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What in the Weather?: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Dan Fillius; Justin Glisan; Madelynn Wuestenberg
This one's for you if you want to understand weather better! Join Dan Fillius, Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Field Specialist, and Dr. Justin Glisan, Iowa's State Climatologist, as they discuss what is happening in the world of Iowa weather. Every week during the main growing season we'll discuss recent weather, its impacts on fruits and vegetables, and provide a climate outlook for the coming week in Iowa. Let us know what you think, though as Mark Twain once said, "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes."
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- 1 weeks ago33 min
10/22/26 - Frost AND Abnormal Warmth
00:25 — Iowa weather history: An October 1996 storm brings heavy rain and early-season snow. 01:18 — Weekly forecast: Rain favors northwest Iowa as temperatures ease 02:52 — Extended outlook: Warmth remains favored into November, with El Niño and jet-stream placement shaping precipitation chances. 06:49 — Winter weather discussion: How the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) could influence polar vortex outbreaks— *analog years aren't a forecast. 10:46 — Weekly recap: Widespread rain, above-average temperatures, and a late frost bring mixed consequences for growers. 12:12 — Agritourism and pumpkin losses: Wet fall weather hurts farm visits and contributes to widespread fruit rot. 13:50 — September rainfall rankings: Why record-setting totals at individual stations can differ from climate-division averages. 16:44 — Weekly weather extremes: Iowa's hottest, coldest, wettest, and driest reporting locations. 17:14 — What makes weather "comfortable"? Comparing Iowa with coastal California, revisiting earthquake memories, and finding Iowa's nicest seasonal weather windows. 24:47 — Horticulture Friday's anniversary and an introduction to pumpkin grower Beany Bode's fall update. 27:51 — Specialty crop reports: Lingering dryness in Kossuth County, later high-tunnel planting dates, broccoli disease losses, and a challenging growing season. 30:26 — Looking ahead for strawberries, followed by an unresolved butternut squash discoloration question. 31:43 — Closing perspective: Why it's too early to trust weather predictions for next growing season. summary generated using perplexity.ai
- 2 weeks ago30 min
10/15/26 - First Widespread Frost Friday Night
00:07–01:47 — Justin recounts the historic October 15–16, 1880 Iowa blizzard, including severe thunderstorms, walnut-sized hail in Des Moines, and 15–20 ft snow drifts in northwest Iowa. 02:11–04:48 — Madelynn leads an ENSO-themed Jeopardy game 04:55–06:35 — Weekly forecast: two low-pressure systems bring widespread rain and strong winds Friday, with possible frost across northern and parts of southern Iowa this weekend; quieter, warmer weather follows next week. 06:40–08:16 — Climate outlook: warm and wet conditions are favored in the 6–10 and 8–14 day periods, with a slight dry lean in weeks 3–4; El Niño tends toward wetter October–November before a drier winter pattern. 08:32–11:46 — Justin reviews strong El Niño analogs, showing warmer historical signals, mixed precipitation patterns, and generally below-normal January–March snowfall—especially in eastern Iowa. 11:50–13:22 — Hazard outlook: an early frost risk verified after several days' notice; CPC flags slight risks for heavy rain October 22–24 and high winds October 22–23. 14:04–16:41 — Frost climatology and context: normal first 32°F freeze ranges from early October in northern Iowa to mid-to-late October in the southeast; recent exceptional warmth makes the upcoming frost feel abrupt but remains seasonally normal. 16:56–20:20 — Past-week review: warm conditions, hail up to 1.75 inches from Sac through Dallas and Warren counties, a surprise Tuesday-morning thunderstorm, and a northwest-to-southeast rainfall band; Sioux City recorded both the weekly high (93°F) and low (39°F). 20:42–21:47 — Discussion of forecast uncertainty: rainfall timing and amounts become more reliable closer to the event, with synoptic-scale patterns often more predictable than localized precipitation bands. 