2015 was third wettest year in more than 100 for Jefferson

Jefferson residents will likely be talking for a long time about the year they had wet basements in December. The 5.73 inches of precipitation to end the year was a logical end to a year that saw about 150 percent of normal precipitation.

According to volunteer weather observer John Beltz, Jefferson received 49.18 inches of precipitation during 2015; normal is 32.93 inches. The total was short of a record by .59 inches. The wettest year in Jefferson was 1902 with 49.77 inches of precipitation. The second wettest year was 1973 with 49.71 inches, and 2015 was the third wettest year.

Total snowfall for 2015 was 32.5 inches, with normal being 30.1 inches.

Average temperature for the year was 48.9 degrees, according to Beltz’s data. He noted 48.0 as the normal average temperature. Jefferson escaped the extreme heat typical of late summer. Beltz reported only four days when the high temperature was warmer than 90 degrees. Highest temperature for the year was 95 degrees; the lowest was -15.

Data from volunteer weather observer John Belts for Jefferson, IA
Data from volunteer weather observer John Beltz for Jefferson, IA

Daily H.M. = daily high moisture for the month, highest for a 24 hour period; Daily H.S. = daily high snowfall, the highest snowfall for a 24 hour period; Days Snow C = number of days each month with snow on the ground.

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