Bancroft has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 82% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 4 to October 1.
A year in Bancroft at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bancroft’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bancroft’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Bancroft feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Swea City 5n, IA, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bancroft’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 40 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Swea City 5n, IA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bancroft
94% 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 Swea City 5n, IA.
Living with Bancroft’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 4 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, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bancroft from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bancroft and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bancroft yet.
Climates most like Bancroft’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bancroft, IA | 7° | 83° | 33" | 40" |
| Menomonie, WI | 5° | 82° | 34" | 41" |
| Isanti, MN | 4° | 82° | 32" | 44" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Madison, SD | 6° | 83° | 27" | 37" |
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 Bancroft averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Bancroft compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bancroft’s place among Iowa’s.
Bancroft weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bancroft’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Swea City 5n, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 0.8" | 10.9" | 6 | 23 | 5° – 27° |
| February | 29° | 12° | 0.9" | 8.5" | 5 | 21 | 10° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 1.8" | 4.6" | 7 | 10 | 26° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.5" | 3.6" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.7" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 43° | 25° | 1.5" | 3.1" | 6 | 6 | 24° – 47° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.2" | 8.3" | 6 | 21 | 7° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 32.8" | 39.7" | 93 | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 49°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bancroft’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 Bancroft’s center.
- Snow: Swea City 5n, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Swea City 5n, IA, 12 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 Bancroft’s climate
What is the weather like in Bancroft?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 40 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bancroft in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 5°.
How much snow does Bancroft get?
About 40 inches in a normal winter at Swea City 5n, IA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 82 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bancroft?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Swea City 5n, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Bancroft?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 150 frost-free days, at Swea City 5n, IA.
What growing zone is Bancroft 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 Bancroft?
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 Bancroft getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bancroft.
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.