22:05–26:56 — Specialty-crop frost preparations: drain irrigation lines and open valves, protect tender crops, use row cover carefully with hoops to prevent leaf scorch, and ventilate high tunnels to slow overly large overwintered crops and help them acclimate. 26:56–28:16 — Field opportunities: plant garlic and consider overwintered onions, which Dan reports may store better and experience less storage rot than summer-grown onions. 28:16–30:15 — Pest note: leaf-footed bugs are appearing on tomatoes and pumpkins; nymphs are more vulnerable to control than adults, but management remains difficult. summary generated using perplexity.ai
- 3 weeks ago15 min
10/9/26 - Field Work Now, Rain Returns Next Week
01:03 — Weather history: An early October 1970 snowstorm brought record-setting snowfall to western and northwestern Iowa, including nine inches in Hawarden. 01:48 — Seven-day forecast: Warm, mostly quiet weather gives way to midweek rain chances, with 1.5–2 inches possible across southern Iowa. Justin explains the Pacific moisture connection. 04:20 — Improving field conditions: Sunshine, low humidity, and breezes help dry topsoil, renewing opportunities for tillage, garlic planting, and root-crop harvest. 05:12 — October outlooks: A near-term wet signal may largely reflect the approaching storm, while longer-range outlooks favor a return to warmer, drier conditions. 07:52 — Weekly weather recap: Heavy rainfall brought 4–6 inches along a band from Pottawattamie County to Waterloo before nearly a week of sunshine. Highlights include an 88°F high, a 34°F low, and 6.49 inches of rain at Portsmouth. 10:06 — Spinach pest spotlight: Identifying suspected beet webworm damage, recognizing its webbing, and discussing Bt treatment and harvest-quality challenges. 11:52 — Regional growing conditions: Dan reflects on central Iowa's unusually cloudy, wet September and acknowledges that eastern Iowa growers have had a different experience. 13:43 — Upcoming grower events: A November 11 high tunnel short course at the Iowa Arboretum and a free November 10 workshop on food safety and organic certification in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Summary generated using perplexity.ai
- Sep 29, 202617 min
9/29/26 - Maybe the Wettest September on Record
[00:00:31] Iowa weather history: a look back at late-September 1985, when widespread rain, sleet, and snow occurred across Iowa, including trace snowfall in Des Moines. [00:01:26] Forecast headline: widespread rainfall continues through Thursday night, fueled by tropical moisture associated with Hurricane Polo's remnants, monsoonal moisture, and a larger-scale low-pressure system. [00:02:00] Pattern change ahead: sunshine, daytime temperatures in the 60s, overnight lows in the 40s, and a drier, less active weather pattern beginning Friday. [00:02:24] September rainfall records: Des Moines may approach or break its wettest September on record, while only 2.76 inches are needed to break the city's all-time wettest-month record. [00:03:47] Statewide September climate update: Iowa ranks as the fifth warmest and seventh wettest September in 154 years of records, with some locations receiving May-and-June-scale precipitation totals in one month. [00:04:51] Extended outlook: the 8-to-14-day and 3-to-4-week forecasts favor a generally drier pattern. Keep an eye on a short-lived period of much-below-normal temperatures 10/6-10/7 in SE Iowa. [00:07:41] Past-week weather recap: temperatures were slightly below normal for the first time this September, while statewide rainfall averaged 1.26 inches. [00:08:36] Weekly extremes: Clarinda and Shenandoah reached 80°F; Hampton dropped to 45°F; Missouri Valley received 2.73 inches of rain; and parts along the Iowa-Wisconsin border received little or no rain. [00:09:20] Specialty-crop update: sweet potatoes are thriving in the warm, wet season, but harvest appropriately sized roots before they become oversized and harder to market. [00:10:38] Cloud cover and crop growth: Dan and Justin discuss whether unusually cloudy conditions may be limiting photosynthesis, crop sizing, and fall