Burr Oak Savings Bank · Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Burr Oak
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 81°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 86% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Burr Oak at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Burr Oak’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Burr Oak’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Burr Oak feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 140 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mabel, MN, 7 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Burr Oak’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −21°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Harmony, MN, 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 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Burr Oak
96% 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 Mabel, MN.
Living with Burr Oak’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
140 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 28.
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 Burr Oak from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Burr Oak and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Burr Oak yet.
Climates most like Burr Oak’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burr Oak, IA | 7° | 81° | 38" | 47" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
| Beaver Dam, WI | 10° | 82° | 35" | 43" |
| Plattsburgh, NY | 9° | 81° | 35" | 50" |
| Hanover, NH | 9° | 82° | 39" | 61" |
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 Burr Oak averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Burr Oak compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Burr Oak’s place among Iowa’s.
Burr Oak weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Burr Oak’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Harmony, MN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 1.1" | 11.4" | 7 | 26 | 6° – 29° |
| February | 29° | 11° | 1.1" | 10.1" | 7 | 25 | 7° – 32° |
| March | 42° | 23° | 2.0" | 8.4" | 8 | 16 | 24° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 4.1" | 2.3" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 52° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| July | 81° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 50° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 26° | 2.0" | 2.6" | 7 | 4 | 25° – 46° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.4" | 11.1" | 8 | 21 | 7° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 35° | 38.0" | 46.6" | 107 | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Burr Oak’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 Burr Oak’s center.
- Snow: Harmony, MN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mabel, MN, 7 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; 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 Burr Oak’s climate
What is the weather like in Burr Oak?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Burr Oak in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 34 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 6°.
How much snow does Burr Oak get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Harmony, MN, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 94 days a year.
How hot does it get in Burr Oak?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 60°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Mabel, MN).
When is the first and last frost in Burr Oak?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 140 frost-free days, at Mabel, MN.
What growing zone is Burr Oak in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Burr Oak?
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 Burr Oak getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Burr Oak.
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.