George E. Stubbins House · Photo: Ken Ratcliff · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Britt
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 78% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.7° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 29; in half of years the first frost comes by October 7.
A year in Britt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Britt’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Britt’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Britt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 161 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Britt 3e, IA, 3.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Britt’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 35 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kanawha, IA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Britt
92% 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 Britt 3e, IA.
Living with Britt’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
161 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Britt from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (26%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Britt and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Britt yet.
Climates most like Britt’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britt, IA | 7° | 83° | 34" | 35" |
| Berlin, WI | 9° | 82° | 33" | 38" |
| Andover, MN | 5° | 82° | 31" | 44" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Freeport, IL | 12° | 83° | 38" | 35" |
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 Britt averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Britt compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Britt’s place among Iowa’s.
Britt weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Britt’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kanawha, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 0.8" | 7.9" | 7 | 22 | 6° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 12° | 1.0" | 7.4" | 6 | 18 | 9° – 31° |
| March | 42° | 24° | 1.9" | 5.3" | 9 | 9 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 35° | 3.7" | 2.3" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 54° |
| May | 70° | 47° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 58° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 59° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.5" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 25° | 1.6" | 2.6" | 6 | 4 | 25° – 47° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 1.2" | 9.4" | 8 | 17 | 6° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 34.2" | 35.3" | 103 | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 30°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Britt’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 Britt’s center.
- Snow: Kanawha, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Britt 3e, IA, 3.0 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 Britt’s climate
What is the weather like in Britt?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 35 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 Britt in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Britt get?
About 35 inches in a normal winter at Kanawha, IA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 71 days a year.
How hot does it get in Britt?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 61°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Britt 3e, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Britt?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 161 frost-free days, at Britt 3e, IA.
What growing zone is Britt 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 Britt?
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 Britt getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Britt.
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.