Lack of winter so far a blessing, curse in East Iowa

A brief spell of normal weather - maybe even a few degrees cooler than normal - will interrupt one of the mildest winters in Iowa history this week. The weather has been a blessing for some, a curse to others.

How warm is it?

• This winter's 30.2-degree statewide average daily temperature through Sunday makes this the fifth-warmest early winter on record, according to State Climatologist Harry Hillaker.

Will it last?

• No, but Thursday's predicted high of 20 is about 8 degrees cooler than usual, and the temperature is expected to rise to the mid-30s by Monday.
• Hillaker said the four warmest December-January periods were followed by unusually cold Februarys.

Drought in spring?

• The lack of snow shouldn't mean springtime drought worries. “Snowfall in Iowa accounts for a bit less than 10 percent of our annual moisture, so if you're way below normal you're not talking about very much moisture, unlike the mountain states out west,” Hillaker said.

Are cities and counties saving money?

• Cedar Rapids Public Works Maintenance Manager Craig Hanson estimates the city has saved $85,000 on overtime because of the absence of snow. He puts the savings at $190,000 for salt not used.
• Iowa City Public Works Director Rick Fosse estimates the lack of winter weather has saved his department $70,000 on salt and sand costs and $30,000 in overtime and fuel.
• Johnson County Engineer Greg Parker and Steve Gannon, his Linn County counterpart, are reluctant to estimate their counties' savings until spring, but without a major change in the weather pattern they're likely to carry this winter's supply of road salt through to next fall.
• Instead of moving snow, crews are trimming trees, patching potholes and catching up on other projects. “We're still actually cleaning ditches,” Parker said. “It's unbelievable.”

What are we saving on heating bills?

• MidAmerican Energy reports the combined gas and electric residential customers' December were down on average $25, or 13.75 percent, from last year. Alliant Energy says customers' natural gas bills are down 18 percent over last winter.
• The lower heating costs will allow Iowans on the state's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to stretch their benefits, said Jerry McKim, who administrates the federally funded program here.

Is the weather bad for some businesses?

• Greg Scharf of Greg's Lawn & Landscaping in Cedar Rapids said he's had little need for his company's 78 snow removal trucks, several end loaders, and inventories including more than $200,000 worth of salt and $40,000 worth of ice melt.
• Orders for dump-body mount salt and sand spreaders and pickup-mount spreaders are off “substantially” at Highway Equipment Co. in Cedar Rapids, a major producer of winter road maintenance equipment for highway departments and contractors, Vice President of Sales Marty Richards said.

• Manager Ray Adams said there are ample stocks of snowblowers, shovels, de-icer and other winter merchandise at Lenoch & Cilek Ace Hardware, 1701 Second St., Coralville. The store's service department, which specializes in snowblowers, has had little to do.

What about plants and animals?

•  The lack of snow cover makes it easier for endangered pheasants to find food and to hide from predators, said Todd Bogenschutz, of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
• Gardeners should mulch their perennial plants with oak leaves, straw, wood chips or compost to protect the plants in the absence of snow, which acts as an insulator, said Thea Cole, a master gardener with the Linn County Extension Service.

Content contributed by Steve Gravelle, Adam Carros, Dave DeWitte, Cindy Hadish, Orlan Love and Rick Smith/The Gazette