Nights turn raw in Anthon each January, colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 85°. Temperatures cover 75° across the year, low to high. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 85% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Anthon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Anthon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anthon’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Anthon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 153 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Battle Creek 3ne, IA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Anthon’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. 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 Mapleton No.2, IA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Anthon
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 Battle Creek 3ne, IA.
Living with Anthon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
153 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 1 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Anthon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Anthon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Anthon yet.
Climates most like Anthon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthon, IA | 10° | 85° | 30" | 31" |
| New Ulm, MN | 6° | 83° | 30" | 38" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Rockford, IL | 13° | 84° | 37" | 37" |
| Mount Pleasant, MI | 15° | 83° | 33" | 39" |
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 Anthon averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Anthon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anthon’s place among Iowa’s.
Anthon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Anthon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mapleton No.2, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 10° | 0.7" | 6.7" | 5 | 18 | 11° – 34° |
| February | 34° | 15° | 0.8" | 8.6" | 5 | 14 | 13° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 1.7" | 4.4" | 7 | 6 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 37° | 3.2" | 1.3" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| May | 72° | 48° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 39° | 2.3" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 26° | 1.4" | 2.3" | 5 | 2 | 26° – 48° |
| December | 33° | 15° | 1.0" | 7.1" | 5 | 10 | 9° – 30° |
| Year | 59° | 37° | 30.3" | 31.1" | 86 | 51 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 52°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Anthon’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 Anthon’s center.
- Snow: Mapleton No.2, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Battle Creek 3ne, IA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft higher; 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 Anthon’s climate
What is the weather like in Anthon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Anthon in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Anthon get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Mapleton No.2, IA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 51 days a year.
How hot does it get in Anthon?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 19 days a year reach 90° (Battle Creek 3ne, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Anthon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 153 frost-free days, at Battle Creek 3ne, IA.
What growing zone is Anthon in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Anthon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Anthon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anthon.
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.