Despite the recent spring-like weather, both National Weather Service and ISU meteorology experts agree there is still a good chance that Iowa will experience its typical cold and snowy winter.

Elwynn Taylor, climatologist for the ISU meteorology department, said it is not uncommon for Iowa to see warm weather in November. He said there are usually at least one or two days late in the year when Iowa will experience temperatures of 60 degrees or warmer, he said.

“In 1999 the temperature reached 80 at Ames on the 8th and the 13th of November,” said Taylor, professor of agronomy.

“Yes, November has started off with snow and ice some years and like summer some other years, but the Indian summer [balmy weather after the killing freeze] is almost the rule.”

Brad Fillbach, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the temperatures have been several degrees above normal, but Ames hasn’t come close to setting any new records.

“We have seen high temperatures throughout the Midwest – however, this is not an indicator of a warm winter,” Fillbach said. “We also haven’t seen any indication of a warming pattern throughout the nation.”

The United States has felt both extremely high and low temperatures, setting records for both high and low temperatures in the Western states this fall, Taylor said.

There is no reason for Iowans to think there is a warm winter on the horizon, Taylor said. In actuality, sometimes really warm fall weather comes just before a really cold winter, he said.

Fillbach said the chances of this high pressure system currently over the Midwest probably will not stick around throughout the winter months.

“Warm weather is very common for a few days at this time of the year,” he said. “Iowans should know better than to think they are going to escape that easily.”