January in Berkley bites harder than in 92% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 85°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 75% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 25 to October 10.
A year in Berkley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Berkley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Berkley’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Berkley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first by October 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Perry, IA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Berkley’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 36 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Boone, IA, is heaviest from January through February, about 10 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 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Berkley
88% 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 Perry, IA.
Living with Berkley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Berkley from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Berkley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Berkley yet.
Climates most like Berkley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkley, IA | 11° | 85° | 36" | 36" |
| Rockford, IL | 13° | 84° | 37" | 37" |
| Beloit, WI | 13° | 83° | 37" | 37" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| 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 Berkley averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Berkley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Berkley’s place among Iowa’s.
Berkley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Berkley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Boone, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 11° | 0.9" | 9.9" | 9 | 21 | 11° – 33° |
| February | 34° | 16° | 1.1" | 9.3" | 9 | 18 | 15° – 36° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 2.0" | 5.0" | 10 | 7 | 29° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 1.3" | 13 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 49° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 80° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 76° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 28° | 1.8" | 1.9" | 8 | 2 | 28° – 49° |
| December | 34° | 17° | 1.3" | 7.9" | 9 | 13 | 9° – 33° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 35.8" | 35.9" | 123 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 33°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Berkley’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 Berkley’s center.
- Snow: Boone, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Perry, IA, 7 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 Berkley’s climate
What is the weather like in Berkley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Berkley in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 151 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 11°.
How much snow does Berkley get?
About 36 inches in a normal winter at Boone, IA, heaviest from January through February, about 10 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Berkley?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Perry, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Berkley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 25 and the first fall frost by October 10, about 166 frost-free days, at Perry, IA.
What growing zone is Berkley in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Berkley?
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 Berkley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Berkley.
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.