After a frigid January that had the second-most snow on record for the month in Des Moines, could February be headed toward the opposite extreme?
Saturday’s high was just 30 degrees, and the low was 6 degrees. But those were by far the lowest figures for the month to date, and Sunday is forecast to see a return to highs in the 40s, followed by even higher temperatures later in the week.
According to the National Weather Service, despite the brief return to seasonal temperatures and Friday’s snow. another balmy week on top of the unseasonal warmth the city has enjoyed for most of the month could put Des Moines on track for one of its warmest Februarys on record.
The all-time warmest was in 2017, with an average temperature of 39.2 degrees. National Weather Service records show. The second-warmest came in 1930, with an average of 38.1 degrees and a still-record daily high of 78 degrees.
Through Friday, this month’s average was 39.1 degrees, said Roger Vachalek, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Des Moines.