869 
SXUS99 KDSM 270602 CCA
RERDSM

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
1200 AM CST FRI DEC 26 2002

             ...LONGEST DRY PERIOD ON RECORD IN DES MOINES...

AS OF THURSDAY AT MIDNIGHT WE WILL HAVE GONE 45 DAYS WITH NO 
MEASURABLE RAIN IN DES MOINES.  THIS TIES THE RECORD FOR THE LONGEST 
NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT ANY MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION SET 
IN 1952...WHEN THERE WAS A 45 DAY PERIOD FROM 02 OCTOBER THROUGH 15 
NOVEMBER OF THAT YEAR.  THE PRESENT FORECAST INDICATIONS ARE THAT WE 
WILL NOT SEE ANY MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION AT LEAST INTO EARLY NEXT 
WEEK. A POTENTIAL RAIN/SNOW MAKER WAS INDICATED FOR THIS AREA BY 
THIS COMING SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY BUT AT THIS TIME ANY 
PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT IF WE RECEIVE MEASURABLE AT ALL.  IT 
ALSO APPEARS THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL BE VERY WEAK IN IOWA...PROVIDING 
LITTLE MOISTURE.

SO FAR THIS MONTH WE HAVE HAD JUST A TRACE OF RAIN...WHICH PRODUCED 
A TENTH OF AN INCH OF SNOW. THE DRIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD WAS IN 
1903 WITH JUST 9 HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION...WHILE THE 
DRIEST OF ANY OF THE MONTHS ON RECORD IS 3 HUNDREDTH OF AN INCH IN 
OCTOBER OF 1952 AND NOVEMBER 0F 1969...ALL OF WHICH COULD BE 
BROKEN...IF THIS WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES. THE LEAST AMOUNT OF SNOW 
RECORDED IN DECEMBER WAS A TENTH OF AN INCH...WAY BACK IN 1889.

MS DEC 02