Weather History: On this day in 1938, temperatures reached 97°F in Onawa, tying Iowa's all-time October record. Other high temperatures included 96°F at Little Sioux and Sioux City. Short-Term Forecast: Current conditions are warm and dry, following the driest September on record. Upcoming temperatures expected to reach the upper 80s to low 90s, with cooler nights in the low to mid-40s. Recent Weather Events: Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, causing significant rainfall and landslides in North Carolina. Iowa experienced dry, hot, and windy conditions, leading to fire bans in some counties. Temperature Trends: Daily high temperatures were 11 to 15 degrees above average; lows were about 4 to 5 degrees above average. The dry air led to significant temperature drops overnight. Long-Term Forecast: The latest Drought Monitor shows severe drought expanding in parts of Western Iowa. Six to ten-day and eight to fourteen-day outlooks indicate above-average temperatures across Iowa, with a gradient of higher probabilities in the west. Precipitation Outlook: Expected to be below average for both short-term and October forecasts. Specialty Crop Impacts: Dry weather is beneficial for root crop harvesting but can make digging difficult if the ground is too hard. Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) program received additional funding from USDA, aiding growers. Some growers view LFPA funding as a short-term lifeline for capital improvements rather than a permanent solution. Flower growers faced challenges earlier in the year due to flooding affecting crops like dahlias. Transcript summary provided by perplexity.ai

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