Photo: Kevin Schuchmann · CC BY-SA 3.0Winter nights in Anamosa are colder than in 92% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 72°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 68% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 71–83°.
A year in Anamosa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Anamosa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anamosa’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Anamosa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 13. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anamosa 1 Wnw, IA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Anamosa 3 Ssw, IA, 2.6 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Anamosa’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cascade, IA, is heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 110 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Anamosa
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Anamosa 3 Ssw, IA.
Living with Anamosa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Anamosa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Anamosa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Anamosa yet.
Climates most like Anamosa’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anamosa, IA | 12° | 83° | 38" | 31" |
| Lake in the Hills, IL | 14° | 83° | 38" | 32" |
| Twin Lakes, WI | 14° | 83° | 37" | 38" |
| Lakes of the Four Seasons, IN | 16° | 83° | 40" | 27" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Anamosa averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Anamosa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anamosa’s place among Iowa’s.
Anamosa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Anamosa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cascade, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 12° | 1.2" | 8.3" | 8 | 22 | 10° – 32° |
| February | 32° | 16° | 1.4" | 8.8" | 8 | 19 | 11° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.2" | 4.2" | 9 | 7 | 28° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 4.0" | 0.9" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 80° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 75° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 2.1" | 1.8" | 8 | 3 | 29° – 48° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.7" | 6.9" | 8 | 13 | 11° – 36° |
| Year | 58° | 38° | 38.0" | 31.1" | 110 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Anamosa’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Anamosa’s center.
- Snow: Cascade, IA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Anamosa 3 Ssw, IA, 2.6 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Anamosa 1 Wnw, IA, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Anamosa’s climate
What is the weather like in Anamosa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Anamosa in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Anamosa get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Cascade, IA, heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Anamosa?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Anamosa 3 Ssw, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Anamosa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 170 frost-free days, at Anamosa 3 Ssw, IA.
What growing zone is Anamosa in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Anamosa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Anamosa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anamosa.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.