Des Moines, IA (KICD)– The month of December was a bit of an anomaly compared to the rest of 2022 when it came to precipitation.

State Climatologist Justin Glisan says the last portion of the year ended with above normal moisture which only the third time that has happened in the last twelve months.

Glisan reminds us that while more than two and a half inches of moisture in December is not common, it is also not difficult to be above normal during the colder months.

On the other side of that coin though was temperature which ended up more than five degrees below average largely because of the cold snap that moved in around Christmas time.

Looking ahead into early 2023, the initial outlooks are showing some indications of slightly warmer and wetter conditions, but an overall pattern is not exactly clear because of ongoing effects from prolonged La Nina.