December 1-7, 2025

Temperatures

Average temperatures were at least 10°F above normal across most of the region (Figure 1). Temperatures were more than 10°F below normal across the region, except in southwest Missouri, northern Michigan, eastern Kentucky, and southern Ohio. In Waterloo, Iowa, the mean temperature for the week was 14.4°F, which ranks as Waterloo’s 9th coldest start to December, and the coldest start since 2005.

Minimum temperatures were also below normal by over 10°F for much of the region (Figure 2). Southern parts of the region were 5-10°F below normal. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, minimum temperatures dropped below 5°F for two consecutive days, December 4-5, which hasn’t happened in the first week of December since 2007. In Des Moines, Iowa, a minimum temperature of -3°F on December 4 was the earliest temperature below zero degrees in December since 1985.

Maximum temperatures were generally 10°F+ below normal across the region (Figure 3).

Precipitation/Drought

Most of the region observed less than 50 percent of normal precipitation (Figure 4). Precipitation was only slightly above normal across northern Iowa and the west coast of Michigan. Courtesy of sustained below-normal temperatures, most of the precipitation that fell was in the form of snow. The highest totals this week were across Michigan’s UP, western Michigan, northern Illinois, and Iowa, all of which observed at least 5 inches of snow (Figure 5). Elsewhere, accumulations were less than 5 inches.

There were slight improvements in drought across all categories, save D0 (abnormally dry), which increased slightly (Figure 6). Some D2 (severe drought) was removed from Illinois, and slight improvements were made in the D1 category (moderate drought) across Missouri.