growth; they plan to revisit cloud-cover data next week. [00:11:42] Fall foliage and warm nights: persistent greenness and delayed leaf-color change may reflect warm overnight temperatures and the broader warming signal associated with climate change. [00:12:25] Recommended listening: Dan highlights a recent weather-focused episode of the Growing for Market podcast featuring a Northeast meteorologist. [00:12:57] Grower challenges: growers describe an exceptionally difficult season marked by excessive rain, reduced harvests, poor farmers-market turnout during rain, crop disease and production challenges, and uneven conditions across Iowa. [00:13:44] Western Iowa perspective: a grower in Manning reports a much drier growing season before September; Justin reviews precipitation observations showing 6.65 inches in Manning during September and about 27 inches for the year in nearby Irwin. [00:15:37] Pivot Points podcast spotlight: Dan shares his other podcast, which features farmers navigating setbacks and major changes. He highlights a new episode with Cassie and Michael of Crossroads Community Farm near Madison, Wisconsin. summary generated using perplexity.ai
- Sep 24, 202627 min
9/24/26 - A "Wretched" Summer and "San Diego, IA"
[00:00:34] Iowa weather history: Justin looks back at September 24, 1985, when snowflakes mixed with rain in Des Moines—among the earliest observations of snow in Iowa history. [00:01:19] Weather trivia: Which Iowa sector is most vulnerable to climate variability impacts? [00:01:44] Forecast headline: "endless wet": The team discusses a soggy seven-day outlook, including at least 1.5 inches of statewide precipitation and possible 2–4 inch totals south of a Des Moines-to-Sioux City line. [00:02:50] Near-term forecast details: Showers continue through Sunday morning, followed by a brief early-week break before rain returns Tuesday. Temperatures remain in the 60s, with mild overnight lows. [00:03:18] Hurricane Polo and the quiet Atlantic: Justin explains how Pacific Hurricane Polo's remnants may influence Upper Midwest weather, while the group discusses El Niño, wind shear, and the lack of an Atlantic hurricane so far this season. [00:05:12] 8-to-14-day outlook: Madelynn reviews the early October outlook, which favors above-normal precipitation while keeping temperatures near normal around Iowa. [00:07:16] Hazards outlook: No notable hazards are highlighted in the 8-to-14-day hazards outlook. [00:07:32] Past-week weather recap: The group gives the week its "Flood and Furious" headline and talks about widespread wet conditions, and rain impacts across Iowa. [00:08:46] Iowa weather extremes: Justin reports the wettest location, North Liberty, with 6.75 inches of rain; the driest location, Randolph, with 0.15 inches; and temperature extremes ranging from 97°F in Clarinda to 42°F at Mason City Municipal Airport. [00:09:49] Summer Glory Index: Justin introduces the Summer Glory Index, a measure combining temperature, humidity, and precipitation to assess how pleasant meteorological summer was. [00:11:27] Des Moines' wretched summer: Des Moines recorded 43 disqualifying summer days out of 91, including a particularly oppressive July 27, leading to a Summer Glory Index score of 853. [00:12:07] Putting the summer in context: Dan compares Des Moines' score with Twin Cities history and recent Iowa summers, noting that 2026 skipped past "not glorious" into the "wretched" category. [00:13:31] Monthly Summer Glory breakdown: June scored 583 points, but July had negative 44.5, illustrating the sharp deterioration in summer conditions. [00:13:57] The "San Diego of Iowa": Justin identifies Northwood, Iowa, as the Iowa station whose summer temperatures most closely matched a San Diego-like climate. [00:15:55] Specialty crop impacts and high-tunnel work: Dan shares lessons from helping re-cover the Global Greens greenhouse, including methods for safely installing plastic over high tunnels. [00:17:16] High-tunnel covering techniques: Dan compares traditional plastic-pulling methods with a ridge-spool approach that can reduce billowing and make wet-weather installation more manageable. [00:19:04] Inflation-fan advice: Tips for two-layer plastic systems, including installing fans promptly, keeping a backup fan available, and using outside air to reduce interior condensation. [00:20:39] High-tunnel storm preparation: Dan emphasizes installing anti-billow ropes and keeping a utility knife in every tunnel to protect the steel structure during extreme snow or wind events. [00:22:25] Caterpillar tunnel inside a high tunnel: Dan discusses Andrew Phelps' planned experiment using a caterpillar tunnel within a high tunnel for added winter insulation. [00:22:58] High Tunnel Short Course: Registration is open for the November 11 short course at the Iowa Arboretum. [00:23:13] Hort Friday Field Day delayed: The Iowa Public Radio Hort Friday Field Day is postponed because saturated fields and rain make parking and field access impractical; a new date is expected no earlier than mid-October. [00:23:38] Trivia answer: [00:24:24] A difficult growing season: The group reflects on a challenging year for growers, marked by a poor Summer Glory Index and persistently wet September weather. [00:25:06] Cloud cover and seasonal affective disorder: Madelynn discusses unusually cloudy conditions in Des Moines, with overcast observations occurring 42% of the time this September versus a climatological average
- Sep 17, 202636 min
9/17/26 - Iowa El Niño Outlook
00:00:42 — Iowa weather history for September 17: a dramatic 1912 transition from record late-season heat to early snow and flurries. 00:01:17 — Weather trivia: How does Des Moines precipitation from September 1–14 rank historically? 00:02:22 — Near-term Iowa forecast: continued chances for rain and thunderstorms through Monday, with the heaviest potential rainfall in northeastern Iowa and a marginal severe-weather risk from southwest into central Iowa Friday night into Saturday. 00:03:44 — CPC 8- to 14-day outlook: warmer-than-normal temperatures favored statewide, with mixed precipitation signals across Iowa. 00:05:01 — October outlook: slightly increased odds of above-normal temperatures in Iowa, while precipitation has equal chances of being above, near, or below normal. 00:06:17 — Why the October precipitation outlook shows a wetter signal to Iowa's southwest, and why drought-stricken neighboring states could welcome that moisture. 00:07:30 — Three-month outlook for October through December: warmer conditions favored, with equal precipitation chances in eastern Iowa and a slightly wetter signal in western Iowa. 00:07:58 — El Niño update and Iowa winter implications: how current Pacific sea-surface temperature anomalies compare with historic strong El Niño events. 00:10:18 — Choosing El Niño analog years: why more recent strong events may be more relevant than older events when accounting for a warmer modern climate. 00:12:38 — Classic El Niño precipitation pattern, jet-stream placement, and the potential for wet conditions extending from the Gulf states into the Midwest. 00:13:17 — Winter weather under strong El Niño: a generally warmer signal, but potential for late-January and February cold-air outbreaks, episodic snowstorms, rain, and mixed-precipitation events. 00:15:32 — Other climate drivers beyond El Niño, including the Madden-Julian Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and uncertainty about ocean-atmosphere coupling and a possible later La Niña transition. 00:16:31 — What "episodic snowfall" means in practice: sharp swings between periods of frigid weather, snow potential, and much warmer conditions. 00:17:53 — How Iowa's currently wet soils affect local weather versus how large winter synoptic-scale systems obtain and transport moisture. 00:19:58 — Past week's headline: exceptionally wet conditions across southwest and central Iowa, despite temperatures generally remaining near normal. 00:21:11 — Dense fog, recent high-wind reports, and how recent temperatures compared with normal across the state. 00:21:53 — Weekly Iowa weather extremes: warmest and coldest observations, plus wettest and driest locations and discussion of CoCoRaHS rainfall reports. 00:25:12 — Specialty-crop impacts of prolonged wet weather: bacterial soft rot in carrots and other root vegetables, raised beds, harvest sanitation, and protecting storage crops. 