Charles City sees record precipitation in last 12 months

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Data from the National Weather Service shows Iowa set a record for rain and snow over the past 12 months, but Charles City received almost a foot more precipitation than the average across the state.

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.

Charles City received 62.04 inches over that same period, setting the city’s own record for precipitation and beating the average amount of rain received in that time period by more than two feet.

State climatologist Justin Glisan said the past 12 months have been the wettest since 1895, the year officials began keeping statewide weather records.

USDA Midwest Climate Hub Director Dennis Todey said the increased precipitation is part of the state’s overall changing climate.

“The projections are that more and bigger rainfalls are going to continue on a seasonal basis, especially in the spring,” he said. “These big rainfall events in the spring produce bigger flooding issues because when that rain falls on top of snow, you get the snowmelt that we saw in parts of Iowa and Nebraska.”

The average amount of precipitation received in Charles City per year is 33.47 inches, according to records kept by the National Weather Service since 1893. The June 2018 through May 2019 total in Charles City was almost 28 inches more than that.

For the calendar year, Charles City received 61.37 inches of rain and the water content of the snow that fell. That easily set a record, topping the 58.49 inches received in 2016 and the 51.4 inches received in 1999.

Interestingly, only one month last year set its own individual record — June, when 11.81 inches of rain came down. But almost every month received higher-than-average precipitation, resulting in the record total for the year.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report, including reporting from The Des Moines Register.