Winter nights in Ellsworth are colder than in 94% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 83°. A year here swings 73° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 74% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 3; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Ellsworth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellsworth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellsworth’s place in Iowa beside it.
What a year in Ellsworth feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Webster City, IA, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellsworth’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 Jewell, IA, falls mostly in January and December. 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 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ellsworth
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 Webster City, IA.
Living with Ellsworth’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 3 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellsworth from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellsworth and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ellsworth yet.
Climates most like Ellsworth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth, IA | 10° | 83° | 36" | 32" |
| Holmen, WI | 8° | 82° | 36" | 36" |
| Winona, MN | 8° | 83° | 36" | 38" |
| Freeport, IL | 12° | 83° | 38" | 35" |
| Howell, MI | 16° | 82° | 34" | 33" |
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 Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellsworth’s place among Iowa’s.
Ellsworth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellsworth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jewell, IA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 10° | 0.9" | 8.4" | 7 | 20 | 8° – 31° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.1" | 6.9" | 6 | 17 | 12° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.0" | 4.4" | 7 | 8 | 28° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 37° | 3.8" | 1.3" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 48° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 59° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 27° | 1.8" | 1.7" | 6 | 2 | 27° – 48° |
| December | 32° | 16° | 1.3" | 9.1" | 6 | 15 | 8° – 32° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 36.1" | 32.2" | 98 | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ellsworth’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 Ellsworth’s center.
- Snow: Jewell, IA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Webster City, IA, 16 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 Ellsworth’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellsworth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellsworth in winter?
January nights average 10°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How much snow does Ellsworth get?
About 32 inches in a normal winter at Jewell, IA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 63 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ellsworth?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 62°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Webster City, IA).
When is the first and last frost in Ellsworth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 150 frost-free days, at Webster City, IA.
What growing zone is Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth?
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 Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth.
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.