00:28:31 — Forked carrots: possible causes, marketability, and the history and potential use of baby-carrot processing. 00:29:30 — Black rot in brassica crops: identifying affected cabbage, avoiding storage losses, preventing harvest-tool spread, and sanitizing knives. 00:31:07 — Managing muddy harvested crops, sanitizing wash water, and deciding whether to wash crops before storage. 00:31:50 — Fieldwork and fall planting: garlic planting windows, turfgrass reseeding on damaged field edges, and fall weather considerations. 00:32:46 — Upcoming events: registration for the November 11 high tunnel short course and the September 26 Horticulture Research Station event in Ames. 00:33:55 — Trivia answer 00:34:51 — Historical context for Des Moines precipitation records, including June 1881 as the city's wettest calendar month. 00:35:12 — Closing reflection on historical weather extremes, forecasting, weather-related stress, and the value of discussing mental health. podcast summary generated using perplexity.ai
- Sep 10, 202620 min
9/10/26 - Meteorological Summer Recap
[00:00:27] This Day in Iowa Weather History: Early frost event of September 10, 1976; record lows across multiple stations. [00:01:27] Short-term outlook: No frost risk for Iowa in the next week; 8–14 day hazards show cold risk only in northern Minnesota/Dakotas. [00:01:47] 7-day forecast headline: Shift to widespread low-pressure systems and fronts; 0.75–2 inches of rain possible; temps cooling toward or slightly below normal. [00:02:39] Extended outlook: 6–10 day (Sept 15–19) leans warm/wet; 8–14 day (Sept 17–23) near-normal temps with a slight wet signal; slight heavy-precip risk Sept 17–19. [00:03:31] 3–4 week guidance: Leans warm; no clear precipitation signal. [00:03:56] Past week recap: Very localized heavy rain in central Iowa (up to ~5–6 inches in parts of the metro) after a hot start to September. [00:06:42] Weekly extremes: High 100°F at Shenandoah (Sept 8); low 53°F at Lake Park (Sept 9); highest precip 7.69" at Guthrie Center; SE Iowa saw little to no rain. [00:08:24] Meteorological summer review: Statewide avg temp 72.7°F (+1.3°F; tied 54th warmest); precip 14.32" (+0.76"; 39th wettest); Des Moines area (Climate Division 5) had 11th wettest summer. [00:10:46] Growing season impacts: Wet periods drove foliar diseases, root rots, and pest pressure; mixed reports on corn rootworm and Japanese beetles; tough year for tomatoes; pumpkins faring better. [00:12:24] Coming next week: Summer "Glory Index" breakdown using airport sites (NW, NE, SW, SE, plus Des Moines). [00:13:20] Specialty crop tips: [00:13:23] Top Brussels sprouts in mid-September to improve uniform bulking. [00:13:43] Bacterial leaf spot on parsley/celery/cilantro: seed-borne and soil-borne; emphasize seed treatment, hot-water treatment for organic seed, and rotation. [00:15:54] Copper fungicides: effectiveness varies by product and disease; metallic copper equivalent matters more than % active ingredient; note PHI/REI differences and organic soil-copper limits. [00:18:31] Winter squash harvest: green radial lines at the stem on butternut can be normal; harvest when rind is tan/buff; cucurbit foliage declining summary generated using perplexity.ai
- Sep 4, 20269 min
Bonus Episode: Dr. Ajay Nair - The Future of Iowa Horticulture
I caught up with Dr. Ajay Nair at the 2026 Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA. He shared with me his vision for Horticulture at Iowa State University and in the state of Iowa.
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About What in the Weather?
This one's for you if you want to understand weather better! Join Dan Fillius, Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Field Specialist, and Dr. Justin Glisan, Iowa's State Climatologist, as they discuss what is happening in the world of Iowa weather. Every week during the main growing season we'll discuss recent weather, its impacts on fruits and vegetables, and provide a climate outlook for the coming week in Iowa. Let us know what you think, though as Mark Twain once said, "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes."
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