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December 3, 2025 - Record-setting Autumn Snow in the Midwestern United States
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A strong post-Thanksgiving snowstorm capped off a warm autumn in Iowa, bringing the fall of 2025 into the record books as both one of the top ten warmest and top ten snowiest autumns on record for the central part of the state.
According to local media, the average temperature for meteorological autumn (which ended on November 30) for Des Moines was 56.7°F (13.7°C), making it the sixth warmest on record, just behind autumn 2024. The average autumn temperature in the city is about 53°F (11.6°C) with records dating back to 1870. KCCI Des Moines also reported that the city had seen 11 inches (28 cm) of snow, which places it as the fifth-snowiest autumn on record. The city averages only 3 inches (7.6 cm) of snow each autumn, with records dating back to 1880.
While the post-Thanksgiving storm brought 10.9 inches (27.7 cm) to Des Moines International Airport, the highest snow total in the state was Fort Dodge, which recorded 16.5 inches (42 cm). According to The Weather Channel, Waterloo/Cedar Falls also scored a record for the heaviest November snowstorm with 14.5 inches (36.8 cm). That’s more snow than average amount to fall in both November and December combined (13 inches/33 cm).
Iowa was not the only state setting records from the hard-hitting autumn storm that swept the Midwest between November 29 and December 1. The Weather Channel notes that Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (Illinois) saw its heaviest calendar day November snowfall (8.4 inches/21 cm) on November 29, beating the previous record of 8 inches (20.3 cm) set on November 6, 1951. Madison, Wisconsin also had its snowiest November day ever, with 9.3 inches (23.6 cm) on November 29 as well as the heaviest snowstorm to have ever occurred in November, with a total of 11.7 inches (29.7 cm). Springfield, Illinois also noted the heaviest single day November snowfall (8.9 inches/22.6 cm) on November 29, which beat out a record that stood for 99 years.
On December 2, 2025, as skies were clearing over the Midwestern United States, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this false-color image centered on Iowa. In this type of image, snow appears bright electric blue while vegetation appears green, open land looks white, and liquid water (lakes and rivers) show as dark blue. Clouds typically appear white, but high, cold cloud that contains ice crystals may be tinted with light blue.
Cloud obscures portions of eastern Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri from view, as well as all of Wisconsin and Illinois. Where cloud is thin or absent, abundant snow can easily be seen. This includes most of Iowa, western Minnesota and Missouri as well as visible portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, and northeastern Kansas.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/2/2025
Resolutions:
1km (335 KB), 500m (838.4 KB), 250m (1.5 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A strong post-Thanksgiving snowstorm capped off a warm autumn in Iowa, bringing the fall of 2025 into the record books as both one of the top ten warmest and top ten snowiest autumns on record for the central part of the state.
According to local media, the average temperature for meteorological autumn (which ended on November 30) for Des Moines was 56.7°F (13.7°C), making it the sixth warmest on record, just behind autumn 2024. The average autumn temperature in the city is about 53°F (11.6°C) with records dating back to 1870. KCCI Des Moines also reported that the city had seen 11 inches (28 cm) of snow, which places it as the fifth-snowiest autumn on record. The city averages only 3 inches (7.6 cm) of snow each autumn, with records dating back to 1880.
While the post-Thanksgiving storm brought 10.9 inches (27.7 cm) to Des Moines International Airport, the highest snow total in the state was Fort Dodge, which recorded 16.5 inches (42 cm). According to The Weather Channel, Waterloo/Cedar Falls also scored a record for the heaviest November snowstorm with 14.5 inches (36.8 cm). That’s more snow than average amount to fall in both November and December combined (13 inches/33 cm).
Iowa was not the only state setting records from the hard-hitting autumn storm that swept the Midwest between November 29 and December 1. The Weather Channel notes that Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (Illinois) saw its heaviest calendar day November snowfall (8.4 inches/21 cm) on November 29, beating the previous record of 8 inches (20.3 cm) set on November 6, 1951. Madison, Wisconsin also had its snowiest November day ever, with 9.3 inches (23.6 cm) on November 29 as well as the heaviest snowstorm to have ever occurred in November, with a total of 11.7 inches (29.7 cm). Springfield, Illinois also noted the heaviest single day November snowfall (8.9 inches/22.6 cm) on November 29, which beat out a record that stood for 99 years.
On December 2, 2025, as skies were clearing over the Midwestern United States, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this false-color image centered on Iowa. In this type of image, snow appears bright electric blue while vegetation appears green, open land looks white, and liquid water (lakes and rivers) show as dark blue. Clouds typically appear white, but high, cold cloud that contains ice crystals may be tinted with light blue.
Cloud obscures portions of eastern Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri from view, as well as all of Wisconsin and Illinois. Where cloud is thin or absent, abundant snow can easily be seen. This includes most of Iowa, western Minnesota and Missouri as well as visible portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, and northeastern Kansas.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/2/2025
Resolutions:
1km (335 KB), 500m (838.4 KB), 250m (1.5 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
