The Bizarre Winter of 2023-2024

About a dozen days in January gave people the weather conditions associated with a winter season. Dubuque received a total of 12.6 inches of snow during a two-day storm on Jan. 8-9. The high temperatures in Dubuque never rose above zero from Jan. 14 to 16, and cold conditions with snow cover persisted through Jan. 22, when the high rose to 32 degrees. Other than that winter was non-winter. It was the warmest winter for the observation station at Dubuque Regional Airport and the second-warmest winter for the Dubuque Lock and Dam No. 11. Persistent drought conditions and a jet stream that ushered warm air into the region contributed to the unusual winter weather.