@Grizzcoat Good info. I like you have lost confidence. As you know the OTM rain gage was grossly off for several yrs!!! Maybe as bad as 40%. I beat the doors down. And eventually it was quiety replaced. But the data? Here in impoverished SE Iowa, I feel like I live in the 3rd world of weather/climate data. Im am not political whatsover! In fact Im religously (bible based) politically neutral. I have not once in my 62 yrs voted in usa! But appears to me some things are agenda driven. Like the Illinois new record all time low that was thrown out around 2021. To me temps are highly likely incorrect. Urban heat island is most likely grossly under estimated! Think of all the gages around the planet that were once rural settings that are now concrete jungles. The climate data does NOT COME FROM SMALL TOWN RURAL COOP OBSERVERS! The des nws was to put my location as a key coop observer location with both temps and precip. Upon visiting me they mysteriously decided not to put a thermometer here? Why? The OTM site is 6 or 7 miles from where the old data site was along the des river in downtown Ottumwa. Im 2 miles from the river but just off edge of city. A theremometer would be extremely accurate reflection of Ottumwa City better than OTM. Another huge complaint I have in SE Iowa is the gross inaccuracy of the Drought monitor! My company farms on 5000 acres! We mow 200 acre from lake rathbun to Ottumwa. We own 3 farms and 4 ponds. We have accurate coop and cocorahs obs. They seemingly blow off my reports!!! In Iowa if farmers dont make many reports (few reports are made) THEN THERE IS NO DROUGHT? LOOK AT THE STUPID REPORTS AND RAW DATA!!!! EXTREME DROUGHT HERE OFTEN! In 2017 local farmers and my landscaping division could not get federal aid!!! Why? Because powers to be in Desmiones blew us off! They barely look at our data down here. Pathetic!!!

Woke up to some hail. Roads are icy as well.

Looks undergone lol

What to my wondering eyes should appear? Sleet. Made quite the racket.

Super Bowl win or waste of a season