986. 00:03:37 – This week's forecast: small rain chance Thursday, brief freeze Friday night, then tempera...

Episode Summary • [00:00:19] Welcome and introductions — Dan Fillius and Justin Glisan kick off the episode. • [00:00:40] On this day in Iowa weather history — a powerful 1954 storm brought dirty snow, sleet, freezing rain, and widespread damage to telephone and power lines across Iowa. • [00:01:19] Week ahead forecast — a winter storm system is expected this weekend with significant precipitation...

Season 4 kicks off with Dan Fillius and Justin Glisan; Madelynn Wuestenberg is on maternity leave On this day in Iowa weather history: the record-breaking snowstorm of March 4–6, 1959, which stranded an estimated 20,000 vehicles in Des Moines Active weather week ahead: strong to severe thunderstorm potential, especially southern Iowa, with 1.5–2.5 inches of rain possible in the southeast over the...

What in the Weather – Episode Summary Iowa Specialty Producers Conference | February 24, 2026 | Ankeny, Iowa This episode is a live recording of the What in the Weather podcast session presented at the Iowa Specialty Producers Conference. State Climatologist Justin Glisan and host Dan Fillius cover current weather conditions, a full 2025 weather year in review, and crop and pest impacts for Iowa s...

Episode Summary Topics Covered: • 00:00:29 - Iowa Weather History (January 27-28, 1977): The devastating 1977 blizzard that struck northern and eastern Iowa with winds up to 55 mph, 6-foot snow drifts, and wind chills dropping to negative 60 to negative 90 • 00:01:32 - Weekly Weather Forecast: Warming trend ahead with temperatures climbing from teens/20s to the 30s by Monday/Tuesday; quiet storm t...

Podcast Summary Weather History & Current Conditions (December 18, 2025) Historic perspective: December 18, 1976 saw unseasonably warm temps reaching 64°F in Des Moines Recent pattern shift from active Alberta Clippers bringing light, fluffy snow to warmer, drier conditions Flash freeze warning for today as cold front passes through with potential snow squalls White Christmas Outlook Historical pr...

Weather Forecast & Outlook: Alberta Clipper brings nose dive in temperatures with wind chills in negative teens to negative 20s Quiet storm track ahead with possible flurries Saturday night December outlook: below normal temperatures for entire state, slightly below normal precipitation for southern/western Iowa Recent Weather Highlights: Recent snowstorm (8.5" statewide average) makes November ra...

Weather Forecast: Big winter cooldown coming this weekend with lows in the teens and highs in the upper 20s-low 30s Potential snowfall of 1-5 inches across northern Iowa Saturday into Sunday Temperatures warming back to the 50s early next week Leaning warmer and slightly wetter pattern continues in 8-14 day outlook (Nov 13-19) Historical Weather: Looking back at the November 6, 1990 snowstorm that...

Historical Weather : On October 23, 1908, southwestern Iowa received significant early snowfall—up to 11 inches in Clarinda Current Frost Event : 57 of 160-200 weather stations recorded temperatures at or below 32°F this week, though not considered meteorologically "widespread" Weather Forecast : Stable pattern for next few days, then rain chances Sunday night through Tuesday (0.5-1+ inches expect...

Weather History & Current Conditions Historical note: In 1950, Des Moines saw a 14° temperature spike in 5 minutes during a thunderstorm, reaching 87° due to prefrontal warming Current forecast: Cold front Friday with showers/thunderstorms, then cooler temps - returning to seasonal averages (mid-60s highs, upper-40s lows) Frost Watch Only 5 Iowa stations have hit freezing so far (Elkader, Sioux Ce...