Weather Forecast:

• Big winter cooldown coming this weekend with lows in the teens and highs in the upper 20s-low 30s
• Potential snowfall of 1-5 inches across northern Iowa Saturday into Sunday
• Temperatures warming back to the 50s early next week
• Leaning warmer and slightly wetter pattern continues in 8-14 day outlook (Nov 13-19)

Historical Weather:

• Looking back at the November 6, 1990 snowstorm that brought up to 8.5 inches of snow and a record low of -1°F

Recent Conditions:

• Six consecutive weeks of above-average temperatures ended with near-normal conditions at the end of October
• Western Iowa received a quarter of its monthly precipitation in just two days
• Fall foliage peaked with recent windy conditions

Specialty Crop Impacts:

• Urgent: Harvest root crops (carrots, beets, radishes) before weekend freeze
• Protect lettuce with low tunnels; spinach and garlic can withstand cold
• Venting strategies for high and low tunnels to prevent moisture buildup and acclimate crops to cold
• Plant garlic now if you haven't already
• Tips on heating high tunnels for winter production

Looking Ahead: The podcast moves to a monthly schedule for the winter with the next episode on Wednesday, December 3rd.

• Historical Weather: On October 23, 1908, southwestern Iowa received significant early snowfall—up to 11 inches in Clarinda
• Current Frost Event: 57 of 160-200 weather stations recorded temperatures at or below 32°F this week, though not considered meteorologically "widespread"
• Weather Forecast: Stable pattern for next few days, then rain chances Sunday night through Tuesday (0.5-1+ inches expected across most of the state)
• Temperature Outlook: Warmer than normal for late October/early November; synoptic-scale flow patterns emerging
• Climate Prediction Center: Slight warm signal and near-normal precipitation for Oct 30-Nov 5; Iowa is in climatologically driest time of year
• Frost Timing Discussion: Average first 32°F freeze occurs early October in northern Iowa, mid-October in central Iowa, and late October in southern Iowa—this year's frost came slightly later than average
• Crop Updates: Time to harvest sweet potatoes after frost damage; garlic planting research shows August 30 plantings can yield better than traditional Halloween planting
• Winter Outlook: La Niña conditions suggest increased variability with potential for polar vortex outbreaks, especially in second half of January and February; Minnesota may see patterns similar to 2013-2014 winter
• Snowfall Predictions: Team made guesses for first 1-inch snowfall at Des Moines airport (average date: Nov 26-Dec 3)

summary generated using claude.ai

Weather History & Current Conditions

• Historical note: In 1950, Des Moines saw a 14° temperature spike in 5 minutes during a thunderstorm, reaching 87° due to prefrontal warming
• Current forecast: Cold front Friday with showers/thunderstorms, then cooler temps - returning to seasonal averages (mid-60s highs, upper-40s lows)

Frost Watch

• Only 5 Iowa stations have hit freezing so far (Elkader, Sioux Center at 31°, Stanley, Spencer and Mason City at 32°)
• No widespread frost or freeze expected through end of October
• Growers advised to protect tender crops like basil during low-40s temperatures

Precipitation & Long-Range Outlook

• Southwestern Iowa received 3 inches of rain (nearly a month's worth)
• Winter outlook shows classic La Niña pattern: leaning cold in northwest Iowa, wet in eastern Iowa for December-February
• Warmth persisting through end of October with near-normal precipitation

Specialty Crop Updates

• Root crop harvest underway
• Spinach showing Cladosporium (fungal disease) in high tunnels—venting recommended
• Resources shared: eGRO water testing guide, corn earworm management in cut flowers

Upcoming Events

• Albert Lea Seed cover crop show next Friday in Ames
• High tunnel short course November 12th at Iowa Arboretum featuring Becca Rudebusch

summary generted using claude.ai