Lock and Dam No. 12 Historic District · Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers, photographer unknown · Public domainBellevue’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Bellevue at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bellevue’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bellevue’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Bellevue feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bellevue L&d 12, IA, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bellevue’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 32 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bellevue L&d 12, IA, falls mostly in January and December. 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 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bellevue
89% 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 Bellevue L&d 12, IA.
Living with Bellevue’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
172 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 25 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bellevue from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bellevue and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bellevue in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bellevue’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue, IA | 12° | 84° | 38" | 32" |
| Lowell, IN | 17° | 84° | 40" | 30" |
| Park Forest, IL | 17° | 84° | 40" | 28" |
| Sayre, PA | 17° | 84° | 37" | 35" |
| Ghent, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bellevue averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Bellevue compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bellevue’s place among Iowa’s.
Bellevue weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bellevue’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bellevue L&d 12, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 12° | 1.3" | 9.3" | 8 | 22 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 1.6" | 8.3" | 8 | 17 | 11° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 2.2" | 3.9" | 9 | 6 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| September | 75° | 53° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 30° | 2.3" | 1.3" | 8 | 2 | 30° – 48° |
| December | 34° | 19° | 1.8" | 8.4" | 9 | 13 | 12° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 37.8" | 31.9" | 109 | 60 |
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 Bellevue’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 Bellevue’s center.
- Snow: Bellevue L&d 12, IA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bellevue L&d 12, IA, 0.4 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 Bellevue’s climate
What is the weather like in Bellevue?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bellevue in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 146 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Bellevue get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter at Bellevue L&d 12, IA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bellevue?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Bellevue L&d 12, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Bellevue?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 172 frost-free days, at Bellevue L&d 12, IA.
What growing zone is Bellevue 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 Bellevue?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bellevue getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bellevue.
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.