A Mixed Bag

The year was led by a July heat wave and winter drought

T here is only one way to describe the weather in Cedar County over the past 12 months — a mixed bag.

While it was easy to classify some of the recent years as 'too hot,' 'too wet,' or 'too dry,' the weather here in 2024 had a little bit of all of that. At times it was too hot, at times too cold. Other times the rain gauge was either gathering dust or full to the brim.

Yes, the weather here in 2024 was truly a mixed bag. The winter of 2023-24 was kind to this region as we had fewer below-zero days than usual — only eight all year long — and all of them during a January cold snap. The January 8-20 period was the only time all year area residents had to suffer through below- zero conditions.

Even though 2024 went down as one of the hottest years ever for most of the world, hot streaks were equally rare here in 2024.

The longest hot streak of the summer took place from July 25 to Aug. 5. During that 12-day stretch the mercury climbed to 90 degrees or above every day. Things didn't exactly cool off here at night during that stretch, either as the temperature remained in the 70s for six of those evenings.

While 2023 featured four 100-degree days, there were no triple digit days in Hartington in 2024. The mercury did, however, flirt with the 100-degree mark several times. The hottest day of the year here was recorded on June 24 when the mercury soared to 97 degrees. The thermometer topped the 90-degree mark 24 times in 2024 and hit 80 degrees or more on 93 different days during the year.

Moisture was another story all together. The Hartington area was bone dry for most of the winter months, as less than seven inches of moisture fell during the traditional winter season — November through March.

Spring was kind to us, though as 6.64 inches of rain fell here in April during 14 different rain showers. Another 5.67 fell here in May when it rained on 15 different days.

As the growing season started to wind down, the spicket basically shut off as only .19 inches fell here in September, and October brought only .95 inches of precipitation.

The wettest day of the year here came on July 19, when 2.97 inches of rain hit the ground expanding the creeks and testing the city's infrastructure.

Measurable precipitation fell here on 111 different days in 2024. When the year was over 27.53 inches of precipitation had fallen here.

The county fell into different drought categories throughout the year. At one point, enough precipitation had fallen that the county was actually considered out of drought. A dry end of the year changed that, though.