Past Features
This page lists out the IEM Daily Features for a month at a time. Features have been posted on most days since February 2002. List all feature titles.
Tue Apr 01, 2025
Windy March Days
01 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
Compared with most days this March, winds were not all that bad yesterday to end the month. The featured chart presents the number of days each March with a daily peak wind gust of at least 30 MPH at Mason City (NC Iowa). The 19 days this year is the most since at least 1973. While some data exists prior to 1973 for the site, observation techniques and reporting were different prior to then making longer term comparisons a bit tricky. That aside, it is interesting to see each of the past six years above a recent trend line and longer term average. A common refrain from Iowans is that it is windier now than in the past, but authoritatively answering that statement with observed data is difficult.
Voting: Good - 11 Bad - 3
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01 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
Compared with most days this March, winds were not all that bad yesterday to end the month. The featured chart presents the number of days each March with a daily peak wind gust of at least 30 MPH at Mason City (NC Iowa). The 19 days this year is the most since at least 1973. While some data exists prior to 1973 for the site, observation techniques and reporting were different prior to then making longer term comparisons a bit tricky. That aside, it is interesting to see each of the past six years above a recent trend line and longer term average. A common refrain from Iowans is that it is windier now than in the past, but authoritatively answering that statement with observed data is difficult.
Voting: Good - 11 Bad - 3
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Wed Apr 02, 2025
Four Days of Moderate Risks
02 Apr 2025 05:33 AM
The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) issues an Excessive Rainfall Outlook, which is akin to the Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) Convective Outlook with similar threat levels. This outlook for the next four days has a moderate risk forecast for approximately the same location over the mid Mississippi Valley region. The featured image presents these four outlooks as they are currently forecast this Wednesday morning. The outlook for Thursday even has a high risk area delineated, which like the SPC high risk, is reserved for the most extreme of events. Forecast rainfall totals over this period are expected near ten inches with isolated higher amounts approaching fifteen inches and perhaps even more.
Voting: Good - 22 Bad - 1
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02 Apr 2025 05:33 AM
The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) issues an Excessive Rainfall Outlook, which is akin to the Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) Convective Outlook with similar threat levels. This outlook for the next four days has a moderate risk forecast for approximately the same location over the mid Mississippi Valley region. The featured image presents these four outlooks as they are currently forecast this Wednesday morning. The outlook for Thursday even has a high risk area delineated, which like the SPC high risk, is reserved for the most extreme of events. Forecast rainfall totals over this period are expected near ten inches with isolated higher amounts approaching fifteen inches and perhaps even more.
Voting: Good - 22 Bad - 1
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Thu Apr 03, 2025
Hours of 20+ MPH
03 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
Winds on Wednesday were once again quite windy with gusts topping 50 MPH for some parts of the state. So the daily feature is once again attempting to quantify if this year has been windier than average or even the windiest on record as many Iowans continue to believe. The featured chart presents the number of hours for the year to date period with a sustained wind speed of at least 20 MPH. While this year's value falls just outside of the top 10, it certainly is above average with the bottom panel showing the hourly frequency above average for nearby all of the daylight hours of the day. Of course, there is no one simple metric to answer the question on how windy it has been this year. This website certainly offers a number of "autoplot" tools to investigate this yourself as you can follow the "generate chart" button on this feature and turn knobs until you find 2025 on top!
Voting: Good - 13 Bad - 0
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03 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
Winds on Wednesday were once again quite windy with gusts topping 50 MPH for some parts of the state. So the daily feature is once again attempting to quantify if this year has been windier than average or even the windiest on record as many Iowans continue to believe. The featured chart presents the number of hours for the year to date period with a sustained wind speed of at least 20 MPH. While this year's value falls just outside of the top 10, it certainly is above average with the bottom panel showing the hourly frequency above average for nearby all of the daylight hours of the day. Of course, there is no one simple metric to answer the question on how windy it has been this year. This website certainly offers a number of "autoplot" tools to investigate this yourself as you can follow the "generate chart" button on this feature and turn knobs until you find 2025 on top!
Voting: Good - 13 Bad - 0
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Fri Apr 04, 2025
Finding Highs in the 50s
04 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
Early April can be a frustrating time in Iowa as a long cold season has everyone ready for great spring weather, but chilly temperatures are still quite possible and the growing season is not fully started yet. The near term forecast has daily high temperatures mostly in the 50s for the next number of days, so today's featured chart looks into which months have the highest frequency of such days for Ames. It turns out that April has the highest frequency of such days, but you notice a rapid drop off for May and the frequency is basically zero for the summer months of June through August.
Voting: Good - 11 Bad - 3
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04 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
Early April can be a frustrating time in Iowa as a long cold season has everyone ready for great spring weather, but chilly temperatures are still quite possible and the growing season is not fully started yet. The near term forecast has daily high temperatures mostly in the 50s for the next number of days, so today's featured chart looks into which months have the highest frequency of such days for Ames. It turns out that April has the highest frequency of such days, but you notice a rapid drop off for May and the frequency is basically zero for the summer months of June through August.
Voting: Good - 11 Bad - 3
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Mon Apr 07, 2025
Pleasant April Afternoon
07 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
The featured map presents a simple analysis of airport temperature observations from 6 PM on Sunday (23 UTC). It was a rather pleasant April afternoon with not too much wind, sunshine and temperatures shown in the 50s to lower 60s. Chillier air will start off the work week today with warmer temperatures and chances of rain by the end of the week. After lamenting if we can avoid any further winter season weather and have some spring before summer arrives by the daily features last week, it appears this week will be just that with some in-between those two seasons weather.
Voting: Good - 5 Bad - 0
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07 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
The featured map presents a simple analysis of airport temperature observations from 6 PM on Sunday (23 UTC). It was a rather pleasant April afternoon with not too much wind, sunshine and temperatures shown in the 50s to lower 60s. Chillier air will start off the work week today with warmer temperatures and chances of rain by the end of the week. After lamenting if we can avoid any further winter season weather and have some spring before summer arrives by the daily features last week, it appears this week will be just that with some in-between those two seasons weather.
Voting: Good - 5 Bad - 0
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Tue Apr 08, 2025
2025 YTD Precipitation
08 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
It is as good of a time as any to check in on year to date precipitation accumulations. The featured chart does just that for Ames, presenting the yearly accumulated value for this year, last year, the driest and wettest years along with the climatology. This year is sitting right at about average, but running well behind the 2024 total for the same year to date period. In some regards, what happens for the first three months of the year does not matter much as the totals are meager compared with the upcoming main precipitation months, which can make or break the year total. You can see that there isn't all that much spread between the various lines by the first week of April. Interestingly, you can see how closely 2024 tracked 1993 up until July.
Voting: Good - 16 Bad - 0
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08 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
It is as good of a time as any to check in on year to date precipitation accumulations. The featured chart does just that for Ames, presenting the yearly accumulated value for this year, last year, the driest and wettest years along with the climatology. This year is sitting right at about average, but running well behind the 2024 total for the same year to date period. In some regards, what happens for the first three months of the year does not matter much as the totals are meager compared with the upcoming main precipitation months, which can make or break the year total. You can see that there isn't all that much spread between the various lines by the first week of April. Interestingly, you can see how closely 2024 tracked 1993 up until July.
Voting: Good - 16 Bad - 0
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Wed Apr 09, 2025
Checking Soil Moisture
09 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
As mostly guided by crop insurance dates, the start of the production agriculture growing season in Iowa is just mere days away. So it is a good time to check in on soil moisture analyses with today's featured chart presenting ERA5Land based soil water estimated within the top 1 meter of soil for a location near Ames. With data back to 1950, a climatology is produced along with the 2025 value. The ERA5Land data source is delayed by about seven days, so the bit of rain on 2 April isn't shown within the 2025 data yet. That issue aside, a drier than average situation to start off March has improved some during the month, which is the typical case shown by increasing climatolgy as limited evaporation and no plant usage allow for March rains to efficiently replenish soil moisture. April has gotten off to a decent start moisture wise, but totals over the next seven days look meager.
Voting: Good - 6 Bad - 0
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09 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
As mostly guided by crop insurance dates, the start of the production agriculture growing season in Iowa is just mere days away. So it is a good time to check in on soil moisture analyses with today's featured chart presenting ERA5Land based soil water estimated within the top 1 meter of soil for a location near Ames. With data back to 1950, a climatology is produced along with the 2025 value. The ERA5Land data source is delayed by about seven days, so the bit of rain on 2 April isn't shown within the 2025 data yet. That issue aside, a drier than average situation to start off March has improved some during the month, which is the typical case shown by increasing climatolgy as limited evaporation and no plant usage allow for March rains to efficiently replenish soil moisture. April has gotten off to a decent start moisture wise, but totals over the next seven days look meager.
Voting: Good - 6 Bad - 0
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Thu Apr 10, 2025
Red Flag Warning Duration
10 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
NWS Sioux Falls issued a Red Flag Warning (Fire Weather) Wednesday for its forecast area, which includes a number of Northwestern Iowa counties. The featured chart looks into the duration of these warning events based on the office's warnings since 2006. The plotted lines represent the accumulated frequency of warning events at a given time duration value. An event is a single warning for a single county / forecast zone. The plot nicely shows these events are generally between four and eight hours in duration, which covers the windiest and least humid portion of the daylight day. Shorter duration events are typically covered by other messaging, like the Special Weather Statement and longer duration events are typically not possible with subsiding winds as the boundary layer stabilizes, cools, and increases with humidity.
Voting: Good - 6 Bad - 1
Tags: firewx
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10 Apr 2025 05:30 AM
NWS Sioux Falls issued a Red Flag Warning (Fire Weather) Wednesday for its forecast area, which includes a number of Northwestern Iowa counties. The featured chart looks into the duration of these warning events based on the office's warnings since 2006. The plotted lines represent the accumulated frequency of warning events at a given time duration value. An event is a single warning for a single county / forecast zone. The plot nicely shows these events are generally between four and eight hours in duration, which covers the windiest and least humid portion of the daylight day. Shorter duration events are typically covered by other messaging, like the Special Weather Statement and longer duration events are typically not possible with subsiding winds as the boundary layer stabilizes, cools, and increases with humidity.
Voting: Good - 6 Bad - 1
Tags: firewx
Generate This Chart on Website