Scientists sound the alarm on dramatic shift in winter weather — here's how it could impact you

Iowa is getting significantly less snow in the 2024-2025 season, signaling a snow drought.

According to DTN, Sioux City's January snowfall is 42% below average. This is the same for many cities across the state. Des Moines' snowfall for January and December was 70% below average. 

What's happening?

January has been tough on many of these Iowa cities, with most experiencing 80% below-average snowfall. Mason City had no snowfall for the first 30 days of the year. These snowfalls are in stark contrast to the 2023-2024 season, when snowfall for one month reached 24 to 27 inches. 

Why is a snow drought concerning?

Justin Glisan, a climatologist for the Iowa Department of Agriculture, noted that snowpacks are essential for moisture when the snow thaws. Without the snow, the soil can also have "deeper frost depths."

According to the Ohio Farm Bureau, snow is extremely beneficial for farming. It acts like a warm blanket, keeping the ground warmer than the air temperature, acting as a natural fertilizer by picking up nitrogen and sulfur as it falls, and keeping the ground moist. If the layer of snow isn't there, the cold dries up the ground just like it does with skin. When it melts, 20% to 25% of it is absorbed into the ground.

It's unclear how this snow drought will affect the upcoming growing season. Glisan said, "I wouldn't draw any conclusions from a dry winter and upcoming growing season conditions."

However, DTN noted that even if February brought the typical amount of snow, Iowa would still be 28% to 55% below average for the entire season.

According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, "Snowpack is a valuable metric for monitoring the impact" of polluting gases "because it is affected by changes in temperature." Western U.S. data shows that "the volume of snowpack is declining, caused by warming temperatures."

Iowa isn't the only place to see declining snowpacks. A Dartmouth College study found that snowpacks in the Northern Hemisphere have also declined over the last 40 years.

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Less snow also hurts snow-dependent industries in the area, such as skiing. The Gazette said that "Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque says it's having a 'good year' despite the lack of snow, but other businesses struggle during this unusual winter."

Cortney Baker, a store manager in Cedar Rapids, told the Gazette that the unseasonably dry and warm winter has meant the store has not sold as many winter coats or hats or sold or rented as much winter-based recreational equipment.

"We've had [about a week] in the last two to three seasons of being able to actually rent them out. Because of that we decided that it's just not worth holding on to that inventory," Baker told The Gazette. "It's unfortunate, but we've decided to kind of sell off our rental fleet at the moment, just because the weather's been so unpredictable."

What's being done about snow droughts?

Since snow droughts are related to rising temperatures caused by polluting gases, many initiatives exist to mitigate this. Many countries agreed on targets of lowering their polluting gases through the Paris Agreement. You can also use your voice by speaking with your representatives to ensure they continue to work towards meeting these targets.

If you live in a snow-drought area, you can help by doing things that waste less water. You can collect snow for your garden or use native plants that don't need as much water for your yard.

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