This past winter was one for the record books. It was the ninth coldest in 141 years, according to the state climatologist. Persistent below-normal temperatures since mid-October allowed the soil to freeze as far down as three feet in most places, and as deep as five-and-a-half feet in some. Water main breaks were common-place. But by mid-February, some parts of Iowa were starting to see rising temperatures again. Spring was around the corner.

This freeze-thaw cycle is a part of living in Iowa. Plants grow in the spring and summer, wither in the fall and go dormant or decay in...