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NOAA says record rain, snow fell on Iowa over last year

News, Weather

June 15th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Iowa set a record for rain and snow over the past 12 months.
The Des Moines Register reports that the state saw nearly 51 inches of precipitation from June 2018 through May of this year. That’s about 16 inches more than the 34.42 inches the state averaged per year from 1981 to 2010.

State climatologist Justin Glisan says the past 12 months have been the wettest since 1895, the year officials began keeping weather records. He says Iowa can expect more rain as temperatures increase this summer, because higher temperatures create more water vapor in the atmosphere.

The USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames is predicting higher than average rainfall for most of the summer.