Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0January in Belle Plaine bites harder than in 92% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 84° on average. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 74% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 28; in half of years the first frost comes by October 10.
A year in Belle Plaine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Belle Plaine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Belle Plaine’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Belle Plaine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Belle Plaine, IA, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Belle Plaine’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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Belle Plaine, IA, is heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 36 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Belle Plaine
90% 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 Belle Plaine, IA.
Living with Belle Plaine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Belle Plaine from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Belle Plaine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Belle Plaine yet.
Climates most like Belle Plaine’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Plaine, IA | 11° | 84° | 36" | 28" |
| Rochelle, IL | 13° | 83° | 38" | 28" |
| Edgerton, WI | 12° | 83° | 37" | 36" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Blair, NE | 14° | 85° | 32" | 32" |
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 Belle Plaine averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Belle Plaine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Belle Plaine’s place among Iowa’s.
Belle Plaine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Belle Plaine’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Belle Plaine, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 1.1" | 7.8" | 6 | 19 | 10° – 33° |
| February | 33° | 16° | 1.2" | 7.4" | 6 | 15 | 11° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 27° | 2.0" | 3.4" | 7 | 6 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| August | 82° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 28° | 2.1" | 1.8" | 6 | 2 | 29° – 48° |
| December | 34° | 17° | 1.5" | 6.3" | 7 | 12 | 10° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 36.2" | 27.9" | 99 | 55 |
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 37°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Belle Plaine’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 Belle Plaine’s center.
- Snow: Belle Plaine, IA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Belle Plaine, IA, 1.0 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 Belle Plaine’s climate
What is the weather like in Belle Plaine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Belle Plaine in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Belle Plaine get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Belle Plaine, IA, heaviest from January through February, about 8 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 55 days a year.
How hot does it get in Belle Plaine?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Belle Plaine, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Belle Plaine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 165 frost-free days, at Belle Plaine, IA.
What growing zone is Belle Plaine 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 Belle Plaine?
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 Belle Plaine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Belle Plaine.
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.