After back-to-back major severe weather outbreaks in Iowa, State Climatologist Justin Glisan says it’s not necessarily a sign of things to come.

Glisan says it’s extremely difficult to predict any trends for hail, winds, and tornadoes more than a few days in advance — and he credits the National Weather Service for their high accuracy in forecasting both the March 31st and April 4th outbreaks across the state.

He says instead, a more active severe weather season is tied to precipitation predictions — meaning the more chances for rain, generally, the more opportunities there are for severe events to form.

Hear more from the state climatologist on today’s In Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard.