Iowa State Fair temperatures are coolest in recent memory
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Des Moines has experienced some pretty extreme weather events this year, but our summer temperatures have remained fairly moderate, according to the National Weather Service in Des Moines.
Why it matters: After getting pelted with hail, thunderstorms and tornadoes, it's nice to walk outside and bask in some of the mildest Iowa State Fair temperatures in recent memory.
State of play: This year's active and wet conditions have contributed to the fair's coolest start since 2004, averaging 67.5° so far, Donna Dubberke, a meteorologist at the NWS's Des Moines office, tells Axios.
- Temperatures will tick back up into the 80s this weekend, but this year's fair dates are still expected to rank among the top 10 coolest on record, which has helped boost attendance.
😎 High temperatures have hit 90° or higher 24 times so far this summer. That happened 35 times in 2021 and 2022, according to the weather service.
⛄️ This winter, lows reached or dropped below zero eight times. That's less than half of the 19 instances in 2022 and 21 times in 2021.
Zoom out: Iowa has been an outlier. The U.S. has endured some big summer heat waves, particularly in June.
Threat level: While this year's temperatures were less extreme, the city has still seen a barrage of storms.
- "If I were going to take one word to describe this year, I would say, 'active,'" Dubberke tells Axios.
🌪 The tornado count is already 120, in comparison to 72 for all of last year.
☔️ Des Moines has accumulated nearly 28 inches of precipitation. That's three inches above average and a big jump compared to the 25 inches we had total last year.
What we're watching: Severe storms and more precipitation are likely to continue due to climate change, state climatologist Justin Glisan previously said.
The NWS's three-month outlook predicts a warmer-than-normal fall.