While the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center has forecasted what will likely be a warmer than normal winter across south central Iowa, that doesn’t mean extreme cold events will be absent. State Climatologist Justin Glisan says recently, nearly every winter has had an extended cold spell with record breaking cold temperatures and wind chills — and that’s due to a more active polar air mass over the winter months. He says generally, the climate outlooks published by the National Weather Service tells the story of total weather over a 90 day period — and that one degree above normal in December, January, and February is still considered quite cold for most. Hear more about the climate from Glisan on the In Touch with South Central Iowa podcast.