Past IEM Features tagged: 2025
2025 1+ Sigma Days
06 Jan 2026 05:30 AMContinuing the theme of looking back on 2025, today's featured chart computes the percentage of days each year with a high temperature of at least one standard deviation above average for Ames. The statistics for each year are computed over the present day period of record for the site, so that is a caveat to the plot. The usage of a standard deviation helps to normalize the departures as a day ten degrees above average during the summer is less frequent than during the winter, for example. That aside, last year comes in the top ten for having the largest percentage of such above average. The other years include some notable years during the Dust Bowl and also the drought year of 2012. The flood year of 1993 leads the bottom ten with a remarkable low count of such warm days!
Voting:
Good: 8
Bad: 0
Tags: 2025
2025 High Temp Days
05 Jan 2026 05:30 AMThere is still time to go back and review how the year 2025 stacked up. The featured chart presents the number of days per year that the high temperature was at least the given threshold value for Ames. The orange bars show the 2025 totals with the blue bars + labels representing the maximum value and which year(s) it occurred. The yellow dots show a simple long term average and the triangles show the minimum total on record. The year 2025 is shown above average for all plotted thresholds below 97°F. Totals for the previous year around 80°F are not far from record values. This chart is indicative of a climate change trend for Iowa, which is an increase in warm days, but not much for really hot days due to increased humidity levels during the summer.
Voting:
Good: 15
Bad: 0
Tags: 2025
1,000+ Warnings in 3 Days
17 Mar 2025 06:59 AMAn expansive early spring season storm brought rough weather to much of the country starting on Friday and through Sunday. Based on unofficial IEM accounting, the National Weather Service issued 1,011 Tornado + Severe Thunderstorm + Flash Flood Warnings over this three day period. The featured chart presents the largest number of such combined warnings over a three day period fully within March. This event comes in first place with subsequent combinations including part of this past weekend even ranking in the top ten as well. This event also featured a very rare Storm Prediction Center Day 2 "High Risk" issuance for Mississippi and Alabama. For Iowa, the active weather pattern will continue this week with about any type of weather you can imagine possible during some time this week.
Voting:
Good: 8
Bad: 1
Tags: wwa mar 2025