The colder-than-normal finish to the climatological winter of 2014-2015 produced February monthly temperatures that were 10 degrees below normal for the state of Iowa.

This brought the winter average for December through February for the state down to 0.9 degrees below normal, balancing the overall milder conditions of December and January.

Temperatures stayed well be­­low normal into the first part of March. This was followed by a remarkable reversal in temperatures that brought around two weeks of much milder weather, with average temperatures more than 20 degrees above normal on the warmest days. Some cool days again returned later in the...